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Zürich Ii Statement On Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfass): Scientific And Regulatory Needs, Jamie C. Dewitt, Juliane Glüge, Ian T. Cousins, Gretta Goldenman, Dorte Herzke, Rainer Lohmann, Mark Miller, Carla A. Ng, Sharyle Patton, Xenia Trier, Lena Vierke, Zhanyun Wang, Sam Adu-Kumi, Simona Balan, Andreas M. Buser, Tony Fletcher, Line Småstuen Haug, Jun Huang, Sarit Kaserzon, Juliana Leonel, Ishmail Sheriff, Ya-Li Shi, Sara Valsecchi, Martin Scheringer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals of global concern. A group of 36 scientists and regulators from 18 countries held a hybrid workshop in 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland. The workshop, a sequel to a previous Zürich workshop held in 2017, deliberated on progress in the last five years and discussed further needs for cooperative scientific research and regulatory action on PFASs. This review reflects discussion and insights gained during and after this workshop and summarizes key signs of progress in science and policy, ongoing critical issues to be addressed, and possible ways forward. Some …

Passive Sampler Derived Profiles And Mass Flows Of Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (Pfass) Across The Fram Strait In The North Atlantic, Matthew Dunn, Simon Vojta, Thomas Soltwedel, Wilken-Jon Von Appen, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of pollutants of high concern due to their ubiquity and negative human health impacts. The long-range marine transport of PFAS was observed during year-long deployments of passive tube samplers in the Fram Strait across three depth transects. Time weighted average concentrations ranged from 2.4 to 360 pg L^–1, and 10 different PFAS were regularly observed. PFAS profiles and concentrations were generally similar to those previously characterized for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at these sites. The detection of several anionic PFAS in “old” water demonstrated that they are not perfect …

Phytoplankton Thermal Trait Parameterization Alters Community Structure And Biogeochemical Processes In A Modeled Ocean, Stephanie I. Anderson, Clara Fronda, Andrew D. Barton, Sophie Clayton, Tatiana A. Rynearson, Stephanie Dutkiewicz

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton exhibit diverse physiological responses to temperature which influence their fitness in the environment and consequently alter their community structure. Here, we explored the sensitivity of phytoplankton community structure to thermal response parameterization in a modelled marine phytoplankton community. Using published empirical data, we evaluated the maximum thermal growth rates (μmax) and temperature coefficients (Q10; the rate at which growth scales with temperature) of six key Phytoplankton Functional Types (PFTs): coccolithophores, cyanobacteria, diatoms, diazotrophs, dinoflagellates, and green algae. Following three well-documented methods, PFTs were either assumed to have (1) the same μmax and the same Q10 (as in to Eppley, …

Development And Modeling Of An Innovative Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Device For Quantitative Elisa, Ashutosh Kumar

Open Access Dissertations

This work contributes to the burgeoning field of paper-based analytical devices, with a particular focus on advancing global health outcomes through the development of an innovative paper-based Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (p-ELISA) platform. At its core, this research seeks to address the critical need for accessible, efficient, and reliable diagnostic tools by leveraging the unique properties of paper as a substrate for fluid dynamics and biochemical reactions. The motivation behind this endeavor is the potential for such devices to significantly improve diagnostic capabilities, especially in resource-limited settings where traditional laboratory infrastructure is scarce.

The work is structured around a comprehensive exploration …

Dynamics Of Some Non-Autonomous Difference Equations, Ryan Sullivan

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on non-autonomous difference equations. Results are proven for non-autonomous n-dimensional versions of commonly used maps, such as Ricker's map, Pielou's map, and more. Chapter I is about the dynamics a generalized Beverton Holt equation in 3-dimensions, and its non-autonomous analogue. Chapter I also includes a result for general 3-dimensional systems. Chapter II is about the convergence of non-autonomous difference equations.

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2024-2025, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

Variant Graphs Improve Accuracy Of Downstream Analysis In Restriction Site-Associated Sequencing, Gabriel A. Barrett

Open Access Master's Theses

Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) has emerged as an effective tool to survey natural populations for genetic structure and diversity. When undergoing bioinformatic processing, markers generated from RADseq are aligned to a reference sequence prior to variant calling, which may introduce reference bias in downstream analysis. Here, the benefits of building a variant graph are evaluated based on RADseq markers to reduce reference bias, improve variant calling accuracy, and estimate fixation index (F_ST) and nucleotide diversity (π). Results indicate graph-based alignments improve SNP detection and provide more accurate estimates of per-site F_ST across a range of demographic …

Nanotube Spectral Fingerprinting And Machine Learning For Optimized Bioimaging/Sensing Applications, Aceer Nadeem

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis presents a multifaceted exploration of the optimization and application of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in biomedical contexts, with a specific focus on enhancing their stability, functionality, and use as optical biosensors. The research spans several key areas, including the development of innovative techniques that couple machine learning with spectral fingerprinting for advanced diagnostics, the investigation of SWCNT chirality and its implications for cellular interactions, and the optimization of lyophilization processes to improve long-term stability and reproducibility.

The first section of the thesis delves into the fundamental properties of SWCNTs, emphasizing their unique electronic and optical characteristics. These properties, …

From Page To Stage: Enlightenment Common Sense & The Semiotics Of The Body, 1660–1820, Nilton X. Gomes

Open Access Dissertations

How did eighteenth-century audience members or novel readers come to see beyond the facades of literary characters and narrators? By looking into moments of bodily concealment in the eighteenth-century novel and theater, this dissertation examines how authors and playwrights in this period wrote with subtly and force to make the body as and in many instances more legible to their readers as the words on the page or the dialogues on the stage in attempts to suture the gap that lies between what a writer intends and what a reader grasps in a literary work. It also stresses the body’s …

Habitat Selection And Breeding Ecology Of American Woodcock In Southern New England, Colby R. Slezak

Open Access Dissertations

Declines in young forest in eastern North America during the last century have led to declines in wildlife species that inhabit and depend on this habitat for at least some portion of their annual cycle. For example, the American woodcock (Scolopax minor), a hunted upland shorebird that inhabits early successional habitats has experienced long-term (ca. 1% annually) population declines since monitoring of singing males began in 1968. For nearly a century, woodcock research has primarily focused on males because of the difficulties associated with capturing females, thus relatively little is known about females and if factors related to …

Investigation Of Fancd2 Function Utilizing A Multi-Omic Approach, Justin Blaize

Open Access Dissertations

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease characterized by congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and a predisposition to cancer. FA is caused by a mutation in one of 23 genes, the protein products of which function in a pathway to repair DNA and maintain genome stability. While an important role for the FA proteins in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) has been established in vitro, there is still much to be learned about the function of the pathway, and the endogenous sources of ICLs in FA patients. In this work we study FANCD2, a key protein …

Soil Biogeochemistry In Riparian And Restored Tidal Wetlands: Monitoring And Method Evaluation, Joseph Anthony Loffredo

Open Access Master's Theses

Although soils are essential for sustaining ecosystems, they are often overlooked in routine monitoring efforts during restoration projects. This thesis tries to address the interest in and challenges of measuring and monitoring soil biogeochemical properties and processes to evaluate restoration trajectories. In the first part of this thesis (Chapter 1), I monitored tidal marsh vegetation and soil biogeochemical responses to restoration by thin-layer placement (TLP) of dredged sediments in a greenhouse mesocosm study and a parallel field study at an active restoration site in southern RI. In the greenhouse, aboveground plant biomass in mesocosms treated with +5 cm and +10 …

Markerless Motion Capture For Dual-Handed Teleportation Of Industrial Robots, Michael F. Vallaro

Open Access Master's Theses

The advancement of teleoperation systems has predominantly focused on single-robot or humanoid systems, leaving a gap in efficient control methods for dual-robot setups. Existing solutions lack the ability to integrate synchronized operations of two robots with intuitive and precise human inputs. This limitation limits the execution of tasks requiring simultaneous coordination, multitasking, and safety measures, particularly in environments that demand precision, such as hazardous material handling, industrial assembly, and automation workflows. To address this issue, a dual-robot teleoperation system is proposed, enabling a single operator to control two Niryo Ned 2 robotic arms using hand motion tracking via Leap Motion …

Developing A Cross-Platform Remotely Operated Toolset For In Situ Deep Sea Coral Propagation, Luke Richard Millen

Open Access Master's Theses

When disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill strike remote ecosystems including the fragile deep ocean, recovery can be a long and arduous process. Deep water corals are especially susceptible to being critically damaged, as colonies have been known to grow for thousands of years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in partnership with various other federal and state agencies, is leading the effort to restore these open ocean ecosystems that were damaged in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill through the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities - Coral Propagation Techniques Development project suite. In line with this program, …

The Moderating Role Of Trait Impulsivity On Sensitivity To Reward And Alcohol Craving, Anna Sherman

Open Access Master's Theses

Alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of negative consequences such as poor physical and mental health outcomes (e.g., alcohol-related severe injury, depression, anxiety) in addition to financial and relational difficulties, particularly for young adults (i.e., individuals ages 18 to 25) due to their disproportionately high rates of alcohol use. Alcohol craving (i.e., the strong desire to consume alcohol) is a key factor related to increased use for clinical populations, but scant research has examined craving and its associated factors among young adults. Reward sensitivity (i.e., the desire to obtain appetitive stimuli) and impulsivity (i.e., rash action without consideration …

Multi-Sensor Fusion For Uuv Localization At The Ice-Water Interface, Lin Zhao

Open Access Dissertations

The polar oceans are crucial in influencing global overturning circulation, biological carbon pumps, and the carbon cycle. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are promising tools to explore this area for scientific sampling and monitoring. However, underwater localization is challenging because of the lack of GPS. To improve the robustness of UUV under-ice navigation ability, in this dissertation, we investigated a multi-sensor fusion localization system for ice-water inter-face exploration. Specifically, the state-of-the-art Multi-State Constraint Kalman Filter (MSCKF) is leveraged to perform state estimation using Doppler Velocity Log (DVL), Pressure, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), Forward-looking Sonar (FLS) and Mono-camera. Furthermore, robust feature estimation …

Late Pleistocene-Holocene Environmental Change At The Southern Ocean Sea Ice Edge Documented By Diatom Assemblages And Diatom-Bound Nitrogen Isotopes, Isabel Dove

Open Access Dissertations

The Southern Ocean plays a key role in modulating global climate via physical and biogeochemical processes, both today and in the past. Wind-driven upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface, enabling carbon exchange with the atmosphere and fueling primary production that facilitates long-term storage of carbon in the deep ocean. The nitrogen isotopic composition of organic matter within diatom microfossils (δ¹⁵N_DB) has been used to reconstruct changes in nutrient utilization related to upwelling-driven supply and biological demand and consequent impact on climate across Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles (2.58 Ma - 11.7 ka) and over the Holocene …

Burden Among Caregivers Of Youth With Psychotic Disorders And Clinical High Risk For Psychosis, Devon Carroll

Open Access Dissertations

Schizophrenia ranks among the most debilitating psychiatric disorders across the lifespan, leading to poor recovery outcomes, high mortality rates, and a surge in comorbid health conditions (Charlson et al., 2018). When psychotic illness strikes before age 18, it follows a more complex clinical course, presents with more severe negative psychotic symptoms, and carries a greater genetic vulnerability (Armando et al., 2018; Lin et al, 2016). Children categorized with “clinical high risk for psychosis” (CHR-P), a term used to describe a prodromal phase characterized by a gradual onset and presentation of sub-threshold psychotic symptoms, experience high rates of suicidal behavior and …

The Impact Of Computer-Based Simulations On Content Knowledge And Engagement Of Anatomy & Physiology Ii Students, Bonnie Rayta

Open Access Dissertations

This exploratory mixed-methods study looks to examine if there is a relationship between the use of computer-based simulations (CBS), student knowledge and student engagement in an anatomy and physiology II course. Research question one (RQ 1) asked: does the integration of CBS into lecture-based instruction improve students’ knowledge (KWD) in a second semester anatomy and physiology II course compared to students who participated in non-CBS instruction. Research question two (RQ 2) asked: does the integration of CBS into lecture-based instruction improve students’ engagement (ENG) in a second semester undergraduate anatomy and physiology II course compared to students who participate in …

Translanguaging Through Experiencing: The Lived Experiences Of Multilingual Learners Studying Chinese, Jiangping Cai

Open Access Dissertations

Although the United States has a population with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, multilingual education has been greatly influenced by monolingual and raciolinguistic ideologies (Flores & Rosa, 2019; García, 2014; Ruiz, 1984). With world language enrollment continuing to decline (Lusin et al., 2023), investigation of the lived experiences of diverse groups of multilingual learners (MLLs) would help to understand language learning from a sociocultural perspective, and better support multilingual education and planning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the Chinese learning experiences of native English multilingual students studying Chinese at a U.S. public university language program. The …

An Exploration Of The Quantitative Methods Used In The Study Of Phytoplankton Population Dynamics, Vitul Agarwal

Open Access Dissertations

Phytoplankton account for about half of all global net primary production. They are responsible for fueling marine fisheries, modulating the climate cycle, and forming the base of the marine food web. Some phytoplankton taxa play critical roles in coastal and lake ecosystems by forming harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can severely impact local communities’ economic revenue and human health. Given their importance, recent decades have seen a broad interest in understanding and predicting the variability of phytoplankton populations; however, there are limited resources that identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of analysis approaches used to study phytoplankton population dynamics. Research …

Developing Effective Physical And Chemical Adjuvants For Influenza And Tumor Vaccines, Yibo Li

Open Access Dissertations

An adjuvant is a pharmacological substance added to a vaccine to enhance the intensity, breadth and endurance of the immune responses. Traditional discovery and development of vaccine adjuvants mainly based on empirical experiences have been slow, but the situation has improved in the past two decades as more molecular mechanisms of vaccine adjuvants were revealed. Now it has been widely recognized that most adjuvants activate innate immune system by targeting pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as toll-like receptors (TLRs) to enhance adaptive immune responses. PRRs are proteins expressed mainly on innate immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, …

Design, Simulation, And Rapid Prototyping Of Soft Robotic Actuators For Deep-Sea Applications, Alexander Yin

Open Access Dissertations

A new design and rapid prototyping approach for hydraulic soft actuators was developed and used to create bio-inspired underwater soft actuators that were tested and applied in the field. Underwater soft-bodied animals demonstrate complex approaches to move around the ocean and sophisticated methods of physically interacting with other organism and objects. Studying the functional design and kinematics of these animals can provide insight and solutions for complex tasks and locomotion, and soft robotics provides pathways to create complex actuators that imitate or are inspired by these animals. However, creating a complex soft actuator is currently an arduous and time-consuming process …

Mechanistic And Toxicokinetic Analysis Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances: Proteomics Approach And The Role Of Fatty Acid Binding (Fabp), Seyed Mohamad Sadegh Modaresi

Open Access Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals used in many industries, known for their resilience and resistance to degradation. The extended half-lives of PFAS in the human body result in bioaccumulation, with serum half-lives for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) estimated at 3.4, 4.6, and 7.1 years, respectively. PFAS primarily accumulate in the liver, hypothesized due to their resemblance to fatty acids and their binding with liver fatty acid-binding proteins (LFABP), affecting lipid metabolism and leading to liver toxicity. Although extensive research has been performed on long-chain PFAS over the past decade, …

Treading Carefully In The Deep Ocean: Insights Into The Effects Of Artificial Light And Sound From Robotic Platforms On Pelagic Animal Surveys Using Active Acoustics And Low-Light Imaging Techniques, Rendhy Moreno Sapiie

Open Access Dissertations

Science and technology are coupled disciplines. Breakthroughs in ocean science are often pertinent to the ability to observe physical, chemical, and biological processes at the right temporal and spatial scales, which typically involves the use of robots. Large, powerful, and extremely capable, the scientific work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is the golden standard when observing fine temporal scale intricate processes in the full ocean stratum and has unraveled important discoveries in deep-sea biology and ecology. Sound, light, and hydrodynamic forces produced from these vehicles are sources of disturbances that may impact quantitative observations in the twilight zone, an environment absent …

An Investigation Of Alkb-Family Dna Repair Enzymes And Their Interaction With Synthetic, Modified Oligonucleotides, Samuel Dean Howarth

Open Access Dissertations

Chapter One will detail the synthesis, purification, and characterization of DNA oligonucleotides containing one of fifteen modified nucleic acid bases. For each modification, relevant background information is provided to highlight its biological significance. This chapter primarily focuses on the development of oligonucleotide stocks for use in future biochemical and cellular assays. Several of these modifications are recognized substrates of AlkB-family enzymes, while others remain uncharacterized as potential substrates.^1-4 The discovery of novel substrates for AlkB-family enzymes can be facilitated through comprehensive in vitro biochemical assays, contingent upon the availability of well-characterized substrate stocks. The methods and findings presented here …

Transnationalizing Feminist Translation Studies? Insights From The Warwick School Of Feminist Translation: A Roundtable, Olga Castro, Emek Ergun, Maud Anne Bracke, William J. Spurlin, Luciana Carvalho Fonseca

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This roundtable article features a conversation among the five scholars who delivered keynotes at the Warwick School of Feminist Translation, held at the University of Warwick, UK, in May 2023: Olga Castro, Emek Ergun, Maud Anne Bracke, William J. Spurlin, and Luciana Carvalho Fonseca. Drawing on their uniquely interdisciplinary expertise on the politics of translation and interpreting, the authors explore the urgent role that translation and translators, as well as the fields and scholars of feminist and queer translation and interpretation studies, play in distrupting and dismantling heteropatriarchal, racist, homonationalist, and colonial regimes of power. Their conversations reveal the urgent …

(Another) Introduction: Translating Transnational Feminisms, Erin Katherine Krafft, Caroline De Souza

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

In this introduction to part two of the special issue “Translating Transnational Feminisms,” we examine the position of feminist translation practices and the theories of Feminist Translation Studies within transnational cultural and geopolitical contexts. We again explore translation as a core component of transnational feminist solidarities, focusing particularly on Feminist Translation Studies (FTS) as containing frameworks that allow for forms of and approaches to analysis that, due to the multidisciplinarity of the field, offer sight and insights that are unique in their depth and breadth.

Two Decades Of Gender Troubles In Iceland: The Translation Of Gender, Differences, And The Uncertainty Of Meaning, Katrín Harðardóttir

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

When “gender” was translated to Icelandic in 1998 as kyngervi, the notion of performative gender had been circulating in Icelandic academia for a little over a year. The introduction and dissemination of the term inside academia then became quite rapid, with the help of diverse professional fields such as art, literary, history and gender studies, but criticism on the translation did not appear until well into the second decade of the twenty-first century, when it was pointed out that the translated term conveys a difference between “sex” and “gender,” with the possible consequence of perpetuating this dichotomy although it …

Shifting Shapes: Transnational Tactics Of The Authoritarian Right In Brazil And Russia, Erin Katherine Krafft, Caroline De Souza

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

Global right-wing anti-gender movements have developed a transnational pattern in their uses of language as a means of subjugation and of control, and this article examines manifestations of this pattern in two specific states: Brazil and Russia. By exploring the anti-gender languaging, rhetoric, and legislation advanced by Jair Bolsonaro (President of Brazil 2019–2022) and Vladimir Putin (President of Russia 2000–2008 and 2012 to the present) and their supporters, we find that, in both contexts, anti-gender campaigns are reactions to and also drivers for increasingly dramatic political and social conflicts, and in each case, anti-gender ideologies are embedded in larger right-wing …