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Curricular Report No. 2016-17-2 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate., University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Nasty People: An Illustrated Guide To Understanding Sex, Sophia Weaver

Senior Honors Projects

Sex made me and it probably made you too, but for many of us sex remains a mystery for our entire lives. I see sexual images every day, but I rarely hear it discussed openly or factually. This is problematic. If most people are having sex and most people have a lot of misinformation about it, STDs, unwanted pregnancies and even sexual assaults are much more likely. Research suggests that increased (and well developed) sex ed. can reduce all of the possible negative outcomes of sexual misinformation. My observations of everyday life and my research in academia have given me …

Molecular Measurement Of Toxicity In Fish; Case Examples And Policy Implications, Jessica A. Freedman

Senior Honors Projects

Stormwater and oil are common urban contaminants that can be harmful to fish species. One way of recognizing exposed and impaired fish is by monitoring gene expression and gene induction. This study focused on the identification and validation of reference genes for measuring contaminant-induced changes in gene expression due to urban influence. In this study, reference genes (which are genes used to normalize data and remain consistent in varying exposures regardless of organism and tissue type) were established. Six genes were identified as reference genes (ef1a, wdtc1, mtm1, spop, rxrba and tuba1) from a longer list of potential …

Improving Our Understanding Of Ocean Circulation: A Modeling Study, Nicole M. Flecchia

Senior Honors Projects

The Gulf Stream is not a rigidly contained ocean current; it curves and meanders in a manner that causes portions of it to go unstable, breaking off to form warm core rings. These rings travel west – due to the earth’s rotation - through the Slope Sea and onto the southern New England shelfbreak, affecting various physical parameters of our coastal waters as well as the biogeochemical and ecological properties (i.e. the ‘health’) of the those waters. Where a warm core ring lands along the east coast and the time of year it appears varies with each ring, causing each …

Global Ocean Data Science Ocg 250, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

The Five Hundred And Thirty-Fifth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee (Courses)., University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Polymer Systems For Controlled Release Of Lentivectors, Eduardo Silva

Amgen Seminar Series in Chemical Engineering

We target vascularization as a critical enabling technology to engineer or regenerate virtually any tissue or organ system. One important target for new therapies is peripheral artery disease (PAD). Current therapies for PAD aim to reduce risk with lifestyle changes, antiplatelet drugs, and statins before intervening surgically with either bypass or endovascular revascularization. However, for those patients who fail to respond to first-line therapies, the manifestations of PAD include critical limb ischemia (CLI). Staggeringly, ~25% of CLI patients will likely die within a year of the initial treatment. Despite positive results with animal studies and small-scale clinical studies, large clinical …

Selection Of Reference Genes For Rt-Qpcr Analysis In Coccinella Septempunctata< To Assess Un-Intended Effects Of Rnai Transgenic Plants, Chunxiao Yang, Evan L. Preisser, Hongjun Zhang, Yong Liu, Liangying Dai, Huipeng Pan, Xuguo Zhou

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The development of genetically engineered plants that employ RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress invertebrate pests opens up new avenues for insect control. While this biotechnology shows tremendous promise, the potential for both non-target and off-target impacts, which likely manifest via altered mRNA expression in the exposed organisms, remains a major concern. One powerful tool for the analysis of these un-intended effects is reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, a technique for quantifying gene expression using a suite of reference genes for normalization. The seven-spotted ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata, a commonly used predator in both classical and augmentative biological controls, is a …

The Pten Phosphatase Functions Cooperatively With The Fanconi Anemia Proteins In Dna Crosslink Repair, Elizabeth A. Vuono, Ananda Mukherjee, David A. Vierra, Morganne M. Adroved, Charlotte Hodson, Andrew J. Deans, Niall G. Howlett

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disease characterized by bone marrow failure and increased cancer risk. The FA proteins function primarily in DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) repair. Here, we have examined the role of the PTEN phosphatase in this process. We have established that PTEN-deficient cells, like FA cells, exhibit increased cytotoxicity, chromosome structural aberrations, and error-prone mutagenic DNA repair following exposure to ICL-inducing agents. The increased ICL sensitivity of PTEN-deficient cells is caused, in part, by elevated PLK1 kinase-mediated phosphorylation of FANCM, constitutive FANCM polyubiquitination and degradation, and the consequent inefficient assembly of the FA core complex, FANCD2, and …

Cell Mechanics And Its Applications In Biomedical Engineering, Hongyan Yuan

Amgen Seminar Series in Chemical Engineering

Biophysics and mechanobiology of biological cells are important subjects to not only cellular physiology but also to biomedical engineering, such as nanoparticle-based drug delivery, nanomaterial cytotoxicity, and tissue engineering. Two main load-bearing structures of biological cells are cell membrane and cytoskeleton. These macromolecular structures are regulated by biochemical events when fulfilling their mechanical roles. On the other hand, they also act as mechanosensors to enable the mechanical forces to regulate the biochemical reactions in the cell. Therefore, mechanics and biochemistry are closely coupled for the cell. A better understanding of the complexity of cell mechanics and mechanobiology can help achieve …

The Cstf2t Polyadenylation Gene Plays A Sex-Specific Role In Learning Behaviors In Mice, Jaryse C. Harris, Joseph M. Martinez, Petar N. Grozdanov, Susan E. Bergeson, Paula Grammas, Clinton C. Macdonald

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Polyadenylation is an essential mechanism for the processing of mRNA 30 ends. CstF-64 (the 64,000 Mr subunit of the cleavage stimulation factor; gene symbol Cstf2) is an RNAbinding protein that regulates mRNA polyadenylation site usage. We discovered a paralogous form of CstF-64 called τCstF-64 (Cstf2t). The Cstf2t gene is conserved in all eutherian mammals including mice and humans, but the τCstF-64 protein is expressed only in a subset of mammalian tissues, mostly testis and brain. Male mice that lack Cstf2t (Cstf2t^-/- mice) experience disruption of spermatogenesis and are infertile, although female fertility is unaffected. However, …

Reauthorization: Hearings And Reports (1990): Article 01

Reauthorization: Hearings and Reports (1990)

No abstract provided.

"He Told Me That My Waist And Private Parts Have Been Ravaged By Demons:" Sexual Exploitation Of Female Church Members By "Prophets" In Nigeria, Chima Agazue

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

In urban southern Nigeria there is a widespread spiritual revival pioneered by Pentecostal pastors who claim to deliver prophecies, miracles, and healings. In many places, multiple churches can be seen within a few hundred yards of each other, while in other places, different floors of multistory buildings are occupied by different church denominations. There is competition among the pastors to present themselves as spiritually powerful and financially favored by God. Some of the pastors, calling themselves “prophets,” engage in immoral and fraudulent activities. Women are the predominant followers of these male religious leaders, and sexual exploitation of vulnerable women by …

National Museum Act Program (1973-1974): Article 01

National Museum Act Program (1973-1974)

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes October 20, 2016, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurship In Local Economy And Food Systems Saf 401, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management Afs/Ocg 560x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

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 …

Big Data Analysis Bio 439/539, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Environmental Leadership In Practice Evs 505x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Stem Course Design In Higher Education Bes 501, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Phlip Peptide Interaction With A Membrane Monitored By Saxs, Theyencheri Narayanan, Dhammika Weerakkody, Alexander G Karabadzhak, Michael Anderson, Oleg A. Andreev, Yana Reshetnyak

Physics Faculty Publications

The pH (Low) Insertion Peptides (pHLIP® peptides) find application in studies of membrane-associated folding, since spontaneous insertion of these peptides is conveniently triggered by varying pH. Here we employed small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to investigate WT pHLIP® peptide oligomeric state in solution at high concentrations and monitor changes in liposome structure upon peptide insertion into the bilayer. We established that even at high concentrations (up to 300 μM) WT pHLIP® peptide at pH 8.0 does not form oligomers higher than tetramers (which exhibit concentration-dependent transfer to monomeric state as it was shown previously). This finding has significance for medical …

Comparative Study Of Tumor Targeting And Biodistribution Of Ph (Low) Insertion Peptides (Phlip® Peptides) Conjugated With Different Fluorescent Dyes, Ramona Cosmina Adochite, Anna Moshnikova, Jovana Golijanin, Oleg A. Andreev, Natallia Katenka, Yana Reshetnyak

Physics Faculty Publications

Purpose

Acidification of extracellular space promotes tumor development, progression, and invasiveness. pH (low) insertion peptides (pHLIP^® peptides) belong to the class of pH-sensitive membrane peptides, which target acidic tumors and deliver imaging and/or therapeutic agents to cancer cells within tumors.

Procedures

Ex vivo fluorescent imaging of tissue and organs collected at various time points after administration of different pHLIP^® variants conjugated with fluorescent dyes of various polarity was performed. Methods of multivariate statistical analyses were employed to establish classification between fluorescently labeled pHLIP^® variants in multidimensional space of spectral parameters.

Results

The fluorescently labeled pHLIP^® variants …

Targeted Imaging Of Urothelium Carcinoma In Human Bladders By An Icg Phlip Peptide Ex Vivo, Jovana Golijanin, Ali Amin, Anna Moshnikova, Joseph M. Brito, Timothy Y. Tran, Ramona Cosmina Adochite, Gregory O. Andreev, Troy Crawford, Donald Engelman, Oleg A. Andreev, Yana Reshetnyak, Dragan Golijanin

Physics Faculty Publications

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common in incidence and one of the most expensive cancers to treat. Early detection greatly improves the chances of survival and bladder preservation. The pH Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP® peptide) conjugated with a near infrared fluorescent dye (ICG) targets low extracellular pH allowing visualization of malignant lesions in human bladder carcinoma ex vivo. Cystectomy specimens obtained after radical surgery were immediately irrigated with non-buffered saline and instilled with a solution of the ICG pHLIP® construct, incubated, and rinsed. Bladders were subsequently opened and imaged, the fluorescent spots were marked, and a standard pathological analysis …

Electronic, Optical, And Magnetic Neural Interfaces, Polina Anikeeva

Amgen Seminar Series in Chemical Engineering

Mammalian nervous system contains billions of neurons that exchange electrical, chemical and mechanical signals. Our ability to study this complexity is limited by the lack of technologies available for interrogating neural circuits across their diverse signaling modalities without inducing a foreign-body reaction. My talk will describe neural interface strategies pursued in my group aimed at mimicking the materials properties and transduction mechanisms of the nervous system. Specifically, I will discuss (1) Fiber-based probes for multifunctional interfaces with the brain and spinal cord circuits; (2) Magnetic nanotransducers for minimally invasive neural stimulation; and (3) Active scaffolds for neural tissue engineering and …

Curricular Affairs Committee Minutes September 26, 2016, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

Next Generation Mass Spectrometry Tools For Characterizing The Protein Interactome, Peter Dimaggio

Amgen Seminar Series in Chemical Engineering

Significant technological advancements in liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) proteomics over the past decade have facilitated the high-throughput and quantitative analysis of proteins, with as many as 10,000 proteins identified in a single sample. However, it is now appreciated that detecting changes in protein abundance alone is insufficient for characterizing disease pathology, and that context-specific molecular interactions between proteins with other biomolecules (i.e. other proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites) are the key drivers in disease development and progression. In order to shed further insight into this protein “interactome”, more sophisticated reagents and tools are required that interface with mass …

Single-Cell Pcr Of The Luciferase Conserved Catalytic Domain Reveals A Unique Cluster In The Toxic Bioluminescent Dinoflagellate Pyrodinium Bahamense, Kathleen D. Cusick, Steven W. Wilhelm, Paul E. Hargraves, Gary S. Sayler

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Pyrodinium bahamense is a toxic, bioluminescent dinoflagellate with a record of intense bloom formation in both the Atlantic-Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions. To date, limited genetic information exists for P. bahamense in comparison to other closely related harmful algal bloom taxa such as Alexandrium, or other bioluminescent taxa such as Pyrocystis. This study utilized single-cell PCR to explore the molecular diversity of P. bahamense within the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, USA, and a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico. Pyrodinium-specific primers targeting a ca.1.2-kb region of the 18S rRNA gene and degenerate primers targeting the conserved catalytic domain of the luciferase …

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 …

Hell And High Water: Diminished Septic System Performance In Coastal Regions Due To Climate Change, Jennifer A. Cooper, George W. Loomis, José A. Amador

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Climate change may affect the ability of soil-based onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) to treat wastewater in coastal regions of the Northeastern United States. Higher temperatures and water tables can affect treatment by reducing the volume of unsaturated soil and oxygen available for treatment, which may result in greater transport of pathogens, nutrients, and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) to groundwater, jeopardizing public and aquatic ecosystem health. The soil treatment area (STA) of an OWTS removes contaminants as wastewater percolates through the soil. Conventional STAs receive wastewater from the septic tank, with infiltration occurring deeper in the soil profile. …