Digital Commons Network^™

The Power Of Ridicule: An Analysis Of Satire, Megan Leboeuf

Senior Honors Projects

Satire is an art form that has existed throughout recorded history. Examples of satirical work exist from long before the genre had even been defined, and this powerful tool for social critique is alive and well today, perhaps even more prevalent than ever. The use of absurdity and often humor to demonstrate the problems with a particular human behavior, vice, or social issue makes satire engaging and persuasive in a way that a direct statement of the facts is not. These qualities make satire the perfect tool for advocating social and political change in times of unrest. In recent years, …

Importance Of Early Successional Forest For Wildlife In Southern New England, Amy Wynia

Senior Honors Projects

Many bird species that require early successional forest are declining in the Northeast U.S. because such habitat is relatively rare and when they inhabit the more common mature forests or suburban areas they are less successful. Early successional forest is maintained by regular disturbance (wind, fire, clear-cutting, and flooding) which has been happening less frequently during the past 50 years. Bird species that have declined during this time and which inhabit early successional forest include ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica), gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), field sparrow (Spizella pusilla), golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), eastern …

Division Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report For Fy2007, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

Annual report for the Division of Research and Economic Development of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2006-2007.

Includes statistics of project proposals, expenditures, URI Foundation Awards, previous annual report summaries and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments.

Monarch Butterfly Oviposition On Swallow-Worts (Vincetoxicum Spp.), Richard A. Casagrande, J. E. Dacey

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

As black swallow-wort, Vincetoxicum nigrum L. Moench, and pale swallow-wort, V. rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar., spread throughout the northeastern United States and southern Canada, there is concern about the impact of these invasive plants on populations of the native North American monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus L. Recent laboratory studies in New York and Ontario, Canada, have found little or no oviposition by monarch butterflies on the two Vincetoxicum species. In Rhode Island, we found 10.5–21.7% oviposition on Vincetoxicum species relative to common milkweed Asclepias syriaca L. in choice tests and 11.9–20.3% in no-choice tests in 2 yr of laboratory testing. These …

Transtheoretical Principles And Processes For Quitting Smoking: A 24-Month Comparison Of A Representative Sample Of Quitters, Relapsers, And Non-Quitters, Xiaowa Sun, James O. Prochaska, Wayne F. Velicer, Robert G. Laforge

Cancer Prevention Research Center Faculty Publications

This longitudinal study compared 14 principles and processes of change applied by successful quitters, relapsers and non-quitters over 24 months in a representative sample of 4144 smokers in intervention and control groups. The successful quitters showed a decrease in the use of experiential processes (cognitive, affective and effective) and an increase in behavioral processes (e.g., counter-conditioning and stimulus control). The non-quitters showed little change in their use of almost all of the processes. The relapsers' use of the processes tended to initially parallel the successful quitters, but over time, their use ended up between the quitters and the non-quitters. In …

Functional Genomic Analysis Supports Conservation Of Function Among Cellulose Synthase-Like A Gene Family Members And Suggests Diverse Roles Of Mannans In Plants, Aaron H. Liepman, C. Joseph Naim, William G.T. Willats, Iben Sørensen, Alison W. Roberts, Kenneth Keegstra

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mannan polysaccharides are widespread among plants, where they serve as structural elements in cell walls, as carbohydrate reserves, and potentially perform other important functions. Previous work has demonstrated that members of the cellulose synthase-like A (CslA) family of glycosyltransferases from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), guar (Cyamopsis tetragonolobus), and Populus trichocarpa catalyze β-1,4-mannan and glucomannan synthase reactions in vitro. Mannan polysaccharides and homologs of CslA genes appear to be present in all lineages of land plants analyzed to date. In many plants, the CslA genes are members of extended multigene families; however, it is not known whether …

Robust Population Management Under Uncertainty For Structured Population Models, A. Deines, E. Peterson, D. Boeckner, J. Boyle, A. Keighley, J. Kogut, J. Lubben, R. Rebarber, R. Ryan, B. Tenhumberg, S. Townley, A. J. Tyre

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Structured population models are increasingly used in decision making, but typically have many entries that are unknown or highly uncertain. We present an approach for the systematic analysis of the effect of uncertainties on long‐term population growth or decay. Many decisions for threatened and endangered species are made with poor or no information. We can still make decisions under these circumstances in a manner that is highly defensible, even without making assumptions about the distribution of uncertainty, or limiting ourselves to discussions of single, infinitesimally small changes in the parameters. Suppose that the model (determined by the data) for the …

Ecological And Socioeconomic Impacts Of Invasive Alien Species In Island Ecosystems, Jamie K. Reaser, Laura A. Meyerson, Quentin Cronk, Maj De Poorter, L. G. Eldrege, Edmund Green, Moses Kairo, Pepetua Latasi, Richard N. Mack, John Mauremootoo, Dennis O'Dowd, Warea Orapa, Soetikno Sastroutomo, Alan Saunders, Clare Shine, Sigurdur Thrainsson, Leliua Vaiutu

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Minimizing the impact of invasive alien species (IAS) on islands and elsewhere requires researchers to provide cogent information on the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of IAS to the public and policy makers. Unfortunately, this information has not been readily available owing to a paucity of scientific research and the failure of the scientific community to make their findings readily available to decision makers. This review explores the vulnerability of islands to biological invasion, reports on environmental and socioeconomic impacts of IAS on islands and provides guidance and information on technical resources that can help minimize the effects of IAS in …

Assessing Invasive Alien Species Across Multiple Spatial Scales: Working Globally And Locally, Laura A. Meyerson, Richard N. Mack, Betsy Von Holle

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Quantitative investigations on invasive alien species (IAS) across multiple spatial scales are needed because biological invasions often encompass enormous expanses in both donor and invaded ranges and because the immigrants may be carried great distances between these ranges. Although invasion biology is rich in anecdotes, translation of this information into generalizations remains limited by technical shortcomings in data acquisition, inconsistent data assembly, and the continuing search for meaningful indices of the impact of IAS. Much better justification of and greater opportunities to combat IAS could be achieved by distilling all information for IAS into spatially explicit case histories and synthetic …

Phragmites Australis: It's Not All Bad, Laura A. Meyerson

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Habitat Characteristics Associated With The Distribution And Abundance Of Histrionicus Histrionicus (Harlequin Ducks) Wintering In Southern New England, Richard A. Mckinney, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Michael A. Charpentier

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Histrionicus histrionicus (Harlequin Ducks) that winter along the east coast of North America are listed as a population of special concern in Canada, and they use several coastal wintering sites in southern New England that are subject to varying degrees of urbanization. We studied patterns of habitat use by Harlequin Ducks at 12 known wintering sites in southern New England. An average of 327 ± 114 Harlequin Ducks were found at the sites during the winters of 2001–2003. More Harlequin Ducks wintered at sites south of Cape Cod, MA that had greater mollusk (709,133 ± 504,568 versus 97,154 ± 72,427 …

Migration And Environment In The Context Of Globalization, Frederick A.B. Meyerson, Leticia Merino, Jorge Durand

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Human migration and population growth, in concert with globalization trends, greatly affect the environment and conservation efforts. In the Americas, the movement of people, capital, goods, and services has caused different types of ecosystem change, including deforestation. Urbanization, a dominant trend in the Americas, is a two‐edged sword for conservation, moving human populations away from rural and protected areas, but also increasing per capita demand for energy, goods, and services. Migration to the forest frontier and the abandonment of marginal rural land present opposite but equally difficult ecological challenges. Projected climate change will also complicate both conservation and migration flows, …

Selective Cysteine Protease Inhibition Contributes To Blood-Feeding Success Of The Tick Ixodes Scapularis, Michalis Kotsyfakis, Shahid Karim, John F. Andersen, Thomas N. Mather, José M. C. Ribeiro

Past Departments Faculty Publications (CELS)

Ixodes scapularis is the main vector of Lyme disease in the eastern and central United States. Tick salivary secretion has been shown as important for both blood-meal completion and pathogen transmission. Here we report a duplication event of cystatin genes in its genome that results in a transcription-regulated boost of saliva inhibitory activity against a conserved and relatively limited number of vertebrate papain-like cysteine proteases during blood feeding. We further show that the polypeptide products of the two genes differ in their binding affinity for some enzyme targets, and they display different antigenicity. Moreover, our reverse genetic approach employing RNA …

Clinical Validation Of The "In Silico" Prediction Of Immunogenicity Of A Human Recombinant Therapeutic Protein, E. Koren, Anne S. De Groot, V. Jawa, K. D. Beck, T. Boone, D. Rivera, L. Li, D. Mytych, M. Koscec, D. Weeraratne, S. Swanson, W. Martin

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Antibodies elicited by protein therapeutics can cause serious side effects in humans. We studied immunogenicity of a recombinant fusion protein (FPX) consisting of two identical, biologically active, peptides attached to human Fc fragment. EpiMatrix, an in silico epitope-mapping tool, predicted promiscuous T-cell epitope(s) within the 14-amino-acid carboxy-terminal region of the peptide portion of FPX. On administration of FPX in 76 healthy human subjects, 37% developed antibodies after a single injection. A memory T-cell response against the above carboxy-terminus of the peptide was observed in antibody-positive but not in antibody-negative subjects. Promiscuity of the predicted T-cell epitope(s) was confirmed by representation …

Seasonal Variation In Nymphal Blacklegged Tick Abundance In Southern New England Forests, Sarah E. Rodgers, Nathan J. Miller, Thomas N. Mather

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

In the northeastern United States, risk of human exposure to tick transmitted disease is primarily a function of the abundance of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say. We assessed seasonal variability in the abundance of nymphal stage I. scapularis over 13 yr, collected from several forested areas throughout Rhode Island. Specifically, we examined intraseasonal differences by using two temporally distinct tick collections made during the peak nymphal tick season. Intraseasonal factors significantly impacted tick abundance, with the June tick rate (mean = 40.42, SD = 14.79) significantly more abundant than the July tick rate (mean = 27.64, SD = …

Duration Of Exposure To Suboptimal Atmospheric Moisture Affects Nymphal Blacklegged Tick Survival, Sarah E. Rodgers, Christine P. Zolnik, Thomas N. Mather

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

The biological processes affecting Ixodes scapularis Say survival are complex. Understanding these processes will be beneficial for predicting tick distribution and population dynamics. This research shows that the duration for which nymphal ticks are exposed to drying air is an important factor for their survival. Experimental analysis of variance results show that duration of exposure to dry air (duration) is as important as vapor pressure deficit (relative humidity) (duration, relative humidity, P < 0.0001). Ticks do not survive when exposed to dry air for long periods; however, the return of humid air within 4–8 h has as large a positive impact on tick survival, as does constant humid air. This experiment exposes nymphal ticks to conditions of suboptimal humidity for different durations and then returns them to saturated conditions that are more typical of daily relative humidity fluctuations experienced during summer in southern New England forests.

Fluorescent Polymer-Porous Silicon Microcavity Devices For Explosive Detection, Igor A. Levitsky, William B. Euler, N. Tokranova, A. Rose

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Conjugated polymers entrapped in porous silicon microcavity have been studied as optical sensors for low volatility explosives such as trinitrotoluene. The fluorescence spectra of entrapped polymers were modulated by the microcavity via a spectral “hole” that matches the resonance peak of the microcavity reflectance. Exposure of the porous silicon microcavity containing entrapped polymer to explosives vapor results in a red shift of the resonance peak and the spectral hole, accompanied by the quenching of the fluorescence. This multiplexed response provides multiple monitoring parameters, enabling the development of an optical sensor array for the detection of target explosive vapor.

Respiration Of Escherichia Coli In The Mouse Intestine, Shari A. Jones, Fatema Z. Chowdhury, Andrew J. Fabich, April Anderson, Darrel M. Schreiner, Anetra L. House, Steven M. Autieri, Mary P. Leatham, Jeremy J. Lins, Mathias Jorgensen, Paul S. Cohen, Tyrrell Conway

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Mammals are aerobes that harbor an intestinal ecosystem dominated by large numbers of anaerobic microorganisms. However, the role of oxygen in the intestinal ecosystem is largely unexplored. We used systematic mutational analysis to determine the role of respiratory metabolism in the streptomycin-treated mouse model of intestinal colonization. Here we provide evidence that aerobic respiration is required for commensal and pathogenic Escherichia coli to colonize mice. Our results showed that mutants lacking ATP synthase, which is required for all respiratory energy-conserving metabolism, were eliminated by competition with respiratory-competent wild-type strains. Mutants lacking the high-affinity cytochrome bd oxidase, which is used when …

L-Fucose Stimulates Utilization Of D-Ribose By Escherichia Coli Mg1655 Δfucao And E. Coli Nissle 1917 Δfucao Mutants In The Mouse Intestine And In M9 Minimal Medium, Steven M. Autieri, Jeremy J. Lins, Mary P. Leatham, David C. Laux, Tyrrell Conway, Paul S. Cohen

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Escherichia coli MG1655 uses several sugars for growth in the mouse intestine. To determine the roles of l-fucose and d-ribose, an E. coli MG1655 ΔfucAO mutant and an E. coli MG1655 ΔrbsK mutant were fed separately to mice along with wild-type E. coli MG1655. The E. coli MG1655 ΔfucAO mutant colonized the intestine at a level 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the wild type, but the E. coli MG1655 ΔrbsK mutant and the wild type colonized at nearly identical levels. Surprisingly, an E. coli MG1655 ΔfucAO ΔrbsK mutant was eliminated from …

Role Of Motility And The Flhdc Operon In Escherichia Coli Mg1655 Colonization Of The Mouse Intestine, Eric J. Gauger, Mary P. Leatham, Regino Mercado-Lubo, David C. Laux, Tyrrell Conway, Paul S. Cohen

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Previously, we reported that the mouse intestine selected mutants of Escherichia coli MG1655 that have improved colonizing ability (M. P. Leatham et al., Infect. Immun. 73:8039-8049, 2005). These mutants grew 10 to 20% faster than their parent in mouse cecal mucus in vitro and 15 to 30% faster on several sugars found in the mouse intestine. The mutants were nonmotile and had deletions of various lengths beginning immediately downstream of an IS1 element located within the regulatory region of the flhDC operon, which encodes the master regulator of flagellum biosynthesis, FlhD₄C₂. Here we show …

Freshman Record : The University Of Rhode Island, The Interfraternity/Panhellenic Councils

Freshman Record

No abstract provided.

Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization Of Small Invertebrate Embryos Using Laboratory Mini-Columns, Steven Q. Irvine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

To facilitate the handling of small invertebrate embryos during whole-mount in situ hybridization, a method of solution exchange using laboratory mini-columns was developed. This protocol speeds time-consuming aspiration of buffers, and avoids accidental loss of the embryos, by gently pushing solutions through the column using air pressure from a syringe after each incubation. The next buffer is then added using a pipettor. Embryos are retained on a filter within the column. As many columns as desired may be processed in parallel for different probes or stages.

Linkage Analysis Of The Visible Mutations Sel And Xan Of Bombyx Mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Using Ssr Markers, Xuexia Miao, Muwang Li, Fangyin Dai, Cheng Lu, Marian R. Goldsmith, Yongping Huang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Wild type silkworm larvae have opaque white skin, whereas the mutants Sel (Sepialumazine) and Xan (Xanthous) are yellow-skinned. Previous genetic analysis indicated that Sel and Xan are on established linkage groups 24 (0.0) and 27 (0.0), respectively. However, in constructing a molecular linkage map using simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci, we found that the two mutations were linked. To confirm this finding, we developed a set of SSR markers and used them to score reciprocal backcross populations. Taking advantage of the lack of crossing-over in female silkworms, we found that the progeny of backcrosses between F₁ females and males …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Tripodal Peptide Analogues For Cellular Delivery Of Phosphopeptides, Guofeng Ye, Nguyen-Hai Nam, Anil Kumar, Ali Saleh, Dinesh B. Shenoy, Mansoor M. Amiji, Xiaofeng Lin, Gongqin Sun, Keykavous Parang

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Tripodal peptide analogues were designed on the basis of the phosphotyrosine binding pocket of the Src SH2 domain and assayed for their ability to bind to fluorescein-labeled phosphopeptides. Fluorescence polarization assays showed that a number of amphipathic linear peptide analogues (LPAs), such as LPA4, bind to fluorescein-labeled GpYEEI (F-GpYEEI). LPA4 was evaluated for potential application in cellular delivery of phosphopeptides. Fluorescence microimaging cellular uptake studies with fluorescein-attached LPA4 (F-LPA4) alone or with the mixture of LPA4 and F-GpYEEI in BT-20 cells showed dramatic increase of the fluorescence intensity in cytosol of cells, indicating that LPA4 can function as a delivery …

Physical Property And Chemical Characteristics Of Surface Sediment Grab Samples From Narragansett Bay And The Providence And Seekonk Rivers, D. W. Murray, W L. Prell, C E. Rincon, E Saarman

Narragansett Bay Collection

This document contains data tables, maps, plots, and documentation on Brown

University’s Narragansett Bay Sediment Project compiled by David W. Murray, Brown

University, for the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission with

support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The data were compiled and

analyzed as part of a New England pilot project exploring the development of a

biological condition gradient applicable to estuarine systems.

Nitrogen Loading From Wastewater Treatment Plants To Upper Narragansett Bay, Donald Pryor, Emily Saarman, David Murray, Warren Prell

Narragansett Bay Collection

Increasing awareness of low-oxygen conditions in Narragansett Bay, as well as other

symptoms of eutrophication such as macroalgae accumulation, eelgrass failure, and fish

kills, has led to management actions to reduce nitrogen loads to the upper Bay

Nitrogen Loading From Wastewater Treatment Plants To Upper Narragansett Bay, Donald Pryor, Emily Saarman, David Murray, Warren Prell

Narragansett Bay Collection

Increasing awareness of low-oxygen conditions in Narragansett Bay, as well as other

symptoms of eutrophication such as macroalgae accumulation, eelgrass failure, and fish

kills, has led to management actions to reduce nitrogen loads to the upper Bay

On The Depth And Scale Of Metabolic Rate Variation: Scaling Of Oxygen Consumption Rates And Enzymatic Activity In The Class Cephalopoda (Mollusca), Brad A. Seibel

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent ecological theory depends, for predictive power, on the apparent similarity of metabolic rates within broad taxonomic or functional groups of organisms (e.g. invertebrates or ectotherms). Such metabolic commonality is challenged here, as I demonstrate more than 200-fold variation in metabolic rates independent of body mass and temperature in a single class of animals, the Cephalopoda, over seven orders of magnitude size range. I further demonstrate wide variation in the slopes of metabolic scaling curves. The observed variation in metabolism reflects differential selection among species for locomotory capacity rather than mass or temperature constraints. Such selection is highest among epipelagic …

Examination Of The Long-Range Effects Of Aminofluorene-Induced Conformational Heterogeneity And Its Relevance To The Mechanism Of Translesional Dna Synthesis, Srinivasarao Meneni, Fengting Liang, Bongsup P. Cho

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Adduct-induced conformational heterogeneity complicates the understanding of how DNA adducts exert mutation. A case in point is the N-deacetylated AF lesion [N-(2′-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene], the major adduct derived from the strong liver carcinogen N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene. Three conformational families have been previously characterized and are dependent on the positioning of the aminofluorene rings: B is in the “B-DNA” major groove, S is “stacked” into the helix with base-displacement, and W is “wedged” into the minor groove. Here, we conducted ¹⁹F NMR, CD, T_m, and modeling experiments at various primer positions with respect to a template …

Predator Hunting Mode And Habitat Domain Alter Noncinsumptive Effects In Predator-Prey Interactions, Evan L. Preisser, John L. Orrock, Oswald J. Schmitz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Predators can affect prey populations through changes in traits that reduce predation risk. These trait changes (nonconsumptive effects, NCEs) can be energetically costly and cause reduced prey activity, growth, fecundity, and survival. The strength of nonconsumptive effects may vary with two functional characteristics of predators: hunting mode (actively hunting, sit‐and‐pursue, sit‐and‐wait) and habitat domain (the ability to pursue prey via relocation in space; can be narrow or broad). Specifically, cues from fairly stationary sit‐and‐wait and sit‐and‐pursue predators should be more indicative of imminent predation risk, and thereby evoke stronger NCEs, compared to cues from widely ranging actively hunting predators. Using …