Digital Commons Network^™

Interspecific Comparison Of Hydrodynamic Performance And Structural Properties Among Intertidal Macroalgae, Michael L. Boller, Emily Carrington

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Macroalgae use flexibility and reconfiguration, i.e. the alteration of shape, size and orientation as water velocity increases, to reduce the hydrodynamic forces imposed in the wave-swept rocky intertidal zone. Quantifying the effects of flexibility on hydrodynamic performance is difficult, however, because the mechanisms of reconfiguration vary with water velocity and the relationship between algal solid mechanics and hydrodynamic performance is poorly understood. In this study, the hydrodynamic performance, morphology and solid mechanics of 10 rocky shore macroalgal species were quantified to evaluate the influences of flexibility and morphology on reconfiguration. Hydrodynamic performance was measured in a flume by direct measurement …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Conversational Sensitivity And Listening Styles, Jennifer R. Salisbury, Guo-Ming Chen

Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Previous research on conversational sensitivity and listening styles has shown inconsistent results on the relationship between the two concepts. This study is designed to continue the line of research by further examining the relationship of the two concepts and between the dimensions. Two hundred and seventy students in the basic courses of Communication and Psychology participate in this study. The results indicate that significantly positive and negative relationships exist among the dimensions of the two concepts. Gender differences on the two concepts are also tested. Limitations and directions for future research are as well discussed.

A Decade Comparison Of Preterm Motor Performance At Age 4, Mary C. Sullivan, Kathleen Hawes

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

This was a prospective longitudinal study of two cohorts comprised of one full term and three premature infant groups born 10 years apart. Birth cohort, perinatal morbidity, and birth weight effects were investigated at age 4. Cohort 1 (1985–1989) had longer gestation, higher birth weight, and better Apgar scores than Cohort 2 (1996–1999), which had more intraventricular hemorrhage and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Cohort and perinatal morbidity group, but not birth weight, predicted motor scores. Preterm Cohort 2 children had better oral motor, fine motor, and total motor scores, but lower visual motor integration scores than Cohort 1. Motor problems continue to …

Protein Pyrophosphorylation By Inositol Pyrophosphates Is A Posttranslational Event, Rasha Bhandari, Adolfo Saiardi, Yousef Ahmadibeni, Adele M. Snowman, Adam C. Resnick, Troels Z. Kristiansen, Henrik Molina, Akhilesh Pandey, J. Kent Werner Jr., Krishna R. Juluri, Yong Xu, Glenn D. Prestwich, Keykavous Parang, Solomon H. Snyder

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

In a previous study, we showed that the inositol pyrophosphate diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (IP₇) physiologically phosphorylates mammalian and yeast proteins. We now report that this phosphate transfer reflects pyrophosphorylation. Thus, proteins must be prephosphorylated by ATP to prime them for IP₇ phosphorylation. IP₇ phosphorylates synthetic phosphopeptides but not if their phosphates have been masked by methylation or pyrophosphorylation. Moreover, IP₇ phosphorylated peptides are more acid-labile and more resistant to phosphatases than ATP phosphorylated peptides, indicating a different type of phosphate bond. Pyrophosphorylation may represent a novel mode of signaling to proteins.

Women At Risk For Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Correlates Of Intercourse Without Barrier Contraception, Jeffrey F. Peipert, Kate L. Lapane, Jennifer E. Allsworth, Colleen A. Redding, Jeffrey L. Blume, Faye Lozowski, Michael D. Stein

Cancer Prevention Research Center Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlates of vaginal intercourse without barrier contraception (unprotected intercourse).

Study Design: Baseline data from a randomized trial were analyzed to evaluate factors that are associated with intercourse without barrier method use among women <35 years old. Logistic regression models provided estimates of the association of demographic, reproductive, and sexual history variables with unprotected intercourse.

Results: Intercourse without barrier contraception was common; 65% of participants had ≥2 episodes of intercourse without barrier contraception use in the past month. Factors that were associated with increased odds of unprotected intercourse included the number of coital episodes, a male partner’s unwillingness to use condoms (adjusted odds ratio, 4.1; 95% CI, 2.3-6.9), and, among women <20 years old, low condom use self-efficacy score (adjusted odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9).

Conclusion: …

Effects Of Density And Habitat Structure On Growth And Survival Of Harvested Coral Reef Fishes, Clare Louise Wormald

Open Access Dissertations

This study examines four species of ecologically similar, harvested coral-reef fishes to evaluate the influences of habitat on density, growth, and survival and tests for density dependence in growth and survival. I studied populations of Lutfanus apodus, L. synagris, Haemulon flavolineatum and H. plumierii on 8 coral reefs in the Bahamas using underwater visual surveys and mark-recapture studies. For L. apodus I used a large-scale density manipulation experiment to uncouple the relationship between density and habitat. I conducted field and laboratory tests of some of the critical assumptions of mark-recapture methods to ensure that my estimates of growth and survival …

Managing Marine Resource Use Conflicts: Marine Sand Mining In Korea, Tae-Goun Kim

Open Access Dissertations

Management of conflicts between resources uses is a major focus of research in environmental economics and a major concern for decision makers and affected parties. While economic simulation models and quantitative methods can be used to improve the information available to decision makers regarding efficient resource uses and the distribution of gains and losses, the analysis of natural resource systems and the services they provide raises very complex issues. This is because such analysis must include not only an appropriate economic framework but also must integrate economics with relevant information from related disciplines, such as fisheries, aspects of geology, and …

Korean Fisheries: Policies, Stock Assessment And Compliance Issues, Jong-Oh Nam

Open Access Dissertations

The first manuscript examines the status and trends of the current Korean fisheries management regime. Specifically, this paper describes the Korean conventional fisheries management regime and discusses its problems and limitations. In describing policy evolution, I find reasons why the Korean government has chosen a TAC system, an output control approach, besides input control approaches which have been in force for almost a century. Also described is evolution of the Korean TAC system, which plays a pivotal role in Korean fisheries development. Finally, I give a perspective on expanding the Korean TAC system toward Output Control Systems. This second manuscript …

The Colonial Ascidian Didemnum Sp. A: Current Distribution, Basic Biology And Potential Threat To Marine Communities Of The Northeast And West Coasts Of North America, S. G. Bullard, G. Lambert, M. R. Carman, J. Byrnes, R. B. Whitlatch, G. Ruiz, R. J. Miller, L. Harris, P. C. Valentine, Jeremy S. Collie, J. Pederson, D. C. Mcnaught, A. N. Cohen, R. G. Asch, J. Dijkstra, K. Heinonen

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Didemnum sp. A is a colonial ascidian with rapidly expanding populations on the east and west coasts of North America. The origin of Didemum sp. A is unknown. Populations were first observed on the northeast coast of the U.S. in the late 1980s and on the west coast during the 1990s. It is currently undergoing a massive population explosion and is now a dominant member of many subtidal communities on both coasts. To determine Didemnum sp. A's current distribution, we conducted surveys from Maine to Virginia on the east coast and from British Columbia to southern California on the west …

A Different Sort Of Invader: The Second Manatee To Visit Rhode Island, Robert D. Kenney

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring Submarine Arc Volcanoes, Steven Carey, Haraldur Sigurdsson

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Three quarters of Earth’s volcanic activity occurs beneath the sea, predominantly along the extensive mid-ocean ridge system that winds its way through the major ocean basins. The style of eruptive activity along mid-ocean ridges has been extensively studied and well characterized. Submarine eruptions at mid-ocean ridges are dominated by effusive production of pillow and sheet-flow lavas at water depths of several thousands meters. The other major style of submarine eruptions occurs along island arcs where subduction of oceanic crust triggers melting of mantle rocks by the release of volatile components, such as water and carbon dioxide. Submarine volcanism constitutes an …

Ecological Consequences Of Early Late Pleistocene Megadroughts In Tropical Africa, Andrew S. Cohen, Jeffrey R. Stone, Kristina R. M. Beuning, Lisa E. Park, Peter N. Reinthal, David Dettman, Christopher A. Scholz, Thomas C. Johnson, John W. King, Michael R. Talbot, Erik T. Brown, Sarah J. Ivory

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Extremely arid conditions in tropical Africa occurred in several discrete episodes between 135 and 90 ka, as demonstrated by lake core and seismic records from multiple basins [Scholz CA, Johnson TC, Cohen AS, King JW, Peck J, Overpeck JT, Talbot MR, Brown ET, Kalindekafe L, Amoako PYO, et al. (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:16416–16421]. This resulted in extraordinarily low lake levels, even in Africa's deepest lakes. On the basis of well dated paleoecological records from Lake Malawi, which reflect both local and regional conditions, we show that this aridity had severe consequences for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. During …

Atmospheric Mercury Over The Ne Pacific During Spring 2002: Gradients, Residence Time, Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere Loss, And Long‐Range Transport, L. F. Radke, H. R. Friedli, Brian G. Heikes

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) was measured over the North Pacific and coastal California, Oregon and Washington in spring 2002 during the Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation Experiment–2002 (ITCT2K2). Observations were made from the NOAA WP3 on 11 flights which spanned an altitude range of 0–8 km and latitudes between 35 and 55°N. GEM was determined using a Tekran 2537A mercury instrument modified for airborne use to collect and analyze samples every 2.5 min under variable ambient temperature and pressure conditions. GEM concentrations were in general at the low end of previous measurements made over continents and in fresh continental outflow …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2007-2008, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

Romantic Couples And Partner Use Of Sexually Explicit Material: The Mediating Role Of Cognitions For Dyadic And Sexual Satisfaction, Ana J. Bridges

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationship between use of sexually explicit material (SEM) and sexual and relationship satisfaction. Three hypotheses were examined: (1) negative interpretations of a partner's SEM use would be related to lower dyadic satisfaction; (2) interactive SEM use would result in more negative partner interpretations of that use; and (3) distressed couples would be less reliable reporters of each other's SEM use. The study also explored how feminist values, depression, and sexual functioning correlated with interpretations of a partner's SEM use. Participants were 217 couples in exclusive heterosexual relationships solicited through Internet sites devoted to psychological studies. Couples …

Population Dynamics Of The Shortfin Mako, Isurus Oxyrinchus, In The Northwest Atlantic: An Examination Of Food Habits, Movement And Habitat, Survival, And Population Size, Anthony Darrell Wood

Open Access Dissertations

Until recently, fish and invertebrate species with high economic value were the main focus for stock assessment and fishery management plans. Though less economically important, elasmobranchs are being increasingly targeted by both commercial and recreational fisheries. In order to better understand the current status of the shortfin mako population in the northwest Atlantic, this thesis examined four aspects of shortfin mako population dynamics resulting in five manuscripts (chapters). The first chapter generated regression equations that allowed for back-calculation of bluefish (an important prey species) sizes from digested remains. The second chapter revisited the food habits and daily ration of shortfin …

Stage Profiles And Predictors Of Exercise In A Multiple Risk Sample, Gabriela Dye

Open Access Dissertations

Cluster and Latent class analyses were used to examine within Stage profiles of individuals at-risk for three behaviors based on their perceived Pros, Cons, and Self-efficacy. In addition, Structural equation and Latent variable modeling were used to examine the predictors of 12 months exercise participation. The results of Cluster and Latent class analyses did not replicate the results of previous studies, which delineated at least four distinct profiles within the Stages. Only two to three profiles emerged within each Stage as well as within the full dataset. Most two-cluster/class, and three-cluster/class solutions consisted of at least one cluster with extremely …

Study Of Nucleophilicity Of An Enol Tosylate Fragment Of α-Formylglycine (α-Fgly-Ots), Sitaram Bhavaraju

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation the synthesis and reactions of an enol tosylate fragment of α-Formylglycine is presented. The α-Formylglycine (α-FGly) amino acid fragment is present at the active center of enzyme sulphatases in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In humans this class of enzymes regulates the degradation of sulfate esters that are accumulated at various substrate sites. Impaired desulfation at these sites leads to several associated disorders. It has been proposed that α-FGly plays an important role in this mode of desulfation. Endiamines are a modified form of the α-FGly fragment. Endiamines are proposed to introduce conformational rigidity to the molecular structure …

Fundulus As The Premier Teleost Model In Environmental Biology: Opportunities For New Insights Using Genomics, Karen G. Burnett, Lisa J. Bain, William S. Baldwin, Gloria V. Callard, Sarah Cohen, Richard T. Di Giulio, David H. Evans, Marta Gómez-Chiarri, Mark E. Hahn, Cindi A. Hoover, Sibel I. Karchner, Fumi Katoh, Deborah L. Maclatchy, William S. Marshall, Joel N. Meyer, Diane E. Nacci, Marjorie F. Oleksiak, Bernard B. Rees, Thomas D. Singer, John J. Stegeman, David W. Towle, Peter A. Van Veld, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Andrew Whitehead, Richard N. Winn, Douglas L. Crawford

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

A strong foundation of basic and applied research documents that the estuarine fish Fundulus heteroclitus and related species are unique laboratory and field models for understanding how individuals and populations interact with their environment. In this paper we summarize an extensive body of work examining the adaptive responses of Fundulus species to environmental conditions, and describe how this research has contributed importantly to our understanding of physiology, gene regulation, toxicology, and ecological and evolutionary genetics of teleosts and other vertebrates. These explorations have reached a critical juncture at which advancement is hindered by the lack of genomic resources for these …

Epizootiology Of Quahog Parasite Unknown (Qpx) Disease In Northern Quahogs (=Hard Clams) Mercenaria Mercenaria, M. Maille Lyons, Roxanna Smolowitz, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

The economically important marine bivalve mollusc, Mercenaria mercenaria, (commonly called a northern quahog or hard clam), has endured considerable mortalities caused by a thraustochytrid pathogen called Quahog Parasite X (QPX). Data on the percent prevalence of QPX infections were compiled from published reports along with our data to describe the epizootiology of QPX disease.QPX infections occurred in clams collected from both cultured beds and wild populations, but a higher percentage of QPX cases (76.5%) were from cultured clam beds. In addition, samples from cultured beds had a significantly higher prevalence (29.2 ± 27.2%) of QPX infections compared with samples from …

The Effects Of Fire And Shrub Cutting On Rare And Endangered Plants In The Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, Amanda Clifton

Open Access Master's Theses

The decline in rare plant populations and the decrease in size of their native ranges have led to escalating losses of biodiversity. A combination of shrub cutting and fire was applied to an endangered species "hot spot" in southern Rhode Island, USA to determine the effects of these treatments on a group of eight rare herbaceous plant species exposed to ever-increasing encroachment by tall shrubs. Shrub cutting and fire were also applied to a shrub-dominated area adjacent to the hot spot to determine if it was possible to promote establishment and growth of the rare plants in areas in which …

Multi-Dimensional Relating: A Re-Conceptualization Of Emotional Dependency In Female Couples, A. Cassandra Golding

Open Access Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to reconceptualize emotional closeness in women's relationships through the introduction of a model of healthy emotional reliance (HER). This study intended to develop and validate a psychometrically sound measure of female healthy emotional reliance that will provide a means by which to measure a re-conceptualization of the healthy portions of merger in female couples. The original focus of merger, based on psychoanalytic theory, has been pathological. More recently it has been to some extent re-conceptualized as a healthy and functional emotional closeness. The combination of functional and dysfunctional components of merger has led to …

Assessing The Effects Of Fluctuating River Stage On An Mtbe Containment Plume Discharging To Surface Water, Pascoag, Ri, James L. Allen

Open Access Master's Theses

Ground-water/surface-water interactions and MTBE contaminant plume discharge were investigated in a low-order river that experiences episodic river stage fluctuations. Results show that the hydraulic gradient fluctuates hourly to monthly due to river stage changes, water table recharge events, and reservoir gate adjustments. Hyporheic exchange driven by channel morphology creates small-scale gaining, losing, and parallel flow systems along the mostly gaining reach. During precipitation events, infiltrating rainfall rapidly saturates the extended capillary fringe and the shallow floodplain water table rises forming a ground-water ridge or mound and causing a steepened hydraulic gradient towards the river. The system response is magnified by …

Three Essays On Conservation-Oriented Community Land Use Management, Yong Jiang

Open Access Dissertations

Urban sprawl is a pervasive phenomenon. Public concern on its potential to degrade the quality of life motivates conservation-oriented land use management as one of the policy priorities for local authorities. My dissertation research contributes to this policy issue by developing a model for nature reserve design, demonstrating the policy application of conservation models to ecosystem-integrated land use management, and by exploring the potential of tax increment financing for open space preservation. The first study develops an ecological function-based design method for cost-efficient selection of critical land to be preserved, and expects the established system of nature reserves to maintain …

Decision Making In Spectroscopy, Kevin D. Judge

Open Access Dissertations

Vibrational spectroscopy provides a great deal of information regarding the chemical properties of a substance; however spectral features associated with different chemical substances are not always obvious. Through the aid of advanced computer algorithms, pattern recognition techniques and chemometric models, complex and subtle relationships between a material and its spectrum can be identified and utilized to draw useful conclusions. The ability of computers to make inferences from spectral information was demonstrated in several applications. Spectral imaging provides a substantial amount of data, with each pixel of an image representing a spectrum. For images of chemical mixtures, spectra of pure components …

Enhancing Hardiness In Urban Adolescent Males: A Hardiness Curriculum, Lea Beth Lockwood

Open Access Dissertations

This exploratory study examined the impact of a school-based psycho-educational group intervention for 9^th grade urban adolescent males. The group intervention was created to enhance measured levels of hardiness attitudes, self-esteem, and perceived social support in a sample (N = 51) of high-risk adolescent males attending an alternative high school in Providence, RI. Approximately half of the sample (n = 22) attended the eight-week intervention. Participants were given the Personal Views Survey – Third Edition, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale as both pre- and posttests. Although no impact on …

Community-Based And Collaborative Management Of Coral Reefs And Coastal Resources In Palau, Elizabeth Matthews

Open Access Dissertations

This study examines community-based and collaborative management of coral reefs in Palau through three manuscripts, each examining particular coastal resource management activities at a different scale of partnership and interaction: local protected area management at the state level, ecosystem management at the inter-state level, and migratory species (marine turtles) management at the state/national government level. In each instance, the social context of resource management was described using factors drawn from Richard Pollnac's Rapid Assessment of Management Parameters (RAMP) for coral reefs, among others. Ethnographic methods, especially key informant interviews and targeted questionnaires, were used in this study. A comparative analysis …

Noise Level Correlates With Manatee Use Of Foraging Habitats, Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Percy L. Donaghay, James H. Miller, Peter L. Tyack, Jeffrey A. Nystuen

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The introduction of anthropogenic sound to coastal waters is a negative side effect of population growth. As noise from boats, marine construction, and coastal dredging increases, environmental and behavioral monitoring is needed to directly assess the effect these phenomena have on marine animals. Acoustic recordings, providing information on ambient noise levels and transient noise sources, were made in two manatee habitats: grassbeds and dredged habitats. Recordings were made over two 6-month periods from April to September in 2003 and 2004. Noise levels were calculated in one-third octave bands at nine center frequencies ranging from 250 Hz to 64 kHz. Manatee …

Reconstruction Of Contaminant Trends In A Salt Wedge Estuary With Sediment Cores Dated Using A Multiple Proxy Approach, Mark G. Cantwell, John W. King, Robert M. Burgess, Peter G. Appleby

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The Taunton River is a partially mixed tidal estuary in southeastern Massachusetts (USA) which has received significant contaminant inputs, yet little information exists on the history of discharge and the subsequent fate of these contaminants. Three sediment cores taken along a transect were analyzed, reconstructing the spatial and temporal trends of pollution in the estuary. A combination of radiometric dating, contaminant markers, and storm layers from major hurricanes were used to establish age models and sedimentation rates. Age estimates obtained from the different dating methods compared well, establishing an accurate history of contaminant release to the estuary. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons …

Habitat Correlates Of Reproductive Effort In Wood Frogs And Spotted Salamanders In An Urbanizing Watershed, Dennis E. Skidds, Francis C. Golet, Peter W. C. Paton, Jonathan C. Mitchell

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Wildlife biologists and managers are concerned about the effects of forest fragmentation and habitat loss on pond-breeding amphibian populations. Most research has assessed the effects of habitat composition at multiple spatial scales on the presence or absence of amphibians at breeding ponds. We were interested in the effects of habitat characteristics on amphibian population size and used Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) and Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) egg mass counts as an index. Between 2001 and 2005, we monitored 65 seasonal ponds within forested landscapes in the Pawcatuck River watershed of Rhode Island. Both species were detected …