Digital Commons Network^™

The Construction Of An Est Database For Bombyx Mori And Its Application, Kazuei Mita, Mitsuoki Morimyo, Kazuhiro Okano, Yoshiko Koike, Junko Nohata, Hideki Kawasaki, Keiko Kadono-Okuda, Mikiko Yamamoto, Masataka G. Suzuki, Toru Shimada, Marian R. Goldsmith, Susumu Maeda

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

To build a foundation for the complete genome analysis of Bombyx mori, we have constructed an EST database. Because gene expression patterns deeply depend on tissues as well as developmental stages, we analyzed many cDNA libraries prepared from various tissues and different developmental stages to cover the entire set of Bombyx genes. So far, the Bombyx EST database contains 35,000 ESTs from 36 cDNA libraries, which are grouped into ≈11,000 nonredundant ESTs with the average length of 1.25 kb. The comparison with FlyBase suggests that the present EST database, SilkBase, covers >55% of all genes of Bombyx. The …

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

Freshman Record

No abstract provided.

Expression Of Spot In Borrelia Burgdorferi During Serum Starvation, Marc B. Concepcion, David R. Nelson

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by the tick Ixodes scapularis. A 2.9-kb fragment containing a putative spoT gene was isolated from B. burgdorferi genomic DNA by PCR amplification and cloned into a pBAD24 vector. The cloned gene complemented Escherichia coli mutant strain CF1693, which contains deletions of both the relA and spoT genes. The spoT gene in E. coli encodes a bifunctional enzyme capable of synthesizing and degrading (p)ppGpp, which mediates the stringent response during carbon source starvation. B. burgdorferi has been reported to have a stress response to serum starvation. Thin-layer chromatography …

Relationship Between Reproductive Success And Male Plasma Vitellogenin Concentrations In Cunner, Tautogolabrus Adspersus, Lesley J. Mills, Ruth E. Gutjahr-Gobell, Doranne Borsay Horowitz, Nancy D. Denslow, Marjorie C. Chow, Gerald E. Zaroogian

Past Departments Faculty Publications (CPHARM)

The gene for vitellogenin, an egg yolk protein precursor, is usually silent in male fish but can be induced by estrogen exposure. For this reason, vitellogenin production in male fish has become a widely used indicator of exposure to exogenous estrogens or estrogen mimics in the aquatic environment. The utility of this indicator to predict impacts on fish reproductive success is unclear because information on the relationship between male plasma vitellogenin and reproductive end points in male and female fish is limited. In the research reported in this article, we investigated whether the presence of male plasma vitellogenin is a …

Surfo Technical Report No. 2004-01, Surfo

SURFO Technical Reports

The 2003 technical reports written by undergraduate students participating in the SURFO (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography) Program while at the University of Rhode Island.

Intracellular Dynamics Of Lead And Calcium In Lead-Exposed Cultured Neurons Of Aplysia Californica (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia), Catherine T. Tamse

Open Access Dissertations

The neurotoxin lead (Pb2+) is a continuing health and environmental problem. However, its neurotoxic mechanism remains unclear. Since calcium (Ca2+) is vital in cellular processes and with Pb2+ reported to interfere with Ca2+-mediated processes, the hypothesis that Pb2+ subverts Ca2+ homeostasis by entering cells through Ca2+ transport pathways and displacing intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+] i) was investigated. A multi-technique approach tested this hypothesis. Using cultured Aplysia bag cell neurons, changes in transmembrane Ca2+ flux after Pb2+ exposure were directly measured with the Ca2+-selective self-referencing electrode. Cumulative concentrations of extracellular Pb2+ produced a corresponding and significant (P < 0.05) increase in Ca 2+ efflux, independent of time exposure. Ca2+ channel blockers Co2+, La3+, and verapamil inhibited Pb2+-induced flux. The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+-ATPase pump inhibitors, thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid, both elicited a Ca2+ efflux reflecting inhibition of ER pumps and [Ca2+]i release. Furthermore, Pb2+ evoked a moderate and sustained elevation in thapsigargin-stimulated Ca 2+ efflux. For morphological evidence that Pb2+ can mobilize [Ca 2+]i, potassium pyroantimonate (KPA) cytochemistry of bag cells were analyzed. 2% KPA resulted in widespread electron-dense precipitates. 10 mM EGTA + KPA or 200 μM Pb2+ + KPA both produced marked reductions of precipitates in neurons. X-ray microanalysis confirmed antimony (Sb) in precipitates but could not separate the overlapping Ca2+-Sb spectral peaks. However, reduced precipitates in EGTA-incubated cells indicate presence of Ca2+ in intracellular precipitates observed. No apparent pathological changes were correlated to Pb2+ exposure. The effects of Pb2+ on [Ca2+]i using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, chlortetracycline (CTC), was examined. Control neurons incubated in 10 μM CTC demonstrated extensive yellow-green fluorescence while reduced fluorescence intensities were seen in cells exposed to 200 μM Pb2+. Multi-sized punctate fluorescence were observed along the perimeter and sometimes, throughout the soma. No neuronal autofluorescence nor neuritic fluorescence in control and Pb2+-exposed cells were detected. Average fluorescence intensities between control and Pb2+-exposed neurons were statistically significant (P < 0.0005). Collectively, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that Pb 2+ perturbs Ca2+ homeostasis via mobilization of [Ca 2+]i. Pb2+ operates through Ca2+ transport pathways as shown by changes in transmembrane Ca 2+ flux, in KPA precipitate reactions, and in CTC fluorescence.

Biological Control Of The Lily Leaf Beetle, Lilioceris Lilii In North America, Marion Secrest Gold

Open Access Dissertations

The lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli), first officially reported in the U.S. in 1992, has become a serious pest of native and cultivated lilies throughout its North American distribution. With no effective North American natural enemies, this exotic insect poses a potential economic threat to horticulturists and an environmental threat to native lilies. This study presents the results of an ongoing classical biological control program initiated against L. lilii in North America. Based on its Eurasian geographic distribution, L. lilii seems capable of spreading throughout much of North America. In Europe, the lily leaf beetle is well known but …

Influence Of Dust And Sulfate Aerosols On Ocean Color Spectra And Chlorophyll A Concentrations Derived From Seawifs Off The U.S. East Coast, Stephanie E. Schollaert, James A. Yoder, John E. O'Reilly, Douglas L. Hestphal

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The influence of two dominant aerosol species on satellite ocean color retrievals is examined off the U.S. East Coast in the western Sargasso subtropical gyre. Waters of very low chlorophyll concentration have normalized water‐leaving radiance (nLw) spectra highest in blue and decreasing monotonically with increasing wavelength. For water with chlorophyll concentrations less than 0.13 mg m⁻³ we compared the Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor (SeaWiFS) nLw spectra for different aerosol conditions (clear, dust‐dominated, and sulfate‐dominated) over 1 year between March 1999 and March 2000. With appropriate atmospheric correction, satellite‐derived nLw spectra should be insensitive to the presence of …

Seasonal And Enso Variability In Global Ocean Phytoplankton Chlorophyll Derived From 4 Years Of Seawifs Measurements, James A. Yoder, Maureen A. Kennely

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The 4‐year, calibrated SeaWiFS data set provides a means to determine seasonal and other sources of phytoplankton variability on global scales, which is an important component of the total variability associated with ocean biological and biogeochemical processes. We used empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on a 4‐year time series of global SeaWiFS chlorophyll a measurements to quantify the major seasonal (as well as the late El Niño and La Niña phase of the 1997–1998 ENSO) signals in phytoplankton biomass between 50°S and 50°N, and then a second analysis to quantify summer patterns at higher latitudes. Our results help place regional …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2003-2004, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

Client Perceptions To Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Symptoms And Responses Over Time, Mary Findeisen

Open Access Dissertations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem that affects millions of Americans. Adherence to treatment regimens is of critical importance to reduce disease progression and disability. This is particularly true in the early stages of COPD when symptoms are insidious not only in the late stages when symptoms are severe. Health care providers generally assume that once a treatment regimen is prescribed it will be followed. Yet it is not uncommon, particularly in chronic illnesses, for individuals to ignore or abandon treatment regimens. The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe and explore the process …

Regulation Of Empa Metalloproteinase Expression In Vibrio Anguillarum, Steven Michael Denkin

Open Access Dissertations

The effect of salmon gastrointestinal mucus on protease activity in Vibrio anguillarum M93Sm was investigated. Cells grown to stationary phase in nine salts solution plus mucus (NSSM) exhibited ninefold-greater protease activity than cells grown in Luria-Bertani broth plus 2% NaCl (LB20). Induction of protease activity in stationary phase cells occurred 60 min after addition of mucus and was ≥70-fold greater than protease activity measured in cells incubated in any other condition. Southern analysis and PCR confirmed that V. anguillarum M93 contained empA. An empA mutant of V. anguillarum did not exhibit protease activity after exposure to mucus, but did grow …

Predation On The Early Life History Stages Of Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes Americanus) By The Sand Shrimp (Crangon Septemspinosa), David Lenox Taylor

Open Access Dissertations

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) stock complexes have been heavily exploited in the recent past, consequently decreasing abundances to record low levels. Despite management efforts to reduce further stock losses due to fishing mortality, discrete sub-populations of flounder continue to decrease for reasons that are unknown. Predation on the early life history stages of flatfish is recognized as the most important factor regulating year-class formation and recruitment. Winter flounder eggs and juveniles possess few morphological qualities that benefit the species in predator defense. Subsequently, survival of the early life stages of winter flounder depends on the effectiveness of spatial and temporal …

Making The Grade: Academic Literacies And First-Generation College Students In A Highly Selective Liberal Arts College, Theresa Perri Ammirati

Open Access Dissertations

Previous research on first-generation college students has concentrated largely on students enrolled in community colleges or universities. This study examines first generation students at a single, highly selective, four-year, liberal arts college, and uses an academic literacies approach to understand the relationship between first-generation status and written and oral literacies as illustrated in academic papers and classroom performance. Twelve first-generation college students were interviewed extensively about their early literacy experiences, family background, relationship to family and home community, high school preparation, selection of and transition into a highly selective college, and written and oral literacy experiences at that institution. Writing …

Longitudinal Study Of The Acquisition Of Locomotion, Motor Activity, And Infant Development, Janette Baird

Open Access Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between the age of development of 5 locomotor behaviors, the level of infant activity for the locomotor behaviors, and the performance of the sample of infants on standardized indices of infant development (Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, FTII; Bayley Scales of Infant Development, BSID-II). A total of 157 infants were assessed at 6, 9, and 12 months for their activity levels on the 5 locomotor behaviors of interest, and the age at which each locomotor behavior occurred was obtained through records maintained by each infants' caregiver. The results of the regression path analysis indicates that …

Factors Influencing Transition From Early Intervention, Nina June Pinnock

Open Access Dissertations

This exploratory study examined factors that predict parental satisfaction in the transition of a child with a disability from Early Intervention to preschool at the age of three. In addition to a thorough literature review, theoretical preparation included focus groups with service coordinators, receiving agencies and parents. The sample participants were 62 parent respondents to an Early Intervention transition to preschool questionnaire distributed by Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on proposed factors of parental empowerment, communication and culture, which did not emerge as discrete indicators of parental satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) …

Thyroidal Regulation Of Stomach Development And Toxicity Of Pcb 126 In Metamorphosing Summer Flounder, Bruno Soffientino

Open Access Dissertations

The overarching theme of this thesis work is the development of the stomach in summer flounder, which occurs during metamorphosis. During normal development, proliferation of the gastric epithelium increases in early metamorphosis when incipient gastric glands first appear, and declines at late metamorphosis when gastric glands are completely developed. Inhibiting thyroid hormone prevents the increase in proliferation and the differentiation of glands, while high levels of thyroid hormone accelerate gastric gland differentiation but also inhibit proliferation. The hormone is necessary to cause cell proliferation, but at high doses it appears to selectively stimulate differentiation, suggesting that the steady increase in …

Assessment Of The Rhode Island Coastal Lagoon Ecosystem, Kathryn Hale Ford

Open Access Dissertations

The health of the Rhode Island coastal lagoon ecosystem is of importance due to its critical role as a wildlife habitat and recreation destination. As human population continues to expand along the coast, this ecosystem will receive increasing pressure from contaminants. By examining how the lagoons have changed in the past, we can postulate what variables are linked to change. Current conditions need to be thoroughly studied to provide a baseline with which to study future change, as well as to determine areas of concern in the lagoons. In order to understand how the ecosystem responds to such pressures, a …

Creative Providence, Dan Goodman

Open Access Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

International Regulation Of Underwater Sound: Establishing Rules And Standards To Address Ocean Noise Pollution, Elena Marie Mccarthy

Open Access Dissertations

An increasing awareness of anthropogenic sound in the ocean has generated international concern that it is affecting marine mammal behavior and could affect entire marine ecosystems as well. Presently there is a lack of a coherent policy framework for evaluating the environmental impacts of underwater noise pollution. No international treaties or laws specifically address the transmission of sound in waters under national jurisdiction or on the high seas. This dissertation examines the issue of underwater noise pollution in a global context and considers the extent to which the international legal and environmental community has addressed it. The sharp increase in …

Optimization Of Artificial Neural Networks In Satellite Remote Sensing Da Ta Analysis, Tiegeng Ren

Open Access Master's Theses

Satellite remote sensing data have been broadly applied in extraction of thematic land cover information. The multi-spectral classification is the mostly used method. Traditional supervised classification algorithms are in the category of statistical pattern recognition. Due to the limitations of spatial and spectral resolutions of remotely sensed data, traditional classification has always been challenged in thematic accuracy of land cover mapping. To improve the performance, new technical approaches are in demand.

Artificial Neural Network is one of the emerging approaches in multi-spectral remote sensing and multi-source spatial data handling. However, none-optimized method always met difficulties to get an ideal result. …

Utilization Of Public Rights Of Ways In The State Of Rhode Island, Stephen M. Yankocy

Open Access Master's Theses

The 216 Public Rights of Ways (ROWs), which intersect the coast of Rhode Island are important in that they help to uphold the Public Trust Doctrine or the right of the public to freely enjoy the pleasures of the shoreline. Unfortunately, as the Ocean State's population has risen over the past decade and the pressures along its coastline have increased, the number of ROWs being designated from year to year as public has declined dramatically. Furthermore, the budget allotted to the Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC) to discover and designate these pathways to the inter-tidal areas of the …

Trazodone Hydrochloride Controlled Releasematrix And Matrix-Mini Tablets, Kiran Penumatcha

Open Access Master's Theses

The aim of present study was to prepare controlled release trazodone hydrochloride matrix tablets. The dissolution profiles at three pHs were carried out for 24 hrs to monitor release of drug from tablets. The effect of three variables, drug, HPMC, and A vicel contents, on the release of drug from the matrix was evaluated using a full 2³ factorial design. T₅₀ and T₉₀ (time to release 50% and 90% drug respectively) were used as response parameters to study the effect of three variables mentioned above. The effect of tablet size was also studied by comparing the release …

Gas Flow And Heat Transfer In Microchannels: An Experiment Al Investigation Of Compressibility, Rarefaction, And Surf Ace Roughness, Stephen Edward Turner

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents an experimental investigation of laminar gas flow and heat transfer through microchannels. The independent variables: relative surface roughness, Knudsen number, Reynolds number and Mach number were systematically varied to determine their influence on the friction factor and the Nusselt number. The microchannels were etched into silicon wafers, capped with glass, and have hydraulic diameters between 5 and 96 microns. Isothermal gas flow was investigated by measuring the local pressure at seven locations along the channel length. Heat transfer experiments were conducted using thin film sensors developed for direct measurement of the surface temperature.

Eight microchannel test sections …

Remote Sensing And Landscape Analysis Of Indicators Of Estuarine Condition In The Northeastern United States, Wilfrid Rodriguez

Open Access Dissertations

I focused on four questions: (1) are measures of estuarine water quality the same across study regions; (2) are spatial setting variables and intense rainfall events important in explaining variation in water quality measures; (3) what is the relationship between patterns of land cover and estuarine condition; and (4) is land-cover change a good regional indicator of estuarine condition? Estuarine data was extracted from the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and Coastal-2000 surveys. Geographical Information System's modeling, land cover change detection, cumulative distribution functions and multiple linear regression analyses were used to quantify land-water interactions in three regions representing …

Ferulic Acid And Peroxidase Infusion Into Disparate Vegetables And Its Effect On Texture, Karen Rose Conca

Open Access Dissertations

The texture quality of canned fruits and vegetables can be severely degraded or softened due to thermal processing. Increased ferulic acid cross-linking and cell-cell adhesion has been associated with increased firmness of texture in fruits and vegetables. In order to test such a theory for maintaining firmness and cross-linkages of ferulic acid after thermal processing, vegetables were pre-treated/infused with peroxidase enzyme and ferulic acid. Carrots, beets and Chinese water chestnuts were chosen for their extreme differences in texture. Various methods for measuring texture were tested. Flat head compression was selected as the most sensitive method of assessing texture. Various infusion …

Development Of An Acoustic Data Storage Tag For Long Range Fish Tracking In The Ocean, Michael J. Obara

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation describes the development of an acoustic data storage tag for long-range fish tracking in the ocean. The core of the tag is a custom integrated circuit fabricated in 0.5μm CMOS. Device geopositioning is achieved with an on-board hydrophone listening for signals from several moored acoustic sources. Environmental data in the form of temperature and pressure is periodically sampled. All acquired data is stored locally. The tag's sampling protocol is completely programmable via a PC interface. This interface also allows sensor calibration and retrieval of data at the end of the tag's mission. Sensors, batteries, nonvolatile RAM and a …

Supporting Patriarchy And Consumerism Through Sex Rhetoric: Power, Foucault And Sex And The City, Alyson Chace Arnold

Open Access Master's Theses

As Americans seek identification through the media, Foucault's "bio-power" extends the power of patriarchy and consumerism through gender prescriptions. A study of modern sexuality discourses can show what those prescriptions are and how the current power-knowledge regimes are maintained by them. This paper focuses on the aspects of Foucault's theories on power that deal with gender and sexuality discourses, explicating the cable show Sex and the City to discuss its role in the perpetuation of the status quo of patriarchy and consumerism through gendered identities. The paper also identifies aspects of the show that reveal a progressive pattern of resistance …

Health-Related Quality Of Life As Predictor Of Adherence With Antiretroviral Medication, Rakesh Joshi

Open Access Master's Theses

Title of the Study: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as predictor of medication adherence in patients infected with Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV).

Summary: Quality of life (QoL) is a broad term which involves evaluation of all aspects of life including, health, education, family life, housing, friendship, marriage, standard of living, and work. Health is one of the domains that affect our quality of life. The measurement of HRQoL is becoming an increasingly common activity in healthcare systems around the world. Health-related quality of life or biological outcome of treatment might predict adherence to HIV medication. This research is …

Type Ii Collagen Differentially Degraded Epitopes Can Be Used To Monitor In Vitro And In Vivo Cartilage Degradation, Brian Roland Felice

Open Access Dissertations

Articular cartilage is comprised of resident chondrocytes interspersed throughout a complicated network of molecules called the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM). The major component of articular cartilage ECM is type II collagen, which supplies the matrix with its characteristic tensile strength. In some forms of arthritis such as osteoarthritis (OA), type II collagen is uncontrollably destroyed ultimately leading to joint dysfunction. Type II collagen, the major collagen type found in articular cartilage, may account for 95% of the total collagen content of articular cartilage. The molecules implicated in the destruction of the ECM are a family of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases …