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Analysis And Simulation Of Skeletonema Costatum (Grev.) Cleve Annual Abundance Patterns In Lower Narragansett Bay 1959 To 1996, David Gerald Borkman

Open Access Dissertations

A 38-year time series (1959 to 1996) of weekly observations of abundance of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum and related plankton habitat parameters in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island was analyzed. A phytoplankton growth model was then developed for investigation of Skeletonema annual abundance pattern regulating mechanisms. A ca. 45% decline in Skeletonema abundance was detected, from 2,292 cells ml−1 (prior to September 1974) to 1,263 cells ml−1 (after August 1980). Winter-spring decreases were greatest, with declines in March Skeletonema abundance from near 3,400 cells ml−1 before a 1977 change-point to mean abundance of ca. 1,000 cells ml−1 after 1977. …

A Comprehensive Mass Balance Of A Watershed Under Steady State Conditions, Oran Joseph Viator Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Blackstone River water quality data collected during three dry weather surveys of the river was used in a comprehensive mass balance of selected water quality constituents for the river under steady state conditions, and to develop a method that can be applied to separate point and non-point source loads to the river. Mass balances for the river reaches between each dry weather sampling station were completed which isolated point sources, resulting in the identification of those reaches that were major contributors of pollutant loads to the river. These non-point sources, and the point sources, were ranked according to their dry …

An Alternate To Chromate Conversion Coatings For The Corrosion Protection Of Aluminum 2024-T3, Ruiguang Guo

Open Access Dissertations

Corrosion of high-strength aluminum alloys used for airspace application is an expensive and serious problem. The most significant environmental factor contributing to the corrosion of these alloys is water condensed from humid air and contaminated with soluble chloride salts. The Al 2024 series used for aircraft are particularly susceptible to corrosion in aqueous chloride solutions due to alloying constituents such as copper and other impurities. Chromates are efficient inhibitors of corrosion of aluminum in near neutral aqueous environments containing aggressive anions such as chlorides. Usually, aluminum alloys are initially protected by chromate conversion coatings. Additional polymer coatings are sometimes added …

Function Of The Heterocercal Tail In Sharks: Quantitative Wake Dynamics During Steady Horizontal Swimming And Vertical Maneuvering, C. D. Wilga, G. V. Lauder

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The function of the heterocercal tail in sharks has long been debated in the literature. Previous kinematic data have supported the classical theory which proposes that the beating of the heterocercal caudal fin during steady horizontal locomotion pushes posteroventrally on the water, generating a reactive force directed anterodorsally and causing rotation around the center of mass. An alternative model suggests that the heterocercal shark tail functions to direct reaction forces through the center of mass. In this paper, we quantify the function of the tail in two species of shark and compare shark tail function with previous hydrodynamic data on …

Silkworm Genomics - Progress And Prospects, J. Nagaraju, Marian R. Goldsmith

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The biology and genetics of silkworm, Bombyx mori, is the most advanced of any lepidopteran species. Its rich repertoire of genetic resources and potential applications in sericulture and as a model for other Lepidoptera led to the initiation of genomics research. During the past decade much effort has been made in the areas of marker development, and molecular maps have been constructed in standard strains with the use of RFLPs, RAPDs, ISSRs, STSs, and microsatellites. The potential applications of molecular markers and linkage maps include stock identification, Marker Assisted Selection (MAS), identification of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL), and, ultimately, …

Captive Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, Develop Signature Whistles That Match Acoustic Features Of Human-Made Model Sounds, Jennifer L. Miksis, Peter L. Tyack, John R. Buck

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

This paper presents a cross-sectional study testing whether dolphins that are born in aquarium pools where they hear trainers’ whistles develop whistles that are less frequency modulated than those of wild dolphins. Ten pairs of captive and wild dolphins were matched for age and sex. Twenty whistles were sampled from each dolphin. Several traditional acoustic features (total duration, duration minus any silent periods, etc.) were measured for each whistle, in addition to newly defined flatness parameters: total flatness ratio (percentage of whistle scored as unmodulated), and contiguous flatness ratio (duration of longest flat segment divided by total duration). The durations …

New England Salt Marsh Pools: Analysis Of Geomorphic And Geographic Parameters, Macrophyte Distribution And Nekton Use, Susan C. Adamowicz

Open Access Dissertations

Salt marsh pools are shallow, steep-sided depressions that remain flooded throughout a tidal cycle and provide important habitat for nekton (fish and decapod crustaceans). Although New England pools are relatively unstudied, efforts are underway to expand pool habitat through an open marsh water management technique know as ditch plugging. The purpose of this study was to quantify pool geomorphic and geographic characteristics, to determine distribution of vegetative cover types and nekton species, and to evaluate effects of ditch plugging on nekton use of pools.

Over 30 ditched and unditched marshes were surveyed from the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound …

Individual Differences In Toddler Emotion Coping: The Impact Of Temperament And Socialization Experiences On Regulation Development, Elena Mirsky

Open Access Dissertations

The current study explores the expression of emotion coping behaviors in the developmental context of temperamental and socialization experiences. 45 30- month-olds, whose families were involved in a larger longitudinal study, participated in a laboratory assessment including 4 contexts designed to provide an experience of stress for the child. Child coping behaviors were coded according to a system by Grolnick (1996) which rates behaviors along a continuum of adaptiveness from focusing on the course of frustration, to self-comforting and other-directed behaviors, to behavior that is re-oriented toward the environment. Correlations were run between coping data and data on child temperament …

Regulation And Mechanisms Of Excitation-Contraction Coupling In The Ventricular Myocardium Of The Surf Clam, Spisula Solidissima, Leon Paul Collis

Open Access Dissertations

Extensive research has previously examined the extrinsic, neural regulation of the bivalve myocardium, via the action of such neurotransmitters as acetylcholine, serotonin and the tetrapeptide, FRMFamide. This investigation was performed in order to identify any intrinsic, autoregulatory (mechanical or pharmacological) processes, which attenuate or amplifier cardiac activity. For this purpose, the ventricular muscle of the bivalve, Spisula solidissima , was used. The ultrastructure was described in order to explain specific excitation-contraction (EC) coupling mechanisms that were elucidated in this study. Manuscript 1 identified and characterized shortening deactivation in ventricular trabeculae of the surf clam. This is defined as the loss …

Breast Cancer Experiences: Women's Reflections Years After Diagnosis, Margaret Barton-Burke

Open Access Dissertations

Many women diagnosed with breast cancer m the last decade are either living with active treatment for the disease or are classified as cured but living with the sequelae of the disease or treatment. Most research has been on the physical aspects of the disease and conducted during or immediately after active treatment. Information beyond the physical dimension of women's experiences is small and narrowly focused, and research beyond 5 years is almost nonexistent. A full depiction of the multidimensional nature of being diagnosed with, treated for, recovering from, and living with the aftermath of breast cancer is lacking. The …

The Ecology And Morphology Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) And Its Associated Macrophyte Community In Relation To Environmental Variables, Joanne C. Bintz

Open Access Dissertations

Shallow coastal lagoons are subject to anthropogenic nutrient enrichment and disturbances that result in loss of seagrass ecosystems. These losses have generated a desire by coastal managers for tools to monitor existing seagrass meadows, and to restore those that have been lost. The following Chapters in this dissertation address aspects of these issues. Chapter 1 documents a nearly 16 month study of Zostera marina seasonal and year-to-year leaf and rhizome morphology and growth in Ninigret Pond, R.I. Individual shoots produced approximately 0.11 leaves per day from March to December. Shoot surface area and the length of the longest leaf on …

Peer Group Instructional Conversation: Collaboration In Context, Linda Greene Capalbo

Open Access Dissertations

American schools traditionally have reflected and promoted societal values of autonomy and independence in the development of the individual child. This limited perspective on how humans come to know focuses on the accrued cultural capital of each learner and neglects the role of 'the other' in the construction of meaning. Such a view can be especially debilitating for students who have been identified as marginal learners. This study examines how social interaction organizes participation opportunities and strategies for members of a peer learning group, including a student designated language learning disabled. The study documents the development and negotiation of individual …

Development Of A Numerical Model For Shallow Marine Ecosystems With Application To Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island, Mark James Brush

Open Access Dissertations

Numerical models have become increasingly important tools for the study of marine ecosystems. While these models serve as valuable research and heuristic tools, they are not yet to the point of producing reliable predictions upon which to base management decisions. Further, most existing models of coastal systems have been constructed for relatively deep estuaries rather than shallow, nearshore systems which receive the bulk of anthropogenic nutrient loading and experience the most extreme degradation in water quality. A numerical model was developed for shallow marine ecosystems which contain both pelagic and benthic compartments of the food web. A series of innovations …

Effects Of Mobile Fishing Gear On The Benthic Megafauna And Production Of Georges Bank, Jerome Michael Hermsen Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Although the effects of mobile fishing gear on the habitat and productivity of the sea bottom has warranted attention for several centuries, recent concern has fueled an upsurge in research into the ecosystem effects of fishing over the last decade. This dissertation addresses the effects of mobile fishing gear disturbance on the benthic megafaunal productivity, scavenging amphipods and isopods, and benthic habitat-mediated survival of juvenile cod ( Gadus morhua). Using baited traps, scavenging amphipod and isopod populations were sampled at deep and shallow sites in disturbed and undisturbed areas on the northern part of Georges Bank and in the Great …

Lagrangian Studies Of Oxygen Variability In The North Atlantic Ocean, Peter Lazarevich

Open Access Dissertations

During 1997-2000, our research group participated in a major field study to determine the absolute circulation of the Subpolar North Atlantic. We successfully tracked 50 isopycnal RAFOS floats which measured pressure, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. The floats were ballasted for the 27.5 σ &thetas; density surface, which is found in the lower subtropical thermocline waters of the North Atlantic. A comparison of our field results to historical hydrography for the region shows that the oxygen sensors provided an accuracy of about 5% over periods exceeding one year. One of our goals was to understand the conspicuous difference between the hydrographically …

Geomagnetic Sensitivity And Orientation In Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sirtalis), Douglas Eliot Smith

Open Access Dissertations

Thirteen eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) were each kept in a terrarium for 10 to 15 days inside a solenoid made of electrical wire and attached to a DC power source. When activated, the solenoid reduced the intensity and reversed the direction of the ambient magnetic field inside the aquarium. Food was placed in an L-shaped corridor attached to the aquarium before the solenoid was turned on. The time between activation of the solenoid and the first strike at the food was measured. Snakes that were exposed to the magnetic cue learned to associate it with the presence of food …

A Proposed Model Of Medical Staff-Family Communication In The Context Of Cancer: Psychometric, Model And Mediational Testing, Dana Anne Gionta

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation extends our knowledge of the relationships among complex communication variables involved in medical staff-family member communication in the context of adult cancer. It does this in three ways. First, communication variables are quantified using qualitative data from previous studies in the area of cancer, communication and the family to provide a more systematic means of studying these variables. Manuscript 1 examines the psychometric soundness of these instruments with results indicating a single factor structure for each instrument, preliminary evidence for construct and content validity and good to excellent internal consistency (.77, .91, .93., .97). Second, a model of …

The Four Hundredth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (12/07/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (11/27/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (11/20/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

Curricular Affairs Committee Report #400, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (11/16/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (11/14/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (11/06/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (11/02/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (10/31/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (10/30/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (10/26/2001), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island school newspaper.

Curricular Report No. 2001-2002-2 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.