Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing The Impacts Of Loss Of The Fanca Protein On Chromatin State, Mileena Nguyen

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Nutritional Data And Corresponding Performance Impacts Of Uri Student-Athletes, Abigael Fenbert

Senior Honors Projects

This research project investigates the diets of various sport athletes at the University of Rhode Island. The question that this project aims to answer is if our athletes are meeting recommended daily values nutritionally, and if not, why? Research continues to grow regarding how performance implications are tied to varying nutritional disparities for athletes. Various studies show malnourishment leads to performance decline, increased injury risk, and improper recovery. This is influenced by factors such as deficits in caloric intake, macronutrient and micronutrient availability, and dehydration. For college athletes, a lack of food availability and nutritional knowledge leaves them especially predisposed …

Project Title: Home Birthing: Analyzing The Value Of Home Births To American Mothers, Julia Santini

Senior Honors Projects

There were about 3.7 million births in the United States in 2018, and a maternal mortality rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births (37.3 for non-Hispanic black women). The US also has high rates of birth interventions such as episiotomy and instrumental vaginal births, and increasing rates of cesarean sections, and while these interventions can be life saving, they do not always result in better birth outcomes. When the high US maternal mortality rates are compared to those of peer countries such as Canada and the UK, the data suggests that there is much room for improvement in how …

Profiling A Unique Female Serial Killer: Aileen Wuornos's Life Of Violence, Phyllis Chesler

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes April 29, 2021, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Research Grant Management Bes 510, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Zoo And Aquarium Animal Welfare, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Plato, Aristotle, And The Political Landscape Of The Present, Tanner J. Pacheco

Senior Honors Projects

Plato, Aristotle, and the political landscape of the past are all decidedly far removed from our current place in time and space. The works of the former two philosophers, and the political ecosystem established two millennia ago can appear too foreign to retain any relevance to today’s society. Though, I argue that these thinkers’ insights into political philosophy can serve as support for addressing our own political challenges either indirectly, or in some cases directly.

Few would contest that in the United States we face a variety of substantial difficulties concerning the wellbeing of our political system. In fact, a …

Specific Niche Requirements Underpin Multidecadal Range Edge Stability, But May Introduce Barriers For Climate Change Adaptation, Louise B. Firth, Daniel Harris, Julie A. Blaze, Martin P. Marzloff, Aurélien Boyé, Peter I. Miller, Amelia Curd, Mickaël Vasquez, Julia D. Nunn, Nessa E. O’Connor, Anne Marie Power, Nova Mieszkowska, Ruth M. O’Riordan, Michael T. Burrows, Lucy M. Bricheno, Antony M. Knights, Flavia L.D. Nunes, François Bordeyne, Laura E. Bush, James E. Byers, Carmen David, Andrew J. Davies, Stanislas F. Dubois, Hugh Edwards, Andy Foggo, Lisa Grant, J. A. Mattias Green, Paul E. Gribben, Fernando P. Lima

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Aim: To investigate some of the environmental variables underpinning the past and present distribution of an ecosystem engineer near its poleward range edge. Location: >500 locations spanning >7,400 km around Ireland. Methods: We collated past and present distribution records on a known climate change indicator, the reef-forming worm Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus, 1767) in a biogeographic boundary region over 182 years (1836–2018). This included repeat sampling of 60 locations in the cooler 1950s and again in the warmer 2000s and 2010s. Using species distribution modelling, we identified some of the environmental drivers that likely underpin S. alveolata distribution towards the leading …

A Tour Of Gender Critical Literature: A Review Of Transgender Body Politics By Heather Brunskell-Evans, Az Hakeem

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Associations Between Femininity, Burnout, And Health Behaviors Among Middle Age Women, Adelaide Brown

Senior Honors Projects

To date research on how traditional feminine traits and gender role ideology may impact burnout and health behaviors in women is limited. This paper examines how the aforementioned may be associated with higher burnout rates in a community-based cohort of middle-aged women (40-65 years). This study focuses on western traditional feminine traits and gender role ideology, which describe an individual's attitude regarding their assigned role in society and the strength of association with their role. Women who report a stronger connection to more traditional traits or ideology were expected to report higher rates of burnout.

This study also assesses whether …

The Journey To Reach Herd Immunity: The United State's Efforts Towards Controlling Sars-Cov-2, Natalina Mastroianni

Senior Honors Projects

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which emerged in December of 2019 and has been the leading global health concern since. SARS-CoV-2 is a positive sense single-stranded RNA virus coated with viral spike proteins that has led to over 500,000 deaths in the United States and is approaching 3,000,000 deaths worldwide. As COVID-19 persists globally in such high numbers, the virus has been able to undergo mutations, leading to three prominent variants: the United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7), the South Africa variant (B.1.351), and the Brazil variant (P.1). These variants are more transmissible, …

Tomorrow Is Not Promised, Dalia Rajeh

Senior Honors Projects

Generations to come will hear a lot about the year 2020 and the major impacts it had on the world. 2020 affected thousands of people in many ways, including not only the loss of jobs but the loss of loved ones as well. People worked to adapt to remote workplaces and schools. Even a year later things are far from being ‘normal’. Some of us cannot even remember what normal is anymore. The mindset has always been “I’ll just do it tomorrow” but what if tomorrow never comes? One impact of the pandemic that affected many students around the country …

Combating Public Vaccine Misinformation Through An Educational Podcast For Middle And High School Students, Vincent Nocella

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Association Between Type-2 Diabetes Pathophysiology & Exercise Adherence, Sydney Raymond

Senior Honors Projects

According to the American Diabetes Association, 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with diabetes. While some of these individuals will be prescribed medications as part of their treatment, most will also be advised to begin an exercise program to assist with blood glucose control. Additionally, while regular exercise is associated with lower HbA1C and decreased insulin/medication dependence, it is estimated that only about half of those diagnosed with diabetes will adhere to their exercise plans. Social, psychological, and physiological factors all play roles in affecting ones ability to adhere to an exercise regiment, and individuals with Type 2 Diabetes …

The Journey To Reach Herd Immunity: The United State's Efforts Towards Controlling Sars-Cov-2, Natalina Mastroianni

Senior Honors Projects

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which emerged in December of 2019 and has been the leading global health concern since. SARS-CoV-2 is a positive sense single-stranded RNA virus coated with viral spike proteins that has led to over 500,000 deaths in the United States and is approaching 3,000,000 deaths worldwide. As COVID-19 persists globally in such high numbers, the virus has been able to undergo mutations, leading to three prominent variants: the United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7), the South Africa variant (B.1.351), and the Brazil variant (P.1). These variants are more transmissible, …

Practicum In Zoo And Aquarium Animal Science Avs 98, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Practicum In Zoo And Aquarium Animal Science (Temporary) Avs 398x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Narrow And Brittle Or Broad And Nimble? Comparing Adaptive Capacity In Simplifying And Diversifying Farming Systems, Margiana Petersen-Rockney, Patrick Baur, Aidee Guzman, S. Franz Bender, Adam Calo, Federico Castillo, Kathryn De Master, Antoinette Dumont, Kenzo Esquivel, Claire Kremen, James Lachance, Maria Mooshammer, Joanna Ory, Mindy J. Price, Yvonne Socolar, Paige Stanley, Alastair Iles, Timothy Bowles

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Humanity faces a triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and global food insecurity. In response, increasing the general adaptive capacity of farming systems is essential. We identify two divergent strategies for building adaptive capacity. Simplifying processes seek to narrowly maximize production by shifting the basis of agricultural production toward centralized control of socially and ecologically homogenized systems. Diversifying processes cultivate social-ecological complexity in order to provide multiple ecosystem services, maintain management flexibility, and promote coordinated adaptation across levels. Through five primarily United States focused cases of distinct agricultural challenges—foodborne pathogens, drought, marginal lands, labor availability, and land access and …

Rhetorical Field Methods For Science Communication Bes 521, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Hidden Sugar And Its Bitter Obstacles For The Wellbeing Of Consumers, Ai Nhan Ngo

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This research paper explores issues pertaining to, and raises awareness about, high sugar intake among consumers, which causes several consequential health risks. The paper also points out various obstacles preventing consumers from reducing their high sugar consumption. These obstacles come from policymakers, policy influencers, the sugar industry, the food industry, and consumers themselves. For some obstacles, involvement of multiple parties was found. The research also discusses several possible solutions for improving a healthy consumption environment for consumer wellbeing.

Virtual And Remote Hands-On Undergraduate Research In Plankton Ecology During The 2020 Pandemic: Covid-19 Can’T Stop This!, Pierre Marrec, Andria Miller, Lucie Maranda, Susanne Menden-Deuer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The pandemic has had innumerable impacts on the oceanographic com-munity, including on summer research internship programs that expose undergraduates to diverse career paths in oceanography while immersed in an active laboratory. For many students, these internships are formative in their career choices. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography (SURFO) at University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography is one of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs that proceeded remotely during the summer of 2020. Here, we highlight one project that, although remote, maintained a hands-on research experience focused on quantitative skill building. The pandemic forced the REU …

Submarine Lava Deltas Of The 2018 Eruption Of Kīlauea Volcano, S. Adam Soule, Michael Zoeller, Carolyn Parcheta

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Hawaiian and other ocean island lava flows that reach the coastline can deposit significant volumes of lava in submarine deltas. The catastrophic collapse of these deltas represents one of the most significant, but least predictable, volcanic hazards at ocean islands. The volume of lava deposited below sea level in delta-forming eruptions and the mechanisms of delta construction and destruction are rarely documented. Here, we report on bathymetric surveys and ROV observations following the Kīlauea 2018 eruption that, along with a comparison to the deltas formed at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō over the past decade, provide new insight into delta formation. Bathymetric differencing …

Missing The Outbreak For The Germs: Institutionalized Non-Knowledge And Industrial Power In Agrofood Safety Governance, Patrick Baur

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Leafy greens cause a growing proportion of foodborne illness outbreaks despite heavy investment in surveillance technologies designed to control pathogenic hazards in agriculture. To understand how the governing regime maintains authority despite continual lapses in control, I examine a deadly 2018 outbreak of Escherichia coli O157: H7 linked to romaine lettuce. By comparing the outbreak investigation and regulatory response to the questions not asked and actions not taken, I show how the regime’s methods of understanding the outbreak also organized its ignorance of dangers outside its carefully constructed field of vision. Applying agnotology theory, I argue that the industrial organization …

Getting Radical: Feminism, Patriarchy, And The Sexual-Exploitation Industries, Robert Jensen

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The sexual-exploitation industries, including prostitution and pornography, are patriarchal institutions that are inconsistent with dignity, solidarity, and equality. Radical feminism offers a compelling analysis not only for women but also for men striving to be fully human.

Multimodal Fusion Of Eeg-Fnirs: A Mutual Information-Based Hybrid Classification Framework, Roohollah Jafari Deligani, Seyyed Bahram Borgheai, John Mclinden, Yalda Shahriari

Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Multimodal data fusion is one of the current primary neuroimaging research directions to overcome the fundamental limitations of individual modalities by exploiting complementary information from different modalities. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are especially compelling modalities due to their potentially complementary features reflecting the electro-hemodynamic characteristics of neural responses. However, the current multimodal studies lack a comprehensive systematic approach to properly merge the complementary features from their multimodal data. Identifying a systematic approach to properly fuse EEG-fNIRS data and exploit their complementary potential is crucial in improving performance. This paper proposes a framework for classifying fused EEG-fNIRS data …

Assisted Reproductive Technologies And Health-Related Issues Among Women And Children: A Research Review, Laura Maria Corradi

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

From their first use in the late 1970s until the mid-1990s, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) gave rise to serious concerns by feminists internationally. Their questions ranged from asking about health risks to ethical and political problems inherent in these technologies. However, over the last 25 years, interest in women’s health which used to be central to feminist theory and politics, progressively decreased and with it concerns about ART. Today, while the medical literature about health risks in ART is increasing, the topic of women’s health in relation to reproductive technologies remains marginal in feminist discourse, social sciences, and the mainstream …

Novel Reproductive Behavior In An Asian Frog: Sex‐Reversed Inguinal Amplexus, Yik‐Hei Sung, Wing‐Ho Lee, Ho‐Nam Ng, Martha L. Crump, Nancy E. Karraker

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Amphibians exhibit diverse reproductive behaviors, including nine documented types of amplexus, the behavior in which male and female frogs position themselves for courtship, oviposition, and fertilization. All known forms of amplexus involve the male on top of or in line horizontally (cloacal apposition) with the female. Here, we report a novel form of amplexus observed in Lau’s leaf litter toad (Leptobrachella laui; Megophryidae) in Hong Kong, China. Termed “sex‐reversed inguinal amplexus,” the female climbs on top of a male and the male transports the female to a concealed breeding site. We were unable to determine whether this was …

Welcome To The New Dignity, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Net Volatilization Of Pahs From The North Pacific To The Arctic Ocean Observed By Passive Sampling, Haowen Zheng, Minggang Cai, Wenlu Zhao, Mohammed Khairy, Mian Chen, Hengxiang Deng, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The North Pacific-Arctic Oceans are important compartments for semi-volatile organic compounds’ (SVOCs) global marine inventory, but whether they act as a “source" or "sink” remains controversial. To study the air-sea exchange and fate of SVOCs during their poleward long-range transport, low-altitude atmosphere and surface seawater were measured for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by passive sampling from July to September in 2014. Gaseous PAH concentrations (0.67–13 ng m−3) were dominated by phenanthrene (Phe) and fluorene (Flu), which displayed an inverse correlation with latitude, as well as a significant linear relationship with partial pressure and inverse temperature. Concentrations of PAHs in seawater …