Digital Commons Network^™

Longitudinal Analysis Of Dengue Virus–Specific Memory T Cell Responses And Their Association With Clinical Outcome In Subsequent Denv Infection, Luis Alberto Sanchez-Vargas, Kathryn B. Anderson, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Jeffrey R. Currier, Heather Friberg, Timothy P. Endy, Stefan Fernandez, Anuja Mathew, Alan L. Rothman

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Memory T cells resulting from primary dengue virus (DENV) infection are hypothesized to influence the clinical outcome of subsequent DENV infection. However, the few studies involving prospectively collected blood samples have found weak and inconsistent associations with outcome and variable temporal trends in DENV-specific memory T cell responses between subjects. This study used both ex-vivo and cultured ELISPOT assays to further evaluate the associations between DENV serotype-cross-reactive memory T cells and severity of secondary infection. Using ex-vivo ELISPOT assays, frequencies of memory T cells secreting IFN-γ in response to DENV structural and non-structural peptide pools were low in PBMC from …

The Impact Of Dengue Illness On Social Distancing And Caregiving Behavior, Kathryn L. Schaber, Amy C. Morrison, William H. Elson, Helvio Astete-Vega, Jhonny J. Córdova-López, Esther Jennifer Rios López, W. Lorena Quiroz Flores, Alfonso S. Vizcarra Santillan, Thomas W. Scott, Lance A. Waller, Uriel Kitron, Christopher M. Barker, T. Alex Perkins, Alan L. Rothman, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec, John P. Elder, Valerie A. Paz-Soldan

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Human mobility among residential locations can drive dengue virus (DENV) transmission dynamics. Recently, it was shown that individuals with symptomatic DENV infection exhibit significant changes in their mobility patterns, spending more time at home during illness. This change in mobility is predicted to increase the risk of acquiring infection for those living with or visiting the ill individual. It has yet to be considered, however, whether social contacts are also changing their mobility, either by socially distancing themselves from the infectious individual or increasing contact to help care for them. Social, or physical, distancing and caregiving could have diverse …

Monomeric Iga Antagonizes Igg-Mediated Enhancement Of Denv Infection, Adam D. Wegman, Hengsheng Fang, Alan L. Rothman, Stephen J. Thomas, Timothy P. Endy, Michael K. Mccracken, Jeffrey R. Currier, Heather Friberg, Gregory D. Gromowski, Adam T. Waickman

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Dengue virus (DENV) is a prevalent human pathogen, infecting approximately 400 million individuals per year and causing symptomatic disease in approximately 100 million. A distinct feature of dengue is the increased risk for severe disease in some individuals with preexisting DENV-specific immunity. One proposed mechanism for this phenomenon is antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), in which poorly-neutralizing IgG antibodies from a prior infection opsonize DENV to increase infection of F_c gamma receptor-bearing cells. While IgM and IgG are the most commonly studied DENV-reactive antibody isotypes, our group and others have described the induction of DENV-specific serum IgA responses during dengue. We …

Extreme Levels Of Ocean Acidification Restructure The Plankton Community And Biogeochemistry Of A Temperate Coastal Ecosystem: A Mesocosm Study, Carsten Spisla, Jan Taucher, Lennart T. Bach, Mathias Haunost, Tim Boxhammer, Andrew L. King, Bethany D. Jenkins, Joselynn R. Wallace, Andrea Ludwig, Jana Meyer, Paul Stange, Fabrizio Minutolo, Kai T. Lohbeck, Alice Nauendorf, Verena Kalter, Silke Lischka, Michael Sswat, Isabel Dörner, Stefanie M. H. Ismar-Rebitz, Nicole Aberle, Jaw C. Yong, Jean-Marie Bouquet, Anna K. Lechtenbörger, Peter Kohnert, Michael Krudewig, Ulf Riebesell

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

The oceans’ uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) decreases seawater pH and alters the inorganic carbon speciation – summarized in the term ocean acidification (OA). Already today, coastal regions experience episodic pH events during which surface layer pH drops below values projected for the surface ocean at the end of the century. Future OA is expected to further enhance the intensity of these coastal extreme pH events. To evaluate the influence of such episodic OA events in coastal regions, we deployed eight pelagic mesocosms for 53 days in Raunefjord, Norway, and enclosed 56–61 m³ of local seawater …

Farci: Fast And Robust Connectome Interference, Saber Meamardoost, Mahasaweta Bhattacharya, Eun Jung Hwang, Takaki Komiyama, Claudia Mewes, Linbing Wang, Ying Zhang, Rudiyanto Gunawan

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

The inference of neuronal connectome from large-scale neuronal activity recordings, such as two-photon Calcium imaging, represents an active area of research in computational neuroscience. In this work, we developed FARCI (Fast and Robust Connectome Inference), a MATLAB package for neuronal connectome inference from high-dimensional two-photon Calcium fluorescence data. We employed partial correlations as a measure of the functional association strength between pairs of neurons to reconstruct a neuronal connectome. We demonstrated using in silico datasets from the Neural Connectomics Challenge (NCC) and those generated using the state-of-the-art simulator of Neural Anatomy and Optimal Microscopy (NAOMi) that FARCI provides an accurate …

Identification Of Group A Streptococcus Genes Directly Regulated By Csrrs And Novel Intermediate Regulators, Meredith B. Finn, Kathryn M. Ramsey, Simon L. Dove, Michael R. Wessels

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Adaptation of group A Streptococcus (GAS) to its human host is mediated by two-component systems that transduce external stimuli to regulate bacterial physiology. Among such systems, CsrRS (also known as CovRS) is the most extensively characterized for its role in regulating ∼10% of the GAS genome, including several virulence genes. Here, we show that extracellular magnesium and the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 have opposing effects on the phosphorylation of the response regulator CsrR by the receptor kinase CsrS. Genetic inactivation of CsrS phosphatase or kinase activity, respectively, had similar but more pronounced effects on CsrR phosphorylation compared to growth in …

Current State Of Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, And Theranostics, Arya Bhushan, Andrea Gonsalves, Jyothi Menon

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Early diagnosis and effective treatment of all types of cancers are crucial for a positive prognosis. Patients with small tumor sizes at the time of their diagnosis have a significantly higher survival rate and a significantly reduced probability of the cancer being fatal. Therefore, many novel technologies are being developed for early detection of primary tumors, as well as distant metastases and recurrent disease, for effective breast cancer management. Theranostics has emerged as a new paradigm for the simultaneous diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of …

Neuroendocrine Response To Exogenous Ghrelin Administration, Combined With Alcohol, In Heavy-Drinking Individuals: Findings From A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Human Laboratory Study, Mehdi Farokhnia, Kelly M. Abshire, Aaron Hammer, Sara L. Deschaine, Anitha Saravanakumar, Enoch Cobbina, Zhi-Bing You, Carolina L. Haass-Koffler, Mary R. Lee, Fatemeh Akhlaghi, Lorenzo Leggio

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Accumulating evidence has established a role for the orexigenic hormone ghrelin in alcohol-seeking behaviors. Accordingly, the ghrelin system may represent a potential pharmacotherapeutic target for alcohol use disorder. Ghrelin modulates several neuroendocrine pathways, such as appetitive, metabolic, and stress-related hormones, which are particularly relevant in the context of alcohol use. The goal of the present study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of neuroendocrine response to exogenous ghrelin administration, combined with alcohol, in heavy-drinking individuals.

Methods: This was a randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled human laboratory study, which included 2 experimental alcohol administration paradigms: i.v. alcohol self-administration and i.v. alcohol …

Vaccine Delivery Alerts Innate Immune Systems For More Immunogenic Vaccination, Zhoufan Li, Yan Cao, Yibo Li, Yiwen Zhao, Xinyuan Chen

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Vaccine delivery technologies are mainly designed to minimally invasively deliver vaccines to target tissues with little or no adjuvant effects. This study presents a prototype laser-based powder delivery (LPD) with inherent adjuvant effects for more immunogenic vaccination without incorporation of external adjuvants. LPD takes advantage of aesthetic ablative fractional laser to generate skin microchannels to support high-efficient vaccine delivery and at the same time creates photothermal stress in microchannel-surrounding tissues to boost vaccination. LPD could significantly enhance pandemic influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine immunogenicity and protective efficacy as compared with needle-based intradermal delivery in murine models. The ablative fractional laser was …

Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Inhibition And Herb-Drug Interaction Potential Of Medicinal Plant Extracts Used For Management Of Diabetes In Nigeria, Ogochukwu Amaeze, Heather Eng, Lauren Horlbogen, Manthena V.S. Varma, Angela Slitt

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background and Objective

The use of herbal medicines is common in Africa, and patients often use a combination of herbs and drugs. Concurrent herbal and pharmaceuticals treatments can cause adverse effects through herb-drug interactions (HDI). This study evaluated the potential risk of HDI for five medicinal plants, Vernonia amygdalina, Ocimum gratissimum, Moringa oleifera, Azadirachta indica, and Picralima nitida, using in vitro assays. Patients with diabetes and some other disease conditions commonly use these medicinal plants in Nigeria, and little is known regarding their potential for drug interaction, despite their enormous use.

Methods

Crude extracts of the medicinal plants were …

Urinformed Commencement 2021, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urinformed Spring 2021, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Perceived Social Support As A Mediator In The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma And Social Anxiety, Katharine E. Musella

Open Access Master's Theses

Traumatic childhood experiences (physical abuse and neglect, emotional abuse and neglect, and sexual abuse) have increasingly high incidence rates and can be predictive of negative health outcomes, such as social anxiety. Although the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety has been documented, additional research is necessary to understand the mechanisms underlying this relationship. The current study hypothesized that social support, the experience of being valued, respected, cared about and loved by individuals present in a person’s life, would mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety in a sample of college students (n= 221). Furthermore, it …

The Role Of Maternal Education And Child Gender On Children’S Fine Motor Skill Development, Beatrix Anne Lavigueur

Open Access Master's Theses

Maternal education has been found to be a proximal measure of household income and has been directly linked to a child’s cognitive, social, and academic outcomes (Augustine et al., 2009; Harding, 2015; Kalil et al., 2012). Additionally, several studies examining children’s development found that children’s fine motor skills are the skillset that have a higher likelihood of experiencing delays when correlated with household socioeconomic status (Doulabi et al., 2017). The present study examined the relationship between children’s fine motor skills and maternal education and contributes to the literature in that it strictly examined a low-income sample population. The first wave …

Enhancement And Benchmarking Of The Prescribed Material Redistribution Topology Optimization Scheme, Tjard Bätge

Open Access Master's Theses

A rising demand for lightweight structures and the advance of additive manufacturing led to an increased importance of topology optimization tools and research. One developed scheme is the “Prescribed Material Redistribution" (PMR) method, which heuristically solves minimum compliance problems under a single volume constraint.

This method has not yet been fully evaluated and benchmarked. In this research, the current standalone PMR code is enhanced by using the commercial finite element software Abaqus to improve performance as well as ease of use. The novel code is then validated for 2D and 3D cases. Subsequently, a benchmark is conducted to compare the …

Transitioning Field Courses In Plant Identification To Remote Instruction: An Analysis, Emma Brown

Open Access Master's Theses

An analysis of methods and practices in online instruction of hands-on plant identification skills illustrates the efficacy of teaching techniques utilized in collegiate plant materials courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of safety precautions across the globe necessitated distance learning and hybrid distance learning in response. Questionnaires were distributed to instructors and students of courses in biology, botany, ecology, environmental and wildlife science with focus on plant materials science. Course strategies most effective in pandemic learning include setting up a strong foundation in communicating with students pertaining to course structure and technological proficiency while providing students with independent project …

Promoting Inclusive Metrics Of Success And Impact To Dismantle A Discriminatory Reward System In Science, Sarah W. Davies, Hollie M. Putnam, Tracy Ainsworth, Julia K. Baum, Colleen B. Bove, Sarah C. Crosby, Isabelle M. Côté, Anne Duplouy, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Alyssa J. Griffin, Torrance C. Hanley, Tessa Hill, Adriana Humanes, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Anna Metaxes, Laura M. Parker, Hanny E. Rivera, Nyss J. Sibiger, Nicola S. Smith, Ana K. Spaulding, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Brooke L. Weigel, Rachel M. Wright, Amanda E. Bates

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Success and impact metrics in science are based on a system that perpetuates sexist and racist “rewards” by prioritizing citations and impact factors. These metrics are flawed and biased against already marginalized groups and fail to accurately capture the breadth of individuals’ meaningful scientific impacts. We advocate shifting this outdated value system to advance science through principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We outline pathways for a paradigm shift in scientific values based on multidimensional mentorship and promoting mentee well-being. These actions will require collective efforts supported by academic leaders and administrators to drive essential systemic change.

Digital Image Processing To Detect Subtle Motion In Stony Coral, Shuaifeng Li, Liza M. Roger, Lokender Kumar, Nastassja A. Lewinski, Judith Klein-Seetharaman, Alex Gagnon, Hollie M. Putnam, Jinkyu Yang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral reef ecosystems support significant biological activities and harbor huge diversity, but they are facing a severe crisis driven by anthropogenic activities and climate change. An important behavioral trait of the coral holobiont is coral motion, which may play an essential role in feeding, competition, reproduction, and thus survival and fitness. Therefore, characterizing coral behavior through motion analysis will aid our understanding of basic biological and physical coral functions. However, tissue motion in the stony scleractinian corals that contribute most to coral reef construction are subtle and may be imperceptible to both the human eye and commonly used imaging techniques. …

Improved Transformation Efficiency Of Group A Streptococcus By Inactivation Of A Type I Restriction Modification System, Meredith B. Flynn, Kathryn M. Ramsey, Hunter J. Tolliver, Simon L. Dove, Michael R. Wessels

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Streptococcus pyogenes or group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a leading cause of bacterial pharyngitis, skin and soft tissue infections, life-threatening invasive infections, and the post-infectious autoimmune syndromes of acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Genetic manipulation of this important pathogen is complicated by resistance of the organism to genetic transformation. Very low transformation efficiency is attributed to recognition and degradation of introduced foreign DNA by a type I restriction-modification system encoded by the hsdRSM locus. DNA sequence analysis of this locus in ten GAS strains that had been previously transformed with an unrelated plasmid revealed that six of the ten …

A Survey Of Spontaneous Antibiotic-Resistant Mutants Of The Halophilic, Thermophilic Bacterium Rhodothermus Marinus, Sophia Silvia, Samantha A. Donahue, Erin E. Killeavy, Gerwald Jogi, Steven T. Gregory

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Rhodothermus marinus is a halophilic extreme thermophile, with potential as a model organism for studies of the structural basis of antibiotic resistance. In order to facilitate genetic studies of this organism, we have surveyed the antibiotic sensitivity spectrum of R. marinus and identified spontaneous antibiotic-resistant mutants. R. marinus is naturally insensitive to aminoglycosides, aminocylitols and tuberactinomycins that target the 30S ribosomal subunit, but is sensitive to all 50S ribosomal subunit-targeting antibiotics examined, including macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramin B, chloramphenicol, and thiostrepton. It is also sensitive to kirromycin and fusidic acid, which target protein synthesis factors. It is sensitive to rifampicin (RNA …

Changes In Selection Pressure Can Facilitate Hybridization During Biological Invasion In A Cuban Lizard, Dan G. Bock, Simon Baeckens, Jessica N. Pita-Aquino, Zachary A. Chejanovski, Sozos N. Michaeolides, Pavitra Muralidhar, Sungdae Park, Douglas B. Menke, Anthony J. Geneva, Jonathan B. Losos, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Hybridization is among the evolutionary mechanisms most frequently hypothesized to drive the success of invasive species, in part because hybrids are common in invasive populations. One explanation for this pattern is that biological invasions coincide with a change in selection pressures that limit hybridization in the native range. To investigate this possibility, we studied the introduction of the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) in the southeastern United States. We find that native populations are highly genetically structured. In contrast, all invasive populations show evidence of hybridization among native-range lineages. Temporal sampling in the invasive range spanning 15 y showed …

Fine-Scale Morphological, Genomic, Reproductive, And Symbiont Differences Delimit The Caribbean Octocorals Plexaura Homomalla And P. Kükenthali, Jessie A. Pelosi, Moisés A. Bernal, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Samantha Galbo, Carlos Prada, Mary Alice Coffroth, Howard Lasker

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Octocorals are conspicuous members of coral reefs and deep-sea ecosystems. Yet, species boundaries and taxonomic relationships within this group remain poorly understood, hindering our understanding of this essential component of the marine fauna. We used a multifaceted approach to revisit the systematics of the Caribbean octocorals Plexaura homomalla and Plexaura kükenthali, two taxa that have a long history of taxonomic revisions. We integrated morphological and reproductive analyses with high-throughput sequencing technology to clarify the relationship between these common gorgonians. Although size and shape of the sclerites are significantly different, there is overlap in the distributions making identification based on …

Training Graduate Students In Multiple Genres Of Public And Academic Science Writing: An Assessment Using An Adaptable, Interdisciplinary Rubric, Erin R. Harrington, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Caroline Gottschalk Druschke, Nancy E. Karraker, Nedra Reynolds, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

There is an urgent need for scientists to improve their communication skills with the public, especially for those involved in applying science to solve conservation or human health problems. However, little research has assessed the effectiveness of science communication training for applied scientists. We responded to this gap by developing a new, interdisciplinary training model, “SciWrite,” based on three central tenets from scholarship in writing and rhetoric: 1) habitual writing, 2) multiple genres for multiple audiences, and 3) frequent review and created an interdisciplinary rubric based on these tenets to evaluate a variety of writing products across genres. We used …

An Ecological Assessment Of Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin Manis Pentadactyla (Mammalia: Pholidota: Manidae) In The Midhills Region Of Nepal, Sandeep Shrestha, Ashish Bashyal, Rojeena Rijal, Janam Shrestha, Palistha Shrestha, Nischal Shrestha, Thomas J. Mcgreevy Jr., Bill Buffum, Sanjay Nath Khanal

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

The Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a “Critically Endangered” insectivorous mammal. There is a lack of information on the ecology, distribution and behavior of this species in Nepal, even though community forests in the Midhills Region of Nepal are considered to be prime habitats for the species. We conducted an ecological assessment of the habitat use of this species in nine community forests covering an area of 170.69 ha in Balthali village in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal. We divided each forest into 50 × 50 m grids and searched for Chinese Pangolin burrows along 50 m transects in each …

Riparian Zone Nitrogen Management Through The Development Of The Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (Remm) In A Formerly Glaciated Watershed Of The Us Northeast, Marzia Tamanna, Soni M. Pradhanang, Arthur J. Gold, Kelly Addy, Philippe G. Vidon

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

The Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) was developed, calibrated and validated for both hydrologic and water quality data for eight riparian buffers located in a formerly glaciated watershed (upper Pawcatuck River Watershed, Rhode Island) of the US Northeast. The Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source model (AnnAGNPS) was used to predict the runoff and sediment loading to the riparian buffer. Overall, results showed REMM simulated water table depths (WTDs) and groundwater NO₃-N concentrations at the stream edge (Zone 1) in good agreement with measured values. The model evaluation statistics showed that, hydrologically REMM performed better for site 1, site 4, …

Dietary Vitamin E Reaches The Mitochondria In The Flight Muscle Of Zebra Finches But Only If They Exercise, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Wales A. Carter, Ronald S. Amato, David Podlesak, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Whether dietary antioxidants are effective for alleviating oxidative costs associated with energy-demanding life events first requires they are successfully absorbed in the digestive tract and transported to sites associated with reactive species production (e.g. the mitochondria). Flying birds are under high energy and oxidative demands, and although birds commonly ingest dietary antioxidants in the wild, the bioavailability of these consumed antioxidants is poorly understood. We show for the first time that an ingested lipophilic antioxidant, α-tocopherol, reached the mitochondria in the flight muscles of a songbird but only if they regularly exercise (60 min of perch-to-perch flights two times in …

Urinformed Fall 2021, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urinformed Summer 2021, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Camera Housing And Gamma Probe Extension, George Acker, Daniel Bor, Devesh Mistry, Pablo Vargas, Bahram Nassersharif

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

Together with Team 10, Team 11 was tasked by Los Alamos National Laboratory to design a functioning Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) that can examine nuclear fuel rods in an underwater nuclear reactor. Team 11 was specifically tasked with designing two important elements of the ROV; a camera housing, that could be easily be attached and detached from the underwater vehicle, and a method of detecting the strength of gamma radiation emitted by the fuel elements.

Team 11 worked closely with Team 10 to accomplish a sturdy and reliable design that utilizes mirrors to reflect an image for viewing by a camera. …

Underwater Nuclear Inspection Remotely Operated Drone, Chris Mcafee, Jr Knapp, Shane Derby, Pat Eddy

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

The focus here is the visual inspection of submerged fuel elements within a nuclear reactor core. The underwater remotely controlled stable platform is a solution to improve the process at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory with regard to fuel element inspection. The design offers a radiation resistant, stable, and buoyancy neutral ROV. The impact the design will have on the sponsors using the ROV is both improved image quality due to the stability and the ability to capture angles previously unattainable. Furthermore, a safer method of inspection as the drone can be controlled from …