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The National Maritime Domain Awareness Plan 2.0: A Second Bite at the Good Government Apple
No full textBehavioral Differences in a Mouse Model of Bipolar Disorder
No full textBipolar Disorder (BD) is an undertreated chronic mood disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression, leading to significant shifts in mood, concentration, and activity levels. A genetic model for BD, involving the mutation of the ClockΔ19 gene, provides insights into the rapid mood cyclicity found in human populations. The ClockΔ19 mouse model is a circadian rhythm-based model which features BD-like phenotypes, such as increased risk-taking behavior, addictive tendencies, hyperactivity, mood cycling and disrupted circadian clocks. ClockΔ19 mice display mood cyclicity on a 24-hour basis. Our goal is to further validate the behavioral phenotypes of the ClockΔ19 mouse model as a pre-clinical model for BD. A crucial factor in checking for validity in mouse models has been to develop assays that can be used for continuous automated home-cage assessments to analyze complex mouse behaviors. Home-cage monitoring (HCM) allows us to test the overall behavior of a mouse to validate the ClockΔ19 model for further studies on treatments for BD. In our lab, we are looking for trends in activity that further reassure the phenotypic profile of the Clock19 mouse model, such as an increase in hyperactivity, disturbed sleep, and mood cyclicity, similar to what is seen in humans with BD. Our preliminary findings show that a far deeper understanding of mouse mutant phenotypes can be established by monitoring behavior in their home- cage over one or more light and dark cycles. While there are notable trends of sex-specific and phenotypic differences in behaviors, our sample size currently, is considerably small. Ultimately, we hope to understand the correlation of specific behaviors with genetic and phenotypic variations by using automated and multimodal measurements enabled by HCM
Coccidia and other apicomplexans in bivalve molluscs
No full textCoccidia, belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, constitute a diverse group of unicellular parasites. They are obligate intracellular parasites of both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. However, their interactions with invertebrate hosts, specifically marine invertebrate hosts, remain poorly understood. In bivalve hosts, coccidia often infect kidney tissues, but can also infect other tissues such as the heart auricle, adductor muscle, and reproductive organs. In most coccidia infections, the host kidney epithelial cells undergo hypertrophy, and kidney tubules become filled with parasites and debris, potentially leading to impaired kidney function and damage under heavy infections. The majority of the named bivalve-infecting coccidia species have been identified from clam and scallop hosts. The earliest documented coccidian species in bivalves, Pseudoklossia (Hyaklossia) pelseneeri, was identified in Tellina sp. and Donax sp. clams from France in 1897. Shortly after, in 1917, the first scallop-infecting coccidia, Pseudoklossia pectinis, was documented in the kidneys of European king scallops, Pecten maximus. Since these initial discoveries, nine coccidia have been named from bivalve hosts; however, many more have been reported but not fully described. Advancements in genomics and transcriptomics hold promise in redefining the Eucoccidiorida and Apicomplexa as a whole, elucidating the taxonomic relationships, and overcoming the limitations of histological methods. A recent study proposed the establishment of a new subgroup within the Apicomplexa, the class Marosporida, based on retained plastid genomes across various species. This proposed class would include the previously described coccidia species P. pectinis, P. (=Merocystis) tellinovum, Margolisiella islandica and Merocystis kathae, along with the newly described Bay Scallop Marosporida (BSM). This novel group would be considered a sister clade to both Coccidia and Hematozoa
Diseases of Bivalves: Historical and Current Perspectives
No full textDiseases of Bivalves: Historical and Current Perspectives is a novel reference covering all known diseases of cultured and fished bivalve mollusks from around the world. Written by a renowned expert in the field of shellfish, the author presents a historical perspective of disease discovery, explaining when and where each disease first occurred and identified to current research findings. This reference describes the infectious agent that causes each disease and environmental conditions that promote infection symptoms and signs of the disease in the host, both as noted in individual animals and in the affected populations, and resultant morbidity and mortality of infected populations. The book offers past and current possible prevention and management methods to control disease in current and projected geographical locations. This is a complete resource for aquatic and veterinary pathologists, aquaculturists, government regulators, disease specialists and researchers, bivalve researchers, and students alike. Diseases include Metazoan Disease, Viral diseases, Fungal Disease, and more
Inclusion and Exclusion in Science and Health Journalism
No full textThis chapter reviews the research within science and health reporting on non-dominant ethnic and racial groups around the world, among other disadvantaged populations, focusing on disparities between health outcomes and how news outlets report on those groups. It describes the intent of inclusive journalism and the factors that limit inclusive journalism being fully achieved. In reviewing the available literature, this chapter discusses the lack of representation and inclusion in academic research as much as in journalism and outlines a future research agenda
Samson House: Section B
No full textArchitect blueprint of Section B of the Samson Househttps://docs.rwu.edu/baker_plans/1187/thumbnail.jp
Samson House 010: Brownell House in Portsmouth, North
No full textPhotograph of the North side of the Brownell House located in Portsmouth, RI. Dismantled and Re-erected in Little Compton by Hugh Samson.https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_images/1925/thumbnail.jp
Samson House 018: Brownell House Interior
No full textBrownell House interior, fireplace.https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_images/1929/thumbnail.jp
Evolvement of Excusable Delay Clauses in Government Contracts since the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textExcusable delay clauses in government construction contracts, often considered boilerplate with minimal modifications, have increased in attention since the outbreak of COVID-19. Despite the studies enumerating triggering events of the clause in the background of the pandemic, it is necessary to capture insights into how the unprecedented event is systematically accommodated by contract languages. The overarching goal of this study is to identify changes in contract languages over the pre-and post-pandemic eras by state departments of transportation (DOTs), focusing on excusable delay clauses. This study conducts a content analysis and a comparative analysis of state DOT construction contract documents, including requests for proposals and agreements. Longitudinally, the study analyzes changes within a state DOT over the pre-and postpandemic eras. Cross-sectionally, the study compares the similarities and differences in the changes across different state DOTs. The results show that many DOTs specify a list of events that trigger the excusable delay clauses in the postpandemic era. The study also identifies example languages, such as quarantine restrictions and material escalations, that have been added in the postpandemic era. This study contributes to understanding how excusable delay contract languages have changed pre- and post-COVID-19 and the events that trigger such clauses in government construction projects. The findings are anticipated to benefit practitioners, especially those in the US transportation infrastructure industry and other common law authorities, by benchmarking necessary contract clause changes about the pandemic and unprecedented future events alike