University of Rhode Island

About: University of Rhode Island is a education organization based out in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Bay. The organization has 11464 authors who have published 22770 publications receiving 841066 citations. The organization is also known as: URI & Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.

The i5K initiative: Advancing arthropod genomics for knowledge, human health, agriculture, and the environment

Abstract: Insects and their arthropod relatives including mites, spiders, and crustaceans play major roles in the world's terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems Arthropods compete with humans for food and transmit devastating diseases They also comprise the most diverse and successful branch of metazoan evolution, with millions of extant species Here, we describe an international effort to guide arthropod genomic efforts, from species prioritization to methodology and informatics The 5000 arthropod genomes initiative (i5K) community met formally in 2012 to discuss a roadmap for sequencing and analyzing 5000 high-priority arthropods and is continuing this effort via pilot projects, the development of standard operating procedures, and training of students and career scientists, With university, governmental, and industry support, the i5K Consortium aspires to deliver sequences and analytical tools for each of the arthropod branches and each of the species having beneficial and negative effects on humankind

Changes in diabetes self-care behaviors make a difference in glycemic control: the Diabetes Stages of Change (DiSC) study.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE — This study compared diabetes Treatment As Usual (TAU) with Pathways To Change (PTC), an intervention developed from the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), to determine whether the PTC intervention would result in greater readiness to change, greater increases in self-care, and improved diabetes control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — Participants were stratified by diabetes treatment and randomized to treatment with PTC or TAU as well as being randomized regarding receipt of free blood testing strips. The PTC consisted of stage-matched personalized assessment reports, self-help manuals, newsletters, and individual phone counseling designed to improve readiness for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), healthy eating, and/or smoking cessation. A total of 1,029 individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who were in one of three pre-action stages for either SMBG, healthy eating, or smoking were recruited. RESULTS — For the SMBG intervention, 43.4% of those receiving PTC plus strips moved to an action stage, as well as 30.5% of those receiving PTC alone, 27.0% of those receiving TAU plus strips, and 18.4% of those receiving TAU alone (P 0.001). For the healthy eating intervention, more participants who received PTC than TAU (32.5 vs. 25.8%) moved to action or maintenance (P 0.001). For the smoking intervention, more participants receiving PTC (24.3%) than TAU (13.4%) moved to an action stage (P 0.03). In intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis of those receiving the SMBG intervention, PTC resulted in a greater reduction of HbA1c than TAU, but this did not reach statistical significance. However, in those who moved to an action stage for the SMBG and healthy eating interventions, HbA1c was significantly reduced (P 0 0.001). Individuals who received the healthy eating intervention decreased their percentage of calories from fat to a greater extent (35.2 vs. 36.1%, P 0.004), increased servings of fruit per day (1.89 vs. 1.68, P 0.016), and increased vegetable servings (2.24 vs. 2.06, P 0.011) but did not decrease weight. However, weight loss for individuals who received the healthy eating intervention and who increased SMBG frequency as recommended was significantly greater, with a 0.26-kg loss in those who remained in a pre-action SMBG stage but a 1.78-kg loss in those performed SMBG as recommended (P 0. 01). CONCLUSIONS — This study demonstrates that this intervention has the potential of positively impacting the health of broad populations of individuals with diabetes, not just the minority who are ready for change. Diabetes Care 26:732–737, 2003

Acting for Happiness: Financial Behavior and Life Satisfaction of College Students

Abstract: Recent research on well-being suggests that domain-specific behaviors contribute to domain-specific satisfactions, which in turn contribute to an individual’s overall satisfaction with life Our study is an attempt to add to the literature by observing these phenomena from a financial perspective Using data collected from a sample of undergraduate students at a major state university in the US and employing structural equation modeling, we have found evidence suggesting that positive financial behaviors contribute to financial satisfaction and financial satisfaction in turn contributes to life satisfaction In addition, positive financial behaviors contribute to life satisfaction through two more mediating variables: academic performance and academic satisfaction