Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Introductory Computer Science Labs In The Presence Of Ai Tools, Nicholas Snow, Devin Chaimberlain, Abigail Pitcairn, Benjamin Sweeney

Thinking Matters Symposium

This study explores the resistance of introductory computer science lab assignments to “shortcutting” by generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT. By analyzing the work of three distinct student personas on these assignments, we identified key characteristics of language and structure that influence an assignment's vulnerability to AI abuse. Based on these insights, we propose strategies for educators to adapt labs to both counteract AI shortcutting and encourage productive uses of AI.

Investigating Vital Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Pathogen Response In Neutropenic Individuals, Ryan Illig

Thinking Matters Symposium

Neutrophils, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), constitute the majority of innate immune cells. These cells possess a complex arsenal of functions that allow them to detect and eliminate a broad spectrum of pathogens. Neutropenia is characterized by decreased levels of neutrophils in the bloodstream, typically falling below the normal range. Moderate to severe neutropenia can increase the risk of pathogenic infections and without treatment can be life-threatening. Although the concentration of neutrophils in neutropenic individuals is decreased, upon activation, neutrophils still release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are pivotal in combating a spectrum of pathogens through their non-selective nature. Overreactive …

Witches On The Wind: Weather Magic In New England Folktales, Zephyros Quinn Craven

Thinking Matters Symposium

The English language folktales collected from coastal New England in the 19^th and 20^th centuries display a prominence of weather magic motifs compared with folktales from other regions of the United States. This paper aims to explain the success of the weather magic theme in New England folklore collections and to serve as a starting point for scholarly discourse on the subject, which has hitherto been sparse. This study utilizes climate research, both scholarly and popular collections of folktales, local travel guides, and colonial and labor histories. Through a combination of historical analysis, comparative study, and textual analysis, …

Social Justice With Children's Literature, Victoria Bradford

Thinking Matters Symposium

An increase in refugee children arriving in the United States is driving innovation in elementary education strategies that focus on the role of children’s attitudes and behaviors concerning inclusivity to cultivate warm regard for refugees and immigrants. In 2017, anti-immigrant sentiments rose sharply alongside waves of nationalism reinforcing ethnic divisions across America, negatively impacting children of color who were frequently told, "go back to where you came from," even if they were born in the United States. Multicultural children's literature, in which commonalities between diverse characters are emphasized, is considered an effective way to expose children to other cultures, thereby …

Utilizing Few-Shot Meta Learning Algorithms For Medical Image Segmentation, Nick Littlefield

Thinking Matters Symposium

Deep learning models can be difficult to train because they require large amounts of data, which we usually do not have or are too expensive to get or annotate. To overcome this problem, we can use few-shot meta-learning, which allows us to train deep learning models with little data. Using a few examples, meta-learning, or learning-to-learn, aims to use the experience learned during training to generalize to unknown tasks. Medical imaging is an industry where it is particularly useful, as there is limited publicly available data due to patient privacy concerns and annotating costs.

This project examines how meta-learning performs …

Leading Development Of Skilled Workers: Transforming Unskilled Labor To Skilled Craft Labor In The Pulp And Paper Manufacturing Industry, Brian Barnes

Thinking Matters Symposium

The demand for entry level skilled trades workers in the pulp and paper industry has far outnumbered the supply of workers currently available in the United States. Many pulp and paper manufactures have dozens or even hundreds of unfilled high paying jobs with great benefits currently available. Concurrently to this, an available workforce of unskilled workers with little to no formal technical training remains available. These unskilled workers are frequently working in lower wage jobs with poor benefits that offer very little opportunity for advancement. This research explores and attempts to identify what is the most effective process that can …

Real-Time Filters, Spencer Smith

Thinking Matters Symposium

This project's goal is to create a visual representation of digital signal processing using a Raspberry Pi Pico board. External components will interface with the Pico to supply digital signals and display the results after processing the signal. A microphone will supply the signal to the Pico which will perform a Fourier Transform on the data and output a spectrogram to a display. The display is named ILI9341 which includes an SPI interface, micro SD card slot, and a 2.2 inch screen. The spectrogram includes the magnitudes of the transformed signal at each frequency and time. Each magnitude is illustrated …

A Guide To Vowel Pronunciation In Passamaquoddy-Wolastoqey, Penobscot, And Abenaki, Greyson Kurtz

Thinking Matters Symposium

There are many structural and cultural barriers to learning Wabanaki languages. These barriers are compounded by the fact that Abenaki, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy use similar but varying writing systems. This issue was not contrived, but arose through the independent development of these writing systems. The key difference lies in the vowels; vowels are often among the first sounds to shift in any given language, and these three languages have followed this pattern. Any modern word that comes from a shared Proto-Eastern Algonquian root and appears in Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki will exhibit clear systematic variation in the pronunciation of their …

Analysis Of Maine’S Coastal Water And Soil Solidity, Corbin Glover

Thinking Matters Symposium

Much of the agriculture conducted in Maine is done near the southeastern coast. This situates many of Maine’s farms in an ecoregion called a ‘brackish tidal marsh,’ containing brackish water. Brackish water can then result in an increasing salinity content for the surrounding agricultural soil, causing complications for crop growth. This proof-of-concept project focuses on identifying the gradient levels of salinity, or EC (Electric Conductivity), contained within a small region of Casco bay. This project's data were collected from the Androscoggin River bordering Brunswick and Bath, Maine. Along this river, three plots were selected in order to gauge the longer …

Assessing The Impact Of Inequality On Political Activity And Class Consciousness, Matthew Prouty

Thinking Matters Symposium

Since 1980, the United States has experienced stagnating wages, higher levels of inequality, and intensifying political polarization. Despite this, U.S. domestic economic policy has not undergone the fundamental transformation needed to combat these systemic challenges. Why have these policies remained in place when they have a negative impact on the aggregate working class, and why has the working class not used American Democracy to change these policies? Could it be that the rising inequality has led to reduced political engagement with the remaining voters being more devout participants to their ideology than effective policy? Although there is an abundance of …

Creating A Healthy Rural Ecosystem For Community Vitality: Developing Rural Community Business Research, Karalyn Kutzer, Dr. Emily Newell

Thinking Matters Symposium

The objective of this project is to create a model of and mechanism for statewide, systematic data collection to support workforce development pathways for P-20 students in rural Maine to ensure the long-term vitality and success of these communities. Businesses, as sites of financial and social capital development, can be more thoughtfully calibrated to local workforce needs in these communities. However, data is not currently made available to businesses and community leaders that would allow them to make thoughtful decisions about how to use community resources and time in order to create these partnerships. Businesses and economic growth in rural …

A Model For Equity In Arts Education For Youth In Greater Portland, Maine, Catherine Scheirer

Thinking Matters Symposium

Time and time again, by providing an outlet that allows innate human creativity to roam free, participation in arts activities such as dance, music, theatre, and visual arts is proven to have significant positive impacts on participants, regardless of age, experience, or background. Even though the arts have been acknowledged as critical for mental, physical, and emotional health, especially for children and adolescents, research has found that providing arts education in an equitable and culturally appropriate way is fraught with barriers. In addition, certain areas of the arts have seen a downward trend in educational priority and availability. My project …

A Review Of The Effect Of Hla Genotype On Covid-19 Severity, Natalie Chalfant

Thinking Matters Symposium

No abstract provided.

Autonomous Navigator Mobile Robot Upgrade, David Sansoucy

Thinking Matters Symposium

The mobile robot platform has been developed over the course of 10 years at USM. In Spring 2020, Belle-Isle and Werner updated the previous framework by rewriting the software to use the ROS framework running on an on-board Raspberry Pi 3. They also implemented navigation using an A* motion planning algorithm and image processing. In Summer 2021, Ames incorporated Lidar and Kinect sensors onto the robot to improve its real-time navigation capabilities. He also made improvements to the power distribution systems. This project aimed to build on the ROS frameworks developed by the previous 2 teams with the main goal …

Increased Risk Of Mental Illness Due To Epigenetic Alteration Of The Nr3c1 Gene After Early Life Adversity., Erin Mccue

Thinking Matters Symposium

Early life adversity (ELA), such as malnutrition, abuse, and economic disparity, is an issue commonly seen in adolescents, a group already facing increased risk for stress-related disorders. This review of current literature reveals that gestational stress exposure, as well as variations in maternal care during postnatal development, cause latent effects on the epigenome, specifically impacting the glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) encoded by the NR3C1 gene. GRs bind to glucocorticoids to regulate the body’s neuroendocrine stress response. However, in those with a history of ELA, the number of GRs is reduced, generating dysregulation within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Rodent studies are utilized …

Working With Interpreters In Refugee Mental Health, Kerstin Kirchner

Thinking Matters Symposium

For refugees, limited English proficiency hinders access to healthcare services. The language barrier significantly affects mental health and represents the most fundamental challenge preventing refugees from accessing mental health services. Previous research focused primarily on the role and impact of interpreters in mental healthcare. The existing literature unequivocally supports interpreters’ unique challenges and dynamics when working with refugees in mental health. We used a questionnaire-based survey to identify the need of interpreters in mental health. Questions were designed as closed-ended questions that would lead to a more appropriate response, are easy to understand and answer, and help obtain measurable data. …

What About The ‘R’ In Riot? : A Comprehensive Examination Of School Psychologists’ Record Review Processes, Hannah Luken

Thinking Matters Symposium

This poster aimed to describe part of a doctoral dissertation research study that comprehensively investigated school psychologists’ record review practices. Record reviews are a crucial part of the psychoeducational evaluation process (i.e., RIOT method), and there is relatively little previous research literature on this topic. This poster describes the following results: when record reviews are conducted, the amount of time is spent on each part of the RIOT method for initial and reevaluations, and record review approaches. The survey was distributed to school psychologists across the United States via school psychology state associations and Facebook. Results were analyzed via measures …

Covid Susceptibility And Severity Correlation With The Ace2 Gene, Natalie Taylor

Thinking Matters Symposium

A wide spectrum of susceptibility and severity of infection has been observed among COVID-19 patients. While some individuals remain unaffected by the Sars-Cov-2 virus, others have contracted the virus multiple times with varying levels of severity. This poster reviews some of the research demonstrating a link between the susceptibility of the Sars-Cov- 2 virus and the severity of infection, and a specific gene called ACE2. The ACE2 gene encodes an angiotensin-converting enzyme that acts as a functional receptor for the spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain of the coronavirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses. ACE2 presents numerous amino acid variants …

Conceptualizations Of Love In Social Work: A Naturalistic Inquiry, Galen Perkins

Thinking Matters Symposium

Love is recognized as healing, transformative, and emancipatory, and yet, conceptualizations of love are largely absent in social work—a field guided by core principles such as social justice, self-determination, and service. The limited number of studies on love in social work describe love as critical consciousness or a liberatory ethic to be practiced. Primarily participatory in design, these studies speak from the perspective of practitioners. The purpose of this study is to continue inquiring about how love is known among social work practitioners; in particular, we are asking the question, “how do licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) conceptualize love in …

Women And Gender Studies And The Potentiality Of Feminist Leadership, Clara Perka

Thinking Matters Symposium

Graduates of Women and Gender Studies (WGS) programs gain skills that aid in the development of a feminist leadership, a leadership practice that is committed to challenging oppressive structures and institutions and empowering others to reach their full potential. Through semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study explored the experiences of five graduates of WGS undergraduate programs in the Northeast region of the United States whose post-graduation work across a variety of professional fields has offered them opportunities to practice feminist leadership. While research on both WGS and Leadership is abundant, this research addresses the gap in the literature on feminist leadership …

Political Attitudes, Outward Aggression, And Self-Directed Violence, Christopher Holloway

Thinking Matters Symposium

Violence has increased at political events and marches in the last several years, particularly during the Trump presidency and marked by the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Research has been conducted on approval of political violence, but little is known about political attitudes and how they relate to the likelihood of engaging in everyday generalized violence. Furthermore, violence against others and violence against the self, such as suicide, are usually treated and studied separately. This study hopes to identify what relationships, if any, exist between political attitudes and violence, both outward and self-directed. Participants (N = 153) completed …

Thinking Matters Poster - Applying Udl In Online Courses, Mike Matis

Thinking Matters Symposium

The Universal Design for Learning framework offers a synthesis of 40 years worth of discovery in the fields of education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. UDL describes itself as a framework that can be used by educators to create inclusive learning environments that acknowledge the inherent variability in all learners. This mixed-methods, exploratory study investigates the application of UDL in two post-secondary online courses. It examines and portrays the instructors of the courses involved as learners through a series of interviews; explores the process of applying the UDL framework to modify a portion of their courses they are unhappy with; and …

The Maine Archaeology Cultural Heritage Guide, Colleen Metcalf

Thinking Matters Symposium

Public outreach is an important aspect of modern archaeology, it can help shape how people understand their past, and help them navigate their place in today’s world. As an archaeology-based public outreach effort, the Maine archaeology cultural heritage guide compiles information about one hundred selected archaeological sites across the state of Maine. The selected sites represent the unique history of Maine and have both historical and cultural significance. Information collected about each site includes: name, location, NRHP status, geo-coordinates, watershed, time period, native tribal affiliation, historical significance, curation, and excavators. The organization of information about these sites into a comprehensive …

The Effect Of Contingency Management On The Recovery Of Patients With Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Emily A. Gilman, Alexis Mccrossin, John R. Massey

Thinking Matters Symposium

Substance use disorder (SUD) is traditionally managed with behavioral therapy and medication. Contingency management (CM), a therapeutic method that reinforces positive behaviors with incentives, may be a useful adjuvant to enhance treatment engagement and efficacy for those who struggle with SUD. This systematic review of literature was conducted using databases CINAHL, Cochrane, and PubMed from January 2010 to July 2021. The search yielded 132 initial records. Studies were included if they were written in English, peer reviewed, and randomized control trials. Six final studies rendered results for 650 patients with varying substance use disorders including cannabis, tobacco, and opioids. Studies …

Evaluation Of Current Post-Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Training Programs: A Qualitative Analysis, John R. Massey

Thinking Matters Symposium

Introduction: Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are master or doctoral-level trained registered nurses that manage the care of patients in the primary care setting. FNP post-graduate training programs further prepare FNPs and ease the transition from education to practice. While FNP post-graduate training programs are emerging and remain relatively new, they are becoming more commonplace as graduates and employers alike seek further preparation to practice in the primary care setting.

Methods: Interview questions were developed using Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guidelines. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. 14 semi-structured interviews with 19 key informants were conducted between …

Exploring Current Administrative Practices In Academia, Jacob Theriault

Thinking Matters Symposium

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly competitive with their peers in terms of student enrollments and student retention. By evaluating successful HEIs, this research intends to expand scholarship associated with barriers in incorporating traditional business practices into the standard administrative practices of HEIs, such as increased customer service and communication. This study uses qualitative research methods to deepen the understanding of why HEIs are not implementing more traditional business practices. In addition, part of the research focused on better understanding HEIs administrative leadership practices and their ability to incorporate current business practices.

The Effects Of Paclitaxel On Cellular Migration And The Cytoskeleton, Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez

Thinking Matters Symposium

In a clinical setting, some patients are exposed to an anti-cancer chemotherapy agent, paclitaxel. Cancerous cells undergo rapid, continuous cell division without control. Chemotherapy treatments try to slow and stop the uncontrollable cell division cycles and eliminate cancerous cells in the process. Paclitaxel serves as a treatment for some types of cancers, including lung, melanoma, bladder, and esophageal. Because it targets the cytoskeleton, paclitaxel can also influence cell migration. This project utilizes a cellular migration assay and an immunohistochemistry assay to analyze the effects of paclitaxel on the movement of cells and on the cytoskeleton of neuroglia rat cells with …

Reproductive Justice: Sacred Activism In Two Dimensions, Kathleen Dodge

Thinking Matters Symposium

This project explains the value of the Black feminist intersectional theoretical framework that the Reproductive Justice movement utilizes, and places this in conversation with Jungian depth psychology, which offers a powerful and complementary symbolic language with which to understand the deeper potentialities of this movement’s response to reproductive bio-politics of control. Research included a close reading of texts in intersectional theory, reproductive justice, and feminist and racially conscious revisions of the analytical psychology of Carl G. Jung. I contend that the Reproductive Justice Movement, organizing from intersectional locations of the most marginalized, are aiding in Jung’s Individuation Process in the …

A Path For Evidenced-Based Evaluation: The Case For Restorative Justice, Raúl D. Gierbolini-Rivera, Atc,Cscs

Thinking Matters Symposium

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Self-Care For Clinical Social Workers, Katelyn Costa, Joelle Cote-Powell

Thinking Matters Symposium

Recent research has shed light on the impacts of burnout on mental health practitioners and the benefits of self-care practices both in their workplace and personal lives. The research question guiding this study is as follows: What might be the effects of self-care on social work professional practitioners’ well-being? Clinical social workers in Cumberland County, Maine, were surveyed to assess the current level of self-care and the effects this has on clinical social workers and their clients. The research hypothesizes the need for a stronger emphasis on self-care among clinical social workers. An increased focus on self-care in social work …