Digital Commons Network^™

A Bi-Hemispheric Perspective On The Last Glacial Maximum And Termination Using 10be Surface-Exposure Chronologies From An Interhemispheric Asia-Zealandia Transect, Peter Strand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Late-Pleistocene glacial cycles represent the largest natural changes to Earth’s climate over the past one million years, and yet determining the underlying drivers remains a major mystery in paleoclimate. The observation of generally synchronous glaciation and deglaciation between the polar hemispheres (Mercer, 1984) runs contrary to long-standing ice age theory (e.g. Milankovitch, 1941), and was recently dubbed ‘Mercer’s Paradox’ (Denton et al., 2021). In this thesis I derive regional climate records from mountain glaciers along an interhemispheric Australasian transect, extending from the Mongolian Altai to the Southern Alps of New Zealand, to test the existence of Mercer’s Paradox in the …

Navigating The Kaleidoscope Of Object(Ive)S: A User-Experience Approach To Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Madeline Bruegger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Activity Theory, specifically third-generation activity theory also known as Cultural-Historical Activity Theory or CHAT (Engeström, 2001, 2015; Leontiev, 1978, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978) has largely been used as a framework for studying different networks of activity, encountered by subjects who utilize tools or mediating artifacts in order to divide their labor within particular communities. This theoretical and empirical project analyzes a transnational user’s experiences performing their identity on Instagram by answering the research question: How does a user with transnational literacy experiences perform their identity and manage communities through the mediation of particular technologies on Instagram? Using mixed-methods from four data …

The Response Of The Zooplankton Community In The Western Gulf Of Maine To A Shift In Oceanographic Conditions: 2005-2017, Emma Cecile Dullaert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf of Maine (GoM) harbors a productive ecosystem that supports a wide variety of marine life, providing services upon which local communities rely. The GoM ecosystem supports many important commercially harvested species, including the American lobster (Homerus americanus) which is the most valuable fishery in the US, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) and a variety of groundfish. The GoM is also home to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), which has historically been known to feed in the eastern GoM and Bay of Fundy during the summer and fall months. In …

The Social, Cultural, And Political Influences On American Classical Composers Post-9/11: A Comparison To The New Deal And Early Cold War Eras, Christine E. Letcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how the social, cultural, and political environments of the post-9/11 period influenced the music composition of American classical composers, from the perspective of the composers. These composers are then compared to those of the New Deal and early Cold War eras. During both the New Deal and the subsequent anti-communist movement of the early Cold War era, composers and musicians made aesthetic choices because of the political climate. While much study has been done of the political engagement and activism of contemporary popular musicians, there is a dearth of research regarding classical …

Exploring The Impact Of Pqn-75 And Glh-1/Vasa On Germline Development, Maintenance, And Gsc Reprogramming Using Caenorhabditis Elegans As A Model, Jesse D. Rochester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis combines research on PQN-75 expression, functional motifs of GLH-1/Vasa, and germ granule components in Caenorhabditis elegans to provide a comprehensive understanding of germline development, maintenance, and reprogramming, while also examining the role of pharyngeal gland cells in stress resistance and thermotolerance. In C. elegans, pharyngeal gland cells secrete mucin-like proteins, such as PQN-75, with similarities to human PRB2. The expression of PQN-75 in gland cells confers stress resistance and thermotolerance but does not affect fertility, instead it plays a role in the organism's ability to adapt to varying environmental conditions. While, GLH-1/Vasa, an ATP-dependent DEAD-box helicase, plays …

Longitudinal Case-Control Study Of Mammographic Breast Tissue Subtypes, Kendra Batchelder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast density is a known risk factor for breast cancer. However, there has been limited research on potential subtypes of mammographic dense breast tissue to identify areas of active dense tissue that is structurally reorganizing and links to cancer dynamics, versus areas of passive dense tissue which remains organized. We hypothesize that the amounts of subtypes of mammographic dense tissue and the associated rate of change through time could provide insights into breast cancer risk. A retrospective study was conducted to investigate breast cancer using longitudinal screening mammograms and accompanying pathology reports collected in 2015. Patients were matched by age …

Integrating Environmental Dna, Traditional Fisheries Techniques, And Species Distribution Modeling To Assess Bridle Shiner Status In Maine, Lara S. Katz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The bridle shiner (Notropis bifrenatus) is a small minnow species native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The species is declining dramatically throughout most of its native range and has legal protection or concern status in thirteen states and two Canadian provinces. In Maine, the bridle shiner is listed as a Species of Special Concern and considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need, partially because we lack a basic understanding of their status and distribution within the state. Bridle shiners have historically been found in southern and western Maine in densely vegetated, shallow habitats along the …

Climate Interactions Drive Tree Physiology And Growth In A Northeastern Forest Ecotone, Alexandra M. Barry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is a threat to global forest ecosystems. In the northeastern United States, forest trees are facing rising temperatures and increasingly inconsistent moisture regimes. In addition to long-term changes in climate conditions, there is concern about the potential for more frequent and intense climate extremes, which can have severe and rapid negative effects on tree physiology and growth. Further, climate extremes may co-occur to produce a greater magnitude of effect than the sum of their parts, with a prominent example being hot droughts, which are increasing in occurrence and severity. The impact of these and other extreme climate interactions …

A Quantitative Visualization Tool For The Assessment Of Mammographic Risky Dense Tissue Types, Margaret R. Mccarthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second most occurring cancer type and is ranked fifth in terms of mortality. X-ray mammography is the most common methodology of breast imaging and can show radiographic signs of cancer, such as masses and calcifcations. From these mammograms, radiologists can also assess breast density, which is a known cancer risk factor. However, since not all dense tissue is cancer-prone, we hypothesize that dense tissue can be segregated into healthy vs. risky subtypes. We propose that risky dense tissue is associated with tissue microenvironment disorganization, which can be quantified via a computational characterization of the whole breast …

Do Good Things Come To Those Who Wait?: Investigating Temporal Discounting Rates Among Older Adults, Amy Halpin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decision-making is widely viewed as a higher-order cognitive construct, drawing on fluid intelligence as well as intact functioning across a wide variety of cognitive domains including executive function, working memory, declarative memory, and attention. The conditions of the decision-making outcome (e.g., immediate or delayed), the framing of the outcome (e.g., loss vs. gain), and the type of outcome (e.g., money, food, social or health consequences), are consistently highlighted throughout the literature as being important influences on decision-making behavior. However, decision-making behavior among and within these contexts remains inconsistent and inconclusive in older adult populations. Considering that recent evidence suggests the …

"We Ultimately Just Need To Connect" Engaging In A Digital World: Perceptions From Families And Educators During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anne Marie C. Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Henderson & Berla (1994) state “the evidence is now beyond dispute. When schools work together with families to support learning, children tend to succeed not just in school, but throughout life” (p.1). The objective of this study was to explore how the COVID19 pandemic changed the way elementary educators needed to connect and develop relationships with the families of their students. This study addressed the broad research question of how elementary teachers and families perceived their interactions through remote modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic using focus groups from rural central Maine. They also discussed what technology and digital modalities were …

Impacts Of Climate Warming On Nutritional Quality And Soil Bacterial Communities Of Wild Blueberries, Oluwafemi A. Alaba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under anthropogenic global climate change associated with greenhouse gas emissions, the mean surface temperature of the earth has increased by approximately 1 oC since the industrial age and is projected to rise by 2.6 to 4.6 oC by 2100. Wild blueberry fields in Maine are experiencing unprecedented warming, which may affect the fruit flavor and nutritional quality, soil health and microbial community, and consequently impact yield, human nutrition, and the economic well-being of wild blueberry producers. It is therefore important to assess the impact of climate warming on fruit crop nutritional quality and soil microbial community, and test potential strategies …

The Upper Ocean At The End Of An Ice Age: Using Proxies In Benthic Foraminifera To Investigate Intermediate Water Changes During The Last Glacial Termination, Cassandre R. Stirpe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ocean is an important component of the global climate system and plays a key role as a storage reservoir for heat and carbon. Under glacial conditions, the ocean sequestered carbon from the atmosphere, contributing to a cooler global climate. During the last glacial termination, that carbon was released back into the atmosphere, but the exact timing and mechanisms of this transfer are still not fully understood. This study examines waters from the intermediate depths of the Southern Ocean to gain insight into deglacial processes. Intermediate waters are capable of reacting to climate change on decadal timescales, making them a …

The Role Food Security, Financial Literacy, And Nutrition Literacy Play On The Diet Quality Of College Students, Amelia Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to explore the roles of food security status (FSS), financial literacy (FL), and nutrition literacy (NL) on the diet quality (DQ) of college students at the University of Maine. This research additionally sought to understand mediational relationships among these factors that could impact DQ.

A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic factors, short healthy eating index (sHEI)-score, FSS, FL, and NL. Participants' continuous data were analyzed using a Pearson correlation. Differences between interactive NL and sHEI-score while controlling for gender and meal plan differences were analyzed using a MANCOVA. Additionally, differences …

Effects Of Large Wood Additions On Basal Resources, Macroinvertebrates, And Ecosystem Processes In The Narraguagus River, Maine, Val Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological restoration is an increasingly common practice across ecosystems, and current practices aim to restore the biological and physical processes underlying ecosystem function, often for the sake of endangered higher-level consumers. Studies of restoration outcomes often report few or inconsistent ecological changes, and monitoring of restoration projects rarely measures ecological processes. Monitoring also usually measures outcomes at a single scale, despite the prevalence of scale- dependent phenomena across ecosystems. My thesis uses measurements of ecological processes to assess restoration response and evaluates responses across multiple scales. I focus here on a long-term large wood addition project on the Narraguagus River …

Muscle Defects Lead To Skeletal Deformities In A Zebrafish Model Of Distal Arthrogryposis, Emily A. Tomak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Distal Arthrogryposis Type 1 (DA1) involves mild muscle weakness and limb skeletal abnormalities thought to be caused by paralysis in utero. Why the limbs are particularly affected in DA1 and the degree of paralysis that leads to these skeletal deformities in utero remains unclear. Several muscle genes are known to cause DA1, including MYLPF (myosin light chain phosphorylatable), which encodes a myosin light chain protein that binds close to the force-generating head of myosin heavy chains. The zebrafish mylpfa^-/- mutant displays a phenotype consistent with DA1, including impaired myosin activity, reduced muscle force overall, and complete fin paralysis. I …

Factors Contributing To Recurrent Homelessness Among Single Mothers Using Shelters, Favour O. Akhidenor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Building on the long-term benefits of early homelessness prevention and intervention. And scaling up support for single parents with children is essential to improving economic status, good health, human capital, and well-being across all areas of life expectancy. Chronically homeless people, homeless veterans, and homeless families have all been the subject of specific studies. Yet only a few studies have investigated single mothers' return to homelessness (Anderson, 2021). Studies suggest that between 4 and 25 percent of women, who were previously homeless, end up using shelter services again, despite being provided with "permanent" housing (Johnson, 2016). This indicates that, as …

Examining Our Relationship With Death: A Participatory Art Project, Lia A. Davido

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Death is a fact of life, yet researchers such as Caitlin Doughty, Todd Harra, Ernest Becker, and others, have found that people deem death a taboo topic of conversation. Doughty herself started a social movement, death positivity, to encourage this taboo to be broken, and to normalize talking about death. However these researchers published their findings in the early to mid 2010’s, before a major pandemic made death a more common occurrence for people. Inspired by previous researchers' experiences, this project asks the question: How do people feel about death now, and can socially engaged art create a space where …

Measuring Of Thermal Conductivity And Heat Capacity Of Different Papers And Heat-Sealing Process Of Papers With A Polymer Layer, Amenah Khalaf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Packaging is an important and safe way to protect our food and other things through transportation, but the use of plastic based packaging is causing issues with plastic pollution. To replace plastic packaging with a paper-based option that has a barrier coating, good heat sealing will be needed to be a drop-in replacement. While much as been studied on the heat sealing of polymer layers, little has been reported around the heat sealing of paper that has a polymeric barrier coating.

Experiments were conducted to characterize the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of paper as a function of press pressure …

Lost Children: A Postmodern Novella, Seyedeh Mania Mohseni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Lost Children" is a novella written based on common rules of the modern and postmodern detective fiction and how those rules can be replaced by alternatives.

The Performance Analysis And Optimization Of Wave Energy Converters From Modeling To Basin Testing, Lauren Dickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The successful development and optimization of wave energy converters (WECs) are pivotal to the pursuit of sustainable and renewable energy sources. This thesis explores the elements in a workflow that develops and demonstrates the protocols for the optimization of WECs using a rapid design\build\test procedure. This thesis establishes the characterization of scaled ocean test sites, develops the performance metrics, generates the performance modeling techniques to predict the optimum design geometries which will be produced for final testing, and finally, establishes the basin test plan which will be used to conduct the testing on the optimum design. The findings of this …

The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating And Body Mass Index And Diet Quality In College Students, Ashley A. Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective

The objective of this research was to explore the influence of intuitive eating (IE) on body mass index (BMI) and diet quality (DQ) among college students.

Methods

A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online survey consisting of the short-Healthy Eating Index (SHEI) and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (23 items). Body mass index was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Descriptive statistics were used to assess group characteristics. A linear regression was used to test if IE scores significantly predicted BMI. An independent t-test was used to compare BMIs of students with IE scores above and below …

Investigation Of Student Understanding Of Representations Of Probability Concepts In Quantum Mechanics, William D. Riihiluoma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability to relate physical concepts and phenomena to multiple mathematical representations—and to move fluidly between these representations—is a critical outcome expected of physics instruction. In upper-division quantum mechanics, students must work with multiple symbolic notations, including some that they have not previously encountered. Thus, developing the ability to generate and translate expressions in these notations is of great importance, and the extent to which students can relate these expressions to physical quantities and phenomena is crucial to understand.

To investigate student understanding of the expressions used in these notations and the ways they relate, clinical think-aloud interviews were conducted …

Mechanical Characterization Of Automated Fiber Placement And Additive Manufacturing Hybrid Composites, Lucan Haviland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the optimization of processing parameters based on the mechanical properties of Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRTP) Unidirectional (UD) consolidated tapes. The UD tapes were consolidated using an AFP head and a thermoforming press for comparison. The adhesive strength of hybrid parts consisting of CFRTP UD tape bonded to a 3D-printed substrate with the same matrix system were investigated. Large Area Additive Manufacturing (LAAM) was utilized for the 3D-printed parts. Different types of thermoplastic composite materials were explored, including Glass Fiber reinforced Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (GF/PETG), Carbon Fiber reinforced Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (CF/PETG), Carbon Fiber reinforced Polycarbonate (CF/PC), and …

Oral Contraception And Cognition, Kathleen Gerencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oral contraception is currently used by over 100 million women worldwide. Women utilize contraception not only to prevent pregnancy but also to manage a wide range of health concerns, such as acne and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although this medication has granted women bodily autonomy, helped them attain higher levels of education, and helped them enter the workforce in greater numbers, little is known about the consequences outside of the intended contraceptive effects, specifically the cognitive and behavioral consequences. Moreover, because doctors can prescribe contraception after the first menstrual cycle and during puberty, it’s possible that this critical window of development …

A Vector-Valued Trace Formula For Finite Groups, Miles Chasek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We derive a trace formula that can be used to study representations of a finite group G induced from arbitrary representations of a subgroup Γ. We restrict our attention to finite-dimensional representations over the field of complex numbers. We consider some applications and examples of our trace formula, including a proof of the well-known Frobenius reciprocity theorem.

Exploring The Importance Of Values, Place, And Perceptions In Conservation Decision-Making In Maine: A Mixed Methods Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservation inherently involves intertwined ecological systems and human societies. In Maine, USA conservation decision-making brings together many viewpoints, values, motivations, and experiences to balance diverse goals. Socio-cultural, experiential, financial, and ecological factors can all influence an individual’s ability to make or support a decision. This dissertation aimed to broadly explore how people perceive their role in conservation decision-making in Maine. In doing so, we articulate a diverse set of perspectives, experiences, and values. We used a mixed methods approach which enabled an in-depth understanding of the complexity of conservation decision-making while providing the opportunity for different voices to be heard. …

Nothing To See Hear, Adam Kuykendall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nothing to See/Hear is a research experiment into minimalist visual narrative via the short film Not the Boss of Me, in which the criteria for production mandated only the bare essential elements required to construct and convey a plot and its characters be used while filming within a nondescript space - in this case, a mostly empty soundstage. How does one tell a story and define its characters without direct expository dialogue? What is needed to establish and define locations and/or environments when limited to only one or two items? Can an audience engage their imagination to fill in the …

Caelum, Alexandra Requena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caelum is a story about the hidden struggles of mental health told in an alternating chapter format that explores the journey of two characters: an angel, Tacenda, who seeks revenge on Mr. Mystical -an unloving God- and Dorian, a human, who is trying to find his place in life. The two

experience parallel situations where they explore their emotions and reactions to life while Mr. Mystical makes everything much more complicated. Tacenda, however, has other plans, and seeks Dorian for help defeating those who have turned against him, causing his demise. As the story progresses and alternates between Tacenda’s quest …

Chef Sensory Perspectives And Consumer Acceptance Of Fermented Green Crab Sauce, Bryson J. Mcdonough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is an invasive species responsible for immense ecological and economic damage along the Northeastern coast of the United States. Despite multiple population control methods explored, intensive indiscriminate trapping has been the only effective approach However, this type of trapping is currently not financially viable because of the low price and demand for hard-shell green crabs due to their small size and difficult-to-extract crabmeat.

To address this issue, researchers have investigated green crab sauce, a fermented condiment inspired by fish sauce. This umami-enhancing condiment has the potential to raise hard-shell green crab value …