Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Fitness-Based Incentive Programs And Exercise Adherence In A Corporate Fitness Facility, Elwood D. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Experts agree that habitual exercise is beneficial to health and essential in the primary prevention of coronary heart disease and its associated risk factors. Despite this knowledge, adherence to an regular exercise regimen remains the major problem in the health and fitness industry. Reports estimate greater than 70% of the adult population in the United States do not participate regularly in physical activity. In contrast to the commercial fitness world where membership and profit continue to be the primary directives of the industry, corporate fitness programs are concerned with recruitment and adherence and consistently and exponentially increasing participation to justify …

Profiling Employees Participation In Employer Sponsored Fitness Programs In Maine, Wendy-Jo Berube

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive health promotion and disease management programs have evolved significantly over the last two decades in both large and small work sites. Research over this time period has yielded plenty of evidence proving health promotion programs can produce tangible outcomes. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that comprehensive work site health promotion programs can lower employee health care and insurance costs, decrease absenteeism, and improve job performance and productivity. Despite the well-known benefits of regular exercise, previous research has also shown that participation and adherence rates in work site health promotion programs have been unsatisfactory. This study was conducted to profile employee …

Effects Of Small-Gap Timber Harvests On Songbird Community Composition And Site-Fidelity, Mitschka John Hartley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated effects of small-gap timber harvests on bird communities at nine sites (10 ha each) within the Penobscot Experimental Forest (PEF), grouped into three replicated "blocks" (three sites each). Blocks were randomly treated with three treatments: 10% harvest, 20% harvest, and no harvest (i.e., control). I examined how treatments affected breeding songbird abundance, richness, and site-fidelity over four consecutive summers, including 1-3 years before and after each site was harvested. Ability to detect treatment effects was limited by the small number of replicates, but power analyses indicated that given the experimental design and observed variability, there was a high …

Antimicrobial Use Of Native And Enzymatically Degraded Chitosans For Seafood Applications, Todd Andrew Nicholas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millions of pounds of crab and shrimp shell waste are created every year by the seafood industry. This waste is very resistant to biodegradation and disposal is problematic. Crustacean shells are composed mainly of chitin that can be converted to chitosan by deacetylation. Many current shelf life extension and pathogen inhibition methods employ the use of various chemical preservatives. Chitosan, an abundant natural polysaccharide, possesses antimicrobial as well as functional properties that may be useful in improving quality of stored foods. These properties may be influenced by a number of factors that must be studied before determining the most useful …

The Use Of Polyphosphates To Maintain Yield And Quality Of Whole Cooked, Cryogenically Frozen Lobster (Homarus Americanus) And The Use Of Sorbitol And Tocopherol To Maintain Quality Of Whole Cooked, Cryogenically Frozen Crab (Cancer Irroratus), Beth Louise Calder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lobster fishery is valuable to Maine seafood processors, a commodity worth over $160 million dollars in 2001. Jonah and Rock crab are underutilized Maine seafood species, which are incidentally caught with lobster. Maine seafood processors could process this non-essential catch, and lobster into high quality frozen seafood products to increase national and international markets, which may have a significant economic impact. Cryogenic freezing can retain high quality texture and flavor attributes in seafood. Freezing can still cause cellular damage, however minimal. Sodium tripolyphophate (STP) and sorbitol are noted for their cryoprotectant effects, and tocopherol has been found to have …

Scope For Activity, Specific Dynamic Action And Growth In Early Juvenile Stages Of Atlantic Cod, Gadus Morhua, Sorren Lund Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth rates of early life stages of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are very high, but decline, as the fish grow larger. Little is know about the physiological processes that facilitate and regulate this growth pattern. In this study, feeding and swimming metabolism were measured in individual juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in order to investigate how energy are allocated to swimming and growth in fast growing stages of fishes. Metabolic rates were measured by the means of oxygen consumption using two "Brett-type" respirometers. The metabolic measurements were repeated several times in individual juvenile Atlantic cod with a wet body mass …

Lipid Solubilization By Marine Benthic Invertebrates, Ian M. Voparil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work characterized the size of lipoidal colloids in benthic invertebrates' guts, using contact angle dilutions and imaging the fluorescence of the hydrophobic probe Nile Red. Deposit feeders and Nereis virens ingesting sediment were found to have micelles rather than emulsions in the gut. Gut fluids from Arenicola manna (a deposit-feeding polychaete) readily formed emulsions when incubated with mussel meat (Mytilus edulis; 80 g-mussel L"-gut fluid), suggesting that micelles form due to a paucity of emulsifying lipids in the gut. Lipid tracer contained in emulsion droplets was twice as likely to be captured by sediment than was tracer in micelles. …

Vaccines For Infection Salmon Anemia Virus, Nathan Edward Charles Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus is an emerging pathogen of fanned Atlantic salmon. Due to the massive economic losses inflicted by the ISA virus, effective measures to control future outbreaks are necessary. An attractive method for preventing ISA virus from infecting stocks of Atlantic salmon is vaccination. DNA vaccination is a proven cheap, effective means of protecting fish from aquatic viruses. In this thesis DNA vaccination of Atlantic salmon was investigated. Three different strains of ISA virus were cultured and purified by density gradient ultracentrifugation. ISA virus RNA was isolated and used to amplify full-length cDNAs of five ISA virus …

The Short And Long-Term Effects Of Herbicide Application In Maine Clearcuts On Ant Communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Kerry Frances Lough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The short and long-term effects of glyphosate application on the diversity and abundance of ants in Maine clearcuts was assessed in a two-year study. Glyphosate is applied to release coniferous trees from suppression by competition with deciduous vegetation after a forest is clearcut. Previous research indicates glyphosate has limited immediate and long-term effects on non-target fauna, though specific species can be affected. Limited research on the effects of herbicides on insects indicates some initial decrease in insect populations. Beneficial insects, such as pollinators and predators, positively influence the forest ecosystem, but little research has examined the effects of herbicide application …

Population Dynamics And Spatial Analysis Of The Maine Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis) Fishery, Robert C. Grabowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries research on the green sea urchin in Maine has been limited despite its importance to the state's fishing industry. The objective of this thesis was to generate critical information for the management and monitoring of the Maine green sea urchin fishery. In particular there are three main areas of interest: (1) an investigation of biological reference points; (2) spatial analysis and biomass estimation, and (3) the development of a simulation framework approach to determine an optimal sampling strategy for the fishery-independent survey program. Biological reference points are markers conlrnonly used to monitor and manage fisheries. For the Maine sea …

Influence Of Firm Structure On Profitability In The U.S. Pulp And Paper Industry (1960-1998), Kanwar Muhammad Suleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study indicates that firm size, market share and equity/sales ratio are the principal factors contributing to the profitability (net income) of pulp and paper firms in the United States. Timberland ownership, exports, K-Factor (a measure of relative firm capacity), growth, new supply/real gross domestic product (RGDP) ratio and price index also influence the profitability of pulp and paper manufacturing firms. Market share, an index of the structure of the pulp and paper industry, is determined by a firm's size (assets) and net income. In addition, the number of a firm's production units, K-factor, whether the firm exports, previous concentration …

Fire, Soil, Native Species And Control Of Phalaris Arundinacea In A Wetland Recovery Project., Richard Douglas Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Southern Appalachian Phalaris arundinacea control was investigated by: 1) correlating cover and species richness with soil characteristics across transects; 2) burning and herbicide use to determine conditions facilitating native plant establishment; and 3) hemi-parasitic Pedicularis lanceolata tested as a biological control.

Phalaris cover was correlated with subsoil consolidation; areas without Phalaris had consolidated subsoil while Phalaris at >50% cover established on loose soil. Phalaris cover inhibited species richness (r²=0.78). No soil characteristic predicted species richness.

Herbicide reduced Phalaris cover and aerial biomass by 23% and 63% respectively, compared to controls. Burning was ineffective. Two summers after herbicide Phalaris …

Increasing Diabetes Awareness In Adolescents Through Educational Programs., Sandra J. Reese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge of diabetes and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors to reduce diabetes onset in a community with a relatively high incidence of type 2 diabetes. Three hundred eighty seven students grades 7 – 12 participated in the program and taste test. Changes in knowledge before and after an educational program focusing on diabetes prevention were measured by comparison of identical pre, post, and retention tests. Students were also asked to name specific behaviors they could use to decrease the risk of diabetes. Responses were analyzed using Chi square analysis and content analysis. Overall, …

Future Of South Korean National Parks -- A Delphi Study, Byung-Kyu Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In a three-wave Delphi survey of a panel of 40 key experts of Korean National Parks conducted between February 2001 and March in 2002, four major issues -- (A) Park philosophy not clearly articulated; (B) Inadequate emphasis on ecosystem protection; (C) Widespread deficiency of management tools; and (D) Visitor services needed -- were asked to get the panel's opinions regarding 'importance' (1 = most important; 4 = least important) and 'likelihood' of being resolved (1= resolved in 5 years; 4 = not resolved in 5 years) of these four issues in Wave 3. In terms of 'importance,' Issue A (Park …

Identification And Partial Characterization Of A Family Of Putative Palmitoyltransferases In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Brent Elliot Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins) are essential components of a wide variety of eukaryotic cellular signaling pathways. Heterotrimeric G proteins consist of a 40 kDa α-subunit, a 36 kDa β-subunit and a small 8-10 kDa γ- subunit. Acting as molecular switches, G proteins relay molecular information fiom membrane bound receptors to downstream intracellular effectors. Most G-proteins require lipid modification by myristic acid and palmitic acid for proper localization and function. Protein palmitoylation is a post-translational, reversible thioester linkage of palmitic acid (C16:O) to an N- terminal cysteine residue of a substrate protein. Palmitoylation of G-proteins occurs specifically on the …

Long-Term Effects Of Herbicide And Precommercial Thinning Treatments On Species Composition, Stand Structure, And Net Present Value In Spruce-Fir Stands In Maine: The Austin Pond Study, R. Howard Daggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The long-term effect on the development of spruce-fir stands in Maine from combinations of herbicide (Glyphosate, Triclopyr, 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, MSMA, Picloram, Water, and Control) and precommercial thinning (PCT and no PCT) treatments was examined 22 years after herbicide application and 13 years after PCT. The mean IRR for the herbicide treatments with no thinning was 8.2%. For PCT only the IRR was 6.3%. The mean IRR for plots receiving both herbicide and PCT treatments was 5.8%. Therefore, the rate of return for both herbicide and PCT and combinations of the two treatments would be acceptable to many investors.

Measuring The Adhesive Bond Quality Of Vinyl Ester-Glass Composites On Novolak Hmr Treated Wood, Leopold Eisenheld

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) reduce the drying time of novolak-based HMR coupling agent, 2) reinforce wood samples with E-glasslvinyl ester resin composite using the SCRIMPThq process, 3) evaluate the durability and strength properties of the FRP-wood composites, and 4) evaluate the bonding strength of wood-to-wood bonding using vinyl ester resin. To reduce the drying time of HMR-treated wood laminates, a randomized complete three factorial experiment was used to evaluate five HMR drying times, two HMR spread rates, and two HMR solids contents. The experiment evaluated the sensitivity of the HMR treatment process to accelerated drying. The …

Cloning Of Bovine Placental Lactogen And Production In Vitro, Stephanie A. Doucette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bovine placental lactogen (bPL) is a hormone produced by the fetal portion of the placenta during gestation. Although there is little known about the structure and function of the protein, it is thought to play a role in the growth of the fetus and in mammary growth and differentiation. Attempts have been made to heighten the understanding of bPL through the use of recombinant DNA technology. Thus far, researchers have been able to produce the recombinant molecule in bacteria cells. Bacteria, however, are incapable of carrying out some of the post-translational modifications characteristic of mammalian proteins. For example, unlike native …

Variation In The Severity Of Mummy Berry Disease Among Lowbush Blueberry Clones, Laura Penman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lowbush blueberry production is important for the economy of Maine and the Maritime provinces, and mummy berry disease, caused by Monilinia vaccinii- corymbosi, often reduces plant stand vigor and fruit production. The severity of mummy berry disease among clones of lowbush blueberry were measured in four fields over a two year period (2001 and 2002). In each of 37 clones,lO flowering stems with and without symptoms of blight were randomly selected at flowering to represent "diseased" and "healthy" stem populations, respectively. The severity of leaf and flower blight and fruit mummification was measured for each of these stems, and the …

Effect Of Stand Density On Behavior Of Leaf Area Prediction Models For Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus L.) In Maine, Micah D. Pace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is little debate within the forest science community that leaf area (LA, the surface area of live foliage) or leaf area index (LAI, the total surface area of live foliage per unit of ground area) are important variables, central to enhancing the understanding of forest growth and many forest ecosystem processes. The ability to accurately measure LA1 has become a research priority and has resulted in various methods of estimation for a variety of species and regions. In this study LA estimation models for Pinus strobus L. were developed, tested, and compared across a wide range of densities for …

Understory Growth Dynamics And Mensuration Techniques In Uneven-Aged, Mixed-Species Northern Conifer Stands, Andrew R. Moores

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Managing uneven-aged, mixed-species stands requires balancing the need for high leaf area allocation in the overstory where it is most efficient versus the need to allow for sufficient growth of younger cohorts in the understory. To help forest managers make informed decisions to maintain this balance, the understory growth dynamics of northern conifer species in stands managed under uneven-aged silvicultural systems were studied. Sapling height growth of Picea rubens Sarg., Abies balsamea (L.) Mill, and Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. were modeled as a function of overstory canopy openness (gap fraction) using regression analysis. Research was conducted in four uneven-aged northern …

Effect On Heartbeat Of Drosophila Melanogaster Of Mutations In The Calcium Channel Encoding Cacophony Gene And Its Interaction With The Rna Helicase Mutant Maleless^Napts, Vanessa Mcgowan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of information concerning the genetics of heart disease, especially of those due to aberrant pacemaker activity. Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal candidate for research in this area because of its suitability to genetic manipulation and its accessible genetic database. What is most compelling, however, is that the genesis of heartbeat is Drosophila is strikingly similar to that in many other organisms, including mammals. The myogenic heart of DrosophiIa melanogaster is stimulated to contract by a caudal pacemaker, which is regulated by ion channel interactions. A voltage-gated calcium channel of PIQ- or N-type is implicated in the …

An Exploratory Look At An Evolving Tourism Industry: Maine's Nature-Based Tourism Industry In Transition, Marc Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine's natural resources have been attracting visitors to the State for more than 150 years, from artists drawn to the beauty and wildness of the coast, such as Thomas Cole in 1844, to Henry David Thoreau's well-documented trip to Katahdin popularized in his collection of essays The Maine Woods. Early artists like Cole lodged with local farmers and Thoreau's journeys into the Maine woods were aided by Native American and local guides. These early artists and adventurers could be said to be among the first nature-based tourists in Maine, while those who provided lodging and guide services were among the …

Effects Of Strand Geometry On Selected Properties Of Long-Stand Structural Composite Lumber Made From Northeastern Hardwoods, Russell Edgar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural composite lumber (SCL) products often possess significantly higher design values than the top grades of solid lumber, making it a popular choice for both residential and commercial applications. The enhanced mechanical properties of SCL are mainly due to defect randomization and densification of the wood fiber, both largely functions of the size, shape and composition (species) of the wood element. Traditionally, SCL manufacturers have used thin, rectangular elements produced from either moderate density softwoods or low density hardwoods. Higher density hardwood species have been avoided, as they require higher pressures to adequately densify and consolidate the wood furnish. These …

Ten Years Of Change In Beech Stand In North Central Maine Long Affected With Beech Bark Disease, Amanda Farrar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Maine, northern hardwood stands long affected by beech bark disease often still have high numbers of beech trees. This is mostly due to sprouting, and most new stems become severely infected with the disease. Beech that are resistant to the scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga Lind., the inciting factor for the disease complex, do exist and often occur in clumps of root sprout origin. In 1989 a long-term study of the effects of commonly used seasonal harvesting regimes on regeneration initiation and survival was established in north central Maine. Treatments included harvest season (winter or summer) and intensity (clearcut or …

Vegetation Dynamics And Tree Radial Growth Response In Harvest Gaps, Natural Gaps, And Closed Canopy Conditions In Maine's Acadian Forest, Darci A. Schofield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The creation of natural canopy gaps is an important ecological process in the Acadian forest. Designing harvest gaps that emulate natural gap dynamics may be important for maintaining structural and biological diversity, as well as naturally regenerating desired tree species. We used a controlled study to 1) compare vegetation dynamics among and within harvested gaps, natural gaps, and under a closed canopy, and 2) examine the growth response of mature overstory edge trees of harvests gap and saplings inside of gaps as possible methods for dating natural gaps in the Acadian forest. For the vegetation dynamics study (objective I), we …

Effects Of Biological Control And A Ryegrass Rotation On Rhizoctonia Disease Of Potato, Marin Talbot Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhizoctonia solani is an important pathogen of potato capable of reducing tuber yield and quality. Integrated, sustainable methods including biocontrol and effective crop rotations are necessary for control of this pathogen. Twenty-eight potential biocontrol organisms were tested for efficacy against R. solani on potato in a series of greenhouse trials. Organisms tested consisted of field isolates of Paenibacillus polymyxa, Pseudomonasfluorescens, Penicillium sp., Trichoderma sp., and Rhizoctonia zeae; known biocontrol isolates including Laetisaria arvalis, Verticillium biguttatum, Cladorrhinumfoecundissimum, and Stilbella aciculosa; and commercial products of Bacillus subtilis (Kodiak), Trichoderma virens (SoilGard), and Trichoderma harzianum (Rootshield). Different formulations and rates of several fungal …

12,000-Year Record Of Lake-Level And Vegetative Change At Mathews Pond, Piscataquis County, Maine, Usa, Andrea Masterman Nurse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study of late-glacial and Holocene changes in lake-level and vegetation at Mathews Pond contributes new information about Holocene environments in northeastern North America. The research establishes a 12,000-year record of paleohydrology for the watershed adjacent to Big Reed Forest Reserve, the largest stand of old-growth forest in the northeastern United States. Mathews Pond is a 7.4 ha, closed-basin, groundwaterseepage lake located in an upland, forested region of the Aroostook River drainage system. Glacial meltwater briefly filled the basin - 13.0 ka (1 ka = 1000 I4C yr BP)). The lake existed as a shallow pool in the deep area …