Life Sciences Commons^™

Sourcing And Evaluating The Use Of Detritus As A Supplementary Diet For Bivalve Aquaculture Using Stable Isotopes And Fatty Acid Biomarkers, Adrianus C. Both

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Detritus is a ubiquitous component of ecosystems and an important fuel for secondary production. Due to the extractive nature of bivalve aquaculture, detritus is often incorporated into carrying capacity and growth models for cultured bivalves. However, despite the complexity and difficulty in obtaining direct measurements, detritus is often treated as a homogeneous food source in models. Further understanding the role detritus plays in the diet of cultured bivalves could lead to more comprehensive and accurate models as well as more informed site selection for growers. The purpose of this study was to assess the abundance, bioavailability, and contribution of detritus ...

Managing Resilience In A Changing World: A Multiscale Analysis Of Fisheries Governance Challenges, Marina Cucuzza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries are complex social-ecological systems comprised of fish, humans, the institutions they create, and the broader ecological and social systems within which they are embedded. Changing ocean conditions, declines and shifts in key species, and loss of working waterfront infrastructure are among the many threats to the longevity of fisheries and fishing communities worldwide. A resilience approach to fisheries governance is increasingly recognized as key to sustaining coastal systems and the human communities that depend on them in the face of mounting socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Here I define resilience as the capacity of a system to withstand disturbances without ...

Thermal Inactivation Of Bacterial Pathogens And Fungal Spores Under Post-Process Contamination Scenarios In Maple Syrup Processing, Maria Fiore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maple syrup is produced by the extensive thermal evaporation of maple sap traditionally collected from the Acer saccharum tree and other maple varietals. The resulting low water activity product (Aw < 0.85) is classified by the FDA as a low risk food commodity, due to the moisture limitations which inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. However, recent outbreaks associated with other designated low risk products, including peanut butter and wheat flour, now challenge the current understanding of factors required to induce human illness. Among the most notorious bacterial pathogens, as few as ten bacterial cells, have been cited to cause infection. In addition to bacteria-based risks, fungal contaminants have also been noted to jeopardize safety due to the potential for mycotoxin production, penetrating beyond the immediate product surface.

The extensive heating process required to produce syrup from sap is sufficient to eradicate the majority of present microflora. However, post-process contamination scenarios, which are augmented by producer behaviors, can introduce microorganisms into the finished product. Among these risk factors include direct product contamination due to insufficient heating temperatures, or contamination of bottles, as a result of improper container storage. Therefore, the objectives of this work are to (i) determine ...

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Services & Programs Webpages, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots of various University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpages featuring announcements regarding various programs, services, and publications provide by the Cooperative Extension during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Food Safety Information For Maine Consumers, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Food Safety Information for Maine Consumers created by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Master Gardener Volunteer Policy, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshot of various University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpages featuring the Master Gardner Volunteer Policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_4-H Quaranteen Virtual Science Cafés Webpage, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots from University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpage showing various Maine 4-H online QuaranTEEN Virtual Science Cafés programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Farming & Livestock Webpages, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots of various University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpages featuring guidance and resources regarding farming and livestock during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lobster Institute_Covid-19 Related Articles Webpage, University Of Maine Lobster Institute

Lobster Institute

Screenshot of University of Maine's Lobster Institute webpage with articles regarding lobster fishing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lobster Institute_Covid-19 Public Health Links Webpage, University Of Maine Lobster Institute

Lobster Institute

Screenshot of University of Maine's Lobster Institute webpage with guidance regarding lobster fishing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maine's Climate Future: 2020 Update, Ivan J. Fernandez, Sean Birkel, Julia Simonson, Bradford Lyon, Andrew Pershing, Esperanza Stancioff, George L. Jacobson, Paul Andrew Mayewski Dr.

Climate Change Institute Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Gershman (Melvin) Papers, 1959-1992, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine

Finding Aids

Melvin (Mel) Gershman was born in 1927. He received a M.Sc. Degree in 1957 from the University of Massachusetts and came to the University of Maine in 1958 as an assistant professor of microbiology and animal pathology. In 1963, he was appointed full professorship and in 1977 he became Professor of Microbiology and Animal Veterinary Sciences. Professor Gershman research focused on Enteric bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia Coli. His research led to the development of a Serotyping and Phage Typing Center at the University of Maine.

Gershman received numerous awards during his career, including in 1977 the University ...

Campana, (Richard J.) Papers, 1937-1989, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine

Finding Aids

Born in Everett, Massachusetts, Richard J. Campana (1918-2005) received a BSF from the University of Idaho in 1943. Campana then served as a surgical technician in the U.S. Army, and earned a Bronze Star award during WWII after being held as a prisoner of war (1943-1946). After the war, Campana earned an MS in Forestry from Yale University in 1974 and a Ph.D. in Forest Pathology in 1952. Soon after, Campana began his professional study and observation of Dutch Elm Disease

In 1958, Campana came to the University of Maine as the head of the Department of Botany ...

Spruce Budworm Defoliation Dynamics And Its Influence On The Acadian Forest, Cen Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spruce budworm (SBW; Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) is the primary forest defoliator in North America. SBW defoliation has affected tens of millions ha of forests during its periodic outbreaks and caused severe growth reduction and mortality of spruce-fir (Picea-Abies) species. Evaluating these damaging effects of SBW defoliation requires understandings of the variation and dynamics of defoliation, as well as trees' variable responses to defoliation in consideration of various tree- stand-, and site-level factors. In this dissertation, we developed statistical models to 1) evaluate influences of SBW defoliation on spruce-fir stand dynamics of annual volume net growth, mortality, and ingrowth, 2 ...

The Potential For Dickeya Dianthicola To Be Vectored By Two Common Insect Pests Of Potatoes, Jonas K. Insinga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dickeya dianthicola (Samson) causing blackleg and soft rot was first detected in potatoes grown in Maine in 2014. Previous work has suggested that insects, particularly aphids, may be able to vector bacteria in this genus between plants, but no conclusive work has been done to confirm this theory. In order to determine whether insect-mediated transmission is likely to occur in potato fields, two model potato pests common in Maine were used: the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decimlineata Say) and the green peach aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer). Olfactometry and recruitment experiments evaluated if either insect discriminates between infected and uninfected foliage ...

Evaluating The Occurrence Of Age-Related Peripheral Neuropathy In Het3 Mice And Development Of A Whole Tissue Imaging Technique For Analyzing Total Innervation In The Subcutaneous Adipose Depot, Jake Willows

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adipose tissue can be characterized as either being a white (energy storing) depot or a brown (energy expending) depot and both have been found to contain dense networks of neural innervation. This adipose nerve supply regulates numerous metabolic functions and likely plays an important role in the function of adipose blood vessels. Recently our lab has shown in the C57BL/6 mouse model that peripheral neuropathy, or the dying back and dysfunction of the nerves in the superficial tissues such as the skin, can extend into the subcutaneous adipose tissue in conditions commonly associated with the neuropathic phenotype (i.e ...

Towards A Unified Disease Mechanism For Trna Synthetase-Mediated Peripheral Neuropathy, Emily L. Spaulding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a debilitating inherited peripheral neuropathy resulting in progressive distal muscle atrophy and loss of sensation. CMT is genetically heterogeneous, with mutations in over 80 different genes leading to demyelinating or axonal forms. There are genetically similar subgroups, including the largest protein family implicated in the disease, the tRNA synthetases (ARSs). ARSs are responsible for aminoacylation of tRNAs during translation and are therefore ubiquitously expressed and essential proteins. Dominant mutations in at least five ARSs cause axonal forms of CMT. How mutations in ARSs cause CMT is unclear, however, the similar clinical presentation of patients suggests shared ...

Validation Of A Fluorescence-Based Bacteria Enumeration And Viability Determination Method Using Image Cytometry, Matthew R. Hodgkin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Craft beer production in the United States has been increasing significantly in recent years. As production and participation in the industry increases, so have consumer demands for more beer options. Breweries have met this call with experimentation of ingredients in their beer and also the styles they brew. One such beer, the sour beer, is an example of this experimentation and new product development. Sour beers are a style that differ from most other beers by how they are manufactured. Instead of being fermented with only yeast, both a lactic acid-producing bacteria and yeast are used. With increased competition amongst ...

The Effects Of Sediment Acidification And Temperature On The Immune Capacity Of The Atlantic Jackknife (Razor) Clam (Ensis Leei M. Huber, 2015), Brian Preziosi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sediment acidification has been shown to negatively impact clams of economic importance such as the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758, and hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758). Effects of sediment acidification on razor clams, including the Atlantic jackknife clam Ensis leei M. Huber, 2015, are unknown. E. leei has been identified as a species with potential for aquaculture operations on the New England coast. E. leei may be resilient to acidification and thus persist in acidified sediments where other clams cannot. To this end, the impact of acidified surface sediment on the internal immune capacity of adult (mean shell ...

Fish Passage And Hydropower: Investigating Resource Agency Decision-Making During The Ferc Hydropower Relicensing Process, Sarah Vogel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydropower dams represent a significant challenge for the successful migration of sea-run fish, many species of which are in decline. Most hydropower dams in the United States are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent federal agency responsible for granting 30 to 50-year licenses to projects for their continued operation. Licenses typically include conditions for the conservation of sea-run fish such as fish passage construction, operational changes, monitoring of effectiveness, and other mitigative conditions. While FERC remains the primary authority in licensing, the current regulatory framework stipulates input from other federal and state resource and regulatory agencies ...

Land Cover Composition, But Not Weather, Affects Female Wild Turkey Roost Site Selection, Kaj Overturf

Honors College

Populations at a species’ northern range extent are often presented with more challenges than those in more southern regions, given that winters are generally harsher, and the reproductive season is shorter in these northern regions. Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are near their northern range limit in Maine, and there have been no studies that have researched turkey roosting here. Wild turkeys roost in trees at night, and we predicted that roost selection would be affected by changing weather conditions, particularly during winter when temperatures are expected to be coldest. We also predicted that land cover composition would affect roost site ...

Cpsa Protein-Protein Interactions In Group B Streptococcus, Ben Tero

Honors College

Group B Streptococcal (GBS) infections pose a great threat to mortality in neonates. Neonates are often exposed to GBS both before, during, and after delivery, which can cause a range of health problems including meningitis, sepsis, or stillbirth. One of the major virulence factors that contributes to the infectivity of the pathogen is the bacterial capsule. The capsule is a polysaccharide matrix surrounding the cell which helps in the evasion of host defenses, and penetration into normally sterile sites like the bloodstream. The highly conserved GBS protein CpsA has been shown to regulate expression of the capsule. The objective of ...

Identification Of Chromatin Regulators Perturbed In Hematopoietic Stem And Progenitor Cell Aging, Eraj S. Khokhar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As lifespan is increasing globally, there is a critical need to identify strategies to extend healthspan and prevent chronic diseases into older age. The long-term goal of my research is to identify novel strategies to ameliorate aging-induced decline in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. HSCs give rise to all mature blood and immune cells. With age, HSCs undergo defects in their differentiation ability which correlates with a decline in immune function. Comprehensive knowledge of gene regulatory and epigenetic mechanisms underlying this defect is a barrier to developing therapies to ameliorate aging-associated decline in HSC function. Therefore, my project focuses on ...

Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Aquatic Invertebrate Community Structure Of Rock Pools Along The Penobscot River, Maine, Chase R. Gagne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pools of water that form in the fissures and depressions of rock outcrops, known as rock pools, are fairly common aquatic habitats that can easily be found along the rocky banks of many of Maine’s major rivers. In general, rock pools and the aquatic invertebrates inhabiting them have received little research attention and, though ubiquitous, have never been studied in Maine. My research addressed this knowledge gap by surveying 40 rock pools at four sites along the Penobscot River in Maine. The rock pools themselves had highly variable environmental characteristics and differed across sites and over time, especially in ...

Getting Over The Dam: Overcoming Institutional Barriers To The Recovery Of Atlantic Salmon By Navigating The Social-Science/Policy Interface, Melissa E. Flye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term governance has undergone somewhat of an evolution since its inception, originally describing the act of governing, it has come to represent a more collaborative form of governing which is distinct from hierarchical control models (Marin and Mayntz, 1991). Collaborative governance refers to the systems associated with public policy decision making and resource management which span the jurisdictional boundaries of public agencies, levels of government, and/or public and private spheres in order to pursue a public policy goal or outcome (Emerson et al., 2012). Environmental management is often considered an inherently collaborative effort, as ecological systems and species ...

Examining The Microbiome Of Porphyra Umbilicalis The The North Atlantic, Margaret Aydlett

Honors College

Marine macroalgae host a diverse microbiota. Bacteria are the most prominent group, and relationships between the algae and bacteria are complex and dynamic. The goal of this project was to examine the distribution and ASV diversity of Bacteria associated with Porphyra umbilicalis with special focus on some isolates, including studies of their temperature dependence and consideration of how they may affect Porphyra. Previous studies showed that some bacteria are required for normal algal morphology and growth. Porphyra umbilicalis is an abundant red macroalga found in the intertidal zone and is an important food for invertebrates. Because of its significance in ...

Deep Benthic Coral Habitats Of Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve, Alaska, Elise C. Hartill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Southeast Alaska is a system of fjords that presents an ideal natural laboratory to study terrestrial, aquatic and marine patterns of succession due to its unique and recent history of deglaciation. The patterns of deep benthic community assemblages in the fjords of Glacier Bay were investigated by quantitative assessment of underwater photo-quadrats collected using a remotely operated vehicle. The percent cover and diversity of species were lowest near the glaciated heads of the fjords and highest in the Central Channel and at the mouths of the fjords of Glacier Bay, where oceanographic conditions ...

Identification Of High-Risk Food Coping Strategies Of Maine Food Pantry Clients, Kathryn Cutting

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food coping strategies are strategies adopted by individuals in order to obtain enough food for themselves and their family. Food coping strategies can range from using coupons (couponing) and buying in bulk to skipping meals and stealing food. Although not all strategies are considered to be high risk, all strategies should be accounted for so that nutrition education programming caters to strategies that individuals are employing. This topic has not been widely researched in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify common food coping strategies of food pantry clients across nine counties in Maine, explore identified ...

Mountain Livelihoods In A Time Of Change: A Case Study Of Upper Mustang In Nepal, Sandesh Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A case study was conducted in a remote Himalayan village—Yara—in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal. The goal of this study was to understand and assess the livelihood strategies of local people in the village. The study focused on understanding the socio-economic and environmental driving factors of livelihood vulnerability, prevalent livelihood activities, emergent livelihood strategies, and resulting livelihood outcomes in the village. We used multiple data generation methods, which included both qualitative social science and quantitative biophysical components. For the qualitative component, we utilized multiple data generation methods including key informant interviews, semi-structured household interviews, group discussions, and ...

The Dispersal Pattern Of Thekopsora Minima In Wild Blueberry Determined By A Molecular Detection Method, Nghi Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blueberry rust caused by Thekopsora minima is a common disease in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) and other Vaccinium genera. Understanding the spore dispersal pattern and disease cycle of fungal pathogens in wild blueberry is crucial for the development of a more efficient disease management program. Molecular assays for rapid detection and quantification of Thekopsora minima were developed to be incorporated with a spore trap sampling method and weather data collection to examine spore dispersal pattern and production in three different fields: Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro, East Machias, and Spring Pond in Deblois, Maine, in three years 2014, 2015 and ...