Life Sciences Commons^™

Long-Term Sustainability Of Northern Mixedwood Management: Spatial And Temporal Aspects Of Forest Productivity, Bethany L. Munoz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Natural disturbances of moderate severity are common in northern temperate forests in Maine, USA. Given estimated return intervals of 575-1000 years for severe windstorms and 385-1200 years for severe fire events, few opportunities arise to evaluate high severity disturbances in northern mixedwood or northern conifer forests. This research evaluated 50-year results of clearcutting with whole-tree harvesting (WTH), stem-only harvesting (SOH), and stem-only harvesting with prescribed burning (SOHB) on growing stock, composition, and relationships among foliar and soil nutrient concentrations. At the other end of the disturbance spectrum, this research also investigated 60-year results of single-tree selection with a 10-year cutting …

Integrated Control Of Colorado Potato Beetle And Potato Virus Y Using Mineral Oil, Andrew K. Galimberti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) (CPB) and Potato Virus Y (PVY) are two of the most damaging pests attacking potato crops. CPB can cause significant defoliation to potato fields and is difficult to control using insecticides because its populations rapidly develop insecticide resistance. PVY, which is transmitted non-persistently by aphids, can result in yield loss and rejection of seed potato lots. Due to its rapid mode of transmission, insecticides are often ineffective at curtailing the spread of the virus. Thus, an integrated pest management (IPM) approach is essential for both CPB and PVY control.

Mineral oil is a …

Prospective Associations Of Homocysteine, Executive Function, And Depressive Symptoms, Peter J. Dearborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Associations of cardiovascular risk factors, cognitive performance, and depressive symptoms have been well established. However, the directionality of these associations as well as the specificity of these associations with respect to executive function are less clear. Additionally few studies have determined whether genetic risk factors, such as apolipoprotein-E4 (APOE-E4) genotype, and age moderate the associations of cardiovascular risk factors such as homocysteine with changes in depressive symptoms and how these associations may be mediated by cognitive performance. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the bidirectional associations of a full range of cognitive domains and symptoms of depression …

Minerva 2017, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes a feature on Honors College research collaboratives; an article on Honors students studying abroad in Singapore and Chile; an article reflecting upon the 15-year anniversary of the Honors College and the importance of mentorship; and articles on Honors students Isaiah Mansour and Aliya Uteova.

Landings, Vol. 25, No. 12, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Developing A Collaborative Research Program To Evaluate Fine-Scale Groundfish Dynamics In Eastern Maine, Mattie Rodrigue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries science conducted and used for management strategies in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) is conducted at broad spatial and temporal scales. There is a tendency for fisheries-independent monitoring programs, which play a critical role in fisheries assessment and management, to miss fine-scale dynamics, especially given the complex hydrographic structures characterizing the GOM. In New England, fishermen participating in a heterogeneous groundfish fishery within the GOM may have varied perceptions of fish abundance or distribution depending on the scale at which they participate in the fishery. Overlooking fine-scale life-history dynamics coupled with scale-mismatch in science and management may perpetuate a …

Water Chemistry Dynamics In Four Vernal Pools In Maine, Usa, Lydia H. Kifner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vernal pools are small seasonal wetlands that are a common landscape feature that contribute to biodiversity in northeastern North American forests. However, even basic information about their biogeochemical functions, such as carbon cycling, is limited. Dissolved gas concentrations (CH₄, CO₂) and other water chemistry parameters were monitored weekly at the bottom and surface of four vernal pools in central and eastern Maine, USA, from April to August 2016. The vernal pools were supersaturated with respect to CH₄ and CO₂ at all sampling dates and locations. Concentrations of dissolved CH₄ and CO₂ ranged …

Light Dynamics In The Damariscotta River Estuary With Implications For Microphytobenthos, Teiga C. Martin

Honors College

Predicting benthic light fields in the Damariscotta River Estuary (DRE) allows us to evaluate optimal microphytobenthos habitat, and determine the most the productive regions of the DRE. A model was created using instantaneous photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) to predict the spatial distribution of sufficient light fields for primary production along the benthos of the estuary. PAR was collected at six stations oriented N- S along the DRE during late September in 2016 and 2017. Calculated at each station was Z1%, experimental and model diffuse coefficients of light (Kd), and the optimal light level depth for microphytobenthos production. Light fields were …

Policy Recommendation From Stakeholders To Improve Forest Products Transportation: A Qualitative Study, Anil Koirala, Anil Kizha, Sandra De Urioste-Stone

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

With recently announced federal funding and subsidies to redevelop vacant mills and the communities they were in, the forest products industry in Maine is poised to gain its momentum once again. One of the important components influencing the cost of delivered forest products is transportation. A recent study in the region has shown that the location and availability of markets along with lack of skilled labor force are the major challenges faced by the forest products transportation sector in Maine. This study was focused on developing a management guideline which included various field level options for improving trucking enterprises in …

Landings, Vol. 25, No. 11, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Landings, Vol. 25, No. 10, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Maine Epscor Fall 2017 Newsletter, Maine Epscor

General University of Maine Publications

National Science Foundation (NSF) advances excellence in science and engineering research and education in Maine. Two NSF EPSCoR grants are currently underway in our state, and I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some of our recent achievements.

SEANET consists of 42 faculty members, 90 undergraduate students, 43 graduate students, and 3 Ph.D. candidates, who are engaged in aquaculture research at 11 institutions across the state. Recent accomplishments include:
• Successful National Science Foundation (NSF) site visit completed in August 2017, which reviewed the project against plans and objectives
• SEANET faculty and students have been highly productive, with …

The Dandy Scroll, Fall 2017, University Of Maine Pulp And Paper Foundation

General University of Maine Publications

The Fall 2017 issue of The Dandy Scroll newsletter produced by the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation.

Toward Chagas Disease Elimination: Neonatal Screening For Congenital Transmission In Rural Communities, Pamela Marie Pennington, Jose Guillermo Juarez, Margarita Rivera Arrivillaga, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Katherine Doktor, Joe P. Bryan, Clara Yaseli Escobar, Celia Cordon-Rosales

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease that continues to affect populations living in extreme poverty in Latin America. After successful vector control programs, congenital transmission remains as a challenge to disease elimination. We used the PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model to develop strategies for neonatal screening of congenital Chagas disease in rural communities of Guatemala. These communities have persistent high triatomine infestations and low access to healthcare. We used mixed methods with multiple stakeholders to identify and address maternal-infant health behaviors through semi-structured interviews, participatory group meetings, archival reviews and a cross-sectional survey in high risk communities. From December 2015 to …

Landings, Vol. 25, No. 9, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Improving Management And Conservation Of Cusk (Brosme Brosme): Habitat Distribution, Bycatch Interactions, And Conservation Practices, Jocelyn M. Runnebaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cusk (Brosme brosme) are a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration species of concern, currently under internal status review for the Endangered Species Act, but are considered data limited. Current concerns for cusk include: decline in abundance, increase in fishing mortality relative to survey biomass, increased patchiness in habitat, and lack of management (72 FR 10710). Future management will require an improved understanding of cusk distribution, habitat use, spatial distribution of bycatch interactions, and the impact of bycatch on the population. This study set out to evaluate changes in cusk distribution and habitat, locations and levels of bycatch, and …

American Woodcock Migration Ecology At An Important Stopover, Cape May, New Jersey, Brian B. Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migration poses risks and energetic demands to individuals that may be greater than those experienced during non-migratory periods. Most migratory birds require stopover sites to rest and recuperate energy spent during migratory flights, and stopover locations can alleviate risks and provide supplemental energy en route to the animal’s end destination. An individual’s stopover duration is contingent first on energy acquisition that is constrained by resource availability, and secondarily on environmental conditions such as weather that may facilitate or constrain continued migration. From 2010 to 2013 I conducted a radio-telemetry study of a short-distance migrant, the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), on …

Evaluating The Influence Of Stem Form And Vigor On Product Potential, Growth, And Survival For Northern Commercial Hardwood Species, Mark Castle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Northern hardwood and mixed-wood forest types occupy a considerable percentage of the forest landscape across the Northeastern United States and portions of eastern Canada. While capable of producing valuable saw timber and veneer products, hardwood species demonstrate a wide range of stem quality resulting from the large variety of stem forms and defects that these species can manifest. The effect of different stem forms and damage has largely not been accounted for in predictions of volume, growth, and mortality. In addition to potential bias in growth and yield applications, the lack of quantification of these features has left the …

Evaluating The Dissemination Of The Icook 4-H Program Using Outcome, Process, And Fidelity Measures., Tara Gould

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The iCook 4-H Dissemination Study, conducted in five states, was a control-treatment design to test whether a newly developed program for obesity prevention for youth could be successfully implemented by community leaders with minimal researcher involvement. Community leaders were primarily Cooperative Extension educators. A dyad model was used for youth (control=9.6±0.9 years of age; treatment=9.9±0.6 years of age) and their adult main food preparers (control=38.8±5.7 years of age; treatment=39.4±7.8 years of age). A three-pronged approach to evaluation developed previously for the program was used to measure outcomes, process, and fidelity of the program. The control group, youth (n=63) and adults …

The Paradigm Of Engagement: Integrating Social Science And Extension Outreach To Engage Beginning Family Forest Owners, Ian Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family forest owners own 36% of the forestland in the United States. These lands provide ecosystem services and natural resources to a broad community and management of these lands should be based on informed decisions. However, many family forest owners are unaware of conservation and stewardship options, and the number of unaware landowners may be increasing. A new cohort of beginning family forest owners (BFFO), who have acquired land in the past 5 years, has emerged. Programs designed to inform landowners about different management opportunities tend to attract only a small group of interested owners. In the following 2 phase …

Economic And Spatial Impacts Of A Wildlife Habitat Policy On Forest Management, Karin N. Bothwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regulations protecting habitat of forest-dwelling species often impact forest management practices. Those impacts may be mutually beneficial to both wildlife and forestry or they may lead to unanticipated negative outcomes, such as an associated economic cost compared to management free from habitat regulations. One example of a regulation that impacts forest management is the zoning of winter habitat of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Maine, where deer abundance has been consistently below socially desired levels in most areas of the State since the 1970s due in part to the heavy toll of severe winter weather. To mitigate winter-related mortality, the …

Attenuating The Antibody Reactivity Of The Shrimp Major Allergen (Tropomyosin) Using Food Processing Methods, Adeseye Lasekan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shrimp is one of the major causes of adverse allergic reactions in both adults and children. Consumers with shrimp allergy have an immune system that is hypersensitive towards certain proteins in shrimp. The immune system of these consumers produces an antibody, immunoglobulin E (IgE), which binds to specific regions on these proteins and activates reactions leading to adverse symptoms. Most shrimp allergic consumers have IgE that binds to a shrimp myofibrillar protein known as tropomyosin. Other than avoidance of shrimp, structural modification of shrimp tropomyosin using food processing methods could influence the capacity of this allergenic protein to bind IgE. …

Lobster In A Changing Gulf Of Maine: Investigating The Temporal Impact On Molting And The Fishing Fleet, Kevin W. Staples

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We investigated the phenological and fisheries dynamics surrounding the spring molt of American lobster (Homarus americanus, Milne Edwards 1847) in the Gulf of Maine. We created a time series from Maine Department of Marine Resources Lobster Sea Sampling data using logistic models to estimate the timing and duration of the spring molt for eastern, central, and western regions of the Maine coast. These estimates revealed substantial inter-annual variability in the timing of the spring molt for all regions and that 2012 was indeed anomalously early relative to other years. Each region experienced significantly different molt timing for any given …

Special Issue On The Economics Of Changing Coastal Resources: The Nexus Of Food, Energy, And Water Systems, Mario F. Teisl, Kathleen P. Bell, Caroline L. Noblet

Publications

Viewed through the perspective of the nexus of food, energy, and water systems, improved management of coastal resources requires enhanced understanding of cross-system and cross-scale interactions and dynamics. The economics of changing coastal resources hinges on increased understanding of complex tradeoffs associated with these complex multisystem and multiscale relationships. How diverse forms of change will affect water quantity and quality as well as food and energy production in coastal areas is not well understood. Coastal resources provide many goods and services and influence markedly the nature of many human communities. In 2010, 43 percent of the US population lived in …

Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus) As A Functional Link Between Marine And Freshwater Ecosystems, Daniel M. Weaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anadromous sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus are native to Atlantic coastal systems and serve as a functional link between marine and freshwater ecosystems. Sea lamprey spend 1–2 years in the ocean parasitizing marine vertebrates before migrating into freshwaters during the spring to spawn. There they construct nests, spawn, then die shortly afterwards. Larvae hatch, bury into fine sediments and reside in streams for generally 6–8 years, but up to 14. Larvae then undergo metamorphosis, a non-feeding period characterized by a series of physical and physiological changes. The juveniles (macropthalmia) then migrate to the ocean to begin the parasitic juvenile phase.

Historically, …

Landings, Vol. 25, No. 8, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Exploring The Nutritional Value Of Carrots And Determining Attributes That Are Favored By Consumers, Hannah Harling Stefl

Honors College

This study explored 24 varieties of carrots, the most popular vegetable of the Apiaceae family. Carrots are one of the most widely consumed vegetables. They are a cool season vegetable crop, which comes in many different varieties and colors, each having its distinct aroma, content of volatiles and nutritional compounds that influence the harshness or eating quality of the carrot. In the US, 3.5 billion pounds of carrots are grown each year, showing the importance that carrots have in United States agricultural economic systems. Carrots are an important vegetable due to their characteristic flavor and the many health benefits, such …

Investigating Factors Contributing To Reduced Embryo Survival In Farm Raised Atlantic Salmon, Salmo Salar L., Leeanne Thayer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Embryo mortality of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar Linnaeus 1758, has been increasing for more than a decade in the State of Maine, a leading producer of this species in the United States. Increasing embryo mortality not only creates a financial bottleneck for farms but also prevents the sale of surplus eggs as an additional source of revenue. Blood and egg samples were collected at three Maine Atlantic salmon farms from female broodstock at the time of spawning over a 2-year period. Correlative factors for reduced embryo survival were investigated by measuring egg and maternal plasma concentrations of 17-estradiol (E2), 11-ketotestosterone …

Survival, Harvest, And Drumming Ecology Of Ruffed Grouse In Central Maine, Usa, Samantha Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding population dynamics and how species interact with their environment are important components for conservation and management. Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) are a widely distributed and common game bird in North America and are a considered an important economic and cultural icon in Maine. Although they are a well-studied species, there has been little research focused on ruffed grouse population dynamics and habitat relationships in Maine. My thesis aims to improve this knowledge gap by focusing on research related to survival and harvest of ruffed grouse, as well as male ruffed grouse resource selection at breeding display sites. Ruffed grouse …

Expression Profiling Of Non-Coding Rna By Environmental Interactions In Innate Immunity, Jacob R. Longfellow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects 30,000 people in the United States and currently has no cure. Although CF affects all of the body’s systems, it is largely characterized as a lung disease. CF is caused by a mutation in both copies of the gene for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). A mutation in the CFTR gene leads to improper movement of chloride ions and water into the airways, which dysregulates the airway surface liquid volume and composition. Individuals with CF are prone to lung infections due to inefficient bacterial clearance and by the age of …