Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Foxd1 In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Kyle H. Bond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the 8^th most common cancer in the United States, with the clear cell variant (ccRCC) being the most prevalent. Over 14,000 people die every year to RCC, with rates continuing to increase with an aging general population. Patients suffering from metastatic RCC (mRCC) have extremely poor prognoses, with a 5-year survival of only 11.2%. Current treatment options include resection of primary lesions, tyrosine kinase inhibition (Sunitinib, Pazopanib), mTOR inhibition (Temsirolimus, Everolimus), and immune checkpoint inhibition (Nivolumab, Atezolizumab). Recent attention has been drawn to inhibition of transcription factors like HIF2α (Belzutifan). There is a need …

Eco-Evolutionary Implications Of Environmental Change Across Heterogeneous Landscapes, Jared J. Homola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Species use a variety of mechanisms to adapt to environmental change. These range from spatially tracking optimal environments, to phenotypically plastic responses and evolutionary adaptation. Due to increases in anthropogenic influence on environments, characteristics of change such as their duration and magnitude are undergoing fundamental shifts away from the natural disturbance regimes that shaped species’ evolution. This dissertation uses empirical data and simulation models to examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of environmental change across real, heterogeneous landscapes for multiple species, with an emphasis on anthropogenic changes. I used landscape genetics to evaluate the effects of urbanization on two native …

Interspecies Communication In Homo Sapiens And Canis Lupis Familiaris: A Meta Analysis, Karissa Panzino

Honors College

Interspecies communication is a fundamental aspect of many creatures. Knowing what another animal is saying could not only prove interesting, it could quite literally save a life. For humans, human-canine communication is arguably the most prevalent form of interspecies communication, and is important not only because of the close proximity of humans to dogs, but also because of the co-evolutionary aspects that have driven humans closer to “man’s best friend”. While there are some sources that allow for a consistent analysis of results in this field, it is still developing and constantly changing. A meta-analysis was performed to identify sources …

2012 Wild Blueberry Project Reports, Dorothy J. Klimis-Zacas, Vivian Ch Wu, Frank A. Drummond, Judith A. Collins, Lee Beers, Eric Asare, Alex Bacjz, Kalyn Bickerman, Sara Bushmann, Shannon Chapin, Cyndy Loftin, Alison Dibble, Lois Berg Stack, Eric Venturini, Samuel Hanes, Aaron Hoshide, Matthew S. Jones, Brianne Looze, Seanna L. Annis, Caleb Slemmons, David E. Yarborough, Jennifer L. D'Appollonio, Tsutomu Ohno, Ellen Mallory, Hannah Griffin, Katie Mcphee

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 2012 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Do wild blueberries alleviate risk factors related to the Metabolic Syndrome?

2. Development of effective intervention measures to maintain and improve food safety for wild blueberries

3. Control tactics for blueberry pest insects, 2012

4. Development and implementation of a wild blueberry thrips IPM program, 2012

5. IPM

6. Biology of blueberry and pest insects, 2012

7. Biology of beneficial insects and …

Light-Related Photosynthetic Gene Expression And Enzyme Activity In The Heterokont Alga Vaucheria Litorea And Its Symbiotic Partner The Sacoglossan Mollusc Elysia Chlorotica, Kara M. Soule

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Photosynthesis is comprised of tightly coupled reactions and therefore requires strict matrices of regulation, particularly involving alterations in gene expression and enzyme activity within the nucleus and plastid. Extensive research has been carried out on these light-regulated mechanisms in plants and green algae, however, much less is known in the red algal lineage, including heterokonts. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of light on photosynthetic gene expression and select enzyme activity in the heterokont alga Vaucheria litorea and its symbiotic partner Elysia chlorotica, a photosynthetic sacoglossan mollusc (sea slug). Elysia chlorotica harbors V. litorea plastids …

Population Genetics Of Black Bear (Ursus Americanus), Amanda K. Thibodeau

Honors College

DNA analysis is a ubiquitous tool to identify variation within populations. By using microsatellites, highly variable genetic loci distributed throughout the entire nuclear genome, genetic characteristics can be identified in the population. Genetic variation in the black bear, Ursus americanus, was characterized through samples gathered from the Maine population. In total, five loci were characterized for analysis. In order to aid in wildlife forensic cases, I examined genetic variations in black bears. The range of observed heterozygosity for the population sample was 0.729-0.871; the number of alleles per locus ranged from 7 to 15. Sampling the population and determining the …

2006 Lowbush Blueberry Project Reports, Kristi Crowe, Alfred A. Bushway, Rodney J. Bushway, Vivian Ch Wu, Brian Perkins, Pam Small, Darrell Donahue, Frank Drummond, Judith Collins, Floyd Dowell, Dorothy J. Klimis-Zacas, Mary Ellen Camire, Gordon Starr, David E. Yarborough, S Hoffmann, Daniel J. Bell, Seanna L. Annis, Tamara Levitsky, Loretta Kreider, Kristen Mcgovern, K Frost, John M. Smagula, Qian Wang, Kerry Fl Guiseppe

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 2006 edition of the Lowbush Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Evaluation of Emerging Disinfection Technologies for Wild Blueberry Processing

2. Incorporation of wild blueberry puree into a soy-based burger and its effect on sensory and chemical properties of the broiled burgers

3. Infestation Detection using NIRS

4. Mechanism of Action through which Wild Blueberries affect Arterial Functional Properties in Normotensive and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

5. Practical Microbial Control Approach for Wild Blueberries …

Book Review Of "Of Flies, Mice, And Men: On The Revolution In Molecular Biology, By One Of The Scientists Who Helped Make It" By François Jacob, Nancy Curtis

Library Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Explorations, Vol. 1, No. 1, R. D. Blake, Katherine Carter, David Mackinnon Ebitz, Carole J. Bombard, Stephen A. Norton

Explorations — A Journal of Research

Welcome to the first issue of Explorations, A Journal of Research at the University of Maine at Orono.

Join us as we explore a representative selection of the pure and applied research of our faculty. At UMO, we believe that research can capture the imagination and invigorate the mind, as well as contribute directly to the quality of life of the citizens we serve.

In this first issue, we have selected four areas of research that span the disciplines of biological and environmental sciences and the arts. This is but a small part of the research conducted by the faculty …