Digital Commons Network^™

Using The Real Food Calculator To Assess The University Of Maine's Dining Purchases Within A Food System Context, Ashely Thibeault

Honors College

This study investigated the University of Maine’s food purchasing using the Real Food Calculator to determine the Real Food percentage. Real Food is defined by the Real Food Challenge as local, humane, fair, and ecologically sound. The Real Food Challenge is an organization that seeks to create systemic food system change through student efforts on college campuses by shifting food purchasing to 20% Real Food by 2020. The University of Maine had 5% Real Food in the 2012-2013 academic year. While there are limitations to Real Food and the Real Food Calculator, it may produce a change in the food …

Assessing Achievement In Honors: The Importance Of A Need For Cognition In Higher Education, Christopher Paradis

Honors College

Honors programs are increasingly common in academic institutions today. However, what makes a student successful in a program like this is not clear. Is it their ability to remember information, the amount of knowledge they have, or the way they process this knowledge? Or could it be something else like how humble they are, what political party they affiliate themselves with, their thirst for complex problems, or even their motivations for engaging in the program? Much of the academic world focuses on the concepts of intelligence, test-taking, and study habits when discussing factors that make a student successful. These factors …

Effects Of Environmentally Relevant Transplacental Arsenic Exposure On Mouse (Mus Musculus) Hepatic Protein Expression, Jay Knowlton

Honors College

Inorganic arsenic is a well-known toxic element found around the world, but the molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic toxicity are currently poorly understood. Arsenic has been linked to several types of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic diseases. This project explores the toxic effects of arsenic using mouse (Mus musculus) as a mammalian model organism. Preliminary data from the Van Beneden lab has shown that mice respond to low-dose, transplacental arsenic exposure in a dose-, sex-, and generation-dependent manner. The current study addresses a potential mechanism of toxicity by determining relative expression levels of pAKT/AKT1, a serine/threonine kinase that …

Allelic Variants Of Oprm1, Comt And Abcb1 On Pre-Withdrawal Sleep-Wake Regulation In The Opioid Exposed Neonate, Zakiah-Lee Meeks

Honors College

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a neonatal medical condition of prenatal opioid withdrawal, secondary to prenatal exposure. NAS increases mortality and morbidity through seizure risk, and excessive sympathetic autonomic tone; which affects respiration and dysregulates sleep and feeding. Our laboratory has recruited more than 200 pregnant women who are in treatment for opiate dependence with methadone maintenance treatments. We have found that NAS severity is modulated by the presence of allelic variants of OPRM1 118A>G (μ-opiate receptor) and COMT 158 A>G (catechol-o-methyl transferase) genes, revealing a positive correlation between minor alleles of these two genes and severity reflected …

Depth Preferences Of Sturgeon In Critical Habitat, Elizabeth A. Dunbar

Honors College

The depth and vertical movements of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and shortnose sturgeon (Acispenser brevirostrum) at Bucks Ledge (river kilometer 21) in the Penobscot River were examined to investigate sturgeon depth preferences and jumping habits. The purpose of this project was to expand knowledge on the endangered and threatened sturgeon populations in Maine waters. Behavior of 20 individual sturgeon (6 Atlantic sturgeon and 14 shortnose sturgeon) was used to characterize fish depth as it varied with water depth, e.g., in relation to tidal periodicity or not (random). The study used depth data collected using acoustic telemetry between 2007 and …

A Multi-Institution Investigation Of Educational Practices And Strategies In Stem Courses, Scott James Merrill

Honors College

This study examines the teaching practices of faculty participating in the Automated Analysis of Constructed Response (AACR) project. The AACR project focuses on using short-answer assessment questions to elicit the mixed models students have about key concepts in STEM courses. The 19 faculty from six different institutions who participated in this project are all teaching biology courses, asking biology AACR questions, and participating in Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs). FLCs are a method of faculty professional development in which groups of faculty regularly meet to discuss issues of teaching and learning. Here I use a combination of classroom observation data and …

Investigating The Optimization Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Dechorionation For High-Throughput Applications In Influenza Research, Thomas Hoffmann

Honors College

No abstract provided.

Towards A New Measure For Human Visual Acuity, Andrew B. Wilson

Honors College

This prospective study investigates whether a newly modified software program can effectively substitute for clinical measures of visual acuity like the standard Landolt C, ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) and Snellen charts. One goal of this study is to compare these different charts to the computerized experiment that we have created. Important differences between recognition versus resolution based visual acuity charts are discussed in light of these studies. The “open door” computerized acuity program displayed a black box on a white background (XoW) or a white box on a black background (WoX) that had an opening on one of …

Vision Problems In Ecuador: Developing A Clinical Trial To Test Visual Acuity In Rural Populations, Ty B. Bolte

Honors College

In many developing countries, access to medical care and screenings are difficult, and this is especially true for countries with large rural populations, such as Ecuador. There are many groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that contribute time and money to educational systems and other basic infrastructure, but not necessarily medical screenings. In the case of eyesight, without proper screening an individual may fall behind academically or even withdraw from education simply because they cannot see. The simple addition of corrective lenses could be the difference between a life of poverty, and a life of wellbeing for many of these individuals. …

Exploring Organizational Culture Of Restaurants Through Workplace Rituals, Joshua Deakin

Honors College

Organizational culture can be a competitive advantage to the extent of how employees learn underlying core values. Workplace rituals are symbolic mechanisms through which employees may learn to operate in a given particular culture. Yet, surprisingly little research exists examining how different rituals are used as learning mechanisms in different cultures. Drawing on Cameron and Quinn’s (1999) cultural framework, I examined four different types of organizational cultures: clan, hierarchy, market, and adhocracy. A total of 16, semi-structured interviews with managers, owners, and staff, along with 5 field observations were used to examine the link among rituals, learning, and culture. Findings …

Where Are Victims' Voices?: Rethinking Sexual Violence Policy, Melissa Carrigan

Honors College

Youth based programs focus on preventing young people from participating in

socially undesirable behavior. Consent education through healthy relationship education can be a way to reduce sexual violence and produce a cultural change in how we address victims’ needs. Implementing such education would require a national policy change.

Simply changing the policy, however, would not directly lead to a desired aspect of cultural change all on its own as evidenced by other policy change failures to encourage sexual violence victims to report their victimization. People do not report the violence committed against themselves out of a fear that they will …

Exploring The Relation Of Service-Learning Courses And Retention Rates At The University Of Maine, Jared Duggan

Honors College

This thesis examines the relationship between service-learning and retention rates
at the University of Maine. The thesis focuses on demographic factors that influence
retention rates. These factors include gender, institutional connection, debt, college of
study, and academic performance. The sample subjects were undergraduate students
enrolled at the University of Maine. Students who were enrolled in known service
learning courses were specifically targeted, as well as the general population, so that the two groups could be compared. The study found that there was a strong correlation between service-learning and community service with a student’s affective commitment. In other words, most students …

Detection Of Streptococus Equi From Environmental Samples Using An Elisa, Taryn Haller

Honors College

Equine Strangles, an upper respiratory disease caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) causes significant losses in the horse industry. Surveillance for S. equi could be facilitated by quantifying S. equi in environmental samples. The objective of this project was to evaluate ELISA in quantifying S. equi using two monoclonal antibodies (MAB’s) to the SeM protein (MAB-212 for capture, and biotinylated MAB-211 for detection), with Streptococcal phage lysin releasing SeM from the cell surface. Initial results confirmed a fresh culture of S. equi and two S. equi lysates stored at -20 C for 2 years as positive, while confirming …

Fortification Of The International Defense Of Cultural Property Trapped In Areas Of Armed Conflict, Marissa E. Higgins

Honors College

This thesis examines the state of cultural-property protection during armed conflict. Following a description of the ethical impositions and international background of the concept, theoretical expectations of cultural-property protection in present-day armed conflicts are compiled through the comparison of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. These two conventions were chosen because of their relevance to the actual application of cultural-property protection during armed conflict, which was established through research into the effects the recent …

Nurses' Perceptions Of Barriers To Pediatric Patient Advocacy In End-Of-Life Care, Layla J. Eaton

Honors College

Nurses responsible for caring for pediatric patients during end-of-life care find themselves in any number of ethical dilemmas as they attempt to balance providing care, educating family and patients spanning a large developmental spectrum, working collaboratively with extensive medical teams, ensuring proper therapy and bereavement services for parents and siblings, as well as advocating for the voices of their patients who do not yet have legal authority to make decisions regarding their care. These issues are multifaceted and require considerations from multiple disciplines if proper assessment of potential barriers to patient advocacy is desired. This thesis explored the barriers perceived …

Functionalization Of Nanocellulouse Fibers For Use In Radical Reactions, Thomas Mcoscar

Honors College

Plastics and polymers comprise an expansive and growing portion of the materials in consumer products. The field of renewable and biodegradable polymers offers an appealing opportunity to continue developing plastics and materials along with an alternative to petroleum-based products that can have damaging environmental effects. Cellulose, the most abundant biological polymer on Earth, is an especially intriguing material for its diverse physical properties, its mass abundance, and the chemistry it can undergo, becoming a platform for other materials and reactions. On it's smallest mechanical scale, the material becomes cellulose nano fibers.
The reaction between nanofibers of cellulose and methacrylic anhydride …

Is The Ubiquitous Antibacterial Agent Triclosan An Uncoupler Of Mammalian Mitochondria, Hina Hashmi

Honors College

Triclosan (TCS), an antibacterial agent widely found in household and clinical products, is readily absorbed into human skin, but TCS effects on mammalian cells are largely unknown. TCS has been found to alleviate symptoms of human eczema, via an unknown mechanism. Mast cells are ubiquitous, key players in allergy, infectious disease, carcinogenesis, autism, and many other diseases and physiological functions. One important function of mast cells is release of pro-inflammatory mediators from intracellular granules (degranulation) upon challenge with antigen. Non-cytotoxic doses of TCS inhibit several functions of both human (HMC-1.2) and rat (RBL-2H3) mast cells, including degranulation. Previous work in …

The University Of Maine Food And Fitness Environment: Is It Health Promoting?, Carolyn Anne Stocker

Honors College

Obesity impacts one in six young adults, ages 20-29, and is a major risk factor for chronic disease. An environmental audit of the University of Maine campus was conducted to identify supports for healthful lifestyles by assessing the vending, dining, and recreation environments. Instruments developed by a multistate research team were used to determine scores and percentages for the audit. Ten buildings were assessed in the vending assessment. The mean healthful snack percentage was 17% and the mean healthful beverage percentage was 18% of total items. Two on-campus and seven off- campus dining establishments were assessed. The on-campus dining establishments …

Developing And Testing A New Technique For Assessing Human Color Acuities, Jordan D. Servetas

Honors College

This study is a continuation of the “open door” technique of color acuity determination. The open door experiment is a computer based program that tests the subject’s ability to discern a continuity break in the outline of a box. When presented with the image of a box on an LED screen, the subject is asked to indicate the location of the open door within three seconds. The addition of a joystick provides subjects with four selection options- top, bottom, left, right- for the location of the open door, as well as a fifth option if they did not believe the …

Human Trafficking In The Media: Who, What, Where, And Why?, Mary Borer

Honors College

This study examines themes within the media around the coverage of human trafficking. Theory of media framing suggests that the media holds the power to influence the ideas and beliefs the public has around issues through the information presented. This study presents a content and thematic analysis of three newspapers in Delaware, Maine, and South Dakota during the year 2014. Themes emerge within the categories of what is human trafficking, where is it happening, who is involved, and why is it happening. Overall, there was a lack of discussion and explanation about what human trafficking actually is. In addition, analysis …

Effects Of Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica And Rhamnus Frangula) On Native Flora Functional Traits, Alexandra Perry

Honors College

Invasive plant species are currently a threat to native species and communities,

and two major challenges facing scientists today are trying to figure out how to deal with the invasive plants and trying to pinpoint their effects on the native communities. While some methods of removal have been effective, it is still unclear how the invasive plants affect the natives. Two species of the shrub buckthorn are invasive in the United States and both are causing problems in the state of Maine. I studied the native plants in areas with and without buckthorn to determine the effects of buckthorn on …

Ideologies Of Empire: Perpetuating Imperial Culture Through Definitive British Literature Of The Congo, Shelby Lynne Hartin

Honors College

The Congo reform campaign in Britain was the largest humanitarian movement in British Imperial politics during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The texts used in this analysis emerged from the conflict and attempted to make sense of the atrocities committed against the people of the Congo Free State.

This analysis examines the impact of imperial ideology on the subjects of empire. It uses the texts of three authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Conrad, and E.D. Morel, analyzing the literary underpinnings of imperial culture. It utilizes theoretical frameworks through which this literature can be understood and considers three manifestations of …

Study Of The Effect Of Dogs On College Students' Mood And Anxiety, Mariah J. Picard

Honors College

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether first-year college students’ interaction with a dog would have a positive effect on their mood and anxiety. A sample of 35 first-year college students, aged 18-19 years, was partially randomly assigned to a condition for five minutes in which the participant either interacted with a dog (n = 19) or watched an informational video that included dogs (n = 16). Before the experimental treatment, students completed the Pet Attitude Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale to evaluate their animal preferences, …

A Descriptive Study Of Forensic Implications Of Raccoon Scavenging In Maine, Ashley Hannigan

Honors College

This thesis is a case study of winter raccoon scavenging in Maine. The data used for my analysis came from a National Institute of Justice funded project on Regional Taphonomy done by Marcella Sorg from 2007 to 2012 (Sorg, 2013). I analyzed the photographic and videographic data from one pig cadaver site and identified raccoon scavenging “events.” This term is used to describe any period of time that one or more raccoons are scavenging. These events were then analyzed to investigate possible associations between scavenging behaviors and environmental variables, although none were positively identified. I adapted a method of describing …

Trade And Transition: Russia's Agricultural Pitfalls And Prospects For The 21st Century, Michele Girard

Honors College

This thesis provides a discussion of Russian agriculture in the twenty-first century. In 2014, Russia enforced a food ban disallowing trade with western countries. The impacts of the food ban for Russia and the western world are discussed, as well as a brief explanation of some of the domestic difficulties of Russian agriculture. Internationally, Russia must find new trading partners if it is to replace the missing foods as a result of the ban.

The Effect Of Temperature On Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Uptake By Blue Mussels (Mytilus Edulis) And Sea Scallops (Placopecten Magellanicus), Mackenzie Mazur

Honors College

Increasing amounts of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) threaten human health, the economy, and marine ecosystems because of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Therefore, studies about shellfish toxicity can have significant public health and social impact. In this study, the effect of water temperature on PST uptake in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) was tested. Mytilus edulis and P. magellanicus were acclimated to either 10°C or 15°C for two weeks before being fed with the toxic alga, Alexandrium fundyense, at a concentration of 100 cells/mL and a non-toxic algae source (Shellfish Diet) at a concentration of 2.4 X …

The Role Of Macrophages In Resistance To Caseous Lymphadenitis, Amy Fish

Honors College

Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a chronic disease that affects sheep and goats worldwide. CL causes a large economic loss to producers via milk and fiber losses, carcass condemnation, and chronic wasting of animals. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (C. psTB) causes CL, and infected animals produce abscesses, typically in lymph nodes, lungs, liver, and mammary tissues. Ruptured abscesses release C. psTB, and can contaminate the environment. The bacteria are extremely hardy and can survive in the external environment for over a year, infecting other animals through open wounds.

Macrophages engulf C. psTB when it enters the body, and carry it …

Restorative Justice: A Comparative Analysis Of Campus Implementation, Cameron M. Huston

Honors College

Restorative justice has been used in many student conduct programs at colleges and universities in the United States. Although there is a strong sense of advocacy for the implementation of campus restorative justice programs, many schools shy away from establishing such programs due to a perceived lack of additional funding, staffing, or other resources. This research examines the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of campus restorative justice programs. The theoretical framework examines the principles of participatory democracy to better understand what might motivate a campus to adopt this alternative strategy of addressing student conduct issues. Comparative analysis of …

Directing "Godspell", Nellie M. Kelly

Honors College

My Honors Thesis was the research and direction of the musical Godspell at the University of Maine. Godspell was first produced in 1970. It is based on the book of Matthew which follows the parables taught by Jesus Christ. The cast, production team, and crew will be UMaine students or recent alums. I wanted to direct this show in order to have the experience in my undergraduate career and prove a student run musical can be done here. Although there have been multiple student productions produced by the theater club Maine Masque at UMaine, there has never been a full …

Forward Not Back: Young People's Search For Community And Farming In Maine, Danielle Walczak

Honors College

In Maine there is a growing body of statistics pointing to the growth of agriculture in the state. Yet with one of the oldest populations in the country, Maine is always asking: how do we bring young people to the state? Farming may be a start. The number of farmers age 34 and under increased 40 percent between 2007 and 2012. Maine is bucking the trend. While most of the country’s farms are decreasing in number and getting bigger in size, Maine farms are increasing in number while staying small. Behind each of these statistics there is a person, a …