Digital Commons Network^™

Computer Simulations Of Ions, Dipoles, Dna Elasticity And Interfaces, Jayendran Rasaiah

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Jay Rasaiah of the University of Maine is supported by a grant from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program to continue his research on condensed phase fluid systems. Proposed research focuses on four topics: 1) ionic mobility and association, water structure and dynamics in supercritical solutions; 2) phase transitions of polar fluids; 3) intrinsic elasticity of DNA; and 4) structure and dynamics of water and ions in contact with hydrophobic surfaces and electrodes. Rasaiah will use a combination of molecular simulations and formal theory to attack these problems. Computer simulations involving water will use an extended SPC/E model that includes …

Behavioral And Physiological Differences In Migratory Strategies Of A Long-Distance Migrant, The Blackpoll Warbler, And A Facultative Short-Distance Migrant, The Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Rebecca L. Holberton

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The primary focus of these studies has been to investigate the functional role of corticosterone in the development of migratory condition (i.e. hyperphagia, lipogenesis, and migratory restlessness) and to investigate the underlying endocrine mechanisms of migratory condition in two species that differ dramatically in their strategies for reaching their wintering grounds. The main approach has been to measure and to manipulate the peripheral signal molecule, corticosterone, and look at the resulting patterns of feeding behavior, body mass and fat reserves, migratory activity, and metabolites of energy use (fat deposition and protein use). In the comparative component, the Blackpoll warbler (Dendroica …

Sger: Supercritical Levitation Polymerization And Processing, Erdogan Kiran

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

In supercritical polymerization processes, polymer chains grow to molecular weights determined by their solubility under the prevailing density (or pressure and temperature) conditions of the solvent. Further growth in the chain length results in phase separation and leads to precipitation. In this project, polymerizations will be conducted under isopycnic conditions by adjusting the density of the solvent environment to be identical to the density of the polymer formed. This iso- density operation is expected to insure levitation by buoyancy and prevent precipitation of the phase-separated polymer. Density adjustments are readily achievable for supercritical solvents through manipulation of either the pressure …

Digital Government: Knowledge Management Over Time-Varying Geospatial Datasets, Peggy Agouris, Mary-Kate Beard-Tisdale, Anthony Stefanidis Editor

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Spatially-related data is collected by many government agencies in various formats and for various uses. This project seeks to facilitate the integration of these data, thus providing new uses. This will require the development of a knowledge management framework to provide syntax, context, and semantics, as well as exploring the introduction of time-varying data into the framework. Education and outreach will be part of the project through the development of an on-line short courses related to data integration in the area of geographical information systems. The grantees will be working with government partners (National Imagery and Mapping Agency, the National …

Lexen: Role Of Atmospheric Trace Gases In Microbial Colonization And Succession On Recent Lava Flows, Gary M. King

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Drs. Gary M. King of the University of Maine and Klaus Nusslein of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst have been awarded a grant from the NSF Life in Extreme Environment (LExEn) program to determine the role of atmospheric trace gases in microbial colonization and succession on recent lava flows. Volcanic activity has played an important role in the development of terrestrial ecosystems for much of Earth's history, and continues to shape terrestrial environments at present. Deposition of lava and tephra result in surfaces that over time support complex, highly productive biological communities. However, young or recently extruded lavas represent extreme environments …

Collaborative Research: Developing Methods To Study Age-Related Changes In The Physiology Of Forest Trees, Michael S. Greenwood

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Trees continue to increase in size and complexity over life spans that may last many centuries, and each year the growing regions of their shoots produce new foliage and reproductive structures. As they grow older and larger, forest trees appear to grow more slowly, produce thicker foliage and more reproductive structures. These changes are likely to be associated with age-related declines in the growth rates of forest stands, which occur before the mid-point of the lifespan of important timber species. Although similar patterns of age- and size-related change in the morphology and physiology of foliage have been described for numerous …

Cmg Training In Spatio-Temporal Statistical Analysis Of Multi-Platform Ocean Optical Observations, Mary Jane Perry

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This project will be a five-week summer school on the topic of spatio-temporal statistical analysis and its application to multi-platform, multi-sensor bio-optical oceanic data. The summer school seeks to address some of the analysis challenges anticipated as the Integrated Ocean Observing System is established. These are associated with the very diverse range of spatial and temporal sampling afforded by the different components of such a system and contemporaneous process experiments. Statistical experts in spatial information engineering with experience in collaboration with ocean scientists will discuss some of the modern tools for statistical analysis of such data and associated challenges, while …

Electrical Characterization And Testing Of Microelectronic Materials, Devices, And Circuits, David Kotecki

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This project, strengthening the microelectronics program in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE), proposes to establish an electrical characterization and test laboratory which will provide the capability for measuring electrical properties of materials, devices, and circuits. Electrical test equipment for the measurement and characterization of dielectric materials, devices, and circuit components, will be acquired in order to provide students with hands-on experience in electrical measurements complementing the other labs in the ECE Department. In addition to providing training in microelectronics testing, the facility will allow for expanded research in the area of solid-state electronics. Focusing on material characterization, including …

Deglacial Chronology Of The Northern Scott Coast From Relative Sea-Level Curves, Brenda Hall

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This award provides support for three years for a project to develop a radiocarbon chronology for recession of grounded ice from the northwestern Ross Sea Embayment (northern Scott Coast) since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). A key unresolved question in Antarctic glaciology concerns the stability of the marine-based West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS). One way to gain insight into present and future stability is to examine its past behavior. In particular, the timing of deglaciation from the LGM position on the continental shelf is critical for isolating the mechanisms (sea level, climate, ocean temperature, and internal dynamics) that control WAIS …

Reu Site In Advanced Engineered Wood Composites, Eric N. Landis

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Below are abstracts for the projects conducted by the 10 NSF supported REU students. Included with each abstract are the project supervisor and associated graduate students. The abstracts were written by the students. Structural Durability of FRP Drains in Bridge Decks Micah Florea, Tulane University Advisor: Roberto Lopez Anido Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) are quickly becoming the material of choice to solve civil engineering challenges in corrosive environments. In the state of Maine, where deicing salts are generously applied to roadways every winter, conventional steel down spouts used to drain concrete bridge decks are quickly corroded and need constant replacing. …

Beryllium In Antarctic Ultrahigh-Temperature Granulite-Facies Rocks And Its Role In Partial Melting Of The Lower Continental Crust, Edward S. Grew

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the role of beryllium in lower crustal partial melting events. The formation of granitic liquids by partial melting deep in the Earth's crust is one of the major topics of research in igneous and metamorphic petrology today. One aspect of this sphere of research is the beginning of the process, specifically, the geochemical interaction between melts and source rocks before the melt has left the source area. One example of anatexis in metamorphic rocks affected by conditions found deep …

Mechanisms And Integration Of Signal Pathway: A Role For Calpains?, Dorothy E. Croall

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

In order to survive cells must sense and respond to changes in their environment. Environmental cues trigger a variety of events within cells. The concentration and movements of calcium ions are essential regulators of many of these cellular responses. Proper control of intracellular calcium is essential because at thigh levels calcium can lead to cell damage or death. Calcium accomplishes it effects through binding to specific proteins such as calmodulin and calpain. Calmodulin, named for its ability to bind calcium and to modulate the activity of other cellular components, is an important mediator of calcium signals and its mechanism of …

Undergraduate Research Participation In Electrical Engineering, John F. Vetelino, Fred Irons, Donald M. Hummels, Bruce Segee, Conrad Silvestre, Gregory Grillo, Paul Millard, George Bernhardt, Scott Moulzolf, Touradj Solouki, Bronson Crothers, David Frankel, Chung Kim, Carl Tripp, Nick Lecursi, Alfred Bushway, David Kleinschmidt, Mohamad Musavi, Brian Frederick, Robert Lad, Carol Kim, David Kotecki, Mauricio Da Cunha, Habtom Ressom, Cristian Domnisoru, Darrell Donahue

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

During the 1990-2003 summers the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Maine will offer ten undergraduate students the opportunity to actively participate in research. Students will receive financial awards plus a subsistence allowance. The available research projects include (1) Environmental Sensors; (2) Intelligent Systems for Automation; (3) Communications Devices and Applications; (4) Motion Control; (5) Microprocessor/Instrumentation Applications; (6) Growth and Characterization of Thin Film Materials; and (7) Power Systems Applications.

At least five students will come from institutions where research opportunities are limited and at least four students will be women, minorities or students with disabilities. Students chosen for …

Collaborative Research: Locating The Mantle Component In Granite, Daniel R. Lux, John P. Hogan, David Gibson

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Granitic plutons of the Coastal Maine Magmatic Province (CMMP) commonly display dramatic field relations that record interaction between magmas of markedly different composition (chemical and isotopic) and physical properties. Silicic magma chambers, derived from the crust, received influxes of denser mafic magma that spread out along the floor of these chambers to produce a compositional stratification know as Mafic and Silicic Layered Intrusions (MASLI). The spectacular field relations and large compositional variation in the vicinity of the interface between contrasting magma types are well document by recent studies. In contrast, the extent of physical and chemical coupling between the base …

Acquisition Of Digitial Geophysical Equipment For University Of Maine Sea-Level, Coastal And Lacustrine Research, Daniel Belknap, Joseph Kelley

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This Major Research Instrumentation award to University of Maine provides geophysical instrumentation for study of sea level and related coastal research. Consisting of a side-scan sonar system, seismic reflection profiler, digital data processing system and a vibracorer, it will be particularly used for research into evolution of coastal and nearshore systems and climate change in glaciomarine environments, especially the Gulf of Maine and adjacent environs. Research plans by University of Maine faculty and students will focus on the acquisition of data needed to model processes of change near former ice sheet margins. The facility plans to build on research partnerships …

Environmental Engineering Education Conference, August 3-6, 1996 At The University Of Maine, Orono, Chet A. Rock

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This is an award to support conduct of a conference to address issues of importance to the education of environmental engineers, a significant component of which involves conduct of research by university faculty with the assistance of students primarily at the graduate level. Session content addresses issues of importance in preparing graduates for environmental engineering practice. Sessions scheduled include consideration of the attributes expected of program graduates in terms the market for their services, educational approaches and curricula for meeting practitioner perceptions and needs, roles of practitioners in enhancing the content of curricula and the role of practitioners in influencing …

Accurate Dna Base Caller, Mohamad T. Musavi

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The major goal of this project is to develop a new base calling technique that will improve the efficiency of the DNA sequencing process. This will be achieved by increasing the average length of error-free sequencing and enhancing the base identification process at the beginning and end of sequences. This will increase sequencing throughput and reduce the cost of DNA sequencing. Previous work by the PI has demonstrated the ability to extend the error-free read by 30%. This was achieved through work on cross-talk filtering, baseline adjustment, base-spacing prediction and development of a fuzzy base-calling algorithm. Further adaptive capabilities as …

Exploring Data And Methods To Assess And Understand The Performance Of Ssi States: Learning From The Cases Of Kentucky And Maine, Jaekyung Lee, Walter Mcintire, Theodore Coladarci

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This study examined two major questions. Do national and state assessments provide consistent information on the performance of state education systems? What accounts for discrepancies between national and state assessment results if they are found?

Data came from national and state assessments in grade 4 and grade 8 mathematics from 1992 to 1996 in Maine and Kentucky: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS), and Maine Educational Assessment (MEA). Here is a very brief summary of major research findings:

1. NAEP and state assessments reported inconsistent results on the performance level of students in Maine …

Expansion And Renovation Of The Darling Marine Center Library, Kevin Eckelbarger

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This award provides partial funding for expansion and modernization of the library at The Darling Marine Center. The library currently contains more marine-related holdings than any other library in Maine, and is an important resource for researchers and students interested in the biology of the Gulf of Maine and the Maine coast. Because of current space limitations, a third of the library's holdings are stored in other buildings and attic spaces. The library is not wheelchair accessible, has no significant study space, and provides only limited access to electronic databases. The proposed changes include: 1) construction of a 1,500 sq. …

Collaborative Research: Southern Andes Paleoclimate; A Testof Abrupt Ocean-Atmosphere Reorganizations In Glacial Cycle, George Denton

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

In the late 1980s, Broecker and Denton prepared papers on the concept that glacial-to-interglacial transitions involved global reorganizations of the ocean-atmosphere system (Broecker, W. S. and Denton, G. H., 1989. The role of ocean-atmosphere reorganizations in glacial cycles. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 53, 2465-2501; Broecker, W. S. and Denton, G. H., 1990, What drives glacial cycles? Sci. American, 262, 49-56). These reorganizations were thought to constitute jumps of Earth's climate systems between stable modes of operation, and they featured changes in the greenhouse-gas content or reflectivity of the atmosphere. In that concept, switches in thermohaline circulation, resulting from changes in …

Millenial-Scale Climatic Oscillations In New Zealand During The Last Glacial Cycle; Pep Iii Transect, George H. Denton

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Millennial-Scale Climatic Oscillations in New Zealand During the Last Glacial Cycle: PEP III Transect Paleoclimate records from Greenland ice cores and North Atlantic sediments indicate that the glacial climate over the North Atlantic basin was punctuated with large and frequent abrupt climatic changes (Dansgaard-Oeschger and Henrich events). Because the events first appeared to have been regionally restricted, most explanations have invoked regional forcing mechanisms. But quite a different perspective would emerge if these events were shown to be of this global-scale. SGER award supports a reconnaissance study of the glacial and vegetative paleoclimate record of the massive morainal deposits of …

Collaborative Research: A Dynamic Atlas Of The Cricket Cercal Sensory System, Sharon M. Crook

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

A fundamental question in neuroscience is how natural sensory stimuli are encoded for information handling by the brain. Invertebrate animals often offer systems that are in some ways simpler than those of mammals, and including such features as identifiable single cells in networks of relatively few numbers. This collaborative project exploits a sensory system called the cercal system of the cricket, in which small appendages on the rear of the body contain fine hairs that are used to detect, identify and localize behaviorally relevant air current movements, such as those produced by a predator. The input from roughly 2000 receptor …

Novel Methods For Maximizing And Evaluating Adaptive Measurement Efficiency, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Contributions within Discipline: The findings have improved the efficiency of adaptive measurement in psychophysics, in experimental paradigms where individual trials are often information-poor and experiments are consequently long. The Bayesian adaptive methodology improves the information throughput in such experiments and improves on heuristic methods. The multivariate estimation also extends the utility of Bayesian adaptive estimation into realms where it is even more important because of the 'curse of dimensionality' (where the size of parameter space is exponential in the number of parameters). In addition, the work on nonparametric adaptive methods has helped reveal the source of bias in simpler adaptive …

U.S. Graduate Student Travel To The Second Agentlink European Agent Systems Summer School (Easss) 2000, Thomas A. Wagner

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This award supports international travel for fifteen U.S. graduate students who would not otherwise be able to attend the Second AgentLink European Agent Systems Summer School being held in Saarbrucken, Germany, from August 14-18, 2000. AgentLink, Europe's ESPRIT-funded Network of Excellence for agent-based computing, organizes the school (http://www.agentlink.org). It is a world-class event that will bring together internationally recognized researchers in the area of autonomous agents and multi-agent systems to present introductory and advanced courses in the theoretical and practical aspects of agent-based computing. The objective of this award is to encourage and enable U.S. graduate students of outstanding merit …

Sger: Detection Of Bioterrorism-Linked Microbial Pathogens Using Surface Acoustic Wave Liquid Sensors, Maruicio Pereira Da Cunha, Paul J. Millard

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Bioterrorism threats and attacks in civilian environments require sensors that can rapidly and accurately detect minute quantities of pathological bioagents. Selective and inexpensive sensors are urgently needed to detect pathogens in liquid environments, including food and water supplies. Conventional laboratory analyses are time-consuming, labor-intensive and inconsistent with the expedient response required in the wake or possibility of a bioterrorist act.

The activities proposed in this Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) are multidisciplinary and involve two faculty members from the University of Maine. Dr. Mauricio Pereira da Cunha, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will provide expertise in …

Development Of A Fourier Transform-Based Time-Of-Flight Electron Spectrometer With Ultra-High Resolution, Brian Frederick, Peter H. Kleban

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This project, funded by the Major Research Instrumentation program, will develop a time-of-flight electron velocity analyzer using advanced modulation and Fourier deconvolution techniques with a throughput advantage on the order of 1000 over existing instruments. The new spectrometer will operate with ultra-high resolution in the energy range 1-1000 electron volts. It will be useful for the investigation of surface properties under ultra-high vacuum and a variety of other scientific and commercial applications. The device utilizes secondary chopping of the electron beam in the nanosecond or sub-nanosecond time regime, and state-of-the-art Fourier transform-based digital signal recovery methods. Additionally, there is potential …

Magmatic To Solid-State Fabric Transition In A Post-Tectonic Tonalite Pluton, Scott E. Johnson

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Magma chambers are an essential component in the construction of oceanic and continental lithosphere, and profoundly influence the thermal and mechanical behavior of the crust and mantle. The mechanical properties of a magma chamber change during cooling and crystallization, as accommodation of deformation changes from magmatic flow to solid-state processes. Thus, to understand the thermo-mechanical evolution of magma chambers, it is crucial to understand the relative importance of magmatic and solid-state flow, and the nature of the transition between them. This project is investigating such a transition preserved in the San Jose pluton, Baja California, Mexico. The pluton postdates the …