School of Mathematics and Sciences

Permanent URI for this community

https://dspace.husson.edu/handle/20.500.14298/19

Browse

Now showing 1 - 15 of 15

LAND USE EFFECTS ON LOCAL STREAM ECOSYSTEMS IN AND AROUND BANGOR, ME
(2023-04-20) Belmont. Megan; Northington, Robert
The goal of this project is to gain an understanding of the impacts cities and increased human influence can have on a stream, because it is important to see the toll that human activity takes on the streams and life within them for the health of the environment. Two different streams were tested for this project, one in an urban area, and one in a rural area. Urban areas and rural areas have very different land uses, so this project will allow insight on the effect that land use has on its local streams. The first stream studied was the Kenduskeag Stream which is in a more urban setting, tested within the city limits of Bangor. The second stream was Little Birch Stream in Milford which is in a rural area located within the Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge. Water quality was assessed using both biological and chemical methods, including insect sampling, chlorophyll-a analysis, and water nutrient sampling for nitrogen and phosphorus. These methods helped to provide quantitative and qualitative data to determine the direct impacts of land use on water quality. Through use of the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index, the aquatic insects found in Kenduskeag Stream are more tolerant to organic pollution than the insects living in Little Birch Stream which are more intolerant to organic pollution. Chlorophyll-a trends for late summer show an average concentration of about 0.02 mcg/m2 for Little Birch Stream and 0.09 mcg/m2 for Kenduskeag Stream, indicating higher human influence at the urban site. Data suggests there are water nutrient differences between the two sites. Between insect and chlorophyll-a analysis, Kenduskeag Stream shows that it could be impacted by pollution due to human influence, while Little Birch Stream shows little to no evidence of pollution due to human influence.
UTILIZING LENTINUS EDODES FOR THE BIOSORPTION OF LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
(2023-04-20) Brackett, Abigail; Kennard, Raymond
The health risks associated with lead consumption have long been established. Due to mismanagement and an aging water infrastructure, in 2014, it was discovered that dangerously high levels of lead were found in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan. Since that time it has been discovered that thousands of cities in the United States have high levels of lead in their drinking water. Currently, the EPA and the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) have estimated that 9 to 12 million lead pipes are currently in service delivering contaminated water to businesses and homes. Approximately 1.2 million children have lead poisoning in the United state, and it is estimated that 170 million citizens have been exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water. With the goal of protecting children in the state, the Maine legislature passed a law requiring all Maine schools to test all drinking sources for lead concentrations. Results from recent testing have found some in-school water sources to have lead levels as high as 2500 ppb, with countless schools exceeding action levels higher than the action level of 4 ppb. These results have caused great concern in the general population about their personal home drinking water quality. Unfortunately, a drinking water test from a certified lab can cost $50 to 200, and remediation expenses can run in the tens of thousands of dollars. These prices are cost-prohibitive for low-income families. Seeking ways to cut costs, families turn to cheaper, commercially available at-home testing kits. The aim of this study is to determine the accuracy and reliability of several commercially available at-home drinking water tests and to determine if a low-cost biosorbent Lentinus edodes (shiitake mushrooms) is a viable method for lead remediation.
INFLUENCE OF SOIL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON RASPBERRY CROPS
(2023-04-20) Northington, Robert; Eisenmann, August
Different soil management strategies have been shown to increase crop yields for farmers in many places. Raspberries are a very common crop grown during the warmer months in New England, which makes them a good candidate for crop research. Over the past two semesters, I have been working in gardens in multiple locations to distinguish how different soil management strategies affect raspberry crops. These sample locations included Husson University Garden, the personal raspberry crop of HU professor Roberta Trefts, and Butternut Farm in New Hampshire. The techniques used to farm these crops were all unique, so the data will show more about how these techniques affect the health of the raspberry crop. During the summer of 2022, samples of soil and raspberry plants were taken from the three farms over a three week period in order to determine plant biomass, soil texture, soil water content, and nutrient concentrations. The data showed that the chemistry and characteristics of the soils in Butternut farm and the Husson garden were very similar, and both farms had crops with fruit on them. Trefts farm soil had unique characteristics and chemistry compared to the other sites and the crops lacked fruit. The traditional management practices of the Husson Garden and Butternut Farms likely affected both the soils and the crops compared to the unique, but more natural methods found on Trefts farms. The data shows that the location of plants and how they are cultivated are important considerations for predicting yields of important agricultural crops.
PROCESS OF DETERMINING QUALITY OF MOVEMENT DURING EXERCISE
(2024-04-18) Jackson, Debra; Polsgrove, Jay
Overview: The dynamic systems perspective suggests that an individual’s movements are unique and identifiable. An effective mover is one who is able to adeptly free and freeze joints to meet the current requirements of the task. Problem: Accepting the complex systems view, the problem then is to describe the effectiveness or quality of an individual’s squat exercise. A potential solution could be found by utilizing insights from the product and the process of movement. The product or quantity of movement during a squat were gained through triaxial accelerometer values and process or quality of movement was achieved through Lower Extremity Functional Scale questionnaire describing the self- perception of movement. The problem of this study was to provide a holistic description of movement and effectively describe the relationship between two different metrics. Methodology: The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient provided the ideal method to compare data from two different value systems. An Excel analysis provided one significant correlation between accelerations to perception ratings. Recognizing the potential for greater comparisons, a Python program was written. Using values from the program meta-analysis revealed interesting patterns of correlation otherwise not seen. Currently, the challenge is to analyze this massive amount of data and create a quality of movement model. Discussion: To determine movement quality, we first established a mental model or predicted patterns of the movement. Using mathematical algorithms data can be simplified to represent patterns of movement for the individual. Comparing these numerical values to self-perception of movement, mathematical analysis provided a rating of movement quality. Such findings could provide meaningful insights for a more effective plan in the clinical or fitness setting. For example, training that uses values of perception and movement acceleration may be able to better address issues of unique movement patterning and therefore provide a more individualized program.
INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF LOTR-1, SMG-2 AND F52B5.3 IN THE GERM LINE OF C. ELEGANS
(2024-04-18) Kervin, Elizabeth; Marnik, Elisabeth
LOTR-1 is a newly characterized protein found in the germline of Caenorhabditis elegans. LOTR-1 is known to associate with the germ granule in C.elegans where it helps to maintain fertility through regulating what RNAs are made into protein and assists in proper germ granule function. When the germ granule is disrupted, C.elegans show impairment in fertility, as well as improper differentiation of the germline into other cell types. LOTR-1 is thought to be the worm homolog of the human proteins TDRD5 and TDRD7. In humans, these two proteins are normally found in the germline, but are often misexpressed in cancerous cells. Thus, learning more about how their homologs function may help us to understand what might be happening in human cancer cells. Previous research was conducted to identify proteins interacting with LOTR-1 in the germline, however how many of these proteins function is unknown. This project focused on two main things 1) Identifying the homologs of proteins associating with LOTR-1, particularly SMG-2 and F52B5.3 to get insight into their potential role in the germline. 2) Use RNAi and other techniques to determine if reducing the amount of these proteins altered C.elegans fertility. Our work found that F52B5.3 is homologous to a DNA/RNA helicase DHX36 which is known to have a role in spermatogenesis and maintaining genome integrity during transcription and replication. SMG-2 was found to be homologous to UPF2, a regulator of transcripts and to DNA/RNA helicases such as SSBP2 and ELOA2. This gives us a starting foundation to understand more about how these proteins may function in the C.elegans germline. Additionally, we determined that reducing levels of SMG-2 through RNAi reduced the brood size of C.elegans compared to controls, suggesting that SMG-2 is important for maintaining normal fertility. Interestingly, the F2B5.3 RNAi treated worms appeared to have a higher brood size compared to controls, this potentially suggests that F2B5.3 is a negative regulator of fertility. In general, these findings support that these two proteins do have a role in the germline, but more research is needed to understand how they may be functioning.
MICROBUBBLES: THE NEW DELIVERY VESICLES
(2024-04-18) Smith, MacKenna; Purington, Emilia
Microbubbles are bubbles that are composed of an outer shell and an inner core. They are called micro because they can get as small as a red blood cell, <10μm. The core is usually a perfluorocarbon gas, or a thick oil like PEG-40S. The shell is typically a protein or lipid monolayer, allowing for it to be broken down by the body without serious side effects. Microbubbles have been used as contrast agents in ultrasound imaging, but recently came under topic of discussion for other biomedical applications because of their size and composition. The microbubbles in this research project are composed of a thick oil core with a lipid monolayer shell. Microbubbles are currently used as abstract agents for ultrasonic imaging. However, recent studies show they might be used for other things like gene therapy or drug delivery. Through research it is found that microbubbles can have drugs linked onto a lipid shell, either negatively charged drugs linked onto them positive head of the lipid, or drugs can link to the hydrophobic tail of the microbubble. If the drug is not linked to the lipid shell, it is encapsulated in the gas/oil core of the microbubble as it is made. To further reduce side effects of drug delivery, targeting ligands can be added onto the bubble shell in the same linking process as the drugs, to make sure the bubbles are delivered to the correct area. With all the information about microbubbles: size, composition, lack of immune system response etc; leads to the question: what else can it do? Since it is the size of a red blood cell it means it should pass through the blood brain barrier, leading to the potential use for brain diseases.
ENGAGING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS IN CHEMISTRY: RESILIENT AND INCLUSIVE APPROACHES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
(2025-04-17) Wenting, Hu
This poster presents strategies for creating equitable chemistry classrooms that engage first-generation students. It includes specific examples of inclusive practices and culturally relevant approaches, demonstrating how these methods can be integrated into lessons. Historically underserved students, such as first-generation college students and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students, in STEM education, often lose interest in STEM fields due to barriers like isolation, inadequate preparation, and prejudice in STEM programs. Social psychology and sociology offer approaches to addressing these challenges. Social psychology typically focuses on individual-level factors such as student engagement, belonging, and achievement, while sociology emphasizes the broader, systemic forces, such as race, gender, and class inequalities that affect STEM education. To address these issues, focusing on "meso-level" interventions, which operate between individual and macro-level (structural) factors, can be a useful solution. These interventions, particularly in faculty and peer instructor development, can help reduce inequalities by addressing both the systemic influences and individual experiences in STEM education. This is especially true in college education of Chemistry, one of the most challenging science subjects for many STEM students. Inclusive pedagogy, which encourages instructors to reflect on the historical and sociological influences on teaching, is a key tool for faculty development because they facilitate a supportive, inclusive environment for minoritized and First-Generation students. Resilient and inclusive interventions and approaches of faculty can interrupt the cycle of inequality in chemistry education, improving student achievement and ultimately influencing broader systemic change. They include multiple aspects such as effectively engaging students and incorporate inclusive practices. For online chemistry education, it is critical to show students the enthusiasm of the faculty considering that there is less face-to-face interpersonal communication.
WETLAND VS. UPLAND HABITAT VEGETATION INFLUENCES ON SMALL MAMMAL ABUNDANCE
(2026-04-16) Maher, Mackenzie; Cornell, Josie; Gibney, Chris; McKnight, Aly
Small-mammal communities are strongly influenced by vegetation complexity and structure. This study compared small-mammal abundance between wetland and upland habitats on the Husson University campus in Bangor, Maine, to understand how vegetation structure shapes community dynamics. We conducted live trapping across four 30 m × 30 m grids (two wetland and two upland) over seven consecutive nights for the fall season, totaling 448 trap nights. We baited Sherman traps, checked them within 12 hours of setting, and identified, weighed, and, when possible, tagged captured individuals for recapture data. We developed an encounter history for each individual and used encounter histories to (1) evaluate whether capture-mark- recapture modeling assumptions were met, and (2) estimate capture rates, recapture rates, and population sizes for each focal species. Species observed included voles, mice, shrews, and squirrels. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that wetland habitats would support higher small mammal abundance due to increased vegetation complexity and resource availability. Results from this study contribute to understanding how specific habitat differences influence small mammal populations and provide insight into the role of vegetation structure in shaping community dynamics.
HERBACEOUS PLANT COMPOSITION IN THE HUSSON UNIVERSITY FOREST PRIOR TO INVASION BY EMERALD ASH BORER
(2026-04-16) Talbott, Rowan; Menzmer, Austin; McKnight, Aly; Crowley, Katherine
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) is an invasive species quickly killing ash trees across the eastern United States. With the EAB soon to arrive on our campus forest, we proposed a study to establish baseline pre-invasion data on woody, herbaceous, avian, and small mammal populations. Husson’s ash forest contains both upland deciduous forest and wetlands. We established six sites in the forest, each with multiple ash trees present: three in the upland and three in the wetland. Following the collection of pre-invasion herbaceous data in July 2025, we analyzed the diversity, composition, and canopy openness between site types. We found a significant difference in composition between the upland and wetland sites, but no difference in diversity or canopy openness. The lack of difference in diversity between upland and wetland plots may be due to an overall low number of species throughout the forest, while the lack of difference in canopy openness suggests that the cause of the compositional difference between the upland and wetland is not related to varying levels of light reaching the forest floor. Indicator species analysis revealed five species that represented the upland (p=0.01, 0.03, 0.03, 0.04, 0.04) and two species that represented the wetland (p=0.01, 0.001). We recommend monitoring the water table and measuring nutrient availability as a possible means to explain the compositional difference between the wetland and upland environments. Collecting data earlier in the season may reveal the presence of transient wetland species. Research post-invasion should focus on the species identified as indicators of their respective environments.
SALIVARY DIAGNOSTICS AND BIOMARKERS IN DISEASE DETECTION
(2026-04-16) Dow, Gavin; Purington, Emilia
Saliva has emerged as a promising noninvasive medium for health monitoring and disease detection. This review synthesizes current research on salivary diagnostics with a focus on biomarkers, metabolomics, and the oral microbiome. Studies have indicated that inflammatory biomarkers and metabolites in saliva can reflect certain conditions including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory diseases. Advances in the technology and techniques have significantly improved the ability to identify disease-related biomarkers in saliva supporting its growth as a reliable diagnostic tool.
SEED IT OR LEAVE IT: A LOOK AT CELL SEEDING EFFECTS ON TISSUE ENGINEERED VASCULAR GRAFTS
(2026-04-16) Hinton, Thomas; Villarreal, Delaney; Reinhardt, James; Turner, Mackenzie; Briggs, Mitchell; Hussein, Jad; Leland, Joseph T.; Rajesh, Sahana; Suravarapu, Sugath; Watanabe, Tatsuya; Humphrey, Jay; Ramachandra, Abhay; Breuer, Christopher; Edson, Cody
Congenital heart disease is one of the most common causes of birth defect mortalities in infants. Reconstructive surgery is often the only form of treatment yet causes life-long complications for survivors. The reconstructive Fontan operation for congenital heart disease currently uses synthetic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vascular grafts. Although effective, PTFE grafts pose risks such as calcification and thrombosis, and cannot grow with the patient, which may necessitate multiple surgical interventions and ultimately affect long-term outcomes. Tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) are a promising alternative to PTFE grafts. TEVGs consist of a biodegradable polymer scaffold, which fully degrades within one year after implantation, leaving behind a neovessel formed from the patient’s own cells. Most importantly, TEVG neovessels can grow with the patient and self-repair, like native tissue. The main clinical complication precluding widespread adaptation of the TEVG is graft narrowing, or stenosis, which was determined to be inflammation driven. Currently, clinical TEVGs are seeded with the patient’s bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs), which are believed to reduce graft immunogenicity and potentially reduce the incidence and severity of stenosis. However, this approach limits scalability in clinical settings and adds yet another operative procedure for the patients. Our goal is to understand the short- and long-term effects of cell seeding on TEVG neovessel growth and development. For this study, we assessed TEVG growth and degree of narrowing longitudinally with biomedical imaging in a large-animal ovine model. We determined that unseeded TEVGs had the same development profiles as cell seeded TEVGs. This suggests that we may be able to remove the need for cell seeding procedures in our clinical trial without compromising any aspect of TEVG development and remodeling. * - Husson University + - Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
ALPHA-CHYMOTRYPSIN PROTEASE-CATALYZED PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS OF ALTERNATING ARGNINE-TRYPTOPHAN PEPTIDES AND THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES
(2026-04-16) Lessa, Timothy; Edson, Cody
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an increasingly popular topic in research due to their effectiveness against drug-resistant bacteria and pathogens. These peptides target the cell membrane of the bacteria and that makes them very difficult for bacteria to build resistance to. Due to this, AMPs are being developed to help treat viral infections, aid in wound healing, act as a safe preservative for agriculture, and could be used to target cancer cells. The conventional synthesis methods for antimicrobial peptides however often involve harsh chemicals, large amounts of waste, and high costs. Therefore, to investigate more environmentally and economically favorable synthesis strategies for AMPs we used an alternative synthesis method in Protease-Catalyzed Peptide Synthesis (PCPS). PCPS is conducted using water as a solvent and is relatively cheaper, uses less toxic reagents, and utilizes renewable protease enzymes as catalysts. We specifically sought to form a repeating Arginine-Tryptophan amino acid sequence because of tryptophan’s ability to anchor to a cell wall and arginine’s ability to destroy it, making them a great antimicrobial agent. The protease enzyme I chose to investigate this synthesis with is Alpha-Chymotrypsin, because while it favors the hydrolysis of Tryptophan-Arginine amide bonds, we can target the reverse aminolysis reaction by using Arginine-Tryptophan dipeptide units which interact with the active sight of the enzyme differently and favor aminolysis over hydrolysis. We predict that the Alpha-Chymotrypsin will yield a bell-curve like distribution of alternating peptide chains ranging from 2-16 amino acids in length, which is the typical range of amino acid chain length for PCPS reactions. We will also conduct an antimicrobial assay to determine the oligopeptide’s effectiveness against gram + and gram -bacteria and determine the minimum inhibition concentration.
ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY AND SACCHARIDE COMPOSITION OF HONEY DETERMINED BY MICROBIAL ASSAYS AND GC-MS
(2026-04-16) Beaulieu, Sierra; Edson, Cody
Honey is a food product that has been used for centuries as a natural remedy. In light of growing concern regarding antibacterial resistance, honey has been investigated as an antibacterial agent. This presentation considered the efficacy of honey as an antibacterial agent and quantified biochemical properties that may allow honey to be used as an alternative therapy. To determine this, testing began by utilizing an agar disc diffusion method to determine how different types of honey inhibited the growth of bacteria, these included E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and B. subtilis. No significant differences were observed between the two honey types, where a raw honey product and a commercially available honey were each tested. Further analysis was conducted to determine a minimum inhibitory concentration of honey, where each honey type was diluted 10-fold in a 96-well plate containing an E. coli and B. subtilis culture. Further testing was performed to deduce what biochemical properties contribute to the antimicrobial characteristics of honey. A two-step derivatization process allowed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to be used as the main method to identify saccharides in honey samples by utilizing retention index values compared to a set standard. Further testing was performed to calculate the exact concentrations of fructose, glucose, and sucrose in each honey sample. Additional testing on the heavy metal contents of honey was also carried out as a means to further compare the raw and commercially available honeys, along with their antibacterial efficacy. Together, these methods help determine the value of honey as an alternative therapy. This presentation highlights the need for further research on alternative antibacterials and provides a foundation for methods and possible antimicrobial agents.
PAPAIN-CATALYZED SYNTHESIS OF ALTERNATING ARGININE-TRYPTOPHAN PEPTIDES FOR ANTIMICRIOBIAL APPLICATIONS
(2026-04-16) Nichols, Kaleb; Edson, Cody
Antimicrobial peptides represent a promising strategy for combating multidrug resistant pathogens. However, the conventional synthesis strategy using Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) relies on harsh reagents, extensive solvent use and costly, multi-step protocols. In this study, we investigate a greener and more efficient approach to synthesizing peptides using Protease-Catalyzed Peptide Synthesis (PCPS) to generate short arginine-tryptophan (Arg-Trp) peptides, molecules known to possess antimicrobial properties. We examine the enzymatic coupling of Arg-Trp dipeptides using papain, a well-documented protease, as a biocatalyst under mild conditions, promoting peptide bond formation through aminolysis rather than hydrolysis. The reaction products are characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to assess peptide formation and composition. This approach aims to provide a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional peptide synthesis, with findings that will inform future studies on alternative syntheses and antimicrobial efficacy of Arg–Trp peptides produced via PCPS.
WETLAND VS. UPLAND HABITAT INFLUENCES ON SMALL MAMMAL SPECIES BIODIVERSITY IN CENTRAL MAINE
(2026-04-16) Cornell, Josephine; McKnight, Aly; Maher, Mackenzie; Gibney, Chris
Species biodiversity is a key indicator of ecosystem health, often indicating the status of the organisms within the system. This study investigated how environmental type affects small-mammal biodiversity, focusing on wetland versus upland environments. Small mammals are crucial seed dispersers within their habitats. We tested the hypothesis that wetland environments support greater small-mammal biodiversity because they are more likely to provide all the resources that multiple species rely on. To test this hypothesis, we carried out a capture-mark-recapture study on small mammals in both environments in the Husson University campus forest during the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026. Small mammals in the study were captured with Sherman live traps, ear-tagged with serially numbered tags, massed, and sexed. We used closed capture models in program MARK to evaluate CMR model assumptions and generate capture rate and population size estimates. We then used population size estimates in calculating biodiversity metrics for each species, including species richness, evenness, and Shannon-Weaver index values. Results showed that upland sites had a greater average biodiversity level, 1.42 [± 0.34], than the wetland sites, which were 1.08 [± 0.21]. Both sites showed consistent species evenness; both upland sites were 0.89 [± 0], while the wetland sites had a slightly lower evenness at 0.87 [± 0.03]. This means that, regardless of resource variances between the habitats, both support a similar number of individuals per species, but a different abundance of species. For example, the Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) was more commonly found in upland plots, while the Southern Red-Backed Vole (Clethrionomys gapperi) was more likely to be captured in the wetland. Our next steps this spring will be to investigate questions about seasonal shifts in habitat use, which is especially valuable information in temperate climates.

Browse

Browsing School of Mathematics and Sciences by Issue Date

Results Per Page

Sort Options