College of Science and Humanities

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ITS LONG-LASTING IMPACT ON WOMEN’S HEALTH
(2023-04-20) Helwig, Shelby; Wagner, Alexis
Domestic violence (DV), also known as intimate partner violence, is experienced by many women. In fact, 1 in 7 Maine women report abuse from their intimate partners. In this research, I conducted a literature review to investigate the types of DV and how each impacts women’s mental health. I investigated this research question in two ways: (1) I examined published studies regarding DV and how it impacts the victims involved and (2) I determined if there is a correlation between abuse and long-lasting mental health problems. I searched for relevant articles on DV, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, and mental health. I selected eight representative articles published between 2002 – 2021 in journals such as Partner Abuse, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Violence Against Women, and Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. All of these articles demonstrated that women who are abused currently or have previously been in an abusive relationship are negatively impacted mentally, emotionally, and financially. Women can experience many forms of abuse: physical, mental, emotional, and financial. Victims of each type of domestic abuse reported high rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms with suicide attempts being three times higher in intimate partner violence survivors. Even further, DV impacts women’s physical health and many women are murdered by current or ex intimate partners. 40% of women who are murdered are killed by intimate partners and, in Maine, 43% of all murders are DV homicides. Moving forward, It is critical that healthcare and other organizations develop strategies to recognize the red flags of abuse and help protect women from their abusive situation before it escalates even further. In Maine, programs that can address a higher volume of victims with a focus on women scared to report could assist with the epidemic of DV.
IN PROGRESS (ALWAYS) – A RETORSPECTIVE EXHIBITION
(2026-04-16) Delicata, Janelle; Smith, Kathi
Janelle Delicata, MFA, adjunct faculty in Fine Arts will present 25 mixed media artworks, which include a combination of paintings, drawings and assemblage in the WBRC Gallery, Gracie Theatre. In the discipline of Fine Arts, scholarship includes the dissemination of creative works through exhibition. This body of work encompasses visual exploration with abstract and landscape-based forms created over the last 30 years. The works in this show were selected from pieces from the 1990s to 2025. As the artist looked through the work, she recognized recurring forms and shapes. Delicata looks beyond the surface of her motifs and explore what’s not readily visible. Her explorations start in reality but she works intuitively. Delicata believes that her art, like in her life, is a work in progress. It’s an ongoing journey, a constant search and exploration—in progress, always. This sentiment is shared both conceptually and aesthetically by many Modernist art movements, including but not limited to the Abstract Expressionist, Cubists, and even Surrealist artists of the 20th century. Delicata takes a contemporary lens to a familiar subject of form inspired by landscape. Delicata believes that all art is autobiographical in that each artist’s work is influenced and informed by his/her perceptions and life experiences. She interprets influences and forms from land, water, sky and elemental forces to create a personal iconography and language. Her earlier work incorporates more dimensional elements whereas the more recent work, while layered, has more flat surfaces. All include explorations in texture, color, line, and movement. Janelle Delicata was born and raised in Newton, Massachusetts. She lived and worked throughout the eastern United States and Canada before settling in Maine in 1986. She works in several media and likes to “mix things up,” incorporating elements from one medium into another. Delicata earned a BFA at the Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD in 1975 and an MFA at Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Crafts, Rochester, NY in 1983 with a major in Weaving & Textile Design and a minor in Jewelry & Metals. She is an artist member of the Maine Crafts Association and a member of the Union of Maine Visual Artists. She owns a small business creating and selling my jewelry and artwork.
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.
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.
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.
LYING AND DECEPTION IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATIONSHIPS
(2026-04-16) McLaughlin, Alyiah; Smith, Rachelle
Domestic violence is widely recognized as a significant social and psychological issue, however, much of the research has historically focused on physical violence while less attention has been given to the role of deception within abusive relationships. The following literature review examines how lying and deception function within intimate partner violence (IPV), particularly as mechanisms of control used by perpetrators and as survival strategies used by victims. Major psychological concepts discussed include gaslighting, coercive control, trauma bonding, cognitive dissonance, and power-and-control dynamics. Peer reviewed research from psychology and interpersonal violence journals was gathered from Husson University Library, including Academic Search Ultimate. They were then reviewed to understand how deception operates within abusive relationships and the psychological consequences of such deception. Findings across these studies suggest that deception is frequently used by perpetrators to manipulate victims, deny abusive behavior, and maintain power within the relationship. Research also indicates that victims may engage in deception as a protective strategy to avoid escalation of violence or social stigma. To add to this, chronic exposure to deception, particularly gaslighting, has been linked to psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and trauma symptoms. Overall, the literature supports that deception plays a central role in sustaining abusive dynamics and complicating victims’ ability to seek help. Understanding the psychological mechanisms behind deception in domestic violence relationships is critical, as it can help improve intervention strategies, clinical assessment, and support services for survivors.
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.
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.
THE POWER OF AI ALGORITHMS ON YOUR WORLDVIEW
(2025-04-17) Fulmer, Russell
Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms play an increasingly significant role in shaping individual worldviews by filtering and reinforcing information that aligns with pre-existing beliefs. This presentation explores how algorithms influence decision-making, mood, and perceptions, often restricting cognitive diversity and nurturing ideological echo chambers. While AI can serve beneficial purposes, the unchecked power of algorithms raises concerns about manipulation, misinformation, and the erosion of critical thinking. The presentation introduces the concept of the "cognitive anaconda," illustrating how algorithmic filtering gradually constricts diverse viewpoints, leading to ideological rigidity. To mitigate the negative impact of AI-driven algorithms, I propose five key strategies: increasing awareness of algorithmic influence, building critical thinking skills, developing critical ignoring as a digital literacy skill, engaging with diverse perspectives, and encouraging traditional reading practices. By adopting these strategies, individuals can counteract algorithmic biases and develop a more independent, well-rounded worldview. This presentation emphasizes the urgency of integrating AI literacy into education to ensure responsible engagement with digital information ecosystems.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHASE ANGLE AND ANAEROBIC POWER IN RECREATIONAL ACTIVE FEMALES
(2025-04-17) Peterson, Shelby; Linchey, Jaimie; Boyd, James; Houck, Jonathan
Body composition has been reported to be correlated to anaerobic power. In assessing body composition, body fat percentage is the most common value measured, however phase angle, a marker of cellular health using bioelectrical impedance (BIA), has shown promise as a method of determining anaerobic power for comparison. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation between phase angle measurements and an individual's ability to produce upper and lower extremity power, used as a measure of performance. The preliminary data required 9 volunteer participants to follow pretest guidelines and attend 3 sessions including informed consent, BIA, and body composition analysis (visit 1). The purpose of this visit was to collect phase angle (PhA), and body composition data. A randomized upper and lower body 30 second Wingate test was then completed (visit 2-3). Upper and lower body peak power (PP) and fatigue index (FI%) were collected. Descriptive statistics included mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum were performed for all outcome measurements. Pearson’s correlation was conducted to determine strength of correlation between variables. PhA shows a stronger correlation to upper body PP than body fat percentage, r (7)=0.56; r(7)=0.27. PhA shows a weaker correlation to lower body PP than body fat percentage, r (7)=0.32; r(7)=0.66. For upper body FI%, a stronger negative correlation exists with PhA compared to body fat percentages r(7)=-0.54; r(7)=0.00. In lower body FI%, a stronger negative correlation exits with PhA compared to body fat percentages r(7)=-0.44; r(7)= -0.12. Current collected evidence suggests PhA as a valuable marker of predicting PP in upper body and overall FI% of recreational active females. However, body fat percentages was better correlated to lower body PP.
THE STRESS IMPACTS OF RELOCATION ON ELDERLY
(2023-04-20) Helwig, Shelby; Blackie, Teagan
Moving into an assisted living facility can be a challenge and also place stress on the elderly, their caregivers, and their families. Specific stressors that the elderly face when moving into an assisted living facility include fear of losing family, memory, physical mobility, and freedom. I conducted a literature review to investigate how the stress of moving into an assisted living facility impacts an elder’s mental and physical health. I investigated this research question from multiple perspectives including the staff, family, and the elderly. I looked for articles that focused on moving into an assisted living facility, what the signs of depression and other mental health issues are in elderly, and what impact this move has on the family. I identified eight research articles published between 1995-2019 in journals such as Issues in Mental Health Nursing, Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, and Aging and Mental Health. These articles identified multiple pathways between elders moving into a long term care facility and stress. From a family perspective, family members were surprised and felt a sense of guilt when placing their elders into a home. From a staff perspective, burnout is prevalent due to overwork and understaffing. Unfortunately, families’ guilt and staff’s burnout can increase stress experienced by the elders in the care facilities. Additionally, stress driven by uncertainty, unfamiliarity, the fear of aging, as well as health and cognitive decline are related to greater stress during a transition to a care facility. When completing this literature review, I had a hard time finding articles that directly addressed the impact of transitioning into a care facility. The elderly population is growing and needs to be taken care of, thus, it is important for researchers to further research on this issue.
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.

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