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New Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations
Get PDFJoel Farley named new associate vice president for facilities and operations for the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias
Evaluating the Potential of Porous Foam Metals to Enhance Retention of Tags in Fish
No full textStudies such as population and migration analyses of fish are often heavily reliant upon the retention of external fish tags. However, external fish tags are prone to shedding due to a range of factors including weak attachment, the forces experienced during swimming, and interactions with the environment. In addition, it has been observed that wound healing around the site of implantation is often poor. The present work aimed to develop a fish tag that would promote dermal and subcutaneous tissue ingrowth, thereby promoting wound healing and more secure tag attachment. Soft tissue ingrowth and attachment to porous foam metal implants, including in transcutaneous applications, has been successful in a variety of mammalian models. The present work therefore extended these investigations to a piscine model. Two fish tags were designed with porous foam metal elements in the dermal and subcutaneous locations. The first tag was modeled after a conventional nylon dart tag. The second tag was designed as a reenvisioned pop-up satellite tag. Electron beam melting additive manufacturing was employed to print the tags in porous foam titanium. Twelve adult Atlantic salmon were employed as an animal model. A single nylon dart tag was implanted on the left side, and a single porous foam metal dart tag was implanted on the right side of the fish. The fish were harvested at 2, 4, and 9 weeks post-tagging. Tissue samples were taken from the nylon and the porous foam metal tag sites, as well as from a control site away from either tag to represent normal tissue. The tissue samples were stained and analyzed optically to determine the percentage of new fibrous tissue, the presence of which would provide evidence of tissue remodeling and healing. Initial assessment indicated greater tissue remodeling surrounding the porous foam metal implants versus the nylon implants at the 2 and 4 week time points. Statistical analysis however indicated the differences were not significant, a fact potentially attributable to the small size of the study and unbalanced data sets. Nonetheless, all porous foam metal implants were retained in the fish, whereas as one nylon implant was shed. It was concluded therefore that porous foam metal external fish tags may well have utility relative to conventional tags, and that follow on studies should be performed to determine histologically the extent of tissue ingrowth, and to measure the force required to pull out both conventional and porous foam metal tag
The Role of Diabete Mellitus During Co-Infections of Streptococcus agalactiae and Candida albicans
No full textDiabetes mellitus has become a growing epidemic in the United States as 37.3 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes as of January 2022 (1). Of pregnant mothers, 2– 10% develop gestational diabetes due to hormonal changes that lead to insulin resistance (2). Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus or GBS), a Gram-positive bacterium, and Candida albicans (CA), a polymorphic fungus, are found in a commensal relationship in the vaginal tract. Diabetes ha an increased association with risk of invasive GBS infection in non-pregnant populations and hyperglycemic environments provide C. albicans with excess of its main energy source, glucose (3, 4). We hypothesize that C. albicans protects GBS growth in the presence of environmental stressors such as excess glucose or antibiotics. Analyses were conducted in vitro (co-cultured glucose/antibiotic assays, growth curves, and fluorescent microscopy) and in vivo (Danio rerio, “zebrafish”, survival assays and utilization of a hyperglycemic zebrafish model). Preliminary data, conducted by Patenaude, suggests that GBS growth recovered with C. albicans in a glucose-rich environment. The Neely Lab showed that co-cultured C. albicans and GBS produce increased growth of GBS in excess glucose and a reduction in antibiotic efficacy. Systemic infection indicates that the rate of zebrafish survival decreased in solo infections between GBS and GBS + excess glucose. The presence of GBS and C. albicans grown in excess glucose showed a decreased rate of zebrafish survival compared to a co-infection of GBS and C. albicans without excess glucose. Increased GBS growth and decreased rates of zebrafish survival may be attributed to interactions between these two organisms from a dual infection in the presence of excess glucose
Presidential Update – New Executive Assistant
No full textKelly Straub will be joining the office of the president as executive assistant beginning on December 1 [2025]
MF139 South Bristol Oral History Project
Get PDFThis collection consists of 10 interviews for an exhibit, Down on the Island, Up on the Main: A Recollected History of South Bristol, Maine, assembled by Ellen Vincent, as well as newspaper and newsletter articles, exhibit text, plans for the exhibit, and exhibit text. The purpose of the exhibit was to display the heritage of coastal South Bristol.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ne_findingaids/1124/thumbnail.jp
Risk Reduction of Incretin-Based Therapies and Lifestyle Modifications
Get PDFThe global adult obesity rate has more than tripled since 1975, according to the World Obesity Federation (2023). The escalation of obesity represents a significant challenge for public health, with a wide range of effects on both health and the economy. For individuals who are overweight or obese, an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer exists. The cornerstone of weight management is decreasing caloric intake while increasing physical activity; incretin-based therapies, such as Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1RA) receptor agonists and Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptides (GIP) receptor agonists, have emerged as effective pharmaceuticals for improving metabolic outcomes. The efficacy of incretin-based therapies, specifically GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists, coupled with lifestyle modifications to reduce obesity-related comorbidities, is addressed in this paper. The paper addresses how incretin-based therapies affect the risks of obesity, with a focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among individuals with a BMI of 27 or higher and between the ages of 18 and 64, utilizing a PICO design. The research highlights the need to target interventions focused on reducing obesity-related complications by emphasizing the role of pharmaceuticals and lifestyle modifications to improve overall health outcomes. The results indicate that lifestyle modifications alone are less effective than incretin-based therapy combined with lifestyle modifications. Combining incretin-based therapies with diet and exercise has a more significant effect on individuals who are overweight or obese to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease than making lifestyle modifications alone. According to the World Obesity Atlas (2024), obesity rates are expected to increase by 60 percent. The anticipated increase in obesity will result in higher rates of morbidity and health-related costs, emphasizing the necessity for effective measures to address the obesity epidemic. Incretin-based therapies, along with lifestyle modifications, support weight-management strategies. Strategies to prevent the rise of obesity-related health complications are vital for public health