Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This study is a quantitative analysis of the effect of fire and wind-throw on a spruce-fir-northern hardwoods forest on Peaks Island, Casco Bay, Maine. Six years after the burn, data for the effect of fire on approximately 170 acres of this forest type, were collected and categorized. The qualitative characteristics of the herb and shrub layers were noted and the soil analyzed. A random sample of the tree density was obtained by using 10 x 10 meter quadrats. In this sampling three size classes were recognized, seedling, sapling, and 1.0-4.0 inch d.b.h. For each size class the following distributions were determined: percentage frequency, percentage density, percentage basal area, density per acre, basal area per acre; and cumulative figures for the relative density, relative basal area, and relative frequency of each species over 1 inch d.b.h. A similar study was carried out on 8.8 acres of a wind-throw area, and on 144 acres of spruce-fir-northern hardwoods forest. In the latter, additional size classes up to 24.0 inches d.b.h. were added. Determining frequencies in randomly distributed quadrats resolved in a positive direction the question of whether fire and wind-throw significantly affect the plant successional trend. Since the tree species in each of the three areas were found to be nearly identical, the Chi-square criterion was employed to decide whether the density distribution was independent of the area. Two significant factors resulted: (1) Of the twenty-one species in the spruce-fir-northern hardwoods forest, thirteen were represented among the eighteen species of the wind-throw area. The distribution of these thirteen species differed significantly in the two areas. (2) Thirteen of the species of the spruce- fir- northern hardwoods forest, were represented in the burn which contained altogether fifteen species. Again, the density distribution differed significantly for the two areas. The hypothesis that the frequency distribution was independent of the area was rejected in both tests since the value of the Chi-square calculated, for the densities in each size class, was significantly different from what could be expected by chance. This substantiated the conclusion that the three unique ecological environments accounted for the quantitative distribution of their species. [TRUNCATED] / 2999-01-01

The cryosphere has been shown to be particularly adept as a proxy for climate change by various studies. Accordingly, historical records from the field of ice phenology have been harvested by climate scientists for the express purpose of studying the temporal variation of ice phenomena, namely freeze-up and ice-out. Ice-out records from 20 lakes in Maine, U.S.A. were collected and clustered by z-score for this thesis. Rather than attempt to relate ice-out to spring air temperature or global teleconnections/oscillations, the Spatial Synoptic Classification (SSC) method was used to encapsulate several meteorological variables that could have a bearing on ice-out variation. The balance between occurrence of relatively cool Moist Polar (MP) and relatively warm Dry Moderate (DM) weather-types during the winter-spring "superseason" was found to be a synoptic barometer of whether ice-out would occur seasonably early or late. The significance of this is predicated upon the finding that quantity of DM days has steadily risen at the expense of MP days during the latter-half of the twentieth-century, in accordance with observed climatic warming during the same period. The remaining SSC weather-types, most notably omnipresent Dry Polar (DP), remained generally stable during the historical record in Maine, further undergirding the significance of the DM-MP relationship. / Master of Science / The seasonal phenomenon of “ice-out,” the date on which the ice cover of a lake, pond, or river breaks up, has been well documented for many lakes in Maine. Numerous studies from around the world have linked progressively earlier ice-out dates to climate change and sought to use ice-out records, which often pre-date accurate temperature records, to better understand the effects of climate change. Synoptic weather-typing, or the characterization of daily surface weather conditions into archetypical classes, was the chief method of analysis in an effort to derive the link between shifting weather conditions (a manifestation of climate change) and the ice-out of 20 Maine lakes. In particular, the Spatial Synoptic Classification (SSC) method was selected due to its strong record in research and local availability. So-called “polar” weather-types, specifically Dry Polar (DP) and Moist Polar (MP), make up the majority of days in winter and early spring, but the latter-half of the twentieth century has seen MP days on the decline. The loss of MP days was found to be to the gain of the comparatively warmer Dry Moderate (DM) weather-type. MP and DM days each account for about 20% of the composition of the winter-spring “superseason,” on average; thus the balance between the two weather-types represents a synoptic barometer that provides an indication of a relatively early or late ice-out.

Anthropogenic eutrophication of freshwater lakes due to land use change is a growing global problem with economic consequences, such as a reduction in shoreline property value. Managing eutrophication is of utmost importance in Maine, USA due to the large number of inland fresh waterbodies and their economic importance for fisheries, recreation, and real estate. This thesis investigates the relationships between water quality and catchment land use. Agricultural land use is a large driver of excess nutrient export to lakes, including in Maine, and can result in toxic cyanobacterial blooms, decreased water clarity, and fish kills. I developed a statistical relationship to quantitatively link agricultural intensity in the catchment and resultant water quality outcomes in Maine lakes. I observe a strong statistical relationship between water quality and anthropogenic activity in the catchment, as expected. Interestingly, I found that the effects of anthropogenic activity were most closely related to a five-year lag in water quality, which is between 0.8 to 4.71 years longer than the lake residence times. My results suggest that changes in land use may have long-term effects on water quality that last for far longer than would be expected. The analysis presented in this paper is novel for directly linking long term observational agricultural and biological datasets and presents a new way to quantitatively link water quality and anthropogenic intensity in the catchment area. / Master of Science / Worsening water quality of freshwater lakes due to land use change is a growing global problem with economic consequences, such as a reduction in shoreline property value. Managing water quality is of utmost importance in Maine, USA due to the large number of inland fresh waterbodies and their economic importance for fisheries, recreation, and real estate. This thesis investigates the relationships between water quality and lakeside land use. Agricultural land use is a large driver of lowered water quality in lakes, including in Maine. I developed a statistical relationship to mathematically link agriculture near the lake and resultant water quality outcomes in Maine. I observe a strong statistical relationship between water quality and human activity in the catchment, as expected. Interestingly, I found that the effects of human activity were most closely related to a five-year lag in water quality, which is between 0.8 to 4.71 years longer than the lake residence times. My results suggest that changes in land use may have long-term effects on water quality that last for far longer than would be expected.

Sabe-se que um dos principais problemas odontológicos na clínica de felinos é a gengivite crônica e intratável. Tal afecção pode ser iniciada e/ou exacerbada por agentes virais, como o vírus da imunodeficiência dos felinos (FIV), o Herpesvírus tipo 1 e o Calicivírus. Os gatos da raça Maine Coon apresentam grande predisposição ao desenvolvimento de gengivite-estomatite juvenil e intratável. A depleção de linfócitos T CD4+ e T CD8+ pode exercer papel determinante na iniciação e manutenção das doenças inflamatórias da gengiva. O escopo do presente estudo foi verificar se os animais da raça Maine Coon são mais predispostos à calicivirose, bem como avaliar quantitativamente a resposta imunológica celular, mediada por linfócitos TCD4+ e TCD8+, visando a correlacionar à influência do número de linfócitos na presença e curso da gengivite nesta determinada raça, utilizando-se como controle gatos de outras raças com e sem gengivite. Os valores absolutos médios de linfócitos totais em Maine Coons com gengivite crônica mostraram-se inferiores aos de gatos da raça Maine Coon sem doença oral e de gatos de outras raças com gengivite crônica (p<0,05); os valores médios de linfócitos TCD4+ em Maine Coons com gengivite crônica mostraram-se inferiores quando comparados aos valores de animais da mesma raça, sem doença oral instalada (p<0,05); animais da raça Maine Coon possuem menor relação CD4+:CD8+ quando comparados a animais de outras raças com gengivite crônica e também quando comparados a Maine Coons sem doença oral (p<0,05). O calicivírus está altamente relacionado à ocorrência da gengivite, independentemente da raça estudada, não havendo maior prevalência na raça Maine Coon. O efeito do calicivírus não foi significativo nas alterações de nenhuma das variáveis celulares estudadas. Tais fatos apontam para uma possível predisposição racial ao quadroinflamatório gengival, com alteração de alguns componentes celulares relacionados à imunidade celular. Isto tem como fator importante alertar o clínico frente ao uso de glicocorticóides no tratamento da gengivite crônica nesta raça, visando a evitar maior comprometimento da imunidade celular destes animais. / Chronic untreatable feline gingivitis is widely recognized as one of the major oral diseases seen in feline patients. It can be either triggered or exacerbated by virus such as feline immunodeficiency virus, feline herpesvirus type 1 and calicivirus. One may therefore propose that lymphocytes T CD4+ and T CD8+ depletion can play an important role in initiating and maintaining the inflammatory gingival disease. Maine Coon cats are highly predisposed to juvenile untreatable gingivitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether Maine Coon cats are more predisposed to calicivirus infection and to verify, quantitatively, their immunological cellular response mediated by lymphocytes T CD4+ and TCD8+. The main idea was to investigate the influence imposed by lymphocyte counts in gingivitis development and progression within this breed; for this, we selected non-Maine Coon cats (with and without gingivitis) to serve as controls. Mean absolute values of total lymphocytes in Maine Coon cats presented with gingivitis were inferior than the same values taken for both Maine Coon cats free of oral disease and non-Maine Coon cats with chronic gingivitis (p<0,05); lymphocytes TCD4+ average values in Maine Coon cats with chronic gingivitis were also lower than the ones taken from cats of the same breed but without oral disease (p<0,05). Maine Coon cats have lower CD4+:CD8+ ratio when compared to non-Maine Coon cats with chronic gingivitis as well as with Maine Coon cats without oral disease (p<0,05). The calicivirus is highly involved with the occurrence of gingivitis, no matter the breed being evaluated. The action virus imposes in changing cellular immunology was not significant, at least considering the cellular variables studied. All these lead us to point out a possible breed predisposition to the gingival inflammation, with modification of some cellular components related with cellular immunity. Furthermore, concerning practical terms, these results serve as a relevant alert to the clinicians regarding the use of glucocorticoids for treating chronic gingivitis in this breed, in order to prevent further impairment of cellular immunity of these animals.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77). / The work is based on a design project: to connect the grid urban form, and its associated buildings, and their uses, to the larger Maine (natural) landscape, and its forms. These two contextual categories will strongly influence the evolution of the pier site design and ferry terminal design. This work investigates a possible design projection for a commuter ferry terminal and adjacent mixed-use commercial areas on a pier "finger" extension from the historic waterfront area in Portland, Maine. The thesis presents my attitude toward the assemblage of buildings and landscape forms. The assemblage process is the subject of this thesis; its evolution responds to the conditions and needs within the existing context, and is stated in the programmed requirements. The object of this thesis will be the collection of design process drawings. The focus of the thesis is a design exploration for the development of a ferry terminal, a "town room" at the water's edge that is simultaneously functioning as a transportation facility, and an aggregation of varied mixed uses for the public and private sectors. It responds and fits into the existing surrounding context. / by Eric Paul Schmidt. / M.Arch.

A cardiomiopatia hipertrófica (CMH) é a principal cardiopatia dos felinos e é caracterizada por hipertrofia miocárdica concêntrica, sem dilatação ventricular. Disfunções miocárdicas ocorrem em gatos com CMH, mas pouco se conhece a respeito destas alterações nos estágios iniciais da afecção. Em gatos da raça Maine Coon, a mutação no gene MyBPC-A31P está relacionada com a CMH de origem familial, porém, a correlação exata entre o genótipo e o fenótipo ainda é inconclusiva. A ecocardiografia tecidual é uma modalidade não invasiva que permite avaliação da função miocárdica e é mais sensível que a ecocardiografia convencional. Para avaliar a função sistólica e diastólica, antes ou após a ocorrência de hipertrofia ventricular, gatos da raça Maine Coon (n=57), geneticamente testados para a mutação, foram avaliados por meio de ecocardiografia convencional e tecidual (nas modalidades Doppler tecidual pulsado, Doppler tecidual colorido e strain). Posteriormente, foram fenotipicamente classificados em: normais (n=45), suspeitos (n=7) e acometidos pela CMH (n=5); e genotipicamente classificados em: negativos (n=28), heterozigotos (n=26) e homozigotos para a mutação (n=3). Valores de velocidades miocárdicas (Doppler tecidual pulsado e colorido) e valores de strain, medidos na região basal e média do septo interventricular (SIV), da parede livre do ventrículo esquerdo (PVE), da parede anterior do ventrículo esquerdo (PAVE), da parede posterior do ventrículo esquerdo (PPVE) e do segmento radial da PVE, foram comparados nos diferentes grupos. Observou-se que as velocidades longitudinais Em (Doppler tecidual pulsado) na região média da PVE foram menores nos gatos com CMH quando comparados com suspeitos e normais. Os valores de Em/Am (Doppler tecidual colorido), na região basal do SIV, foram inferiores nos gatos com CMH quando comparados com suspeitos e normais. A relação E/Em (Doppler tecidual colorido), na região basal do SIV, foi maior nos gatos com CMH em relação aos suspeitos e normais. E os valores de Sm (Doppler tecidual colorido), em região basal da PVE, foram menores nos gatos heterozigotos em relação aos negativos, ambos sem hipertrofia ventricular. Observou-se correlação positiva entre a ocorrência de fusão das ondas Em e Am e a frequência cardíaca; e correlação positiva entre valores de Sm e Em e a frequência cardíaca (Doppler tecidual pulsado e colorido). Enquanto à ecocardiografia convencional observou-se um estado de contratilidade aparentemente normal, os valores de strain (em região média do SIV) nos gatos com CMH foram inferiores aos dos gatos normais. Valores de strain (em região basal da PAVE) também foram menores nos gatos heterozigotos em relação aos negativos, antes mesmo da hipertrofia ventricular. Observou-se correlação negativa entre valores de strain e espessura miocárdica. A ecocardiografia tecidual é uma nova modalidade ecocardiográfica reprodutível em gatos que, isoladamente, não permite a identificação de gatos com mutação antes do desenvolvimento de hipertrofia. O strain possibilita a detecção de anormalidades sistólicas em gatos da raça Maine Coon, apesar da aparente normalidade à ecocardiografia convencional. Apesar da expectativa em relação ao uso da ecocardiografia tecidual para a identificação precoce de indivíduos portadores da CMH, ainda há necessidade de estudos mais extensos e com maior número de indivíduos. / Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common feline heart disease and is characterized by increased cardiac mass with a hypertrophied nondilated left ventricle. Myocardial dysfunction occurs in cats with HCM but less is known about dysfunctions in initial stages of HCM. A mutation in MYBPC-A31P gene has been identified in a colony of Maine Coon cats with HCM. However, the close correlation between genotype and phenotype still be inconclusive. Myocardial analysis by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a noninvasive echocardiographic method to assess systolic and diastolic function that is more sensitive than conventional echocardiography. To evaluate diastolic and systolic function in cats with mutation, with or without ventricular hypertrophy, Maine Coon cats (n=57) were screened for mutation and examined with both echocardiography and TDI (pulsed tissue Doppler, color tissue Doppler and Strain methods). Then, were phenotypically classified in: normal (n=45), suspects (n=7) and HCM group (n=5); and genotypically classified in: negative (n=28), heterozygous (n=26) and homozygous group (n=3). Myocardial velocities (by pulsed and color tissue Doppler imaging) and peak myocardial strain, measured in the basal and mildventricular segment of the interventricular septal wall (IVS), left ventricular free wall (LVW), left ventricular anterior wall (LVAW), left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW) and radial segment of LVW, was compared among different groups. A decreased longitudinal Em velocities (pulsed tissue Doppler) at the mildventricular segment of LVW was observed in HCM cats compared with suspects and normal cats. A decreased longitudinal Em/Am (color tissue Doppler) at the basal segment of IVS was observed in HCM cats compared with suspects and normal cats. A significant increased longitudinal E/Em (color tissue Doppler) at the basal segment of IVS was observed in HCM cats compared with suspects and normal cats. And a significant decreased longitudinal Sm (color tissue Doppler) at the basal segment of the LVW was observed in heterozygous cats compared with negative cats, both without hypertrophy. There was a positive correlation between summated early and late diastolic velocities (EmAm) and heart rate; and a positive correlation between Sm and Em velocities and heart rate, both in pulsed and in color TDI. Whereas conventional echocardiography demonstrated an apparently normal contractile state, myocardial strain (at mildventricular segment of IVS) in HCM cats was decreased compared with normal group. Myocardial strain (at basal segment of LVAW) also was decreased in heterozygous cats compared with negative group; and was decreased in heterozygous cats compared with negative group, both without ventricular hypertrophy. And there was a negative correlation between strain values and wall thickness. TDI analyses are a new, valuable and reproducible method in cats that alone is not able to identify cats with mutation before myocardial hypertrophy. Strain method allows noninvasive detection of abnormal systolic deformation in Maine Coons cats with HCM mutation despite apparently normal left ventricular systolic function. Despite high expectations regarding the use of TDI for early identification of individuals with HCM, there is still need for larger studies with greater numbers of individuals.

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The Turner Farm site (located on North Haven Island, Penobscot Bay, on the central Maine coast), excavated under the direction of Dr. Bruce Bourque of the Maine State Museum, has revealed occupations from 3300 B.C. to European contact.Zoological material has been collected, identified and analyzed with artifactual data. The faunal remains of this site has been compared with existing archaeological and zoological data from coastal Maine. Conclusions have been presented about the subsistence of the site and the central Maine area in general.