Thesis Archives Search
This search engine will let you explore the over 1800 theses written in Honors at The University of Maine since the Program’s inception in 1935. You may search our thesis archives based on any of the fields listed above. If the thesis is available at the Reynolds Library (Thomson Honors Center) or Fogler Library (Special Collections), the information will appear below the bibliographic data. At last count, we had about 1800 theses in the Reynolds Library.
Search Results
An Oral History of the Islamic Center of Maine, Orono
Author:
Kyle
Franklin
Major: Economics Graduation Year: 2014 Thesis Advisor: Melissa Ladenheim
Description of Publication:
In January 2002, the first freestanding mosque in the state of Maine was built near the University of Maine campus. Called the Islamic Center of Maine (ICM), it was established to serve the growing Muslim population in the Orono area, in particular the student and faculty population at the University. The establishment of this Islamic Center was due to the efforts and hard work of Muslim faculty and students, as well as families in the area and generous contributions from Muslims around the United States and other countries. A new, larger center was constructed in 2010, again to meet the need for a larger space for the growing Muslim population. An Islamic center is more than just a mosque; it is a focal point for the Muslim community to gather for celebrations, holidays, education, and much more. It serves many functions, which, in a Muslim majority country, may already be served outside the mosque, such as education, a meeting space, and outreach. This thesis uses oral interviews and documentary sources to tell the history of the ICM, how the Muslim community in Orono practices their religion, and how the ICM plays a role in the larger community through its Outreach Program.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/203/
Major: Economics Graduation Year: 2014 Thesis Advisor: Melissa Ladenheim
Description of Publication:
In January 2002, the first freestanding mosque in the state of Maine was built near the University of Maine campus. Called the Islamic Center of Maine (ICM), it was established to serve the growing Muslim population in the Orono area, in particular the student and faculty population at the University. The establishment of this Islamic Center was due to the efforts and hard work of Muslim faculty and students, as well as families in the area and generous contributions from Muslims around the United States and other countries. A new, larger center was constructed in 2010, again to meet the need for a larger space for the growing Muslim population. An Islamic center is more than just a mosque; it is a focal point for the Muslim community to gather for celebrations, holidays, education, and much more. It serves many functions, which, in a Muslim majority country, may already be served outside the mosque, such as education, a meeting space, and outreach. This thesis uses oral interviews and documentary sources to tell the history of the ICM, how the Muslim community in Orono practices their religion, and how the ICM plays a role in the larger community through its Outreach Program.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/203/
An Overview Of The Potential Effect Of Climate Change On American Pine Marten
Author:
Jordyn
Morel
Major: Zoology Graduation Year: 2022 Thesis Advisor: Danielle Levesque
Description of Publication:
The impacts of climate change are only increasing, and yet not all those impacts have been studied on certain species. The American pine marten Martes americana (Turton, 1806) is one of the species potentially vulnerable to climate change. They are an important component of biodiversity as they hunt a variety of small mammals and feed on numerous plants. Martens are also important prey to many winged and terrestrial species. In Maine, they are an umbrella species that co-occur with eleven other species and their presence is also a good indicator of a healthy forest environment. I conducted a literature review to assess what information is available regarding the potential impacts of climate change on this species. I looked at basic biology as well as potential stressors for martens. Those stressors included climate change, heat, temperature, snow cover, snow depth, food availability, and forest disturbance. I observed trends in the literature based on the stressor terms and quantified how many studies had been published within a range of years. Fewer studies on marten stressors have been published in recent years and they are not currently a species of conservation concern. However, martens are reaching the southern edge of their geographical range in Maine and their stressors are important factors to study. Martens are habitat specialists and are sensitive to changes in canopy cover, the number and proximity of trees, and snow conditions. Climate change predictions indicate that snow cover may become less abundant and with forest disturbance becoming a regular occurrence, this species is running out of habitat to turn to. Although the diet and energetics of this species have been well studied, the impacts of heat, due to climate change, on prey availability and their reproduction costs are not well known. Further research on how heat is going to affect this species is needed.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/773
Major: Zoology Graduation Year: 2022 Thesis Advisor: Danielle Levesque
Description of Publication:
The impacts of climate change are only increasing, and yet not all those impacts have been studied on certain species. The American pine marten Martes americana (Turton, 1806) is one of the species potentially vulnerable to climate change. They are an important component of biodiversity as they hunt a variety of small mammals and feed on numerous plants. Martens are also important prey to many winged and terrestrial species. In Maine, they are an umbrella species that co-occur with eleven other species and their presence is also a good indicator of a healthy forest environment. I conducted a literature review to assess what information is available regarding the potential impacts of climate change on this species. I looked at basic biology as well as potential stressors for martens. Those stressors included climate change, heat, temperature, snow cover, snow depth, food availability, and forest disturbance. I observed trends in the literature based on the stressor terms and quantified how many studies had been published within a range of years. Fewer studies on marten stressors have been published in recent years and they are not currently a species of conservation concern. However, martens are reaching the southern edge of their geographical range in Maine and their stressors are important factors to study. Martens are habitat specialists and are sensitive to changes in canopy cover, the number and proximity of trees, and snow conditions. Climate change predictions indicate that snow cover may become less abundant and with forest disturbance becoming a regular occurrence, this species is running out of habitat to turn to. Although the diet and energetics of this species have been well studied, the impacts of heat, due to climate change, on prey availability and their reproduction costs are not well known. Further research on how heat is going to affect this species is needed.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/773
An Upper Extremity Exoskeleton Utilizing a Modified Double Parallelogram Linkage Mechanism with Proximally Located Actuators
Author:
Connor
Bouffard
Major: Mechanical Engineering Graduation Year: 2019 Thesis Advisor: Babak Hejrati
Description of Publication:
The shoulder joint is an extremely complex joint, with a wide range of motion (ROM), which makes designing an upper extremity exoskeleton a complicated task. This thesis presents a 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) exoskeleton with a modified double parallelogram mechanism (DPM) that fits any wearer independent of their biological frame. The DPM is remarkably useful in wearable robotics. The mechanism creates a remote center of rotation about the shoulder joint while remaining unobtrusive and not colliding with the wearer’s body. Its fixed link lengths, however, requires it to be specially fitted to each individual user. This is inconvenient for most exoskeletons that utilize a DPM, since wearers often vary in body shape, size, and build. By connecting the two parallelograms with a mediating link and implementing a sliding-pin joint, the proposed modified DPM allows for a much larger ROM than the original design of the mechanism. This allows it to fit onto almost any anthropometric frame. The exoskeleton provides active assistance during flexion/extension while allowing free abduction/adduction and internal/external rotations. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed design’s ability to provide assistance during a wide range of shoulder motions.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/488/
Major: Mechanical Engineering Graduation Year: 2019 Thesis Advisor: Babak Hejrati
Description of Publication:
The shoulder joint is an extremely complex joint, with a wide range of motion (ROM), which makes designing an upper extremity exoskeleton a complicated task. This thesis presents a 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) exoskeleton with a modified double parallelogram mechanism (DPM) that fits any wearer independent of their biological frame. The DPM is remarkably useful in wearable robotics. The mechanism creates a remote center of rotation about the shoulder joint while remaining unobtrusive and not colliding with the wearer’s body. Its fixed link lengths, however, requires it to be specially fitted to each individual user. This is inconvenient for most exoskeletons that utilize a DPM, since wearers often vary in body shape, size, and build. By connecting the two parallelograms with a mediating link and implementing a sliding-pin joint, the proposed modified DPM allows for a much larger ROM than the original design of the mechanism. This allows it to fit onto almost any anthropometric frame. The exoskeleton provides active assistance during flexion/extension while allowing free abduction/adduction and internal/external rotations. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed design’s ability to provide assistance during a wide range of shoulder motions.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/488/
ANALYSIS MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF A SMART SULKY
Analysis of a Plasma Discharge by the Potential Distribution Technique
Analysis of Conifer Terpenes and Their Effect on the Feeding Habits of Browntail Moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) Larvae
Author:
Hunter
Merchant
Major: Botany Graduation Year: 2021 Thesis Advisor: Angela Mech
Description of Publication:
The browntail moth (BTM; Euproctis chrysorrhoea)is a non-native, invasive species that has recently become a serious human health and environmental concern in Maine. BTM caterpillars possess microscopic toxic hairs that cause a poison-ivy-like rash on the skin and have been known to cause respiratory discomfort when inhaled. This invasive species is an herbivorous insect that causes harm to its host tree through defoliation during its larval life stage. BTM larvae weave overwintering webs on branch tips, generally at the tops of hardwood trees. Due to their toxic hairs and where they establish their overwintering webs, the species population is difficult to manage. Previous research indicates that commercial insecticides containing terpenes, natural plant defensive compounds, inhibit or kill BTM larvae. Many of the terpenes that have been tested are present in various conifer tree species. Therefore, I investigated the influence of terpenes from balsam fir (Abies balsamea), white pine (Pinus strobus), red spruce (Picea rubens), and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) on browntail moth larval feeding.These conifer terpenes were extracted by means of steam distillation from needles and applied to BTM larval food sources in a laboratory setting. This research project also analyzed the terpene composition of the distillate samples by means of Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry analysis. Results showed that the concentration and methodology used to evaluate conifer terpene distillates did not have a significant effect on the feeding habits of BTM larvae.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/679/
Major: Botany Graduation Year: 2021 Thesis Advisor: Angela Mech
Description of Publication:
The browntail moth (BTM; Euproctis chrysorrhoea)is a non-native, invasive species that has recently become a serious human health and environmental concern in Maine. BTM caterpillars possess microscopic toxic hairs that cause a poison-ivy-like rash on the skin and have been known to cause respiratory discomfort when inhaled. This invasive species is an herbivorous insect that causes harm to its host tree through defoliation during its larval life stage. BTM larvae weave overwintering webs on branch tips, generally at the tops of hardwood trees. Due to their toxic hairs and where they establish their overwintering webs, the species population is difficult to manage. Previous research indicates that commercial insecticides containing terpenes, natural plant defensive compounds, inhibit or kill BTM larvae. Many of the terpenes that have been tested are present in various conifer tree species. Therefore, I investigated the influence of terpenes from balsam fir (Abies balsamea), white pine (Pinus strobus), red spruce (Picea rubens), and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) on browntail moth larval feeding.These conifer terpenes were extracted by means of steam distillation from needles and applied to BTM larval food sources in a laboratory setting. This research project also analyzed the terpene composition of the distillate samples by means of Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry analysis. Results showed that the concentration and methodology used to evaluate conifer terpene distillates did not have a significant effect on the feeding habits of BTM larvae.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/679/
ANALYSIS OF FLOW OF COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS THROUGH A FUEL INJECTOR
Author:
Erin
E.
Eldridge
Major: Mechanical Engineering Graduation Year: 2016 Thesis Advisor:
Description of Publication:
The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the determination of the mass flow rate of compressed natural gas through a Delphi Multec CNG Injector. Three methods are used to find the mass flow rates at various pressures. First, SolidWorks Flow Simulation is employed to calculate the mass flow rate with computational fluid dynamics. An analytical solution to the problem is also presented. Finally, experimental results from a previous year’s Capstone team are presented. Fuel flow curves are provided to compare the results from each methodology. The results from the SolidWorks Flow Simulation and analytical calculation agree at the extrema of the fuel rail pressure range tested, while the experimental results do not concur. Additionally, suggestions for future work necessary to tuning the CNG snowmobile to run on compressed natural gas are given.
Location of Publication: fogler reynolds
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/381
Major: Mechanical Engineering Graduation Year: 2016 Thesis Advisor:
Description of Publication:
The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the determination of the mass flow rate of compressed natural gas through a Delphi Multec CNG Injector. Three methods are used to find the mass flow rates at various pressures. First, SolidWorks Flow Simulation is employed to calculate the mass flow rate with computational fluid dynamics. An analytical solution to the problem is also presented. Finally, experimental results from a previous year’s Capstone team are presented. Fuel flow curves are provided to compare the results from each methodology. The results from the SolidWorks Flow Simulation and analytical calculation agree at the extrema of the fuel rail pressure range tested, while the experimental results do not concur. Additionally, suggestions for future work necessary to tuning the CNG snowmobile to run on compressed natural gas are given.
Location of Publication: fogler reynolds
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/381
Analysis of Gender and Perspective within the Film Noir Genre
Analysis of Nonsmooth Neural Mass Models
Author:
Cadi
Howell
Major: Mathematics Graduation Year: 2024 Thesis Advisor: Peter Stechlinski
Description of Publication:
Neural activity in the brain involves a series of action potentials that represent “all or nothing” impulses. This implies the action potential will only “fire” if the mem- brane potential is at or above a specific threshold. The Wilson-Cowan neural mass model [6, 28] is a popular mathematical model in neuroscience that groups excita- tory and inhibitory neural populations and models their communication. Within the model, the on/off behavior of the firing rate is typically modeled by a smooth sigmoid curve. However, a piecewise-linear (PWL) firing rate function has been considered in the Wilson-Cowan model in the literature (e.g., see [5]). This function, however, is non- smooth, and cannot be analyzed using standard mathematical theory. In this thesis, we considered the Wilson-Cowan neural mass model using a nonsmooth PWL firing rate function and analyze its behavior using techniques from generalized derivatives theory. To accomplish this, we calculated the sensitivities of the model parameters in order to determine the parameters that most impact the dynamics of the model across a set of parameter values. We also determined the stability of the model to better understand the long-term behavior of the model. We then compared the results of these analyses to that of the Wilson-Cowan model with a smooth firing rate function.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/878/
Major: Mathematics Graduation Year: 2024 Thesis Advisor: Peter Stechlinski
Description of Publication:
Neural activity in the brain involves a series of action potentials that represent “all or nothing” impulses. This implies the action potential will only “fire” if the mem- brane potential is at or above a specific threshold. The Wilson-Cowan neural mass model [6, 28] is a popular mathematical model in neuroscience that groups excita- tory and inhibitory neural populations and models their communication. Within the model, the on/off behavior of the firing rate is typically modeled by a smooth sigmoid curve. However, a piecewise-linear (PWL) firing rate function has been considered in the Wilson-Cowan model in the literature (e.g., see [5]). This function, however, is non- smooth, and cannot be analyzed using standard mathematical theory. In this thesis, we considered the Wilson-Cowan neural mass model using a nonsmooth PWL firing rate function and analyze its behavior using techniques from generalized derivatives theory. To accomplish this, we calculated the sensitivities of the model parameters in order to determine the parameters that most impact the dynamics of the model across a set of parameter values. We also determined the stability of the model to better understand the long-term behavior of the model. We then compared the results of these analyses to that of the Wilson-Cowan model with a smooth firing rate function.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/878/