Big Mattamiscontis Lake

Scenic sepia photograph of a small, wooded island in Big Mattamiscontis Lake, Seboeis, Maine. The trees are reflected in the smooth surface of the lake. undated, Late 19th-Early 20th Century. See NAFOH 2462.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/nafoh_gallery/1473/thumbnail.jp

Fogler Plus Newsletter, March 5, 2024

What\u27s Fogler Plus ? Raymond H. Fogler Library, Merrill Library in Machias, Maine InfoNet, and the University of Maine Press provide library collections and related services under the direction of the University of Maine Dean of Libraries. We\u27ve renamed this newsletter to better reflect all Fogler Plus news and initiatives

Chemical Composition, Food Safety and Quality Characteristics of Birch Syrup in Comparison to Maple Syrup

Birch syrup has gained popularity in the market due to its distinctive flavor, natural origin, potential health benefits, and culinary versatility with a wide range of applications. Birch syrup has been attracting attention recently because it has been presented as a unique alternative to one of the most used sweeteners, maple syrup. Apart from the similar production process and artisanal appeal, both syrups have important distinctions such as flavor, chemical composition, and other characteristics that make them unique. Because of its high consumption and economic impact, maple syrup has been extensively studied to check various factors and aspects such as chemical composition, physical properties, production processes, quality, safety, health benefits, and more. These studies have helped the FDA to establish standards to guarantee the integrity and safety of maple syrup in the market. On the other hand, birch syrup presents regulatory challenges since less research has been conducted on this syrup to establish safe processing methods and Brix level standards to ensure the safety of this product. Therefore, the chemical composition, physical properties, and safety characteristics of birch syrup were investigated and compared to those of maple syrup. Eight batches of blended, heated, and filtered birch and maple syrup samples were collected by the same producer in Temple, ME. Both syrups were analyzed for chemical and nutritive properties (sugars, organic acids, pH, phenolic compounds, minerals), physical properties and quality characteristics (Brix and water activity levels), and microbial load (total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold, and fungal inoculation studies). The birch syrup Brix levels (62.2-63.6 degrees Brix) were significantly lower (pEurotium sp(Aspergillus representing the asexual stage), Penicillium brevicompactum, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa when the contamination level was 100 spores in 500 μl for both syrups. Future work could further investigate seasonal variations, producer geography, soil differences, and climate changes to determine if these variables can affect the Brix, pH, water activity levels, sugar, and mineral concentrations in other birch syrup samples. With more data, regulatory agencies can move forward to determine how to best assess an adequate Brix level range and processing parameters to begin creating regulatory definitions to best regulate the growing birch syrup industry

Fogler Plus Newsletter, June 13, 2024

What\u27s Fogler Plus ? Raymond H. Fogler Library, Merrill Library in Machias, Maine InfoNet, and the University of Maine Press provide library collections and related services under the direction of the University of Maine Dean of Libraries. We\u27ve renamed this newsletter to better reflect all Fogler Plus news and initiatives

Samual O. Dinsmore, M.D. Homestead

Sepia photograph of an extended farmhouse, unidentified members of the Dinsmore family standing on the front step and dooryard in Medford Center, Maine. Rather than a large barn, the house attaches to a building housing Dr. Samual O. Dinsmore\u27s office. A sign above the door and windows reads, S.O. Dinsmore M.D. undated, Late 19th-early 20th century. See NAFOH 2462.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/nafoh_gallery/1483/thumbnail.jp

Predicting Larval Dispersal and Population Connectivity of Sea Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) on the Maine Coast through an Individual-Based Model

A hydrodynamic model of the coastal currents in the Gulf of Maine has been adapted to include an individual-based scallop larval development and behaviors module and used to estimate sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) larval dispersal along the eastern Maine coast. Larvae are released along the coastline out to a 40 m isobath during September and October, and dispersal is driven using the hydrodynamical model result for the region from 2014 through 2017. The origins of particles that “settle” in focal areas, such as Blue Hill Bay, Jericho Bay, and Narraguagus Bay, are determined from model runs, and the frequency with which recruits settling at focal sites originate from various source regions is analyzed. Larval dispersal in the region is balanced between the Eastern Maine Coastal Current (EMCC) and complex inshore eddies. In most years, Narraguagus Bay receives most of its larval recruits from various points along the coast from Gouldsboro Bay eastward through the Bay of Fundy, including from around Grand Manan Island. By contrast, recruitment to Blue Hill Bay is dominated by local recruitment, with the rest of the spat to this bay arriving from eastern Penobscot Bay and Frenchman Bay. Recruitment to Jericho Bay is similarly supplied by larvae from eastern Penobscot Bay but with much lower local recruitment than was seen in Blue Hill Bay. The proportion of spat that come into Blue Hill and Jericho Bays from the eastern Gulf of Maine via the EMCC varies seasonally and interannually, with higher connectivity to the eastern Gulf in some years than in others. Some of this variability can be explained by severe weather events such as nor’easters. The ability of the model to predict changes in larval dispersal patterns with variations in weather conditions could be a valuable tool in fisheries and aquaculture management

Emily Foster (Talbot) Pope

A portrait of a member of the Talbot family with the handwritten caption, Emily Foster (Talbot) Pope, Mrs. Andrew J. Pope. Daughter of Deacon Peter Talbot, Jr. and Mary Elizabeth Eliza (Chaloner) Talbot. Sister of Frederic Talbot, Capt. William Chaloner Talbot, Charles Hammond Talbot, and Mary (Talbot) Hovey. Digitized from Box 1, folder 20, Talbot family photographs.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/spec_photos/4815/thumbnail.jp

Smart\u27s Island, Mattamiscontis Lake, Maine

Black and white photograph of a group of four women, a child, and a man on a point of land on Smart\u27s Island, Mattamiscontis Lake, Maine. The women are dressed in dark skirts and light colored, puff-sleeve blouses. One of the women, possibly Emma Dearborn, who is back to the camera, holds a child, Edgar Smart, in her arms as Tom Smart leans forward to tend the child. Photo identified as the Dearborn girls and Tom Smart. 1901-1902. (See also p07974)See NAFOH 2462.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/nafoh_gallery/1576/thumbnail.jp

William Sanborn Talbot

A portrait of a member of the Talbot family with the handwritten caption, William Sanborn Talbot, son of Charles Hammond Talbot and Mary Crocker (Sanborn) Talbot. Digitized from Box 1, folder 20, Talbot family photographs.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/spec_photos/4824/thumbnail.jp

Notch Signaling Regulates Perivascular Adipose Tissue Functions

High fat diet (HFD) can contribute to diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in humans, and diabetes is a major risk factor for CVD. The comorbidity of these two metabolic disorders indicates shared mechanisms of pathology. As a component of the vasculature, perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) regulates vasoreactivity and contributes to obesity-related vascular pathologies, such as atherosclerosis, through paracrine signaling. The Notch pathway plays fundamental roles in cell fate decisions and growth, and is involved in adipocyte metabolic homeostasis. Previous studies have shown that constitutive Notch signaling in adipose tissue promotes pathological conversion of aortic PVAT in mice fed a control diet, including increased lipid storage and reduced expression of thermogenic adipocyte markers in PVAT. However, it is unknown how Notch signaling regulates thermogenesis in PVAT and the downstream effects on cardiovascular function. A better understanding of Notch signaling in PVAT will advance our knowledge of molecular pathways that link local adipose tissue to the underlying blood vessel. This could lead to the development of therapeutic strategies targeting specific pathways in the PVAT to improve cardiovascular health. Methods: N1ICD;Adipoq-Cre mice with constitutive activation of Notch signaling specifically in adipose tissue and RBPJ-kfl/fl .Adipoq-Cre mice with conditional loss-of-function of the Notch signaling transcription factor, RBPJ-k in adipose tissue were generated. Histological and physiological analyses were used to analyze mouse phenotypes. Proteomic analysis was performed to analyze pathways and proteins that are regulated by Notch signaling. Vessel wire myography was used to analyze vascular phenotypes ex vivo. Changes in gene and protein expression were further studied by Real-Time PCR (qPCR), immunoblot, and immunofluorescent analysis. To study Notch’s regulation of mitophagy, we isolated PVAT stromal vascular fractions from mito-QC mice and transfected them with adenovirus-associated viruses to overexpress Notch siganling. We also performed the Seahorse Assay to assess mitochondrial respiration in differentiated PVAT stromal vascular fractions in vitro. Conclusions: We found that increased Notch signaling leads to PVAT whitening and impaired mitochondrial function. Furthermore, we found that Notch signaling activation leads to increased mitophagy, and oxidative stress in PVAT tissue, which also causes upregulated ferroptosis in PVAT adipocytes. These further lead to the loss of protective vasodilatory function of PVAT and pathology in PVAT adjacent vessels