\u27Turning Hearts to Break Off the Yoke of Oppression\u27: The Travels and Sufferings of Christopher Meidel, c. 1659-c. 1715

This study of Christopher Meidel, a Norwegian Quaker writer imprisoned both in England and on the Continent for his beliefs and actions, explores the life of a convert to Quakerism and his missionary zeal in the early eighteenth century. From Meidel\u27s quite tempestuous career we receive insights into the issues Friends faced in Augustan England in adapting to life in a country whose inter-church relations were largely governed by the 1689 Toleration Act, and its insistence that recipients of toleration were to respect the rights of other religionists. In England and Wales, although not censured by Friends, Meidel\u27s activities were nevertheless in contrast to the increasingly respectable nature of the Society. This study questions whether his provocative behaviour was a return to the testimony of the first Friends. On the Continent, Meidel was warmly welcomed in some towns and cities, but also seen in others as a potential troublemaker and consequently imprisoned. Only the intervention ofleading Friends and of Prince George ofDenmark saved him from a lengthy term of incarceration. Undaunted by his trials, Meidel continued his proselytising in the early eighteenth century, and his career offers a fascinating insight into the continuing determination of missionary Quakers and their commitment to their beliefs

AnswerTree – a hyperplace-based game for collaborative mobile learning

In this paper we present AnswerTree, a collaborative mobile location-based educational game designed to teach 8-12 year olds about trees and wildlife within the University of Nottingham campus. The activity is designed around collecting virtual cards (similar in nature to the popular Top TrumpsTM games) containing graphics and information about notable trees. Each player begins by collecting one card from a game location, but then he or she can only collect further cards by answering questions – whose solutions are obtainable through sharing knowledge with other cardholders. This ostensibly allows each player to become a subject expert at the start of the game, encouraging collaborative interaction for the game to be successfully completed. In this initial paper we will outline the structure and background of this location based game. AnswerTree has been authored within the Hyperplace framework, and is a first implementation of a wider process to develop a flexible, multi-purpose platform for both individual and group location-based mobile learning

The Effect of Gamete Competition on Levels of Gamete Production in a Marine Invertebrate

Previous work suggests that high population densities result in more intense male gamete competition and select for increased levels of production of these gametes. This hypothesis will be tested by examining spatial and temporal correlations between density and male gamete production levels in natural populations of a colonial ascidian. Two additional considerations which might modify the effect that male gamete competition has on levels of male gamete production will also be explored. First, natural selection can only act on the genetic portion of total phenotypic variance. Secondly, selection acts simultaneously on the entire phenotype, and so the effect of selection on male gamete production could be constrained by genetic correlations between this and other life history traits that are also subject to strong selection. Negative genetic correlations between male gamete production and allocation to other traits or structures would generate a trade off, with enhanced male gamete production offset by reductions in other traits. Alternatively, positive genetic correlations would constrain selection to operate on total allocation patterns as a single unit. These two potential constraints on evolution will be examined via a laboratory breeding experiment that will estimate the narrow sense heritability of male gamete production levels and explore possible genetic correlations between male gamete production and other life history traits. Overall, this study will contribute to our knowledge of the evolution of reproductive strategies in marine organisms by examining the selective pressures that fertilization processes can exert on gamete production patterns

The Relationship between Green Sea Urchin Spawning, Spring Phytoplankton Blooms, and the Winter-Spring Hydrography at Selected Sites in Maine

The relationship between green sea urchin spawning, spring phytoplankton blooms, and hydrography were examined at multiple spatial scales during the winter-spring of 2000 at selected sites along the coast of Maine. To determine factors contributing to the variation observed in the timing of green sea urchin spawning, sea urchins, phytoplankton, and oceanographic variables were sampled biweekly at four sites in central Maine and three sites in eastern Maine. Water column properties and phytoplankton was intensively examined at sites in central Maine, while sites in eastern Maine were less well characterized. Analysis of gonad indices showed that spawning was protracted in central Maine (occurring from late February to May and encompassing a period of 60 + days), while spawning was relatively discrete in eastern Maine (occurring from April to May and encompassing a period of 34 - 50 days). Despite significant variations in gonad indices between sites, changes in gonad indices were synchronous between males and females within each site. Female gonad indices were significantly greater than males during the peak of the spawning period, although this difference diminished over time and varied between sites. Spawning was significantly correlated with both the first, sustained increase in phytoplankton chlorophyll a and with increasing water temperatures at most sites. The strength of this relationship, however, varied between males and females and between sites. Further, sea urchin spawning times were similar between sites despite significant differences in temperature regimes (5-6 C in central Maine versus 4-5 C in eastern Maine) and water column properties. The coastal waters surrounding the sites in central Maine Islands during the winter-spring 2000 were characterized by high concentrations of inorganic nutrients (Si04 \u3e 8 pM; NO3 + NO2 \u3e 5 pM) and low phytoplankton standing biomass (chl a \u3c 2 pg/L) and cell abundance (\u3c 5 x lo3 cells L -\u27) within a wellmixed water column. Phytoplankton abundance during 2000 exhibited trends inconsistent with a typical, pronounced spring phytoplankton bloom, which suggests that blooming phytoplankton may not be a reliable proximate spawning cue. Despite the relatively consistent pattern, there is considerable variability in the timing, duration, and environmental correlates, especially water temperature and chlorophyll a, of spawning. The timing of spawning in the green sea urchin may influence the recruitment of this species, which furthermore may have important ecological and economic implications. Futhermore, micro- and meso-scale processes affect both phytoplankton bloom dynamics and sea urchin spawning, and the interaction between these factors may result in locally disparate or atypical patterns

Summary of the Impacts of Urbanization on Selected Maine Streams Detected by the Maine DEP

https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cbep-presentations/1062/thumbnail.jp