Newsletter - Spring 2021

Reserach & Scholarship Blog RESEARCH | SPONSORED PROGRAMS | RESEARCH INTEGRITY 2021 VOLUME I Spring “Vaccine” Edition



It is my pleasure to share with you our spring “vaccine” edition of the UNE Research and Scholarship newsletter. In “ordinary” years, we marvel at the miracle of spring in Maine. We delight in seeing crocuses peek through remnants of snow and we enjoy the annual dilemma of deciding when it is “safe” to store the snow shovels. Of course, this spring is in no way ordinary. In addition to crocuses and mud season, this year spring is decorated with the miracle of vaccination appointments. These revolutionary vaccines are vital in helping us to realize our hopes that the upcoming Maine summer will bring a return, in some way, to the traditions we hold dear, including spending time with our friends and families and the flurry of activity associated with summer research at UNE. The pandemic has dominated our lives in many ways over the past year…yet other challenges require our attention as well. Social justice issues, both domestic and abroad, environmental change, the worsening opioid crisis, barriers in access to healthcare, the impact of social isolation, the burden of chronic disease and implementation of sustainable development goals, are all challenges for us to address. Our students continue to strive, with us, to develop solutions to these problems as they gain knowledge and experience that enrich their career and life trajectories. In this edition, you will read about how our scholars are making new discoveries, creating new knowledge and innovating to find solutions to current and emerging problems. Our faculty, students and professional staff continue to pursue their creative endeavors despite the challenges of the pandemic. Here we celebrate their successful grant applications, their scholarly publications and awards that recognize the excellence of their work. At UNE, we care deeply about the communities in which we live and work. Here you will read about how UNE faculty, students and professional staff participated in pandemic response efforts across the state, a testament to our continuing commitment to helping others during this unprecedented time of need. The dedication and resilience of the UNE scholarly community is inspiring! Creativity, innovation, solving problems and supporting our communities…these are the things that give us hope. Finally, I want to give a special shout out to Zeynep Arslan, my creative partner in publishing this magazine. In addition to all that she does to keep the Office of Research and Scholarship running smoothly, she is tireless in her efforts to continuously improve our digital outreach. Thanks Zeynep! On behalf of my team in the UNE Office of Research and Scholarship, I wish you all a healthy and hope-filled spring. Stay well. Karen L. Houseknecht, PhD Professor and Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship

Dr. Carrie Byron and colleagues examine kelp farming’s benefits to the ecosystem As aquaculture expands off coasts around the globe, Carrie Byron, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, is part of a team working to better understand the restorative nature of aquaculture. Byron and the University of New England are teaming up with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the University of Auckland, New Zealand, to jointly study the ecological effects of farmed kelp in New Zealand and Maine. “Other researchers have been quantifying ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and nutrient bioremediation,” stated Byron. “Global warming is attributed to an abundance of carbon in the atmosphere. Similarly, many of our coastal waters, worldwide, are impaired by too much nitrogen in the water. Kelp utilizes these sources of carbon and nitrogen for growth.” Byron says there is some literature about the carbon sequestration and nutrient bioremediation benefits that seaweed provides to the environment. She says this new research project is taking a slightly different tack by looking at biodiversity and habitat provisions that seaweed farming can provide. In addition to assessing seaweed alone, research will also be conducted to analyze the ecological effects of kelp when co-cultured with local mussel species. “We know that fish and other animals are attracted to structures being put in the water,” she said. “It changes the species community and biodiversity in that local area. Nobody has examined or quantified this for seaweed farms in particular.” Graduate student Emilly Schutt is working alongside Byron on the project. “There is a documented decline of wild kelp in the southern half of the Gulf of Maine,” Schutt explained. “Farmed kelp may be valuable in delivering ecosystem services that may otherwise be lost or greatly diminished by those declines.” Full article

UNE professor's research on enabling conditions include corruption, sustainable global economies economic and group equity, gender published in Nature equality, human rights, biodiversity, habitat, water quality, infrastructure, investment Nature 591, 396–401, March 17, 2021 and national stability. Marcia Moreno-Báez, Ph.D., visiting The researchers concluded that the future assistant teaching professor in the School of an equitable and sustainable global of Marine and Environmental Programs, ocean, or blue economy, depends on more is part of a team of authors whose research than the resources available for on the feasibility of achieving a sustainable, technological advancement and industry global “blue economy” was recently expansion. Through their analysis, the published in the journal Nature. authors found that socioeconomic and A blue economy is presented as an governance conditions such as national alternative economic model that provides stability, corruption, and human rights prosperity for all within the ecological limits greatly affect regional ability to achieve a of the planet. It refers, simply, to the range blue economy. of economic uses of ocean and coastal resources, including shipping, tourism, “This is important in a global context aquaculture, and others. because, when people talk about the future The study, “Enabling conditions for an of the ocean economy, most of the time the equitable and sustainable blue attention is focused on the natural economy,” identifies the areas of resources themselves,” said Moreno-Báez, investments and research across “enabling a professor of geographic information conditions” necessary to develop available systems. “However, the most attention ocean resources in a manner consistent should be placed on answering the with a blue economy that is socially question: “How are we going to make sure equitable, environmentally sustainable, that we manage those resources in ways and economically viable. that actually benefit local communities?” The publication pinpoints areas of investments and research for five global The study’s results suggest that regions to achieve a blue economy. These policymakers must engage researchers and stakeholders to promote evidence- based, collaborative planning that ensures all sectors are chosen carefully, that local benefits are prioritized, and that the blue economy delivers on its social, environmental and economic goals. “Otherwise, we are back to business-as- usual, where only a few will benefit from ocean resources,” Moreno-Báez added. “We hope that these results will support a more inclusive conversation with all communities who heavily depend on coastal and ocean resources.”

UNE’s Paul Berkner co-authors new publications on concussions in children and adolescents Paul Berkner, medical director for Student Health Services at the University of New England, has co-authored two new studies examining concussions in adolescents with ADHD and post-concussion symptoms in children and adolescents. Adolescents With ADHD Do Not Take Longer to Recover From Concussion A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (1). Primary care pediatrics is the most common initial point of concussion care for children (2). In a recent survey of pediatricians, essentially all (99%) had treated at least one patient, and half (50%) had treated six or more patients for concussion in the previous year (3). Professional consensus statements have identified attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common neurodevelopmental disorder marked by problems with inattention, difficulty concentrating, poor impulse control, and excessive activity (4), as an important preexisting health condition to consider with regard to concussion management and recovery (5–7). Full article Examining Criteria for Defining Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms in Children and Adolescents Researchers operationalize persistent post-concussion symptoms in children and adolescents using varied definitions. Many pre-existing conditions, personal characteristics, and current health issues can affect symptom endorsement rates in the absence of, or in combination with, a recent concussion, and the use of varied definitions can lead to differences in conclusions about persistent symptoms and recovery across studies. This study examined how endorsement rates varied by 14 different operational definitions of persistent post-concussion symptoms for uninjured boys and girls with and without pre-existing or current health problems. Full article

Dr. Mary DeSilva (Public Health) reports on her NIH-funded research study, \"Song vui, Live Happily\"; A Psychosocial Tele-Health Intervention to Address Multi-Level Stigma Among Youth Living with HIV in Vietnam” The timing of the pandemic has actually worked out well for our work based in Hanoi. The project involves the development of a telephone-delivered psychosocial intervention to address multi- level stigma in youth living with HIV (YLHIV), followed by a pilot study which will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the approach for reducing stigma and improving psychological wellbeing and HIV treatment adherence. We will recruit YLHIV ages 18-24 who self-report intrapersonal stigma and implement a 12-week pre-post intervention in which youth will receive the phone-based intervention developed in the first phase, administered by lay professional coaches. Youth will use an electronic adherence monitoring device for their HIV medications. At the time of Vietnam’s strict containment measures last March/April, my co-PI (Dr. Tran Kieu Nhu) and her staff had just completed in-depth interviews for the initial qualitative portion of the study, and we have since conducted the data analysis and drafted a manuscript which focuses on fear of stigma and associated lack of disclosure of HIV status among participants. The bulk of our time since has been spent developing the intervention curriculum in English and Vietnamese. We are pleased to report that the Vietnamese version was printed last month, and the call center from which the lay professional counselors will conduct the intervention is set up and running (see photos). Although it is sadly unclear when I will be able to return to Hanoi due to travel restrictions, the fieldwork is in exceptional hands with Dr. Tran and her team. We anticipate beginning recruitment for the intervention study within the next month.

Maine Ideas Challenge: 2020-21 In August of 2020, we made the decision to restart the student innovation challenge, successfully launched by the business department in 2016. At the time, we had no idea if the campus would be shut down, if the Makerspace would be operational and most importantly, whether students would want to work on innovation projects that represented extra work and effort in an already difficult year. Initial ideas were due in February and we were thrilled to see 15 disciplines represented, with 40% of the entries coming from graduate students. We selected the top ideas, formed interdisciplinary teams and helped the teams develop their concepts. Slowed down by the shelter-in-place, unable to work on their physical prototypes, we weren’t sure if the challenge would continue. Instead, for the first time in the history of the challenge - no teams dropped out - and we have twelve innovative ideas vying for a share of $6k in prizes on April 20th. These ideas represent innovations in athletics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, lobster fishing, environmental action, education, aquaculture, and student wellness and the caliber of the submissions are truly impressive. It was a year of experimentation for all of us - and here are a few things we tried.

Open Challenges Students told us early on that they wanted to participate, but didn’t always have an innovative idea. Was the Challenge open to them too? We asked students to pick areas they cared about: intergenerational climate action, reimagining learning and student mental health (in winter!). With the support of Lane Clarke in Education, Holly Parker of UNE North and Tom Meuser of the Center for Excellence in Aging, we launched an experimental process - teaching students the skills of innovation and teaching them how to come up with solutions to problems they identified. One team of students ran focus groups with older adults, another interviewed teachers and 3rd graders in Biddeford schools. Students talked to other students about mental health during the pandemic. Remarkably, this work continued over winter break. Every time students were given a chance to stop, they voted to continue - and by February - each team had innovative ideas to bring positive change to each of their areas. Four ideas from this process moved forward and will be competing for the top prizes in the Maine Ideas Challenge. The process demonstrated that the skills of innovation can be taught, and that any student can be an innovator in any field. As one student said “it is crazy to think this started all the way back in November. whatever outcome we have, I have to say I’m really proud of what we accomplished!”. Community Mentors and Innovators This year, we also piloted the use of mentors and outside consultants to support student ideas. Since many of the ideas revolved around digital solutions - we retained Portland Webworks to run three workshops over the course of the semester on user experience design. These workshops helped train teams in how to think about developing a digital idea - from initial concept through prototyping. We also recruited individual mentors to support student teams - from an electrical engineer to a UX designer. These experiments were very well-received and we anticipate expanding both initiatives next year. New skills While the focus of any innovation challenge is on the new ideas - the value to students goes well beyond winning a prize. When the shelter-in-place prevented physical prototyping, students taught themselves new software and figured out how to create digital animations or 3D sketches to explain their ideas. We created teams of students who didn’t know each other - and students had to learn to be collaborative, across campuses, with team members from different disciplines. Students had to interview fishermen, and older adults with mobility issues and teachers from other districts - learning how to ask good questions and get feedback. When they ran into design challenges, they had to use their problem-solving skills to refine their ideas. We saw these students grow in remarkable ways over the course of the semester and hope that next year, we can inspire even more students to participate.

UNE Researchers join MaineHealth Research Team awarded NIH COBRE Grant Focused on Rural Medicine Meghan May, Phd; Karen Houseknecht, PhD. In February 2021, MaineHealth was awarded a five-year, $12.8 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, or COBRE, grant from the National Institutes of Health to study ways to reduce the disparity in health care between urban and rural areas of Maine. Dr. Douglas Sawyer, cardiology researcher and chief academic officer of Maine Medical Center (MMCRI) and MaineHealth, serves as the Principle Investigator. The COBRE award funds infrastructure support for clinical research, clinical faculty development, and funds pilot research projects that address important clinical issues encountered in acute care and rural health settings. UNE’s Karen L. Houseknecht, Professor of Pharmacology and Associate Provost for Research, serves as a senior advisor on the COBRE project exploring the impact of administering antibiotics to all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. “We continue to build and strengthen the collaborative relationship between MMCRI and the UNE research community,” says Dr. Houseknecht. “It is rewarding to participate in this important clinical/translational research and to strive to provide new research opportunities for UNECOM faculty and students” Dr. Meghan May, Professor of Infectious Disease (UNECOM) serves as co-Investigator on the project focused on administration of the antibiotic ceftriaxone on OHCA patients. The study explores two questions: 1) Do the patients receiving ceftriaxone have a lower rate of aspiration pneumonia, which is a common complication of OHCA? and 2) Does the routine administration of the antibiotic have an effect on the collective antibiotic resistance signature of the microbes living in each patient (the “resistome”)? “I’m thrilled to be able to contribute my experience with both clinical microbiology and high-throughput sequencing/“omics” techniques to this exciting project,” says Dr. May. “It is very exciting to be participating in a prospective clinical trial that could save lives.”

L to R: Beau Rostama, PhD; Megan Beauchemin, PhD; Celeste Bouchard, DO; Elizabeth Bernier. L to R: Calvin Vary, PhD; Meghan May, PhD; Karen Houseknecht, PhD. Houseknecht and May laboratories publish new study that identifies mechanisms underlying Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mental illness Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a rapidly growing health problem worldwide and is now considered a “silent” co-morbidity in patients with mental illness. Patients with severe mental illness have increased mortality, often linked to cardio-metabolic disease. NAFLD incidence is higher in patients with schizophrenia and is exacerbated with antipsychotic treatment. NAFLD is associated with obesity and insulin resistance, both of which are induced by several antipsychotic medications. Finally, NAFLD is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for patients with severe mental illness. Although the clinical literature clearly defines increased risk of NAFLD with antipsychotic therapy, the underlying mechanisms are not understood. UNE researchers in laboratories of Karen L. Houseknecht (COM) and Meghan May (COM) recently published novel findings in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences showing that the psychiatric medications risperidone and olanzapine induced NAFLD in healthy mice in the absence of drug-associated weight gain, and that multiple regulatory signaling pathways are altered with drug treatment. The lead author on the paper is Dr. Beau Rostama, Ph.D., Research Associate (COM). Other authors include Celeste Bouchard (COM ’20), Elizabeth Bernier (USM student), Megan Beauchemin, and Calvin Vary (MMCRI). Karen Houseknecht, senior author comments: “These findings

show, for the first time, that commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications can directly cause NAFLD in the absence of weight gain or elevated blood lipids, and highlight the importance of patient monitoring for drug-associated metabolic side effects.” Understanding Mechanisms Underlying Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Mental Illness: Risperidone and Olanzapine Alter the Hepatic Proteomic Signature in Mice Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(24), 9362; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21249362 View Full-Text

UNE’s Colonial Era Expert Ali Ahmida interview with on Aswat Maghreb newspaper on French Colonial Denial “The Algerian archive is not organized and unworthy of the sacrifices of these people”. The colonial memory file continues to poison Algerian-French relations, as Algerians demand an apology from Paris for the “crimes” of the colonial era, while French politicians are calling for a new page to be opened and looking to the future. Recently, controversy over this file returned again after the issuance of a report completed by the French historian, Benjamin Stora, at the request of the Elysee Palace. The same questions have also returned. For example, why does France refuse to apologize to the Algerians? Has the file turned into an election card again in France? What is the best way to overcome the pain of the past? France recently lifted the secrecy of documents related to the colonial era of Algeria (1830-1962), and the decision had different reactions between welcome and suspicious. As an expert studying the colonial era in North Africa, how do you view the Paris move? We must understand that this issue is deeply rooted, and the French elite so far does not want to recognize other history, and the strange thing now is that some of the French archives on the Algerian war were only released a week ago, and this is strange because usually most of the archives are released after 30 years. . The truth is that the French state – with the exception of the intelligentsia, politicians and militants who denounced colonialism in general – has yet to have a complex, which is Algeria. We must understand that the Algerian war of liberation was never an Arab, African or Islamic issue, but rather a liberation war that won the sympathy of the world. But we must also realize that the French did not view Algeria as a normal colony like Tunisia. Algeria was a settler colony, and France viewed it on the basis that it was part of it, in addition to that this colonialism is perhaps the oldest colonialism in the African continent, with the exception of the colonization of South Africa. Full article

UNE’s Ali Ahmida discusses book in European University Institute workshop Ali Ahmida, Ph.D., professor in UNE’s Political Science programs, recently discussed his latest book in a virtual multidisciplinary workshop with the Max Weber Programme (MWP) for Postdoctoral Studies at the European University Institute. This MWP multidisciplinary workshop aims to explore strategies, processes, and narratives through which Western gazes have contributed to the creation and making of the Global South. The workshop critically examines the ways in which knowledge is produced on Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American regions. On April 15, Ahmida was interviewed by MWP Fellow Roberta Biasillo about his book, “Genocide in Libya: Shar, a Hidden Colonial History,” which was released last August. Dr. Ali Ahmida was one of the experts in the virtual roundtable on “Libya and the Quest for Power: Examining Regional and Global Implications” on April 7, 2021, of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). WATCH THE INTERVIEW

Meghan May Elected Chair of also two widespread human pathogens, International Professional Society and while neither is likely to kill you, one can leave you with permanent asthma and the other makes it far easier to transmit HIV. They’re very underappreciated organisms!” Meghan May, Professor of Microbiology Dr. May has been a member of the IOM for and Infectious Diseases in the Department 20 years, having initially joined as a of Biomedical Sciences, was recently graduate student. She has never missed a elected as chair of the International biennial congress since joining, traveling to Organization for Mycoplasmology (IOM). China, Italy, Brazil, France, the United The IOM is devoted to the study of Kingdom, and Australia to attend. The most Mollicutes, a group of bacteria that includes recent IOM Congress was held in 2018 in an unusual number of human, animal, and Portsmouth, NH, which May hosted and plant pathogens. “These organisms are organized in collaboration with six other complex and atypical in many biological American mycoplasmologists. “The ways, but they’re also incredibly important Portsmouth congress was an incredible for the sheer amount of suffering and amount of work, requiring everything from economic loss they can cause,” said May. budgeting skills to interfacing with the US “Some of the world’s most tightly controlled State Department to what at times felt like veterinary and plant pathogens belong to wedding planning,” she described. “The this group, and controlling these organisms congress was successful, well-attended, is crucial to food security and economic and even turned a small profit for the IOM. development in many countries. There are I was so proud of the work the organizing committee did.” Fittingly, it was one of May’s organizing committee members who submitted her nomination to serve as chair of the IOM in December. She was officially elected to the position in February of 2020, and will assume the role at the next IOM Congress in Tel Aviv, Israel. “I am humbled and honored at the vote of confidence that my colleagues have given me,” May said. “I have served as the division chair within the American Society for Microbiology on the national level, and am very excited to assume this role on the international stage.”

Holly Parker, Director at UNE North, was invited to write one of the first op-eds in the Journal of the North Atlantic and Arctic, published in Iceland. “While Washington Ignored Its Responsibilities To Address Climate, Mainers Embraced Ours” outlines Maine’s role as a partner and leader for climate action and sustainable development in the North. Maine Won’t Wait The Gulf of Maine is the second fastest warming body of water in the world. Higher temperatures and acidification are disrupting species key to our blue economies. A once thriving shrimp fishery has closed; invasive species such a green crab are impacting our shell fishery. In our forests, our iconic moose are suffering the impacts of warmer temperatures. These massive creatures are being felled by surging tick populations, which are also impacting human health as they bring new vector borne diseases to the region. Full article Holly Parker, co-authored with Glenn Page and Sam Matey of SustainaMetrix and Michael Trusty, PhD and Cedric Woods, PhD of UMass Boston, “A Transformations Transect as Social Innovation: COBALT Network Forms in the Gulf of Maine to Develop the Concept” in Social Innovations Journal’s special edition, Innovative Practices for Systems Transformations. The article details the collaboration of all three organizations to employ a bioregional approach to seeing and accelerating transformative social and environmental practices and initiatives in the Gulf of Maine. The global pandemic has demonstrated that our most pressing issues are interrelated in multiple, hard to define ways. Governments alone are ill-equipped to deal with the complex array of issues presented by the Earth of the Anthropocene, such as social inequity; rural-urban divide; disruption of food systems and supply chains; disintegration of natural ecosystems; and the sheer magnitude of climate change. A new research network known as COBALT (Collaborative for Bioregional Action Learning & Transformation) will use a novel Transformation Transect that follows a road network from the tip of Cape Cod to Nova Scotia’s Cape Sable Island. Full article

Holly Parker, Director at UNE North, took part in The Northern Periphery and Arctic Program COVID 19 project video at the Arctic Frontiers conference. Early in the COVID-19 crisis, a group of experts from the Northern Periphery of Europe, Canada and the US decided to work together to better understand what can be done in response to this crisis. This video was presented on February 1, 2021 at the Arctic Frontiers conference by the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme (EU) Head of Secretariat Kirsti Mijnhijmer. It highlights the NPA Covid project of which UNE North is a part. An Evening with Andri Snaer Magnason UNE North hosted a community event with Icelandic author, filmmaker, and activist Andri Snaer Magnason on April 14, 2021. The Maine North Atlantic Institute at the University of Southern Maine was co-sponsoring the event, which was free for all participants. The 90-minute interactive event celebrated Magnason’s latest book, On Time and Water, slated for U.S. release in March of 2021. The event featured a presentation by Magnason as well as opportunities for guided small group discussions on passages from the book and a Q&A with the author. Of On Time and Water, Jacob Dykes of Geographical writes, “Magnason explores a disconnect unique to our present generation, when nature no longer exists as an immutable force of its own governance. His solution is to adopt a more romantic reverence for nature’s beauty and power. Decisions on environmental protection should not be based on economic imperatives, but instead on our elemental affinities with the natural world” (September 24, 2020). Magnason achieves this by weaving a tapestry of climate science, myth, family memoir, and even interviews with the Dalai Lama.

Kayla Cerri ’21 presents 'sea lettuce' research to American Chemical Society Kayla Cerri (Biochemistry, ’21) and faculty mentor Amy Deveau, Ph.D. professor of chemistry in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, recently attended the virtual American Chemical Society National Meeting, which took place from April 5­ to 16. On April 10, Cerri presented a virtual poster titled “Extraction, Characterization and Analysis of Bioactives from Maine Ulva lactuca” in the undergraduate research symposium. According to the study, Maine Ulva lactuca — also known as “sea lettuce” — is an underexplored source of marine natural products. The study found that the composition of organic extracts from Maine Ulva lactuca differ from Floridian Ulva lactuca when the same extraction protocol was used. Data suggest that exogenous factors, such as environmental variables, may then influence the antimicrobial compounds produced by the algae, the researchers said. In addition to Deveau, Amber Cusson, B.S. ’18 (Biochemistry), M.S. ’20 (Biological Sciences), and collaborators Angela Myracle, Ph.D., visiting research professor in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and Kristin Burkholder, Ph.D., associate professor of biology in the School of Biological Sciences, contributed to the work. Cerri’s research, conducted over the past two calendar years, was funded by UNE’s SURE program in summer 2019 and, in part, by National Science Foundation Grant #1355457 and the UNE Office of Research and Scholarship’s Faculty Minigrant program. Cerri is a leader-scholar, serving as president of the Chemistry Club, a member of the CAS Dean’s Student Leadership Advisory Council, and as a mentor to chemistry and biochemistry majors.

Amy Deveau and Noah Garrison Furman undergraduate Lauren Jones (Biochemistry, ’21) in collaboration with Dr. George presented “Conformational Analysis of Shields group at Furman University presented their Antagonists to the µ Opioid Receptor” research at the Virtual South Carolina (SC) INBRE Research focusing on the agonist BU72, while conference on Saturday, January 23, 2021. Brenna Outten presented Outcomes of Dr. Amy Deveau’s 2020 “Conformational Analysis of Antagonists research conducted with biochemistry major Noah Garrison (21′) in to the µ Opioid Receptor.” Collectively, collaboration with Dr. George Shields’ computational chemistry group at this research used Schrodinger’s Furman University were presented at the 12th Annual Virtual South Carolina (SC) software Maestro and contributes to the INBRE Research conference on Saturday, January 23, 2021. The understanding of how conformational research collaboration was funded by seed money to Dr. Deveau by UNE’s bias enables binding preferences for Research Infrastructure Fund and by NIH via SC INBRE to Dr. MOR agents. The computational Shields. Specifically, the INBRE grant funded Schrodinger software and outcomes are being used by the team to supported two Furman undergraduate research students, Lauren Jones and design and synthesize novel MOR Brenna Outten, in summer 2020. modulators. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kNYKhx 62llXgKqrmjA55whUYaqYYcwTJ/view Dr. Deveau, a professor of chemistry in (page 26) the School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CAS), attended the virtual conference with Garrison and biochemistry major Carolyn Curley (23′), who is the newest student to join Dr. Deveau’s group. Shields’ post-doctoral research associate Togo Odbadrakh also contributed significantly to the research.

Marine Sciences student aims to make difference through cutting- edge research “Research is my passion. It is the core of what I love about marine science,” explained Katie Dimm (Marine Sciences, ’22). Dimm discovered her passion at her high school in Ridgefield, Connecticut. “During my sophomore year, I took a course called Science Research. All the students in the course had the chance to do independent research, which was a huge jumping off point for me,” Dimm said. “I became really interested in studying levels of methylmercury, an organic form of mercury that is highly toxic and accumulates in aquatic environments and, in particular, sharks.” After high school, Katie took a gap year to attend Cape Eleuthera Institute, which is devoted to research, education, and outreach on the Cape Eleuthera peninsula in the Bahamas. There, she was able to carry on her shark research and assist with a large array of projects, such as the collection of Caribbean spider crabs, shark tagging studies, and sea cucumber and coral reef surveys. It was also during this gap year that Katie discovered UNE. “I learned about the research opportunities available there, toured the campus, and fell in love with the place,” she said. “What I liked most was that I wouldn’t have to wait to carry out research. I could continue the research I had been working on in high school and in the Bahamas with the guidance of my UNE professors.” Katie started working with Stephan I. Zeeman, Ph.D., professor of marine sciences in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, who was particularly supportive of her research — especially when she needed to create a controlled environment to further her research, including a study of why larger sharks do not always have higher concentrations of mercury than smaller sharks. “Long living apex predators like sharks seem to have an incredible capability to accumulate and handle massive concentrations of mercury, making them phenomenal biomarkers for mercury in ecosystems. However, there is a lot of inconsistency in the mercury levels found in various species of sharks,” Dimm explained. “Research has shown that factors such as the depth in which the sharks forages, their metabolism turnover times, and if they are warm-blooded or cold-blooded could all impact mercury levels. There are many different factors to consider, and, unlike other research, you can’t really keep sharks in controlled environments.” Full article

Tom Klak receives 2021 Source Award for his efforts to restore the American chestnut tree Tom Klak, Ph.D., professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, is the recipient of a 2021 Source Maine Sustainability Award for his efforts to restore the American chestnut tree. The awards are an annual recognition by the Portland Press Herald of people who contribute to the state's environmental well- being. This year, 70 people were nominated for awards. Only six were chosen. “As far as a species to bring back, there’s no other that could make a bigger positive impact on the forests east of the Mississippi River,” Klak told the Press Herald. Klak is on a mission to foster the comeback of the American chestnut tree. The tree was all but destroyed during the last century by an accidentally imported fungal blight that is still killing the few remaining trees today. The blight has wiped out an estimated four billion chestnuts. UNE is the only place in New England where students are working with fungal blight- tolerant American chestnut seedlings. They are now speed-breeding the seedlings, helping them produce pollen in a fraction of the time it would take if they grew naturally. Last summer, with USDA permission, Klak and his team pollinated the first wild chestnut trees with their blight-tolerant pollen — the first time the work had been done in Maine. According to the Press Herald, Klak was nominated for a Source Award by several people, all of whom cited his passion, his focus, and the real progress he has made in trying to develop American chestnut trees that will resist blight. “It would be shortsighted to only talk about the scientific parts of Tom’s work; he’s done an incredible amount of training of students in ecological restoration and worked with so many different community members on test plots,” said Noah Perlut, Ph.D., assistant academic director of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs. “He’s inspiring people to get involved in their own way, not to necessarily mirror what he’s doing.”

Vet to Vet Maine: A Pilot Study Measuring Effectiveness of a Veteran Companion Program in Reducing Social Isolation and Loneliness Dr. Marilyn Gugliucci and colleagues published this work in the Journal of Veterans Studies. The research project was funding funded through the UNE Center for Excellence in Aging and Health. Social isolation and loneliness have long been recognized as significant factors of well-being particularly for older adults. Human beings are social by nature, and high-quality social relationships are vital for health and well-being. Like many other social determinants of health, social isolation (i.e., an objective lack of social contact with others) and loneliness (i.e., the subjective feeling of being isolated) are significant yet underappreciated public health risks. Social isolation and loneliness are associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes including higher rates of mortality, depression, and cognitive decline (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2020). This study pilots an effort to evaluate the Vet to Vet Maine companion program effectiveness in reducing social isolation and feelings of loneliness, especially for Veteran Friends, those veterans wanting companionship, as well as Veteran Volunteers. An added component to this study is the inclusion of Veteran Friends’ Care Partners to determine if the Vet to Vet Maine companion program provided any positive effects for them. Full article

Co-funded project from the Center years or older in the United States is set to for Excellence in Aging and Health double from 48 to 88 million by 2050.1,2 Dental and College of Dental Medicine. professionals will continue to see a growing population of older patients in their clinic. Things are changing: Dentistry then and now Therefore, it is important that dentists from geriatric patients’ point of view. understand past and current expe- riences of older adults in the dental setting to better treat Dentistry is a constantly evolving profession. them. New dental technologies, materials, and means of communication between clinicians and A focus group of twelve older patients from patients are frequently introduced. These Portland, Maine, explored their experiences of changes have become more apparent in the last dental care, then and now. Volunteer participants few decades and especially within the last year (n = 12) were recruited through a community with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many older adults research registry - the University of New England may find these changes disorienting whether it is Legacy Scholars Program. All were Cau- casian, a telehealth visit, new dental office protocols, residents of greater Portland, Maine, and 55-85 new technological advances, or say- ing years old. Education levels ranged from high goodbye to their dentist of several decades due school grad- uate to graduate school. Full article to retirement. The population of individuals 65 Recruitment for a dental clinical trial in The research is directed by Dr Shaista Rashid and older adults has been started - Center Dr Mohamed ElSalhy from College of Dental for Excellent in Aging an Health-funded Medicine, Joann Multon and Rachael Salamon pilot now happening after navigating from Westbrook College of Health Professions Department of Dental Hygiene, and Tom Meuser the pandemic from Center for Excellence in Aging & Health. Patient Recruitment for clinical trial on the effectiveness of Silver Diamine Fluoride versus sodium fluoride in arresting caries around crown margins in older adults' begin at Westbrook College of Health Professions Department of Dental Hygiene. The clinical trial is a unique collaboration between College of Dental Medicine, Westbrook College of Health Professions Department of Dental Hygiene, and Center for Excellence in Aging & Health. The clinical trial is evaluating two non-surgical noninvasive approaches for caries control and arrest around crown margins. The project addresses the complex nature of oral health care needs of older adults with an aim to retain their teeth and thier dental restorations and crowns.

Art, Medicine, and Social Change – Ted Meyer and Dr. Shelley Cohen Konrad “I have not the slightest idea from where they come from,” reflects Ted Meyer about his most recent collection of paintings, created amidst the COVID10 pandemic. The paintings are vibrant and whimsical. They include expansive pink desert landscapes and bright blue swirling skies through which fantastical horned creatures and lovers seem to buoy across. “Maybe I just can’t do work about the world ending right now because I need a fantasy to escape to,” he offers as a possible explanation, quickly following this with self-reproach that he should get back to doing “more serious work.” Ted Meyer is a nationally recognized artist, curator and patient advocate. He helps patients express the reality of their experiences through art and share their truths with medical students and professionals as a path to creating more empathic understanding. The “more serious work” he is referring to (and is most well-known for) includes a rich and compelling collection of artwork and patient stories around illness: his own genetic illness and the illnesses of others. Ted was diagnosed with Gaucher Disease as a child (an enzyme deficiency that affects bones and joints), and his rare niche mixes art, medicine, and stories of healing and survival. He spent much of his childhood in severe pain, and his work is influenced by the many hospital stays he endured as a child, where he began to mix art and medical supplies. Many of his early paintings include contorted graphic skeletal images, a reflection of his childhood belief that he would not live past 30. New drug treatments and joint replacements, however, completely changed the trajectory of both his life and his art. He is now 62 years old and has dedicated many of those years to sharing the experiences of others’ trauma and illness through art, advocacy, and storytelling. As part of this, he’s collaborated with Shelley Cohen Konrad PhD, LCSW, FNAP, Director of UNE School of Social Work, who focuses much of her own work on art’s healing and transformative powers. “Ted and I met serendipitously in LA, and we knew right away that we had ‘like minds’ and wanted to work together,” shares Shelley. Ted has traveled to Maine to present as part of UNE’s Interprofesional programming, but most of their work together has been national and international. Full article on UNE School of Social Work

Michele Polacsek is a 2021 recipient of a High-Impact Award from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB) Michele Polacsek, Ph.D., M.H.S., professor of public health and director of the Center for Excellence in Public Health at UNE, is a 2021 recipient of a High-Impact Award from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB) for her article Polacsek M., Moran A., Thorndike A.N., Boulos R., Franckle R.L., Greene J.C., Blue D.J., Block J.P., Rimm E.B. A Supermarket Double-Dollar Incentive Program Increases Purchases of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Among Low-Income Families With Children: The Healthy Double Study. J Nutr Educ Behav https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(17)30896-5/fulltext which has been cited 27 times since publication in the journal. The recognitions in 2021 are given to authors of papers published in 2018 in JNEB and that have been highly cited since publication.

UNE Public Health Team Conducts Survey of Food Security Status and Food Purchasing Behaviors Michele Polacsek PhD MHS, Director of the UNE Center for Excellence in Public Health (CEPH), and Thomas Meuser PhD, Director for Center for Excellence in Aging and Public Health (CEAH) along with Debra Brucker PhD, Research Associate Professor, University of New Hampshire, and Alyssa Moran ScD MPH RD, Assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have completed a Brief presenting survey findings from a sample of older Maine residents regarding their food security and purchasing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the survey was not representative of the older Maine population as a whole, findings demonstrate that older residents with disabilities may be suffering greater food insecurity and face more barriers to healthy eating than do other residents. These populations may require tailored support in acquiring preferred foods and to successfully navigate online ordering and delivery, for example. For more information, contact Michele Polacsek at [email protected].

UNE's Pamela Bruno publishes brief in Journal for Nutrition Education and Behavior Pamela Bruno, M.P.H., senior research associate in the Center for Excellence in Public Health (CEPH), has co-authored a research brief published in December in the Journal for Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB). The publication, “The SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework: Nationwide Uptake and Implications for Nutrition Education Practice, Policy, and Research,” provides the first census of national use of a framework designed to evaluate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program. SNAP-Ed is the largest and most diverse community nutrition and obesity prevention program in the country and is administered in Maine by UNE’s CEPH through a contract with the Office for Family Independence at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The research brief summarizes Bruno’s efforts with national colleagues to assess the baseline uptake of the framework across all SNAP-Ed implementing agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Introduced in 2017, framework includes 51 indicators designed to provide outcomes for each level of the Social Ecological Model and at the population level. The research brief quantifies the initial uptake of the framework to showcase the breadth and depth of SNAP-Ed programming and evaluation activity across the country and to provide a baseline for future studies examining national application of the framework. Full article Highlight from Center of Excellence in Public Health (CEPH) The Center for Excellence in Public Health (CEPH) had a strong presence at the national annual meeting of SNAP-Ed implementing agencies held virtually from February 1st through 3rd. Maine SNAP-Ed, implemented by the university through a contract with Maine’s Office for Family Independence, addresses food insecurity and obesity prevention in low-resource communities across the state. The funding comes for the USDA and is granted to over 160 agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Territory of Guam. Implementing agencies include universities, non-profits, state health and agriculture departments, and tribal-serving

organizations. The Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators (ASNNA) brings member implementing agencies together annually to stay abreast of policy issues and advance best practices. Public health approaches to alleviate hunger are especially important during the pandemic, and adapting interventions to address COVID-19 was a theme of the conference, along with equity in programming and planning. CEPH staff presented on work related to social marketing and media, program evaluation, COVID-19 impact on program delivery, and virtual training strategies. Panel presentations highlighted work completed this past year through research and practice collaborations with academic peers from ten partnering universities, sharing lessons learned and emerging evidence. CEPH’s Senior Research Associates Pamela Bruno and Kira Rodriguez presented on their work, as did Hannah Ruhl, the program’s Obesity Prevention Coordinator, and Emily Estell, a nutrition educator from UNE’s Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition at the College of Osteopathic Medicine. The following panel and poster presentations were shared at the 2021 ASNNA virtual annual conference: o Pamela Bruno, MPH, co-authored and presented Best Practices for Measuring Environmental Level Indicators in the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, featuring evaluation tools and methods for measuring outcomes related to policy, systems, and environmental changes designed to create healthy local communities. o Kira Rodriguez, MHS, co-authored and presented Design, Implementation, and Results of a Joint Cross-State Evaluation on the Impacts and Adaptations Made to SNAP- Ed Programming During COVID-19, highlighting findings from a five-state collaborative evaluation of pandemic impact on SNAP-Ed programming. o Hannah Ruhl, MPH, co-authored and presented Social Marketing Campaigns: Amplifying SNAP-Ed Reach and Outcomes, demonstrating how campaigns can be used within multilevel interventions, with examples of evaluation methods and outcomes. o Emily Adrienne Estell, RDN, MPH co-authored and presented Virtual Discussion Forums as a Training Tool Building SNAP-Ed practitioner engagement and capacity through skill sharing and brainstorming especially during times of great change, a poster sharing the value of structured virtual practitioner peer support for skill building and program improvement. For more information on Maine SNAP-Ed or presentations shared at the ASNNA annual meeting, contact Lori Kaley, MS, RDN, LD, MSB, Program Manager, Maine SNAP-Ed, CEPH, 207.221.4551 | [email protected]

Susan McHugh Publishes The Palgrave Handbook of Animals and Literature https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030397722 Susan McHugh, PhD, rich diversity of how ‘the question of the animal’ Professor of English in has been taken up by leading figures in Animal the School of Arts and Studies from Medieval to contemporary Humanities within the literature,” writes Cary Wolfe, Bruce and College of Arts and Sciences at UNE, recently Elizabeth Dunlevie Professor of English, Rice published The Palgrave Handbook of Animals University, and author of Animal Rites: and Literature (2020). Co-edited with American Culture, the Discourse of Species, colleagues at Sheffield University in the UK, the and Posthumanist Theory, “As a result, any volume is the first comprehensive guide to scholar, working in any period, will have much current research on animals, animality, and to learn here—and much to applaud—for years human-animal relations in literature. to come.” To reflect the history of literary animal studies Helen Tiffin, Professor of English at the to date, its primary focus is literary prose and University of Wollongong and co-author of poetry in English, while also accommodating Postcolonial Ecocriticism avers, “This is a emergent discussions of the full range of media 'must read' for those in the fields of Animal and contexts with which literary studies Studies, Literary History and Criticism. engages, especially film and critical Groundbreaking in their approach, these theory. Forty-three chapters spanning all of the essays invite us to rethink our human-centred major periods of English studies clarify how readings of familiar and unfamiliar literary inquiries into animal life are at the heart of one works from Medieval to contemporary. This of the fastest-growing subfields today. shifting focus, from the human to the extra- The book has received ringing endorsements human, also takes us, as a number of the from top scholars in literary studies around the essays do, into the realms of imperialism, race world. “Ranging from Medieval beast fables to and gender. Innovative, comprehensive and contemporary ‘ossiferous’ fictions, this enlightening, it offers much not only to collection is an inspiring must-read for scholars, but to general readers interested in everyone interested in literary animals, human the urgent questions of our times.” and non-human alike,” according to Virginia McHugh is the author of three scholarly Richter, Professor and Chair of Modern monographs, most recently, Love in a Time of English Literature at the University of Bern, and Slaughters: Human-animal Stories Against author of Literature after Darwin: Human Genocide and Extinction (2019). She is co- Beasts in Western Fiction. editor of three additional scholarly collections as well as the book series Palgrave Studies in “Opening with a section on conceptual Animals in Literature, which has published foundations, and closing with a sampling of over 20 volumes since its inception in 2015. new directions in the field, this remarkable— and remarkably diverse—collection models the

Laura Marvin, BCH 2020, a graduate student at the University of Delaware, has just been awarded an NSF Graduate Fellowship. While at UNE, Marvin worked in Dr. Eva Rose Balog’s lab in the Department of Chemistry and Physics for all four years and three SURE/MSGC funded summers, published two papers including one as first author, and received the UNE Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Award for Natural Sciences. Balog commented, “Laura was not only a Biochemistry major, she was also an Applied Math minor, so this is a true SMAPS success story. NSF graduate fellowships are highly competitive and prestigious, so this is quite an accomplishment.” GSBSE student Christine Hale won the UMaine Hunter Presidential Research Impact Award at Student Symposium. Christine Hale, GSBSE PhD Candidate in Biomedical Science, was awarded the Dr. Susan J. Hunter Presidential Research Impact Award for the Presentation at the UMaine Student Symposium held virtually on April 16th, 2021.

The project COM student Ben Harris has been working on with Dr. Rosen and Dr. Pletch (Gen surg PGY-4) was accepted to the SAGES national conference in Vegas in September 2021. Clifford J Rosen, MD; Benjamin Harris, BSc Effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy on inflammatory markers post-operatively in IGFBP2- /mice and their littermate controls. Introduction: Bariatric surgery is a common procedure performed in the United States to treat obesity and its associated co-morbidities. It results in significant and sustained weight loss, as well as significant improvement in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Likewise, unintended side effects of this surgery like accelerated and sustained bone loss are also not well understood. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-2) may play a role in bone loss post vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). In human studies at the Joslin Clinic, proteomics have revealed that IGFBP-2 is the most highly expressed protein in the serum within one week after VSG. In mice, VSG results in rapid depletion of bone and bone marrow adipose tissue has been associated with an increase in neutrophils and G- CSF in the circulation. Taken together, these data suggest there may be an acute inflammatory response in the marrow post VSG and that IGFBP-2 may play an early and essential role. It is unknown how VSG affects inflammation in Igfbp2 null mice (Igfbp2-/-), therefore, serum inflammatory markers such as IL-6, resistin, adiponectin, leptin and gene products of Sost, F4/80, Tnf-a, Il-6, Sema3E, and PlexinD1 were assessed. Methods: Twelve Igfbp2+/+ mice (control) and twelve Igfbp2-/- underwent either VSG or a sham surgery after 8 weeks on high fat diet. Whole femurs and blood serum were collected 4 weeks post- surgery. The serum was evaluated for IL-6, resistin, adiponectin, and leptin utilizing ELISAs. Whole femurs were analyzed for the gene expression levels of Sost, F4/80, Tnf-a, Il-6, Sema3E, and PlexinD1. Results: A significant rise in serum IL-6 levels were observed post-operatively in the control VSG mice that was not seen in Igfbp2-/- mice (p=0.0077). Additionally, resistin levels increased in the control mice after the sham surgery (p=.0157). Conversely, resistin levels significantly decreased in Igfbp2-/- after surgery (p=0.0081). Serum levels of leptin and adiponectin significantly decreased after VSG (p=0.039 in control mice for adiponectin; and p=0.0224 in control mice, p=0.0036 in Ifgbp2-/- for leptin). Surprisingly, gene expression did not produce any significant findings. Conclusion: Bone loss in post-operative VSG patients has been associated with marrow inflammation. The blunted rise of IL-6 in the Ifgbp2-/- cohort and increased resistin levels in the control

mice are indicative of an inflammatory response after VSG that is prevented in the Ifgbp2-/- mice. Thus, limiting circulating levels of IGFBP-2 in post-operative VSG patients may improve long term bone health. UNE COM student recognized with national osteopathic student researcher award Natalie Koons (D.O., ’23), a student in the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) has received an honorable mention for the 2021 Student Researcher of the Year award from the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP). The award, bestowed annually, recognizes osteopathic medical students with highly competitive experiences and advancement in clinical, translational, or basic science research. The national awardees are selected based on a student’s contributions to osteopathic research that align with the mission of both the osteopathic profession and COSGP: to advance the philosophy, practice, and science of osteopathic medicine. Koons received a third place honorable mention during a year that saw a record number of applicants. “Being recognized with this national honor just confirms my passion for scientific research and how impactful it can be on patient populations,” said Koons, of Buffalo, New York. “Research is not only just something I enjoy, but it really helps to bring what we learn, didactically, to clinical reality. This award is just one step closer to my goal of becoming a physician-scientist in the field of anesthesiology.” In 2020, Koons — president-elect of the American Society of Anesthesiologists - Medical Student Component (ASA-MSC) — became only the second UNE COM student to receive a prestigious Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship (MSARF) from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) since the program’s inception. The program provides students financial support for eight weeks of anesthesiology research, training in scientific methods and techniques, and learning in how to incorporate research into their medical careers. Koons was to travel to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to work under the mentorship of Soban Umar, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the UCLA Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine this past summer. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, she worked with Umar remotely on several projects. One such project focused on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, titled, “Intralipid Improves LPS-induced Cardiomyopathy through STAT3 Activation in Rats.” Koons will present the study’s findings at the Association of University Anesthesiologists National Meeting in conjunction with the International Anesthesia Research Society and the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists on May 14.

UNE researchers Derek Molliver (COM) and Diana Goode (COM) publish study on mechanisms of pain sensitivity in Journal of Neuroscience Derek Molliver, Ph.D., professor in the in mice, cAMP activates a chain reaction that Department of Biomedical Sciences and Diana causes the neurons’ mitochondria to become Goode, Ph.D., assistant professor in the more active. Department of Biomedical Sciences, recently conducted research on pain sensitivity that they Prostaglandins are a group of lipids made at hope will eventually lead to the development of sites of tissue damage or infection that are more effective treatments for pain and perhaps involved in dealing with injury and illness. They different treatments for men and women. control processes such as inflammation, blood flow, and the formation of blood clots. Their study, “Regulation of mitochondrial Mitochondria is important for producing energy function by Epac2 contributes to acute for the neuron. The increase in mitochondrial inflammatory hyperalgesia,” is now published activity may be important for the neurons to be in The Journal of Neuroscience, a weekly peer- able to continue sending pain signals to the reviewed scientific journal published by the brain, which requires large amounts of energy. Society for Neuroscience. It covers empirical By adding a drug that decreases mitochondrial research on all aspects of neuroscience. function, Goode and Molliver were able to reduce the hypersensitivity of the pain-sensing After an injury, damaged tissue releases neurons caused by the prostaglandins. This inflammatory chemicals that attract cells of the study demonstrates a previously unknown way immune system to promote healing. These that tissue injury causes pain: by increasing the chemicals also make pain-sensing neurons function of mitochondria in pain-sensing (known as nociceptors) hyperactive, sending neurons. more intense pain signals to the brain, which causes painful hypersensitivity. Another exciting observation in this study was that the decrease in pain resulting from the Scientists have known for some time that a mitochondrial suppressant drug was observed molecule inside neurons called cAMP acts as a in male mice but not in females, even though signal to make these pain-sensing neurons female mice also get hypersensitive in response more sensitive to touch. What is not clear is how to prostaglandins. The scientists deduced that the cAMP makes neurons more females likely use a different communication sensitive.Goode and Molliver found that when pathway to transmit pain in response to injury. prostaglandins are applied to nociceptor One of the important next steps is to figure out neurons grown in a dish or injected into the skin what the alternative mechanism is that causes pain in females. This study is the first publication from a grant awarded to Molliver by the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to study neuronal signaling pathways that cause acute and chronic pain. Full article: https://www.jneurosci.org/content/41/13/2883.l ong

Russ Ferland (COM) publishes work in the Journal of Neuroscience: “The transition zone protein AHI1 regulates neuronal ciliary trafficking of MCHR1 and its downstream signaling pathway.” https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2993-20.2021 UNE’s James Vesenka gave a talk titled: “How do you investigate the electrical properties of G-wire DNA?” at DNA Nanotechnology Mitteldeutschland Virtual Workshop, Wednesday, April 7, 2021

COM students awarded anesthesia research fellowships First-year College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) students Kaye Dandrea, Daria Ivenitsky, and Chuhao Nie have been awarded Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowships by the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER), a non-profit organization aimed at advancing medicine through education and research in anesthesiology. The program provides funding to support medical students focusing on anesthesiology research, training in scientific methods and techniques, and learning how to incorporate research into a medical career. The fellowship also allows for clinical experiences and mentorship. Dandrea has been assigned to the University of Chicago to conduct her research fellowship during the summer of 2021. Ivenitsky is headed to Montefiore Medical Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Nie will carry out his work at the University of Pittsburgh. The FAER student fellowship has been primarily an allopathic fellowship. COM graduate Catherine Bixby, D.O.,’18, was the first osteopathic student to be selected by FAER for this award. FAER supports the career development of future academic anesthesiologists through grants and programs encompassing education and research.

Physician Assistant student publishes undergraduate research in Global Pediatric Health Robert Downing, B.S. ’18 (Applied Exercise Science), a first- year physician assistant (PA) student in the University of New England Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP), recently had his undergraduate research on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and metabolic risk factors published in Global Pediatric Health’s special section on childhood obesity and nutrition. The study, “The Influence of Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors on Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Children,” was first published in Global Pediatric Health on Jan. 11. The journal focuses on health issues of children that are common to all regions of the world. Downing’s research was conducted as part of a four-year study funded through the Cardiovascular Health Intervention Program (CHIP) of the WCHP and Department of Exercise and Sport Performance. The work was conducted from 2014 to 2017 under Paul Visich, Ph.D., M.P.H., ACSM C-CEP, professor and chair of the department, and Rebecca Place, M.S., NSCA-CPT, then CHIP project coordinator. The research publication presents a population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal study of cardiovascular risk profiles in public elementary school children in southern Maine. Participants included 769 fourth-grade students and 647 students in fifth grade. As part of the project, a subsample of children underwent an ultrasound procedure to assess their CIMT. According to the researchers, the thickness of the inner two layers of the carotid artery — the intima and media — have been shown to be correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adults. Through a WCHP summer research fellowship, Downing analyzed the CIMT data, compared it to the children’s metabolic syndrome risk factors, completed statistical analysis of the population, and took the lead in drafting the study’s manuscript. Findings from the study demonstrate that children in the highest quartile for CIMT had a significantly higher waist circumference compared to other categories. The results stress the importance of how one’s waist circumference at a very young age can influence the initial changes in one’s blood vessels, possibly leading to significant vascular changes later in life. Downing said he is grateful to the University for allowing him the opportunity to publish his research as an undergraduate student. He also said the decision to pursue his graduate studies at UNE was easy given his previous experience. “The combination of research as well as my undergraduate experiences in the Applied Exercise Science program grew my love and passion for health care, and it pushed me to explore ways in which I could help improve an individual’s health and quality of life,” he said. “What better way to do so than to continue my education where it started, at UNE, in the Master of Physician Assistant program.” Full article

UNE’s Deveau co-moderated a CUR-wide Conversation channeled Picture a Scientist film on April 15th. During the week of April 9-16th, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) provided unrestricted access to the film Picture a Scientist for UNE faculty, staff, and students. Picture a Scientist, originally shown at the Tribecca Film Festival, is a documentary film highlighting the experiences of women scientists in the last 40 years. The film highlighted complexities of navigating bias and discrimination in the academy for women scientists, identified underlying factors that contribute to the leaky pipeline that limits progression of marginalized groups across STEM disciplines, and importantly also highlighted progress made on addressing these problems using data. Overall, a primary goal of the film is to broaden awareness to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Twenty-four UNE community members across colleges signed up for viewing, and students in undergraduate classes such as education and chemistry also benefited from watching the movie and related reflections. To supplement movie access, CUR also provided access to a recorded panel conversation targeted toward undergraduate students that was a plenary at the April National Conference of Undergraduate Research conference sponsored by CUR. Dr. Amy Deveau, professor of chemistry in the School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CAS), the Chair of the Chemistry Division of CUR, and UNE’s CUR Campus representative organized UNE’s access CUR resources. She explained “It is critical for all community members- both stakeholders and observers- to engage on these critical issues so that progress can be made. Educating students to current progress and ongoing challenges is also critical to fostering change.” In a follow-on event to the film showing, Dr. Deveau also co-moderated a CUR-wide dialogue on April 15th with engineering colleague Dr. Lisa Bosman (Purdue University). This CUR Conversation channeled Picture a Scientist film reactions to ideas in the spirit of action and advocacy.

Dr. Karen Houseknecht gave an invited keynote lecture at the 24th Annual Northeast Regional Psychiatric Nursing Conference entitled: “Exploring Endocrine and Metabolic Side Effects of Psychiatric Medications: Implications for Improving Patient Health”. Her presentation highlighted known and emerging metabolic and immunological side effects of psychiatric medications as well as the impact of these side effects on overall patient health and longevity, emphasizing the importance of patient side effect monitoring.

A world away, in remote Deer Isle, UNE students assist virus-stricken nursing home The suspension bridge that links Maine's coast to Deer Isle, where several UNE health professions students spent their winter break assisting staff at virus-stricken Island Nursing Home. It was in early November, when community spread of COVID-19 began to surge in Hancock County, that administrators at Island Nursing Home in Deer Isle expressed their concern to state officials about potential staffing shortages in the event of an outbreak there. Later that month, the virus came. An outbreak of 100 cases of COVID-19 at the Hancock County nursing home — 62 among residents and 38 among staffers — had amassed to become the fourth largest of its kind in Maine, and resulting staffing shortages at the remote facility made caring for sick residents all the more difficult. “The virus came in through an asymptomatic carrier who had passed multiple health screenings, and, because we have a fairly small footprint for a healthcare facility, it spread very rapidly,” said Matthew Trombley, MBA.HCM, M.L.A., FACHCA, senior executive director of Island Nursing Home. “We certainly did everything that we could to slow the virus down, but that rapid spread put us in a position where we were limited on staff right from the start of our outbreak.” A week into the outbreak, the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) reached out to the University of New England with the goal of procuring health professions students to assist the facility in its time of need. In a matter of days, students from the University of New England Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP) and College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) began to answer the call. “The Maine CDC was working with Island Nursing Home to help with staffing and to really try to help them through this crisis,” said Jennifer Morton, D.N.P., M.P.H., PHNA-BC, director of the School of Nursing and Population Health at UNE. “And so, we came up with a plan that would enable our students to be able to work for them as nursing assistants during their winter break.” At the seaside congregate care facility, students are assisted with residents’ bedside care, answered call bells, and even helped facilitate transfers and served meals. The work alleviated some of the stress placed on the home’s other staff, and enhanced the level of care available to patients.

“Having the UNE students has made a huge difference here at Island Nursing,” Trombley said. “They've played a vital role in making sure that we have enough hands on deck, and having them being skilled and focused on their own professional goals has played a vital role in making sure that our patients are being taken care of and at the highest level possible.” New Hampshire native Mary Garside (D.O. ’23) said she jumped at the opportunity to get out of the classroom and make a difference at the nursing home. “This is kind of that first time where we could step into a real-world experience and be able to speak with patients, understand their situations from their points of view, and really learn what it's like to work in the medical field and not just be sitting behind your books,” she said. “It's really important to build connections with your patients as a physician, and this is definitely one of the first experiences I've had where I've been able to do that. I appreciate it a lot.” Fellow COM Class of 2023 student Brandon Gibson echoed Garside’s sentiments. “To have an opportunity like this is incredible, and to be able to make any bit of an impact is a wonderful experience to have,” said the Presque Isle, Maine, native, who added that his rural roots partially influenced his decision to travel to Island Nursing Home. Gibson stressed the importance of working across professions within the hospital system, from physician assistants (PAs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and other physicians. He said working at Island Nursing Home not only helps the facility’s patients but also helps him better understand his own role as a future physician. “As a physician, you really need to understand the roles of CNAs and nurses and understand where patients are at,” Gibson said. “The fact that we were able to work with them hands-on is a really good experience that will follow me through my career.” It hasn’t been easy for the students, however, to witness the impact the novel coronavirus has had on their patients. “When we’re training students to become nurses, we provide them with clinical experiences that are important for the learning process, but we wouldn’t normally assign a student nurse to a patient who is dying,” Morton said. The residents were sequestered to their rooms, their families unable to visit, and, in all, 15 were lost to the virus.

Munib Abid (Nursing, ’21), who initially journeyed to Deer Isle to bolster his clinical skills, saw that loss firsthand. Four patients in Abid’s care eventually succumbed to the coronavirus, an experience he said will live in his memory throughout his career. “I think what sticks with me the most is the grief on my patients’ faces, the isolation that affected those older adults,” said Abid, who had been putting in 40-hour work weeks at the nursing home over break. “One resident actually cried, and to see tears in her eyes when I was leaving was kind of devastating because I always try to put a smile on my patients’ faces.” The experience also taught Abid to appreciate the ephemerality of life, he said, and how to bring a positive energy to each unique patient situation. “I have the advantage of understanding how to optimize each and every moment that we have in this world to be better people, to continuously grow, and to be the best version of ourselves we can be,” he said. “Something that I will carry on with me for future for patients that I deal with is to always bring that energy and that positivity.” While difficult, Abid said his experience in Deer Isle not only reaffirmed his desire to become a health care practitioner but has pushed him to excel. “I think it empowered me to be a better nurse, if anything,” he said. “And I like a challenge. If there's no challenge, there's no room for growth. Seeing my licensed nurse colleagues work with patients allowed me to be a better version of myself.” It is also an experience that has the potential to foster new partnerships between UNE and rural health care sites across the state — one of the University’s core missions. The University is exploring Island Nursing Home as a potential preceptor site for its health professions students, which would benefit both organizations. “Rural health experiences are very important for all health professions students, and we’ve worked really hard to try to integrate those into our curriculum,” Morton said. “Doing so can be challenging with nursing clinical schedules, but this experience was something that actually solidified our drive for making it happen in the future.” Trombley, the nursing home’s director, said that every crisis situation has a silver lining, and — despite the pain of loss and veil of uncertainty presented by the pandemic — a continued partnership with UNE, he explained, would be just that. “Even though it took a crisis situation such as this, I think that this will put both organizations on a path toward having a better working relationship together,” he said.

Ron Hills (School of Pharmacy) Leveraging pharmacists to publishes article in the Journal maintain and extend of Clinical Medicine entitled: buprenorphine supply for opioid “Statin Treatment in Specific use disorder amid COVID-19 Patient Groups: Role for pandemic. Improved Cardiovascular Risk Markers” Alyssa M. B. White, Hillary R. Mishcon, Stephanie Nichols, PharmD., associate John L. Redwanski, Ronald D. Hills, Jr. professor in the School of Pharmacy, is J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9(11), 3748; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm911374 part of a collaborative team of authors 8 whose research on leveraging Ample evidence supports the use of statin therapy for secondary prevention in pharmacists to extend access to patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but medications for opioid use disorder evidence is wanting in the case of primary prevention, low-risk individuals, (MOUD), particularly during the and elderly adults 65+. Statins are effective in lowering low-density concurrent COVID-19 global pandemic, lipoprotein (LDL), which has long been a was recently published in the American target for treatment decisions. We Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. discuss the weakening dependence between cholesterol levels and mortality as a function of age and highlight recent findings on lipoprotein subfractions and other superior markers of ASCVD risk. Full-Text

Drs. May and Houseknecht present their research at Keystone eSymposium Dr. Karen Houseknecht and Dr. Meghan May presented their research on mechanistic pharmacology/toxicology of antipsychotic medications at Keystone eSymposium: Integrating Metabolism and Immunity on January 26, 2021. The title of their presentation was: “Multi-system proteomic analysis shows antipsychotic drugs to be potent metabolic and immune disrupters”. Immunometabolism is a new and growing field, bringing together experts in the fields of immunology and metabolism to address how the body reacts to stress, integrating complex mechanisms underlying chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Dr. Takashi Komabayashi (CDM) publishes review in Dental Materials Journal: “Comprehensive review of current endodontic sealers” Endodontic sealers for non-surgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) span many compositions and attributes. This comprehensive review discusses current types of endodontic sealers by their setting reaction type, composition, and properties: zinc oxide- eugenol, salicylate, fatty acid, glass ionomer, silicone, epoxy resin, tricalcium silicate, and methacrylate resin sealers. Setting time, solubility, sealing ability, antimicrobial, biocompatibility, and cytotoxicity are all aspects key to the performance of endodontic sealers. Because sealing ability is so important to successful outcomes, the relative degree of microleakage among all the relevant sealers was calculated by way of a meta- analysis of relevant literature. Compared to AH Plus, tricalcium silicate sealers show the lowest relative microleakage among the sealers assessed, followed by silicone sealers and other non-AH Plus epoxy resin sealers. Tricalcium silicate sealers also exhibit the most favorable antimicrobial effect and excellent biocompatibility. Future sealers developed should ideally combine a hermetic seal with therapeutic effects. Full article Phillip Willson’s study on alternative treatments for sleep apnea published in Journal of Dental Research Phillip D. Wilson, D.D.S., assistant clinical professor in the University of New England College of Dental Medicine (CDM), is one in a team of authors of a clinical research report on oral appliance therapy (OAT) as an alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which was recently published in the Journal of Dental Research. The report, “Randomized Trial of 2 Self-Titrated Oral Appliances for Airway Management,” compared two widely used oral appliance (OAs) designs and tested whether they differed in reducing the respiratory event index (REI) — a figure used to indicate the severity of OSA. The randomized crossover study examined the differences in reducing REI between two oral appliances: the TAP1 and SomnoDent Flex. Due to design differences, the TAP1 device tends to restrict mouth opening during sleep, while the SomnoDent Flex allows for complete mouth opening. The goal of the research was to determine if these design variances had differing effects and if OAT was even effective in treating OSA. Full article

Supporting our Communities: UNE’s year long efforts to ease the pandemic’s burden From making masks to administering vaccinations, the UNE community has risen to unprecedented challenges Since the early days of the novel coronavirus pandemic, students, faculty, professional staff, and alumni of the University of New England have, in multiple capacities, found ways to assist the pandemic response. Members of the UNE community assembled to make cloth masks for frontline health workers and even babysat their children. Health professions alumni across the country donned heavy, hot personal protective equipment and worked arduously in emergency departments and other outpatient facilities to help save lives, with some even facing loss. Students banded together to answer the call through various means. They tested patients for COVID-19 at clinical sites and provided much-needed relief for facilities facing staffing shortages — as several students in the Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP) and College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) did over their winter break, when they travelled to Deer Isle to assist virus- stricken Island Nursing Home. Among other myriad efforts, UNE donated fit testing solution for N95 masks to the state’s top public health agency; the University’s Center for Excellence and Aging and Health (CEAH) helped older adults cope with newfound pandemic isolation; and one alum, Lauren Rogers, B.S. ’09 (Psychobiology) even helped lead the development of some of the first rapid tests for COVID-19. It has been a long, exhausting 11 months, and, while the pandemic continues to rage on, the end is finally sight. Thanks to the development of two viable vaccines, one from Moderna and the other from Pfizer-BioNTech, older adults and health care workers across the country are beginning to be inoculated against COVID-19. But the rollout hasn’t been easy, and it hasn’t necessarily been adequate to provide protection to the nation’s most vulnerable populations. But, in Maine and across the Northeast, the University of New England community has by and large stepped up to address the chaos. UNE ANSWERS CRUCIAL CALL In mid-November, as federal and state officials began preparing for the vaccine’s delivery, the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) was in search of ultra-cold freezers for storage of Pfizer’s vaccine, which has to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius. As one of the state’s only

institutions with such a unit, UNE was one of the first to lend its support in loaning a freezer to the state’s public health agency. Codenamed “Operation Penguin” by Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and associate provost for Research and Scholarship at UNE, the freezer, a 27-cubic-foot Stirling Ultracold from the University’s School of Pharmacy, was transported to a secret location for use by the agency. But that wasn’t the last effort on behalf of the school to assist the state’s efforts in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Faculty members from the School of Pharmacy provided vaccination training for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns as the state prepared to efficiently deliver COVID-19 vaccinations. Gov. Janet Mills approved a measure, joining six other states, to allow pharmacy technicians to give vaccinations during the current public health emergency. UNE’s training program was the only one offered that meets Maine’s 20-hour requirement for pharmacy technicians. “The UNE School of Pharmacy, working with our colleagues at the Maine Pharmacy Association and Maine Society of Health-System Pharmacists, is excited to play an integral role in the administering of the COVID-19 vaccines,” stated Robert McCarthy, Ph.D., dean of the School of Pharmacy. As vaccines became more widely available for residents age 70 and older, pharmacy students stepped up by volunteering to administer vaccines to residents of The Park Danforth, a facility just down the street from UNE’s Portland Campus that provides independent and assisted living for older adults. “It is a great feeling knowing that you can help these patients get back to normal in terms of them being able to go out into the public or to just get out of their rooms to visit with friends and family,” explained Brittany Demmons (Pharm.D., ’21). Demmons was joined by fellow students Brandon Rico (Pharm.D., ’23) and Nick Cotoia (Pharm.D., ’21). Rico was trained just in time to administer vaccines during the pandemic. Cotoia and Demmons had already received training as immunizers during the second year of their professional Doctor of Pharmacy program.

FORTIFYING THE FRONT LINE Students from several of the University’s health professions programs were more than willing to help administer vaccines. When the pandemic struck, Kevin Huang (D.O., ’24) looked for ways to help out. He found a very uplifting way when he became part of the first group of UNE students to volunteer at Maine Medical Center vaccinating health care workers. “The opportunity to volunteer, to administer COVID vaccines, caught my eye,” he stated. “I definitely got goosebumps when I walked into that room to help for the first time. It is still an overwhelming feeling, knowing that I am doing my part.” The students were part of a massive effort to vaccinate thousands of frontline health care workers against COVID-19. The University has an active registry of students, from nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, and UNE COM who are willing and trained to administer vaccinations. Karen Pardue, Ph.D., M.S., RN, CNE, ANEF, dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions and interim UNE provost, says not only does the experience help students hone their skills, but it also helps workers at the hospital focus their time on patients. “They have had a surge of patients, and the staff are very busy just caring for patients,” she said. “I think it speaks volumes that we are the institution that they immediately thought of when they needed support and assistance. It is the same way that we reach out to them to help train our students. They are our primary clinical site for that.” DOCTORS-IN-TRAINING JOIN THE BATTLE In Maine and elsewhere, students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine have done their part to take care of sick residents and assist vaccination efforts. In Lewiston, Drew Smith-Freedman (D.O. ’22), who is completing his clinical rotation at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC), said he was elated to find out he would be vaccinating his fellow frontline health care workers. “As a medical student during the pandemic, I’ve found it difficult to feel useful. I have been trying to give back as much as possible, including testing people for COVID, which is very much reactive. Vaccinating people, however, is a way to be proactive,” said Smith-Freedman. “To be given a chance to be part of the solution is wonderful.” For Smith-Freedman, the experience was also personal: he had the privilege of vaccinating his younger brother, Duncan Smith-Freedman, himself a first-year UNE COM student. But though he acknowledged the vaccine’s effectiveness, Drew Smith-Freedman cautioned that the fight against COVID-19 is not over. “The fact that we have a vaccine that seems to work is wonderful. Just don’t forget that there are many people who haven’t been given the opportunity to receive it yet,” he said. “Please continue to social distance, wear a mask, and make good choices.”

In Nashua, New Hampshire, third-year UNE COM student Olivia Patsos has been helping both on the clinical and clerical front of the vaccine rollout at Southern New Hampshire Health Center. She said an early December email clearing her to administer vaccines to her colleagues was the best Christmas present she could have received. “I feel extremely privileged to administer and receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a medical student on the front lines during a historical point in time,” Patsos exclaimed. “I feel trusted and competent to educate, spread awareness, and administer the vaccines, and I applaud my clinical site for giving me that opportunity.” Further south, in Newark, New Jersey, Molly Kaminsky (D.O., ’21) has spent much of her free time volunteering alongside retired doctors and nurses at a mega-vaccination site in a closed-down Sears shopping center. The uplifting experience — Kaminsky said some have become choked up with joy after becoming vaccinated — has reaffirmed her decision to enter the medical profession. “Simply put, I wanted to pursue medicine to help the greater good. There are inherent systemic inequalities in health care that were, and continue to be, exaggerated by the coronavirus pandemic,” Kaminsky explained. “The significant demand on the system necessitated critical thinking and rapid change by all players involved. Learning medicine during this historical time further fueled my passion to create equal opportunities for health care access for all patients.” Jane Carriero, D.O., dean of UNE COM and vice president for Health Affairs, said she is not only pleased to see students assist the sprawling vaccination effort — she expects them to do so. “This what they will be doing for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I’m glad they are rising to this challenge; this is the live they’ve chosen.”

RECENTLY FUNDED GRANTS ● December 10, 2020 | Breul (COM) “Project Alliance -- Drug Free Communities Yrs 6-10” CDC ● December 21, 2020 | Takashi Komabayashi (CDM) “Micro-CT evaluation of three obturation techniques in vitro/ NeoSEALER Flo: A feasibility study” NuSmile, LTD ● January 6, 2021 | Carrie Byron (CAS) “Post-harvest time and temperature exposure of edible seaweed to promote food safety” UMaine Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) ● January 14, 2021 | Barry Costa-Pierce (CAS) “Cooperative Seaweed Bioengineering Science in Saco Bay, Maine” ” DOE ARPAe/UNH ● January 14, 2021 | Ian Meng (CEN) “UNE's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences Virtual Brain Fair” Dana Foundation ● February 7, 2021 | Pam Morgan (CAS) “Saco River Watershed Collaborative” Nestle/Poland Spring ● February 8, 2021 | Pam Morgan (CAS) “Saco River Watershed Collaborative” Maine Water ● February 23, 2021 | Michele Polascek (CEPH) “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -Education Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -Education Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” USDA / Maine DHHS ● March 15, 2021 | Meghan May (COM) “COBRE in Acute Care Research and Rural Disparities” NIH/MMCRI

Publications 2021 Alkhathami AA, Duraihim AT, Almansour FF, Alotay GA, Alnowaiser HS, Aboul-Enein BH, Chavarria EA, & Benajiba N. Assessing use of caloric information on restaurant menus and resulting meal selection in Saudi Arabia: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. American Journal of Health Education, Accepted. Bakri A, Bechard L, Bernstein J, & Aboul-Enein BH. Postsecondary nutrition program education in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: A brief report. Education for Health, Accepted. doi: 10.4103/efh.EfH_278_18 Blankinship L, Rouse WA, Bernstein J, Kruk J, & Aboul-Enein BH. A Narrative review of ethnic minority studies for faith-based health promotion interventions with special reference to the contemporary Christian nurse. Journal of Religion & Health, online ahead of print. doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01150-0 Austin J (2021). Bartunek, Jean, and the power of working across boundaries: Dualities and the missing voice. In Szabla D.B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_30-3 Puma JE, Young M, Foerster S, Keller K, Bruno P, Franck K, Naja-Riese A. The SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework: Nationwide Uptake and Implications for Nutrition Education Practice, Policy, and Research. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2020;(000)000:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2020.10.015 Davis, S.M., Burman, M. (Published online: 12 Oct 2020). Maternal separation with neonatal pain influences later-life fear conditioning and somatosenation in male and female rats. The International Journal on the Biology of Stress. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2020.1825674 Effectiveness of Educating Health Care Professionals in Managing Chronic Pain Patients Through a Supervised Student Inter-professional Pain Clinic. Cao L, Hull SZ. Med Sci Educ. 2021 Jan 13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-01189-4 Clay, L.A., Rogus, S. (2021) Primary and Secondary Health Impacts of COVID-19 among Minority Individuals in New York State. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 683. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020683 Ross, A., *Hotard, A., Kamalanathan, M., Nolen, R., Hala, D., Clay, L., Kaiser, K., Quigg, A. (2020) Awareness is Not Enough: Frequent use of water pollution information and changes to risky behavior. Sustainability, 12 (20): 8695. Clay, L.A., Ross, A.D. (2020) Factors Associated with Food Insecurity Following Hurricane Harvey in Texas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 762. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030762 Clay, L. (2019) Field report: Issues in the post-disaster food environment during the immediate response to Hurricane Florence, Disaster Prevention and Management, 29(3), 379- 389. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-12-2018-0381