Digital Commons Network^™

Broadband Matching For Circuits With Resistive Terminations, Michael Klempa

Master's Theses and Capstones

The work presented here explores the broadband matching characteristics for repre-sentative circuits with resistive terminations for frequencies up to 40 GHz, the typical band of interest for 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) applications. A simple test circuit comprised of high-frequency connectors, microstrip transmission lines and resistive terminations was de-signed and fabricated to better understand the mechanisms affecting broadband matching.

High fidelity measurements were performed using both a vector network analyzer (VNA) and a time-domain reflectometer (TDR). The data provided by these two devices were used to isolate the broadband behavior of the individual circuit components through the time-gating process, and that …

Chiral Biomolecule-Induced Chiroptical Activity In Quantum Dots, Benjamin Haynie

Master's Theses and Capstones

Chiroptical activity in cadmium selenide (CdSe) and cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) has been induced by interactions with chiral capping ligands, either with thiol functional group containing biomolecules (e.g. cysteine) or ‘thiol-free’ biomolecules (e.g. malic acid). This induced chirality is theorized to be the result of electronic orbital hybridization between the QD and ligand, not from physical distortion of crystal structure. The polarity of the resulting circular dichroism (CD) spectra shows a ‘mirror-image’ between enantiomers of the same ligand. However, it is possible for two ligands of the same absolute configuration to induce mirror-image CD spectra, as is the …

“They Set Themselves To Undermine The Whole Thing”: Gender And Authority In The Work Of Union Female Nurses In The Civil War, Katelynn Ruth Vance

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Civil War marked American women’s entry into the arena of public nursing. The influential reformer and advocate for the mentally ill, Dorothea Lynde Dix, was appointed Superintendent of Female Nurses in 1861. Dix was tasked with supervising all female Union nurses, establishing hospitals, and coordinating the arrival and distribution of supplies for the Union army. The responsibilities of the position were immense. Despite attempts to centralize her authority over the female nurses, by the end of the war, Dix had lost her administrative influence. Lacking effective administrative oversight, upper-class female nurses relied on existing social networks in order to …

Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Beam Diagnostics Using An Underwater Optical Detector Array, Matthew Birkebak

Master's Theses and Capstones

The surface geometry of air-water interface is considered as an important factor affecting the performance of Airborne Lidar Bathymetry (ALB), and laser optical communication through the water surface. ALB is a remote sensing technique that utilizes a pulsed green (532 nm) laser mounted to an airborne platform in order to measure water depth. The water surface (i.e., air-water interface) can distort the light beam’s ray-path geometry and add uncertainty to range calculation measurements. Previous studies on light refracting through a complex water surface are heavily dependent on theoretical models and simulations. In addition, only very limited work has been conducted …

Microbial Source Tracking In Coastal Recreational Waters Of Southern Maine: Relationships Between Enterococci, Environmental Factors, Potential Pathogens, And Fecal Sources, Derek Rothenheber

Master's Theses and Capstones

Coastal water quality has been an issue for centuries. Fecal pollution of these waters represents a significant public health concern, as a variety of fecal sources can harbor human pathogens that range from bacteria and viruses to protozoa. Anthropogenic activities have exacerbated water quality through development such as housing, sewage infrastructure, and agriculture have increased fecal pollution sources and transport pathways, ultimately leading to increased pollution loading at the coast. For decades, federal, state and local municipalities have been using fecal indicator organisms to assess coastal water quality to assess public health risks. This thesis focuses on key factors that …

Critical Shear Stress Estimates For Sunken Alberta Bitumen In An Annular Flume, Ian P. Gaudreau

Master's Theses and Capstones

Under certain environmental conditions and depending on its specific gravity, spilled oil has the ability to sink to the bottom of a water body (e.g., lake, river, ocean) (i.e., sunken oil). Once there, it can be difficult to predict the sunken oil’s fate and transport, making response efforts challenging. The Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently uses mathematical models in an attempt to better predict the movement of spilled oil. However, mathematical models cannot be simulative of the predicted trajectory if the physical or chemical properties of the oil are unknown, …

Designing And Testing A Cost-Effective Device For The Harvest Of White Worms, Andrew S. Pompeo

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rising global populations are causing a food crisis that can only be solved with novel, sustainable methods of food production. Many countries, including the United States, are increasing their aquaculture production to meet the appetites of an increasing population. Alternative feeds for aquaculture are necessary to reduce the pressure on overfished forage fish species and create low cost feeds. White worms are an effective, sustainable live feed for several fish species and cost very little to cultivate. However, for white worms to be a competitive alternative feed, they need to be harvested from the soil in which they are cultivated …

Evaluation Of Satellite-Based Observations For Capturing Early Winter Snowmelt, Adam George Hunsaker

Master's Theses and Capstones

Over the past fifty years’ global climate change has altered various environmental processes. Due to global climate change, mid-winter snowmelt is occurring more frequently throughout much of the world (Freudiger, Kohn, Stahl, & Weiler, 2014). The increasing frequency of these events is a relatively new phenomena and is challenging the effectiveness of current water resource management and flood forecasting best practices. Early snowmelt events are caused by a brief period of unusually high air temperature, high humidity, or rain-on-snow (Semmens, Ramage, Bartsch, & Liston, 2013). This research focuses on the detection of rain-on-snow events using remote sensing approaches to identify …

The Development Of A Diiron Hydrogenase Mimic Catalyst For Efficient Dihydrogen Production, David S. Danico

Master's Theses and Capstones

Carbon dioxide has become an ever growing problem facing life on Earth due to the theory that the increase in CO2 levels has been the leading cause of global warming and could initiate significant climate change. Most of the CO2 produced by humans comes from the burning of fossil fuels for energy. Because of this, the development of a clean alternative fuel is a primary concern. Dihydrogen is looked at as a possible alternative because it has already demonstrated the ability to produce energy in fuel cells and could conceivably replace fossil fuels in every aspect of its use. The …

Playing With Dynamite: U.S. Foreign Policy Toward Palestine, 1945-1948, Jared Paul Rivard

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis seeks to explain the motivations for United States Government actions regarding Palestine from 1945 to 1948. The conclusion, based upon accumulated primary research and secondary sources, is that the United States government involved itself Palestinian conflict for humanitarian reasons and was then unable to extract itself from the conflict due to Cold War considerations. The United States did not seek a solution to the Arab-Zionist quandary itself, which would have involved directly confronting the competing nationalist goals of the two groups. Instead, Washington’s earliest actions focused on relocating Jewish victims of the Holocaust to Palestine, and formed its …

Seasonal Changes In Geomorphology And Sediment Volume Of New Hampshire Beaches: Insights Into A Highly-Engineered, Paraglacial, Bedrock-Influenced Mixed Sand And Gravel Coastal System, Kaitlyn Mcpherran

Master's Theses and Capstones

Coastal systems worldwide are undergoing increasing pressure as a result of growing anthropogenic influences, accelerated eustatic sea-level rise, and more intense storms due to climate change. Beaches in New Hampshire have not been systematically studied to assess seasonal changes in beach morphology, erosional and accretional trends, controls on beach processes, or the impact of climate change. In order to further the understanding of a highly-engineered, paraglacial, bedrock-influenced coastal system, six major New Hampshire beaches were monitored from July 2015 to August 2016 for changes in beach morphology and sediment volume. A GNSS rover beach profiling system was utilized to measure …

Manganese Limitation As A Mechanism For Reduced Decomposition In Soils Under Long-Term Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition, Emily D. Whalen

Master's Theses and Capstones

Long-term atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has been shown to reduce leaf litter and lignin decomposition in forest soils, leading to an accumulation of soil carbon. Reduced decomposition has been accompanied by altered structure and function of fungal communities, the primary decomposers in forest ecosystems; however, a mechanistic understanding of fungal responses to chronic N enrichment is lacking. A reduction in soil and litter manganese (Mn) concentrations under N enrichment (i.e., Mn limitation) may explain these observations, because Mn is a cofactor and regulator of lignin-decay enzymes produced by fungi. We conducted a 6-month incubation study to evaluate the effect of …

Comparative Spectral Analysis Of Flexible Structure Models: The Euler-Bernoulli Beam Model, The Rayleigh Beam Model, And The Timoshenko Beam Model, Anhhong Rose Nguyen

Master's Theses and Capstones

We derive herein approximate spectra for three dierent models of transversely vibrating, beams. Each model consists of a system of partial dierential equations (PDEs) with various, boundary conditions. The three models that we consider are the Euler-Bernoulli model, the, Rayleigh model, and the Timoshenko model. We rst discuss a brief history of the models, before delving into obtaining the spectral equations for each beam model under dierent, boundary conditions. Lastly, we present asymptotic approximations of some of the various, spectral equations we found from each model.

Transparent Phased Patch Antenna Array For Beamsteering Applications, Cyle Ziegler

Master's Theses and Capstones

The ever expanding demand for wireless communications faces many challenges. As the necessity for wireless communications increases, inevitably, the impact wireless communications systems have on their environment will also increase. This is important because the environmental impact a communications system has may limit the locations in which that system can be deployed. For this reason, there is a demand for unobtrusive hardware in order to grow the wireless communications infrastructure. Furthermore, performance limiting factors associated with wireless communications can be mitigated by implementing steerable antennas, making a less obtrusive steerable antenna desired. The contribution of this work is the demonstration …

Effects Of Small-Scale Turbulence On Phytoplankton Growth And Metabolism, Wilton Gray Burns

Master's Theses and Capstones

Our current understanding of how turbulence affects small planktonic organisms is based on fluid dynamic theory, ocean models, and laboratory experiments that often have conflicting results. Atmospheric models predict that global temperature rise associated with climate change will affect turbulence patterns within the marine photic zone, where phytoplankton reside. To investigate how small-scale turbulence affects growth (growth rates, cell counts and extracted chlorophyll, and nutrient quotas) and metabolism (production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP)) of marine primary producers, phytoplankton in monoculture and natural assemblages were incubated under a range of turbulent treatments. Results indicate that early in exponential growth of …

Collaborating For Coastal Resilience: Stakeholder Assessment And Perception Of Interdependence In Seabrook, Nh, Emily Bialowas

Master's Theses and Capstones

Like many coastal communities, the beach and dune ecosystems in Seabrook, New Hampshire are vulnerable to storm surge, sea-level rise, and extreme weather. Fostering coastal resilience in Seabrook requires local, regional, state, and federal stakeholders to collaborate on a broad range of issues. According to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) theory, stakeholders need to recognize their interdependence to be willing to collaborate. Interdependent stakeholders are aware their interests cannot be met by working alone and that their independent actions impact one another through complex social and ecological feedback loops. ADR practitioners often conduct a stakeholder assessment(SA) as a first step in …

A Noise Estimation Scheme For Blind Spectrum Sensing Using Emd, Amr Nasr

Master's Theses and Capstones

The scarcity of spectral resources in wireless communications, due to a fixed frequency allocation policy, is a strong limitation to the increasing demand for higher data rates. One solution is to use underutilized spectrum. Cognitive Radio (CR) technologies identify transmission opportunities in unused channels and avoid interfering with primary users. The key enabling technology is the Spectrum Sensing (SS). Different SS techniques exist, but techniques that do not require knowledge of the signals (non-coherent) are preferred. Noise estimation plays an essential role in enhancing the performance of non-coherent spectrum sensors such as energy detectors. In this thesis, we present an …

Historical Precipitation Trends And Future Precipitation Projections Using A Stochastic Weather Generator In The Northeastern United States, Andrew Louis Goldman

Master's Theses and Capstones

According to the 2014 National Climate Assessment, annual rainfall has increased by approximately 10% from 1895 to 2011, and extreme precipitation events (the top 1% of all storms) have increased 70% since 1958 in the Northeast United States [Melillo et al., 2014]. These precipitation changes could have substantial impacts on the performance of bridges, stormwater drainage, pavement, water supply systems, and numerous other infrastructure projects. This study examines historical changes in Northeast rainfall and develops a computer model to simulate future precipitation. Historical precipitation trends were calculated for rainfall duration, depth, intensity and time between storms for 20 weather stations …

Enhanced In Service Condition Assessment Of Bridges Using Gopro® Cameras, Travis Manning

Master's Theses and Capstones

Condition assessment of in-service structures, is highly depending on subjective visual inspections. While technology exists to collect objective measurements related to structural response, these techniques are costly in terms of equipment and field setup, often requiring lane closure and special equipment for sensor installation. This thesis aims to investigate cost-effective and efficient non-contact methods of structural response measurement. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) can be an effective measurement technique for displacement and strain in 2D and 3D applications. With any experiment, test setup is vital to ensure collection of accurate measurements. Also, the methods of data collection must be appropriate for …

Evaluating The Use Of Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) For Collecting Thematic Mapping Accuracy Assessment Reference Data In New England Forest Communities, Benjamin Thomas Fraser

Master's Theses and Capstones

To overcome the main drivers of global environmental change, such as land use and land cover change, evolving technologies must be adopted to rapidly and accurately capture, process, analyze, and display a multitude of high resolution spatial variables. Remote sensing technologies continue to advance at an ever-increasing rate to meet end-user needs, now in the form of unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones). UAS have bridged the gap left by satellite imagery, aerial photography, and even ground measurements in data collection potential for all matters of information. This new platform has already been deployed in many data collection scenarios, being …

Design, Mechanical Modeling And 3d Printing Of Koch Fractal Contact And Interlocking, Mona Monsef Khoshhesab

Master's Theses and Capstones

Topological interlocking is an effective joining approach in both natural and engineering systems. Especially, hierarchical/fractal interlocking were found in many biological systems and can significantly enhance the system mechanical properties. Inspired by the hierarchical/fractal topology in nature, mechanical models for Koch fractal interlocking were developed as an example system to better understand the mechanics of fractal interlocking. In this investigation, Koch fractal interlocking with and without adhesive layers were designed for different number of iterations N. Theoretical contact mechanics model was used to capture the deformation mechanisms of the fractal interlocking with no adhesive layers under relatively small deformation. Then …

Nest Provisioning And Homing Behavior Of Cerceris Fumipennis (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae): A Useful Tool In The Biosurveillance Of Buprestid Beetles, Eleanor Ann Mccabe

Master's Theses and Capstones

Cerceris fumipennis (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) is a ground-dwelling wasp that provisions its nest with woodboring jewel beetles (Buprestidae), making it a useful tool in biosurveillance of forest pests. In particular, C. fumipennis aggregations have been used for monitoring the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera, Buprestidae)) and by using this biosurveillance technique researchers have tracked the spread of this pest into new states and provinces. However, despite its success as a biosurveillance tool, information about much of the biology of Cerceris fumipennis is lacking. This study is focused on the biology and life history of C. fumipennis to better understand …

Discerning Differences Between Zooplankton Communities Based On Lake Trophic Status, Jonathan Dufresne

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 2007 the United States Environmental Protect Agency sampled 1157 lakes to determine the state of the nation’s lakes. The data they collected provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of eutrophication on zooplankton community structure across a range of lakes from a large geographical area. Using this data set two main questions were assessed: 1) what level of taxonomic identification is necessary to detect differences in zooplankton community composition as it relates to patterns in water quality and 2) in a dataset that has extensive spatial and temporal variability, how does one account for regional differences in zooplankton …

An Evaluation Of New England Cottontail Habitat Restoration, Alena Robin Warren

Master's Theses and Capstones

Several state, federal and non-profit agencies have developed collaborative goals for restoring habitat in New England and New York for a declining rabbit species, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis, NEC). My goal was to evaluate habitat restorations at both the local, or site, scale, and the landscape scale. In order to objectively quantify the suitability of the sites being managed, I developed a Habitat Suitability Index, based on the HSI models designed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I identified candidate habitat variables for NEC, including types of cover and refuges, and food, and then asked a panel of …

Simultaneous Measurements Of Soil Moisture And Streamflow In Small Catchments Reveal Varied Coupling Across Sites, Seasons, And Timescales, Brian Timothy Godbois

Master's Theses and Capstones

Soil moisture is an important component in the interaction of terrestrial and aquatic systems, as it may play a role in regulating streamflow and the delivery of nutrients from soils to streams. There are few studies that collect in situ soil moisture and stream discharge data simultaneously at the same location across different land uses at a fine enough temporal resolution to understand processes at sub-daily timescales. I examined the relationship between soil moisture and streamflow over varying timescales using concurrent, high temporal frequency (one hour) in situ measurements of soil volumetric water content and stream discharge at five headwater …

Phylogenetic And Phylogeographic Analyses Reveal A Species Complex In The Estuarine Nudibranch Tenellia Adspersa, Amanda Sobel

Master's Theses and Capstones

Until recently, the nudibranch genus Tenellia (Nudibranchia: Fionidae) was thought to include a single or group of species restricted to temperate estuarine waters. Given the addition of numerous other species from recent studies, the genus now encompasses species from polar, temperate, and tropical oceans from oceanic to estuarine salinities. One such fionid, Tenellia adspersa, is found in temperate estuarine waters globally and its presence is ecologically important as its congeners are capable of decimating colonies of their hydroid prey within a single generation (approx. 20-60 days). The literature is historically vague and conflicted on the morphology, taxonomy, and geographic distribution …

Selective Detection Of Multi-Analyte Neurotransmitters Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, Bo Si

Master's Theses and Capstones

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers produced in the brain that plays an important role in human’s physical, psychological and emotional conditions. The balance of neurotransmitters can affect the brain function, mood, pain response and exercise performances. In particular, dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EP) are three well-known neurotransmitters that control various functions in the nervous system. Therefore, the detection of DA, NE and EP is extremely important for many instances of mental disease treatment and diagnosis. One of the most promising sensing techniques for neurotransmitter monitoring is the electrochemical detection method because of its high sensitivity, relatively low-cost and ease …

Effects Of The Biomedical Bleeding Process On The Behavior And Physiology Of The American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, Meghan Owings

Master's Theses and Capstones

Horseshoe crabs are harvested by the biomedical industry in order to create Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) to test medical devices, vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs for pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. Previous studies of the impacts of the biomedical bleeding process on horseshoe crabs have primarily focused on mortality rates and sublethal impacts, using animals held in the laboratory. Therefore, the first goal of this project was to determine the effects of the bleeding process on horseshoe crab behavior once they are released back into their natural environment. In addition, previous studies have typically only investigated the impacts of the full bleeding procedure, …

Race And Income Disparities In Disaster Preparedness In Old Age, Katherine M. Cox

Master's Theses and Capstones

Objective: Older adults are one of the most vulnerable populations impacted by disasters and communities continue to struggle addressing preparedness. This study investigated to what extent income status and race/ethnicity in old age interplayed with disaster preparedness.

Methods: Data came from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel survey of older Americans over 51 years old. Our sample was restricted to respondents who participated in a special survey about disaster preparedness (N=1,705). Disaster preparedness was measured as a score, which includes 13 variables related to personal, household, program, and medical preparedness. Race/ethnicity was categorized by White, Black, …

Factors Affecting Hospice Social Work Utilization Among Hospice Patients: Focusing On Place Of Care And Economic Status, Mayumi Kimura

Master's Theses and Capstones

Objective. Hospice social workers empower their patients and families as they journey through end of life. However, even when social work services are available, some hospice families choose not to use or fully utilize this service. Guided by the Anderson behavioral model, this study examined factors affecting utilization of hospice social work services with particular focus on two enabling factors - place of care and economic status.

Method. Data came from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey. The sample was restricted to Medicare Hospice Benefit enrollees 65 years of age and older. Hospice social work utilization was categorized …