Digital Commons Network^™

Bringing Oysters Back To Nh’S Great Bay, Nicholas Gosling

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The Constitution And Common Law Claims, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh Named Third In The Nation For College Free Speech, Thomas Cronin

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Grad Student Helps Lead Charge For A More Inclusive Stem Environment, Rebecca Irelan

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh President James W. Dean To Retire In 2024, Thomas Cronin

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Research Receives $210 Million In Competitive Funding In Fy23, Beth Potier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh President James W. Dean To Retire In 2024, Jeremy Gasowski

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Emission Factors For Crop Residue And Prescribed Fires In The Eastern Us During Firex-Aq, Katherine R. Travis, James H. Crawford, Amber J. Soja, Emily M. Gargulinski, Richard H. Moore, Elizabeth B. Wiggins, Glenn S. Diskin, Joshua P. Digangi, John B. Nowak, Hannah Halliday, Robert J. Yokelson, Jessica L. Mccarty, Isobel J. Simpson, Donald R. Blake, Simone Meinardi, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Eric C. Apel, Alan J. Hills, Carsten Warneke, Matthew M. Coggon, Andrew W. Rollins, Jessica B. Gilman, Caroline C. Womack, Michael A. Robinson, Joseph M. Katich, Jeff Peischl, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Ilann Bourgeois, Pamela S. Rickly, Aaron Lamplugh, Jack E. Dibb, Jose L. Jimenez, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Douglas A. Day, Hongyu Guo, Demetrios Pagonis, Paul O. Wennberg, John D. Crounse, Lu Xu, Thomas F. Hanisco, Glenn M. Wolfe, Jin Liao, Jason M. St. Clair, Benjamin A. Nault, Alan Fried, Anne E. Perring

Faculty Publications

Agricultural and prescribed burning activities emit large amounts of trace gases and aerosols on regional to global scales. We present a compilation of emission factors (EFs) and emission ratios from the eastern portion of the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) campaign in 2019 in the United States, which sampled burning of crop residues and other prescribed fire fuels. FIREX-AQ provided comprehensive chemical characterization of 53 crop residue and 22 prescribed fires. Crop residues burned at different modified combustion efficiencies (MCE), with corn residue burning at higher MCE than other fuel types. Prescribed fires burned …

Convergence: Eos News And Updates, September 2023, Unh Institute For The Study Of Earth, Oceans And Space

Convergence: EOS News and Updates

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Common Milkweed As A Novel Food Crop For New England, Colter Allen Flynn

Master's Theses and Capstones

Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) represent a reservoir of biodiversity that can be leveraged to help develop a more robust and sustainable food production system. This investigation sought to identify an edible crop species with potential as a novel food crop for the New England food system and conduct a subsequent evaluation of the chosen species based on agronomic traits of interest. A series of interviews were conducted between August and December 2020 with regional experts and specialists with experience in the subject matter. Based on interview data and a subsequent literature review, Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) emerged as …

Finding Synergy: Improving Biopesticide Efficacy For Disease Control Through Co-Application With The Natural Product Chitosan, Liza M. Degenring

Doctoral Dissertations

Annual crop losses caused by plant diseases are estimated worldwide at 220 billion US dollars. Conventional fungicides are the primary means to control these diseases, however there are growing concerns over human health, effects on non-target species, and environmental contamination. Furthermore, many plant pathogens have developed fungicide resistance due to overexposure to chemicals with single modes of action. There is a worldwide trend to explore alternative tools to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides while continuing to reduce plant disease. Among these control strategies are the use of antagonistic microorganisms (biopesticides) and naturally occurring compounds that have fungicidal activity. Chitosan …

Knowing Me, Knowing You: The Role Of Personal Intelligence In Romantic Relationship Conflict Communication, Victoria Bryan

Doctoral Dissertations

People bring to their relationships a variety of personality traits that guide their interactions with others. However, an individual’s unique set of needs, preferences and skills can make conflict a near-inevitable part of most relationships. Personal intelligence is a promising new construct with implications for how couples communicate during conflict. Named in parallel with spatial, social, and similar intelligences, personal intelligence involves the ability to reason about the personality of oneself and others. People high in personal intelligence show an increased capacity to recognize the motives that guide other’s behavior, which they use to adjust how they approach their interpersonal …

Non-Equilibrium Multiphase Particle Morphologies: Synthesis, Functionalization & Modeling, Yung-Chun Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

Waterborne technology highlights the advantage of using water as the dispersed media to replace the need for organic solvents. Emulsion polymerization is one of the most important techniques to produce functional polymer colloids of industrial importance. Besides the choice of monomers in the reaction, composite particle morphology significantly influences the mechanical properties of the materials in the applications of architectural coatings, adhesives, printing inks, and impact resistant plastics. Generally, emulsion polymerization produces spherical particles in the presence of water due to surface tension forces. In seeded emulsion polymerization, composite particles containing two incompatible phases can lead to various anomalous structures …

Resiliency And Sustainability Of Drinking Water Systems Under Long Term And Emergency Contamination, Taler S. Bixler

Doctoral Dissertations

This PhD dissertation is dedicated to the understanding and enhancement of the sustainability of public drinking water systems, addressing both emerging contaminants and emergency contamination events. A key focus is placed on comprehending the tradeoffs encompassing public health, economic, and environmental aspects associated with different actions aimed at improving system resiliency. By providing drinking water authorities with the tools and methodologies to evaluate available options, this research aims to empower decision-makers in their efforts to strengthen their drinking water systems against a myriad of threats.

This dissertation commences by investigating the tradeoffs related to the treatment of PFAS-contaminated water. The …

Effects Of Dietary Cation Anion Difference And Nicotinic Acid Supplementation On Jersey Prepartum Cows, Colostrum, And Calves And Creating A Model For The Prediction Of Colostrum Quality And Quantity In Jersey Cows From Performance In The Previous Lactation And Environmental Changes, Tess Catherine Stahl

Doctoral Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted. The objectives of the first experiment were to evaluate colostrum quantity, quality, nutrient composition, and bioactive compounds from Jersey cows fed two levels of dietary cation anion difference (DCAD; –40 or –80 mEq/kg) with or without 23 g/d unprotected nicotinic acid (NA) and its effect on cow and calf performance. The hypothesis is that both DCAD and nicotinic acid could improve colostrum quality, increase quantity and bioactive compound concentration, and improve calf intestinal development. Previous research indicated the benefits of supplementing NA in prepartum Holsteins towards improved colostrum quality, as well as enhanced feed efficiency (FE) …

Physiological And Biochemical Analysis Of The Nitrogen Metabolism And Lead Treatment In Hybrid Poplar Clone Nm6 (Populus Nigra L. X P. Maximowiczii A. Henry), Medini Weerasinghe

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACTThe first objective of my Ph.D. research was focused on understanding the reasoning for changes observed in the physiology and metabolism of the poplar plants in response to foliar application of nitrogen. Increased use of nitrogen in the soil in agriculture, in the form of nitrogen fertilizers, has helped to promote high-yield agriculture over the past decades. However, a large fraction of nitrogen applied to croplands in the form of fertilizer and manure ends up entering the freshwater system causing degradation of the water quality and eutrophication of groundwater, rivers, lakes, and coastal and marine ecosystems. Chemical fertilization is also …

Essays In Public Policy And Mental Health, Bryce Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work I examine how various public policies can influence mental health outcomes. As mental health issues can be created or exacerbated by numerous different factors, many types of public policy can have mental health implications, perhaps not always intended by policy makers. In many cases, these implications are ambiguous from a theoretical level, making empirical research in the area important. Specifically, I model how labor market policies with minimum wages and Earned Income Tax Credit, health policy with the Dependent Coverage Mandate aspect of the Affordable Care Act, and social policy with recreational cannabis laws impact mental health …

Non-Covalent Anchoring Strategies For Hybrid Electrocatalytic Systems, Peiyuan Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

Global climate change, induced by increasing anthropogenic emission of heat trapping gases, has drawn great attention from scientists in recent decades. Reducing carbon emissions by decreasing the usage of fossil fuels and applying low/no carbon energy sources is a promising solution for a sustainable future. Electrocatalytic proton reduction to form hydrogen, using green electricity is a practical starting point.

Recent examples of heterogenized molecular catalysts have shown promise but stable anchoring to electrode surfaces is still a challenge. Heterogeneous electrocatalysis shows much more stability, but these systems lack the selectivity provided by a molecular system when more challenging reactions are …

Homesteading In Maine: Motivations And Current Trends, Alexandrea Merchant

Master's Theses and Capstones

People in the United States who practice the alternative lifestyle of “homesteading” seek to live self-sufficient lives by growing food, building dwellings, and living with resolute autonomy. Great variation exists in the degree of self-sufficiency attained and desired by individuals engaged in homesteading. It was the purpose of this study to illuminate the motivations underlying adopting and engagement in this lifestyle in Maine homesteaders. Through interviews with 10 homesteaders in Maine and participant observation, I documented the narratives and elucidated the motivations of this under researched group. Common themes emerged. Participants expressed concerns about personal health, the environment, and institutions. …

Habitat Suitability Modeling Long-Term Growth And Healthy Cover Trends Of Staghorn Coral (Acropora Cervicornis) Outplants In The Lower Florida Keys, Glenna Dyson

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the Florida Keys Acropora cervicornis has been targeted for restoration due to its importance as a reef building stony coral. Habitat suitability models have been utilized within restoration ecology to identify potential locations for outplanting. To date, habitat suitability models have used coarse spatial data of large areas throughout the Florida Keys, resulting in recommended outplant sites that restoration groups have financial and logistical limitations to access and regularly monitor, due to being far away. Additionally, outplanting success can vary widely within a limited space, necessitating improved predictive abilities of coral outplant success within a restoration site. With the …

Stand Structural Diversity, Not Functional Traits, Drives Variation In Maximum Stand Density In Old-Growth Kauri (Agathis Australis) Dominated Forests, Heidi Isabelle Giguere

Master's Theses and Capstones

Old-growth kauri (Agathis australis) dominated forests are highly diverse and species-rich, making their survival critical to maintaining global biodiversity. The ability to accurately quantify stand density in such complex forests is difficult, but important to their effective management and protection. However, studying mature versions of these forests today is unlikely due to extensive historic logging efforts and the recent onset of the prolific kauri dieback. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself in the uncovering and reconfiguring of historic data collected across 25 old-growth kauri dominated stands by Ahmed and Ogden (1991a,b). I successfully determined the maximum stand density of these complex …

Effects Of Perennial Forage Composition And Harvest Intensity On The Weed Seedbank Community, Lilly E. Hartman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Most arable weeds arise from a resident soil seedbank and are typically controlled with tillage and herbicides, each of which pose sustainability challenges to growers and consumers. However, agronomic management practices that reduce weed seed input to the seedbank and that accelerate mortality of seeds already in the soil could reduce the need for more conventional weed control. Previous research and farmer practice has demonstrated that rotation of annual crops with several years of perennial forage can reduce weed abundance and the need for chemical weed control. In perennial forage systems, crop species and harvest intensity may have important effects …

Associations Of Dietary Patterns With Brain Volume In The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, Chris Guarino

Master's Theses and Capstones

Adherence to the MeD (Mediterranean Diet), MIND (Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Reduce Hypertension Intervention for Neurocognitive Delay), and other dietary patterns may benefit cognitive function among Hispanic/Latino adults. Greater regional and total brain volumetric measures are associated with an increased risk of dementia, but whether the MeD and MIND dietary patterns relate to brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to quantify the associations of the MeD, MIND, and empirically derived dietary patterns with brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults. We used data from the longitudinal Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Approximately 12.7 y from …

Multi-Level Barriers And Opportunities For Nutrition Access In New Hampshire Hispanic Communities, Brooke Kelleher

Master's Theses and Capstones

The US Hispanic population, which has doubled in size in New Hampshire (NH) over the last decade, experiences a high prevalence of cardiometabolic disease and food insecurity. Fiber intake, which can be protective against cardiometabolic disease, decreases in Hispanics after a period of living in US food environments. Multi-level approaches have been effective at addressing diet quality and cardiometabolic disease in vulnerable populations and are warranted in NH Hispanic communities. Using the Socioecological Model (SEM), this thesis examined the influences of the individual, setting, sector, and social/cultural SEM levels on access to nutritious foods in Hispanic/Latino communities in NH. Additionally, …

A 10x Visium Approach: A Spatial Rna-Seq Analysis Of Renal Tissue In Peromyscus Eremicus, Molly Kephart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arid environments continue to increase their global coverage yearly due to climate change, and leaves harsh environmental effects in their wake. Of these effects—which include high UV radiation, extreme temperatures, and sparse food sources —lack of free water poses the greatest challenge to the ecosystem as a whole. Water resources are predicted to continue to decrease with the rise in desertification, increasing the threat of dehydration and its harmful effects on bodily function. Dehydration-related kidney injury has been linked to the onset of chronic kidney disease in humans, which has become a leading cause of mortality worldwide . Therefore, studies …

Mass Loading Model Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances To New Hampshire's Great Bay With A Focus On Surface Waters, Gage Moran

Master's Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in manufacturing as textile stains, soil repellants, grease proof products, food product coatings, aqueous film forming foams, and more for over 50 years. The carbon-fluorine chain of these compounds is chemically and thermally stable, resistant to biodegradation, and has both hydrophobic and lipophobic properties, making its chemistry unique for many commercial and industrial uses. This research work gathered existing concentration information from New Hampshire’s Environmental Monitoring Database on PFAS in the watershed and discharging to the Great Bay to better frame monitoring locations, temporal trends, and data gaps in the watershed. A …

The Estimation Of Forest Inventory Biometrics Using Uas-Lidar, Sarah Ashley Reny

Master's Theses and Capstones

Knowing how to best conserve and sustain forests is of the utmost importance given the indispensable direct and indirect ecosystems services they provide. In order to make informed management decisions for better conservation and sustainability, forest change and growth (biometrics) must be quantified. Biometrics are typically made through forest inventorying, but this field-based procedure has spatial and temporal limitations. Given the vital role forests have, it is imperative that different technologies be explored for their potential to improve forest inventorying methodologies. Remote sensing technology, specifically unmanned aerial system (UAS) light detection and ranging technology (Lidar), has presented itself as a …

Effects Of Flaxseed-Based Feed Supplement On Production Performance, Energy Utilization, Milk Fatty Acid Profile, And Enteric Methane Emissions In Jersey Cows Grazing Mixed Grass-Legume Pasture, Md Atikur Rahman

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of an extruded flaxseed-based feed supplement ‘LinPRO-R (LNPR)’ on milk production and composition, milk FA profile, nutrient digestibility, ruminal metabolism, purine derivatives (PD) excretion, and enteric methane (CH4) emissions in grazing dairy cows during the summer season. Eighteen multiparous and 2 primiparous mid-lactating organic Jersey cows (128 ± 52 DIM) were used in a randomized complete block design. cows grazed mixed grass-legume pasture (Dactylis glomerata L., Trifolium repens L., Trifolium pratense L., Lolium perenne L., Phleum pratense L.) overnight (herbage allowance = 15 kg of DM/cow/day) following a strip grazing method and fed partial total-mixed …

Evaluating Growth Patterns Of Beech Bark Disease Fungal Agents Neonectria Faginata And Neonectria Ditissima Under Different In Vitro Conditions, Santiago Rivera Reyes

Master's Theses and Capstones

The co –occurring fungal species Neonectria ditissima and Neonectria faginata are major canker-forming pathogens in the beech bark disease (BBD) systems which has caused restructuring of forests throughout northeastern North America. The role of nutrients in structuring microbial community interactions has been studied in BBD forests stands but has yet to be fully understood and examined under specific in-vitro conditions. This study aimed to investigate how nitrogen, phosphorus, and temperature levels influence the growth, reproduction, and competitive hierarchies between N. ditissima and N. faginata. We performed in-vitro assays where species were first individually and then jointly grown under different concentrations …

Mechanistic Models Of Human Decision-Making And Ecological Dynamics In Small-Scale Fisheries, Sophie Wulfing

Master's Theses and Capstones

Small-scale fisheries are essential to the livelihoods of 40 million people worldwide. They are key sources of nutrients and income for these communities that rely on them. However, understanding the status of these fisheries requires in-depth data collection, often in remote areas. Further, each small-scale fishery is very individualized, and external groups attempting to impose fishing restrictions are often met with low compliance or are unsuccessful in their efforts to conserve fish stocks due to a lack of understanding of either fishing culture or the ecology of the harvested species. In this thesis, I employ various mechanistic models to small-scale …