Digital Commons Network^™

Shallow Geothermal Energy Systems In The Northeastern United States: System Distancing And Policy Considerations, Aeowyn Kendall

Master's Theses and Capstones

Climate change is an existential threat to human society, and mitigating some of the worst impacts will require electrifying the energy sector and reaching net zero emissions by mid-century (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018). Geothermal energy, specifically ground-source heat pumps, can help to meet winter heating demand in the Northeastern United States. This technology, as well as the various mechanisms that would aid its expansion, are still underdeveloped but have vast potential. A central factor to consider in energy transition work is how energy decisions are made by people within the context of both social and physical system constraints …

Preliminary Validation Of A High-Performance Electrothermal Model Of An Electromagnetic Heating System, Jeremiah Vardaman

Master's Theses and Capstones

To aid in the design and development of an electrical induction thermoplastic pipe-fusion product, Ansys HFSS, an electromagnetics simulation package, and Ansys Mechanical, a thermal dynamics simulation package, were used to simulate a model of the pipe-fusion product. HFSS estimated the currents induced in conductive susceptors embedded in the pipe fitting. Then, Mechanical estimated temperature dynamics on the susceptors as a function of the induced currents. The heat generated by induced currents on the susceptors increases temperatures in the vicinity of the region to be fused. The increased temperature of the thermoplastic facilitates a pipe fuse. The simulation results were …

Quantitative Confidence, Sarah Schaier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The Death Penalty Does Not Deter Murder, Samuel Maynard

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The 2022 Globe U.S. Local Student Research Symposia: Temporary Pandemic Alternative Or Future Complementary Activity?, Eleanor M. Jaffee, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Publications and Media

No abstract provided.

Graduate Research Conference 2023: 2nd Annual Sustainability Track, Sustainability Institute

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Graduate Research Conference 2023: 2nd Annual Sustainability Track, Sustainability Institute

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Helping Young Inventors Find Their Creative Spark, Emma Joyce

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Behavioral And Neurobiological Mechanisms Of Relapse In Alcohol Use Disorder, Hannah Manning

Inquiry Journal Spring 2023

Excessive alcohol consumption causes 95,000 fatalities in the United States every year, making it a leading cause of death. Approximately 14.5 million people, ages 12 and up, suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD), otherwise known as alcoholism or alcohol addiction. Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, relapsing brain condition that causes impaired cognitive functioning towards alcohol. While there are treatments available, the propensity for alcoholics to relapse during recovery remains a major challenge to successful treatment. Understanding the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying relapse into alcohol abuse is a current research interest for those who are trying to improve treatment …

Trait-Based Assembly Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities Determines Soil Carbon Formation And Retention, Caitlyn C. A. Horsch, Pedro M. Antunes, Catherine Fahey, A. Stuart Grandy, Cynthia M. Kallenbach

Faculty Publications

Fungi are crucial for soil organic carbon (SOC) formation, especially for the more persistent mineral-associated organic C (MAOC) pool. Yet, evidence for this often overlooks arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities and how their composition and traits impact SOC accumulation.

We grew sudangrass with AMF communities representing different traits conserved at the family level: competitors, from the Gigasporaceae family; ruderals, from the Glomeraceae family; or both families combined. We labeled sudangrass with 13C-CO2 to assess AMF contributions to SOC, impacts on SOC priming, and fungal biomass persistence in MAOC.

Single-family AMF communities decreased total SOC by 13.8%, likely due to fungal …

Data Literacy In The Social Sciences: Findings From A Local Study On Teaching With Quantitative Data In Undergraduate Courses, Patricia B. Condon, Eleta Exline, Louise Buckley

Faculty Publications

Objective – The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Library conducted an exploratory study of the pedagogical practices of social science instructors at UNH who teach using quantitative data in undergraduate courses. This study is connected to a suite of parallel studies at other higher education institutions that was designed and coordinated by Ithaka S+R.

The four aims of this study were to explore the ways in which instructors teach and engage undergraduates in the social sciences using quantitative data; understand the support needs of these instructors; develop actionable recommendations for campus stakeholders; and identify opportunities for the development of resources, …

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, March 8, 2023, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Building Equity Leadership Skills, Emma Joyce

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The Role Of State Courts In Constraining Partisan Gerrymandering In Congressional Elections

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

Federal courts were once seen as the place for partisan gerrymandering challenges to be lodged, but after thirty-plus years of failing to find any redistricting plan to be a partisan gerrymander, even while holding partisan gerrymandering to be justiciable, the Supreme Court announced in Rucho v. Common Cause, 139 S.Ct. 2484, that partisan gerrymandering is not justiciable in federal courts. State courts are now seen as the only place where a remedy for egregious partisan gerrymandering might be sought (except, of course, for taking redistricting out of the hands of the state legislature and moving responsibility into a bipartisan …

Total Vote Runoff: A Majority-Maximizing Form Of Rank Choice Voting

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

Total Vote Runoff (TVR) is an electoral system designed to be identical to Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), which is the most commonly understood and implemented form of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in the United States, except for one key detail. Like IRV, TVR sequentially eliminates the weakest candidate on the ranked-choice ballot when no candidate is ranked first on a majority of ballots. Unlike IRV, however, TVR identifies the weakest candidate to be eliminated based on the total votes each candidate receives on all the ballots, rather than just the number of first-place votes (as IRV does). A candidate’s total …

Soil Microbial Legacies Influence Freeze–Thaw Responses Of Soil, Melissa A. Pastore, Aimee T. Classen, Marie E. English, Serita D. Frey, Melissa A. Knorr, Karin Rand, E. Carol Adair

Faculty Publications

Warmer winters with less snowfall are increasing the frequency of soil freeze–thaw cycles across temperate regions. Soil microbial responses to freeze–thaw cycles vary and some of this variation may be explained by microbial conditioning to prior winter conditions, yet such linkages remain largely unexplored. We investigated how differences in temperature history influenced microbial community composition and activity in response to freeze–thaw cycles.

We collected soil microbial communities that developed under colder (high elevation) and warmer (low elevation) temperature regimes in spruce-fir forests, then added each of these soil microbial communities to a sterile bulk-soil in a laboratory microcosm experiment. The …

2022 Town Of Walpole, New Hampshire Annual Report Of The Town Officials, Departments, Committees, And Walpole Fire District., Walpole Town Representatives

Walpole, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Exploring Leadership Styles And How They Impact A Lean Culture, Thomas Lencki

M.S. in Leadership

The purpose of this research is to explore how leadership styles effect a positive Lean culture and define a positive Lean culture. The results of this research will assist Lean practitioners as they play in integral part in creating a positive Lean culture. Creating and then fostering a positive Lean culture is valuable to leaders by improving innovation, working relationships and improved employee engagement. Learning more about how leadership styles impact a Lean culture will help future leaders create and foster a positive Lean culture.

Annual Report Of The Town Officers, Town Of Stoddard, New Hampshire 2023, Fiscal Year Ending 2022., Stoddard Town Representatives

Stoddard, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Comparing Recent Advances In Estimating And Measuring Oil Slick Thickness: An Mpri Technical Report, Crrc, Noaa, Mpri, Bsee

Coastal Response Research Center

Characterization of the degree and extent of surface oil during and after an oil spill is a critical part of emergency response and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) activities. More specifically, understanding floating oil thickness in real-time can guide response efforts by directing limited assets to priority cleanup areas; aid in ‘volume released’ estimates; enhance fate, transport and effects modeling capabilities; and support natural resource injury determinations. An international workshop brought researchers from agencies, academia and industry who were advancing in situ and remote oil characterization tools and methods together with stake holders and end users who rely on information …

Gender Identity And Academic Confidence Across College Major Fields, Sophie Goodwin

Perspectives

This study aimed to measure college students’ sense of personal efficacy and sense of belonging among various majors, specifically concerning the differences across gender identities. The findings thus indicate whether gender experience and norms impact some majors more than others, demonstrating how a history of male domination in certain fields can be internalized on a population level. A total of 300 respondents from a large public university in the northeast United States completed an online survey. In this survey, questions pertaining to self-reported gender identity; school of the respondent’s major, such as life sciences or liberal arts; and agreement with …

Perspectives 2023 Full Issue

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

2022 U.S. Globe Partner Yearbook, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Partner Yearbooks

No abstract provided.

Srs Reviewer Feedback Form, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Resources

No abstract provided.

2022 Annual Report Of The Officers Of The Town Of Plymouth, N.H. Year Ending December 31, 2022, Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2022., Plymouth Town Representatives

Plymouth, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Hannah Elizabeth Manning

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, relapsing brain condition that affects 29.5 million Americans. The disease is characterized by loss of control over drinking, continued use of alcohol in the face of negative consequences, and the experience of withdrawal symptoms. While there are several forms of treatment available for alcohol use disorder, 95% of patients experience at least one relapse during recovery. Currently, the high tendency to relapse remains the major challenge standing in the way of successful treatment for alcohol use disorder. Research is continuing to be conducted into the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying relapse into alcohol use, …

Valuation Of Crypto Fintech Companies And Bitcoin, Clay Courtmanche

Honors Theses and Capstones

Companies like Coinbase, Robinhood, and MicroStrategy rely on Bitcoin as an integral part of their business model. My research speculates on reasons for the closely related price movement of Bitcoin and these three publicly traded financial technology firms. Bitcoin gradually has been integrating into our financial systems. This paper explores opportunities and threats to Bitcoin and crypto fintech firms, as well as their reaction to the current macroeconomic landscape. While Bitcoin faces major hurdles like volatility and media distrust, its’ persistence thus far has been driven by the disruptiveness of its’ underlying technology. As institutions begin to orient themselves towards …

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With A Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Kelsey M. Alimandi

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain condition that is characterized by excessive alcohol consumption, continued use when faced with negative consequences, and a negative emotional state associated with withdrawals (anxiety, irritability, depression). The main challenge to treating AUD is preventing relapse. The purpose of this study was to use a prolonged-exposure model to allow rats to self-administer ethanol to determine the brain regions active during relapse events. The rats performed multiple behavioral tests such as economic demand, negative consequences, and an elevated plus maze. These tests determined how hard rats were willing to work for an ethanol …

Behavioral Markers And Endophenotypes Underlying Individual Differences In Ethanol Use, Haily R. Knapp

Honors Theses and Capstones

The main concern of this study is to evaluate the neurobiology of ethanol self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement in rats and its implications for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) prevention and treatment. The purpose of this study is to use a pre-clinical model of ethanol use to understand the individual effects at the neurobiological level. The study utilized economic demand and negative consequence testing to evaluate the rats' motivation to consume ethanol and their ability to relapse after periods of abstinence. The results showed individual and sex differences in ethanol consumption, with rats who placed a higher value on ethanol being more …

General-Purpose Planning Algorithms In Partially-Observable Stochastic Games, Bryan Mckenney

Honors Theses and Capstones

Partially observable stochastic games (POSGs) are difficult domains to plan in because they feature multiple agents with potentially opposing goals, parts of the world are hidden from the agents, and some actions have random outcomes. It is infeasible to solve a large POSG optimally. While it may be tempting to design a specialized algorithm for finding suboptimal solutions to a particular POSG, general-purpose planning algorithms can work just as well, but with less complexity and domain knowledge required. I explore this idea in two different POSGs: Navy Defense and Duelyst.

In Navy Defense, I show that a specialized algorithm framework, …