Digital Commons Network^™

Low Frequency Waves Due To He+ As Observed By The Ulysses Spacecraft, Anastasia V. Marchuk

Honors Theses and Capstones

We surveyed magnetic field data from the Ulysses spacecraft and found examples of magnetic waves with characteristics that point to excitation by newborn pickup He+. With interstellar neutrals as the likely source for the pickup ions, we have modeled the ion production rates and used them to produce wave excitation rates that we compare to the background turbulence rates. The source ions are thought to be always present, but the waves are seen when growth rates are comparable to or exceed the turbulence rates. With the exception of the fast latitude scans, and unlike the waves excited by newborn interstellar …

Neuronal Primary Cilia In Postnatal Brains & Alzheimer’S Disease Mice Eeg Patterns Under Fear Conditioning, Sierra Rose Mae Walsh

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition caused by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid β plaque. While small amounts of amyloid β plaque is to be expected with increased age, AD presents amyloid precursor protein (APP), a gene promoting inappropriate plaque formation, causing early neuronal death and tissue depreciation. APP23 transgenic mouse models contain the human mutation in the neocortical and hippocampal positions, areas revealing of plaque accumulation and memory loss. Within the hippocampal cortices, the primary cilia, which regulate higher cognition and neurodevelopment can be studied along with burst suppressions, or moments of high focal activity, to target potential …

Determining Deuterium Polarization Via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Nicholas Muche

Honors Theses and Capstones

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) is a method by which the spins of electrons are specifically targeted by microwaves at resonance frequency in order to induce spin flips. Occasionally, the electron spins couple with nuclear spins and nuclear spin flips are induced. The relaxation time of the electron is significantly lower than that of the nuclei, which allows for large polarization. The main goal of the Slifer Lab is to utilize specifically prepared crystalline structures in order to separate the convoluted energy transitions ("Batman Peak") in the deuterium's nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal, which would allow for tensor enhancement of deuterium. …

Plastic Storage In River Sediments Across An Urbanization Gradient In The Ipswich Watershed In Massachusetts, Jackie L. Harris

Honors Theses and Capstones

The importance of plastic pollution research has become apparent as plastic pollution has increased exponentially since its introduction in the 1950s. Plastics mechanically break down into minuscule particles called microplastics, which are plastic particles with a size range of 0.1 micrometers (μm) to 5 millimeters (mm). Most of the research on microplastic pollution has centered around marine ecosystems rather than freshwater ecosystems. More freshwater microplastic research to date is emerging but is still nascent and sparse. Furthermore, the idea that rivers are merely conduits of microplastics to the ocean is even more limited and ignores microplastic loading and retention in …

Investigation And Enhancement Of Students’ Conceptions Of Ph Buffers, Mary Alice Woodland Sheppard

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding how students construct knowledge of pH buffer concepts is essential to developing effective instructional strategies to support student learning. A resource theoretical framework and the phenomenographic method were used to explore 12 general chemistry students’ conceptions of pH buffers using three buffer questions ranging from algorithmic to conceptual. Open coding of student responses revealed a diverse array of resources that varied in productivity and connectedness. A layered resource graph was introduced to visually compare resource activations across question contexts, highlighting some resources as important for all sensemaking about pH buffers, while others were specific to particular topics. The phenomenographic …

Trend Stationary Time Series: Simultaneous Estimation Of Trend And Autocorrelated Errors, Jakub Michel

Doctoral Dissertations

The world of time series analysis is predominantly focused on nonstationary time series, which exhibit various patterns and behaviors that researchers across different industries aim to analyze. Decomposing nonstationary time series into a trend component and a stationary process is a common approach, with trend and stationary process estimation achieved through parametric and nonparametric methods.

Polynomial regression and nonparametric methods, such as Kernels and B-Splines, are employed to estimate the trend. Once the trend is estimated, the residuals are obtained by subtracting the estimated trend from the data, allowing for the fitting of an ARMA stationary process. However, the estimation …

A Quality Improvement Initiative To Improve Access And Patient Flow In A Non-Emergency Walk-In Care Clinic, Renee J. Broze

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: A community-based non-emergency walk-in clinic in Southern New Hampshire experienced high volume and inefficient workflows during the pandemic, causing delays in care, long visit times, and low net promoter scores.

Purpose: Institute an evidence-based approach to improve work efficiency through innovative models of care.

Methods: A literature review on best practices for workflow redesign guided the project. The project instituted an on-demand telemedicine service and a clinic fast-track workflow. A mixed methods approach analyzed pre /post cycle times, net promoter scores, and themes from staff interviews. Pre/post cycle times analyzed 12,767 completed appointments.

Results: There was a statistically significant …

Eeg-Based Spanish Language Proficiency Classification: An Eeg Power Spectrum And Cross-Spectrum Analysis, Blaise Xavier O'Mara, Skyler Baumer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Second language proficiency may be predicted with electrophysiological techniques. In a machine learning application, this electrophysiological data may be used for language instructors and language students to assess their language learning. This study identifies how electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum and cross spectrum data of the brain cortex relates to Spanish second language (L2) proficiency of 20 Spanish language students of varying proficiency levels at the University of New Hampshire. The two metrics for assessing cortical power and processing were event-related desynchronization (ERD)—a measure of relative change in power—of the alpha (8-12 Hz) brain frequency band, and alpha and beta (13-30Hz) …

Occurrence Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In New Hampshire Biosolids, Katherine A. Wieck

Honors Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4,000 compounds used in the manufacturing of products including aqueous film forming foams for firefighting, stain repellents, waterproofing agents, and nonstick cookware since their initial development in the 1940s. The long fluorinated carbon chain structure of PFAS causes chemical and thermal stability, and thus resistance to biodegradation. Biosolids produced at wastewater facilities for uses such as agricultural land-applied compost and fertilizer for lawns and athletic fields, as well as sludge disposed in landfills can cause contamination of groundwater and surface water. This poses a significant threat to human and environmental …

Olli At Unh Spring 2023 Catalog, Dave Kellam

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Role Modeling As A Computing Educator In Higher Education: A Focus On Care, Emotions And Professional Competencies, Virginia Grande, Paivi Kinnunen, Anne Kahtrin Peters, Matthew Barr, Asa Cajander, Mats Daniels, Amari N. Lewis, Mihaela Sabin, Matilde Sanchez-Pena, Neena Thota

Applied Engineering and Sciences Scholarship

This paper provides insights into role modeling by educators in computing that is beyond the technical, theoretical and rational perspectives which have historically been described as dominant in computing. Surveying 199 educators in higher education, we have built on frameworks of role modeling, care, emotions, and professional competencies as a lens to see different ways of engaging in computing.

Our quantitative and qualitative findings show how educators model ways of caring (for oneself, other humans and living species, technology, and the planet), emotions, professional competencies and other types of role modeling. Examples of contexts within computing and reasons why an …

Diversifying And Perennializing Plants In Agroecosystems Alters Retention Of New C And N From Crop Residues, Marshall D. Mcdaniel, Jeffrey A. Bird, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Erika Marin-Spiotta, Tom M. Schmidt, A. Stuart Grandy

Faculty Publications

Managing soils to retain new plant inputs is key to moving toward a sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Management practices, like diversifying and perennializing agroecosystems, may affect the decomposer organisms that regulate how new residue is converted to persistent soil organic matter. Here we tested whether 12 years of diversifying/perennializing plants in agroecosystems through extended rotations or grassland restoration would decrease losses of new plant residue inputs and, thus, increase retention of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil. We tracked dual-labeled (13C and 15N), isotopically enriched wheat (Triticum aestivum) residue in situ for 2 years as it decomposed in three …

Reccurent Neural Network For The Detection Of Odontocetes, Christopher Michael Foster

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research project explores the ability of a Recurrent Neural Network to detect Odontocetecalls. With the current degree of climate change impacting the planet, being able to better track and locate highly mobile endangered species is imperative. An example of such a species is the Sperm Whale, which is listed as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act, that migrate annually and have a range that extends through all the world’s oceans. Current methods of detection require a great deal of manual interaction and skill on behalf of the identifier. Automating this process would enable easier tracking and aid …

Determining The Role Of Environmental Variability On Marine Megafauna Abundance Trends: A Case Study Of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, Julia Saltzman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Despite being economically, ecologically, and culturally important many species of marine megafauna are threatened with extinction. The reasons for the imperiled state of many marine megafauna include overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often proposed as a management tool for marine megafauna. However, it is difficult to monitor the efficacy of marine protected areas when it is unclear if abundance trends are due to management or environmental variability. Indeed, many studies to date on the efficacy of MPAs fail to account for environmental variability, or account for limited covariates. In this thesis, I examine …

Implementing A Reference Backscatter Calibration Technique On A Multi-Sector Multibeam Echosounder, Rui Miguel Aleixo Miguel Cândido

Master's Theses and Capstones

Increasingly, national hydrographic agencies are committing to routine acquisition of seabed backscatter strength estimates from multibeam echosounders (MBES) as part of national programs for seabed characterization. As part of their bathymetric survey mandate, these agencies have a long history of sounding quality control utilizing absolute and relative calibration (reference surfaces and crossover comparisons). Equivalent quality control is, however, not yet in place for managing seabed backscatter strength measurements, as the majority of the collected data is not absolutely referenced.Herein, a new technique for cross-calibrating a MBES with a reference calibrated split beam echosounder (SBES) was implemented. Broadband reference bottom backscatter …

A Geographic Segmentation Approach For Satellite-Derived Bathymetry, Juliane Jussara Affonso

Master's Theses and Capstones

Safety of navigation depends on our knowledge of seabed and its features, and, as such, any improvements in deriving bathymetry for nautical chart updating are of major importance. Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) is an alternative to traditional surveys using ship and airborne sensors, particularly for mapping remote and shallow areas, due to its reduced cost and the absence of navigational risks in very shallow and unsurveyed areas. However, the accuracy of SDB can be judged as relatively low for nautical charting purposes and, therefore, is mostly used for reconnaissance or/and for filling gaps in remote or very shallow areas. One of …

Us Scientific Leadership Addressing Energy, Ecosystems, Climate, And Sustainable Prosperity: Report In Brief From The Berac Subcommittee On International Benchmarking, Maureen Mccann, Patrick Reed, Ana Alonso, Ludmilla Aristilde, Massie S. Ballon, Crysten Blaby, Allison A. Campbell, Kenneth James Davis, Brian H. Davison, Ben Evans, Robert F. Fischetti, Serita D. Frey, Ann M. Fridlind, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Ramon Gonzalez, Michael N. Gooseff, Nathan Hillson, Janet Jansson, Klaus Keller, Markus Kleber, Costas Maranas, Gerald A. Meehl, Himadri Pakrasi, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Kristala Prather, Johannes Quaas, G. Philip Robertson, Alistair Rogers, Tim Scheibe, Thomas R. Schneider, Gary Stacey, Margaret S. Torn, Kerstin Kleese Van Dam, Detlef Vuuren, John Weyant, Stan Wullschleger, Shaocheng Xie, Seung Yon (Sue) Rhee, Huimin Zhao

Faculty Publications

This document presents the subcommittee’s overarching and domain-specific findings and recommendations for the next decade, identified by consensus across the full BERAC subcommittee and experts interviewed for this assessment.

Automated License Plate Recognition Systems, Nicholas Noboa

Master's Theses and Capstones

Automated license plate recognition systems make use of machines learning coupled with traditional algorithmic programming to create software capable of identifying and transcribing vehicles’ license plates. From this point, automated license plate recognition systems can be capable of performing a variety of functions, including billing an account or querying the plate number against a database to identify vehicles of concern. These capabilities allow for an efficient method of autonomous vehicle identification, although the unmanned nature of these systems raises concerns over the possibility of their use for surveillance, be it against an individual or group. This thesis will explore the …

Substrate Availability And Not Thermal Acclimation Controls Microbial Temperature Sensitivity Response To Long-Term Warming, Luiz A. Domeignoz-Horta, Grace Pold, Hailey Erb, David Sebag, Eric Verrecchia, Trent Northen, Katherine Louie, Emiley Eloe-Fadrosh, Christa Pennacchio, Melissa A. Knorr, Serita D. Frey, Jerry M. Melillo, Kristen M. Deangelis

Faculty Publications

Microbes are responsible for cycling carbon (C) through soils, and predicted changes in soil C stocks under climate change are highly sensitive to shifts in the mechanisms assumed to control the microbial physiological response to warming. Two mechanisms have been suggested to explain the long-term warming impact on microbial physiology: microbial thermal acclimation and changes in the quantity and quality of substrates available for microbial metabolism. Yet studies disentangling these two mechanisms are lacking. To resolve the drivers of changes in microbial physiology in response to long-term warming, we sampled soils from 13- and 28-year-old soil warming experiments in different …

Implementing Just Climate Adaptation Policy: An Analysis Of Recognition, Framing, And Advocacy Coalitions In Boston, U.S.A., Jeffrey T. Malloy, Catherine Ashcraft, Paul Kirshen, Thomas G. Safford, Semra Aytur, Shannon H. Rogers

Faculty Publications

Cities face intersectional challenges implementing climate adaptation policy. This research contributes to scholarship dedicated to understanding how policy implementation affects socially vulnerable groups, with the overarching goal of promoting justice and equity in climate policy implementation. We apply a novel framework that integrates social justice theory and the advocacy coalition framework to incrementally assess just climate adaptation in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. Boston made an ambitious commitment to address equity as part of its climate planning and implementation efforts. In this paper, we evaluate the first implementation stage over the period 2016–2019 during which Boston developed coastal resilience …

Helium Nanodroplets As An Efficient Tool To Investigate Hydrogen Attachment To Alkali Cations, Siegfried Kollotzek, José Campos-Martínez, Massimiliano Bartolomei, Fernando Pirani, Lukas Tiefenthaler, Marta I. Hernández, Teresa Lázaro, Eva Zunzunegui-Bru, Tomás González-Lezana, José Bretón, Javier Hernández-Rojas, Olof E. Echt, Paul Scheier

Faculty Publications

We report a novel method to reversibly attach and detach hydrogen molecules to positively charged sodium clusters formed inside a helium nanodroplet host matrix. It is based on the controlled production of multiply charged helium droplets which, after picking up sodium atoms and exposure to H₂ vapor, lead to the formation of Na_m⁺(H₂)_n clusters, whose population was accurately measured using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectra reveal particularly favorable Na⁺(H₂)_n and Na₂⁺(H₂)_n clusters for specific “magic” numbers of attached hydrogen molecules. …

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, November 16, 2022, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Soil Microbial Communities Vary In Composition And Functional Strategy Across Soil Aggregate Size Class Regardless Of Tillage, Lukas T. Bernhardt, Richard G. Smith, Andrew S. Grandy, Jessica E. Mackay, Nicholas D. Warren, Kevin M. Geyer, Jessica G. Ernakovich

Faculty Publications

The physicochemical environment within aggregates controls the distribution of carbon and microbial communities in soils. Agricultural management, such as tillage, can disrupt aggregates and the microscale habitat provided to microorganisms, thus altering microbial community dynamics. Categorizing microbial communities into life history strategies with shared functional traits—as has been done to understand plant community structure for decades—can illuminate how the soil physicochemical environment constrains the membership and activity of microbial communities. We conducted an aggregate scale survey of microbial community composition and function through the lens of the yield–acquisition–stress (Y–A–S) tolerator life history framework. Soils collected from a 7-year tillage experiment …

Twice As Nice, Brooks Payette

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, November 2, 2022, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

2022-2023 Faculty Senate Xxvii - October 31, 2022 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Ångström Exponent: Probing Additional Information In Spectral Curvature And Variability Of In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral (0.3–0.7 Μm) Optical Properties, Carolyn E. Jordan, Bruce E. Anderson, John D. Barrick, Dani Blum, Kathleen Brunke, Jiajue Chai, Gao Chen, Ewan C. Crosbie, Jack E. Dibb, Ann M. Dillner, Emily Gargulinski, Charles H. Hudgins, Emily Joyce, Jackson Kaspari, Robert F. Martin, Richard H. Moore, Rachel O’Brien, Claire E. Robinson, Gregory L. Schuster, Taylor J. Shingler, Michael A. Shook, Amber J. Soja, Kenneth L. Thornhill, Andrew T. Weakley, Elizabeth B. Wiggins, Edward L. Winstead, Luke D. Ziemba

Faculty Publications

Ångström exponents (α) allow reconstruction of aerosol optical spectra over a broad range of wavelengths from measurements at two or more wavelengths. Hyperspectral measurements of atmospheric aerosols provide opportunities to probe measured spectra for information inaccessible from only a few wavelengths. Four sets of hyperspectral in situ aerosol optical coefficients (aerosol-phase total extinction, σext, and absorption, σabs; liquid-phase soluble absorption from methanol, σMeOH-abs, and water, σDI-abs, extracts) were measured from biomass burning aerosols (BBAs). Hyperspectral single scattering albedo (ω), calculated from σext and σabs, provide spectral resolution over a wide spectral range rare for this optical parameter. Observed spectral shifts …

Saluting Faculty Excellence, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Solvation Of Large Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Helium: Cationic And Anionic Hexabenzocoronene, Miriam Kappe, Florent Calvo, Johannes Schöntag, Holger F. Bettinger, Serge Krasnokutski, Martin Kuhn, Elisabeth Gruber, Fabio Zappa, Paul Scheier, Olof E. Echt

Faculty Publications

The adsorption of helium on charged hexabenzocoronene (Hbc, C₄₂H₁₈), a planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecule of D_6h symmetry, is investigated by a combination of high-resolution mass spectrometry and classical and quantum computational methods. The ion abundance of He_nHbc⁺ complexes versus size n features prominent local anomalies at n = 14, 38, 68, 82, and a weak one at 26, indicating that for these “magic” sizes the helium evaporation energies are relatively large. Surprisingly, mass spectra of anionic He_nHbc^– complexes feature a different set of anomalies, namely at …

Write Free Or Die: Vol. 09, No. 01, Unh Writing Programs

Writing Program Newsletter

No abstract provided.