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Optical Properties Of The Pigments From Cephalopod Chromatophores: Solution And Particle Determination, Sean Ryan Dinneen

Doctoral Dissertations

Cephalopods are arguably one of the most photonically sophisticated marine animals, as they can rapidly adapt their dermal color and texture to their surroundings using both structural and pigmentary coloration. Their chromatophore organs facilitate this process, but the molecular mechanism potentiating color change is not well understood. The central hypothesis of this work is that the pigments, which are localized within nanostructured granules in the chromatophore, enhance the scattering of light within the dermal tissue. To test this, phenoxazone-based pigments were first extracted from the chromatophore and their complex refractive index (RI) from experimentally determined real and approximated imaginary portions …

A Triaxiality-Dependent Constitutive Model For Predicting Damage-Induced Softening In 3d-Printed Soft Suture Layer, Lei Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

Adhesive interfacial layers are ubiquitous in both engineering and natural material systems. They are essential in governing the mechanical behaviors of these materials. Especially, in the field of biological and bio-inspired materials, soft interfacial layer plays very important role in mechanics of them. The rapid development of 3D printing enables high quality bonding between dissimilar materials, providing an opportunity to fabricate biomimetic composites with arbitrary morphology. Along with this new development, new challenges appear in constitutive modeling and the prediction of damage initiation and evolution of 3D printed materials. To meet this need in the field, the model and methodology …

Dysregulation Of O-Linked Β-N-Acetylglucosamine (O-Glcnac) Cycling Supports Tumorigenicity Of Cancers Of The Female Reproductive Tract, Nicole Jaskiewicz

Doctoral Dissertations

Hyper-O-GlcNAcylation of proteins is a subsequent artifact of metabolic disorder and is indicative of many cancers, including cancers of the female reproductive tract. While the incidence of most cancer types has been declining in the U.S., endometrial and cervical cancer remain among the most common cancers diagnosed in women. Diabetic women have a 2-3 fold increased risk of developing endometrial cancer, and tend to have more aggressive cases of cervical cancer, however, the molecular aspects of these risks are not fully understood. This study investigated the alteration of cellular O-GlcNAcylation of proteins as the potential mechanistic connection between diabetes and …

The Structure, Limits, And Drivers Of Daphnid Diversity, Richard Joseph Knecht

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 1961 Hutchinson proposed the “Paradox of the Plankton” questioning how sympatric planktonic species can coexist for long periods of time while seemingly avoiding the competitive exclusion principle. As this ‘paradox’ became a focus of inquiry, one researcher conducted a 2-year study (1961-1962; Tappa 1965) on Aziscohos Lake Daphnia to address the question. While the study did not solve the enigma, it provided a detailed record of the dynamics and interactions of six coexisting species. Aziscohos Lake and its zooplankton have not been studied since. This study revisits the ‘paradox of the plankton’ by establishing the dynamics of extant Daphnid …

Drivers Of Introgression And Fitness In The Saltmarsh-Nelson's Sparrow Hybrid Zone, Logan Maxwell

Master's Theses and Capstones

Hybrid zones can provide an understanding of the genetic basis of biodiversity maintenance and as well as insight into how interacting species respond to climate change, and how climate change may alter patterns of introgression. This body of research focuses on dynamics of hybridization between the Saltmarsh (Ammospiza caudacutus) and Nelson’s Sparrow (A. nelsoni) across two populations in the center of the hybrid zone to gain a window into both the evolutionary processes underlying the relationship between these species and the role of climate change and adaptive introgression on the future persistence of the two sparrows. In Chapter 1, I …

A Human Visual System Inspired Feature Recognition Method Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Evan Koester

Master's Theses and Capstones

While significant strides in neural network and machine vision applications have been made in recent years, humans still remain the most proficient at feature extraction and pattern recognition tasks. Some researchers have attempted to utilize select aspects of the human visual system in order to perform application-specific visual tasks. However, none have been able to develop a computational model of the biological human visual system that can perform the many complex pattern recognition tasks that we do as humans. This thesis focuses on significant improvements to an existing human visual system model created by N. Radhi, and the novel implementation …

Observations Of Transitional Tidal Boundary Layers In The Great Bay Estuary, Nh, Kara M. Koetje

Master's Theses and Capstones

Observations of the vertical structure of tidal flows obtained in 2016 and 2017 in the Great Bay Estuary, NH show evidence of transitional tidal boundary layers at deployment locations on shallow mudflats. High-resolution bottom boundary layer currents, hydrography, turbidity, and bed characteristics were observed with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV), conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) sensors, optical backscatter sensors, multibeam bathymetric surveys, and sediment grab samples and cores. Over the 2.5 m tidal range and at water depths ranging from 0.3 m to 1.5 m at mean lower low water, peak flows ranged from 10 cm/s to …

Biology And Prey Of The Predatory Wasp Cerceris Fumipennis (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) And Its Use For Bio-Surveillance Of The Emerald Ash Borer, Morgan Carol Dube

Master's Theses and Capstones

Cerceris fumipennis is a colonial wasp that preferentially preys on native and non-native members of the family Buprestidae including the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, which is a major threat to North American ash (Fraxinus spp.). Cerceris fumipennis has been used for bio-surveillance of this destructive pest because it catches, stings, and paralyzes buprestids that are then easily intercepted at their nests and documented.

Two large aggregations of C. fumipennis in Merrimack County, NH, USA were monitored during the summer of 2013 and 2014 to determine regional baseline information on aggregation activity, seasonality, paralyzation rate, and prey preference in …

Population Genetics And Male Social Behavior In The Australian Small Carpenter Bee, Ceratina Australensis, Robert L. Oppenheimer

Master's Theses and Capstones

Small carpenter bees (Xylocopinae: Ceratinini) in the genus Ceratina are a cosmopolitan group of stem nesting bees. All Ceratina show a degree of mutual tolerance for nestmates as they nest together in pre-dispersal assemblages and display extended maternal care. Many Ceratina also nest facultatively with multiple females per nest. Males usually disperse before the beginning of the reproductive season. Ceratina have emerged as model organisms to study the evolution of social behavior within the Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps). As hymenopteran sex is determined by the haplodiploid sex determination system wherein males are haploid and females are diploid, the result …

Investigation Into The Application Of Ozonation For Reuse Of Secondary Wastewater Effluent, Daniel James Farley

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research investigated the ability of ozone to degrade through oxidation a selection of organic micropollutants in untreated and ion exchange pretreated secondary wastewater effluent. Initially, a six-month sampling program was completed to characterize the variability in the water quality of the Wervershoof wastewater treatment plant’s secondary effluent used in this research. Bench scale experiments were completed to determine the ozone uptake and demand in demineralized water, tap water, IX treated secondary wastewater, and secondary wastewater effluent. Using data from the bench scale experiments, low, medium and high ozone dosages were identified based upon ozone residual for secondary wastewater and …

Broadband Acoustic Measurements Of A Controlled Seep With Multiple Gases For Verification Of Flux Estimates Through Bubble Dissolution And Target Strength Models, Kevin Michael Rychert

Master's Theses and Capstones

To verify existing models for conversion of acoustic target strength to estimates of the total volume of methane gas released from the seafloor through the water column, a synthetic seep system was designed and fabricated. This system creates individual bubbles of the sizes most commonly found in gaseous methane seeps, <1 to 5mm radii, which can be released at any interval at depths up to 200m. The synthetic seep system was deployed off the coast of New Hampshire adjacent to the Isles of Shoals to a depth of 55m. Acoustic backscatter from 16-24kHz was collected by steaming over the synthetic seep multiple times with a suite of broadband splitbeam sonar systems. Each iteration ensonified a predetermined and calibrated bubble size created by the system at depth. These data represent a direct field measurement which was used to test models describing bubble evolution and acoustic scattering during the ascent through the water column for bubbles of different sizes and gasses. Validating these models directly tests the ability of broadband sonar systems to estimate the transport of gas from the seabed to the ocean and atmosphere. Acoustic data from 2.35mm radii argon bubbles, and 2.45mm radii nitrogen bubbles are consistent with bubble evolution and target strength models which validates spherical approximations made in both the mass transfer and acoustic scattering assumptions. Based on the similar uncertainty values for these bubble sizes, these data add confidence to the claims of previous studies which use similar methods for methane flux approximations.

Small Mammal Community Dynamics And The Dispersal Of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Ryan B. Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations

Animals are an integral component to forests, yet few studies have examined the direct and indirect effects of their resource use on ecosystem function. The mutualistic interactions between small mammals and truffles offers an excellent opportunity to investigate how animals contribute to ecosystem function. Truffles, the spore-bearing fruiting bodies of mycorrhizal fungi, are consumed by forest-dwelling small mammals. Mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic with trees, colonizing roots and increasing the tree’s ability to take up nutrients. Because mycorrhizal fungi are extremely limited in their ability to disperse, small mammals play a critical role in forests by consuming truffles and dispersing their …

Assessing The Effects Of Habitat Restoration On Shrubland Specialists: Case Study On The New England Cottontail And Shrubland Birds, Melissa Lyn Bauer

Master's Theses and Capstones

Loss and fragmentation of shrubland habitat in the northeastern United States due to succession, suppression of natural disturbance regimes, and development (Cronon 1983, Litvaitis 1993) have resulted in declines of populations of shrubland specialist species, including the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and shrubland birds (Litvaitis et al. 2006, Schlossberg & King 2007). The New England cottontail’s range has declined by over 86% (Litvaitis et al. 2006, Fenderson et al. 2014, Brubaker et al. 2014) and remaining populations are small and exhibit fine-scale structure, limited dispersal, and loss of metapopulation function (Fenderson 2011, 2014, Cheeseman 2017, Chapter 1). In the …

Teaching Population Health: Innovations In The Integration Of The Healthcare And Public Health Systems, Rosemary M. Caron, Anne M. Hewitt, Julie H. Carmalt, Edmond A. Hooker

Faculty Publications

Population health is a critical concept in healthcare delivery today. Many healthcare administrators are struggling to adapt their organization from fee-for-service to value delivery. Payers and patients expect healthcare leaders to understand how to deliver care under this new model. Health administration programs play a critical role in training future leaders of healthcare organizations to be adaptable and effective in this dynamic environment. The purpose of this research was to: (a) engage current educators of health administration students in a dialogue about the best practices of integrating the healthcare and public health systems; (b) identify the content and pedagogy for …

Pedagogy: How To Best Teach Population Health To Future Healthcare Leaders, Rosemary M. Caron, Edmond A. Hooker, Anne M. Hewitt, Julie H. Carmalt

Faculty Publications

Our healthcare system is moving from a fee-for-service reimbursement model to one that provides payment for improvements in three areas related to care: quality, coordination, and cost. Healthcare organizations must use a population health approach when delivering care under this new paradigm. Health administration programs play a critical role in training future leaders of healthcare organizations to be adaptable and effective in this dynamic environment. The purpose of this research was to: (1) engage health administration educators in a dialogue about population health and its relevance to healthcare administration education; (2) describe pedagogical methods appropriate for teaching population health skills …

Science And Startups, Jeremy Gasowski

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh And Ccsnh Sign Agreement To Ensure Transfer Students Succeed, Erika Mantz

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Clues In The Cores, Rebecca Irelan

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Groundbreaking Agreement Makes Student Success Top Priority, Sarah Schaier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh Recommendations Seek To Help Farmers Curb Agricultural Nitrogen Losses Under Climate Variability, Lori Tyler Gula

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

New Guidelines Provide Farmers In Nation’S Breadbasket A Roadmap In Changing World, Lori Tyler Gula

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Novel Measurements Of Fine-Scale Albedo: Using A Commercial Quadcopter To Measure Radiation Fluxes, Charlotte R. Levy, Elizabeth A. Burakowski, Andrew D. Richardson

Faculty Publications

Remote sensing of radiative indices must balance spatially and temporally coarse satellite measurements with finer-scale, but geographically limited, in-situ surface measurements. Instruments mounted upon an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can provide small-scale, mobile remote measurements that fill this resolution gap. Here we present and validate a novel method of obtaining albedo values using an unmodified quadcopter at a deciduous northern hardwood forest. We validate this method by comparing simultaneous albedo estimates by UAV and a fixed tower at the same site. We found that UAV provided stable albedo measurements across multiple flights, with results that were well within the range …

Unh Research Finds Early-Season Heating Shows Promise Boosting Ginger Harvest, Lori Tyler Gula

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Students Excell In Stem With Unh Manchester Summer Program Focused On Esol, Carol Robidoux

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Students Excell In Stem With Unh Manchester Summer Program Focused On Esol, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Early-Season Heating Shows Promise Boosting Ginger Harvest, Lori Tyler Gula

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Above The Bar, Jennifer Saunders

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Full Slate Of Fulbrights, Jennifer Saunders

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh Dairies Receive 2017 Quality Milk Award From Dairy One, Lori Tyler Gula

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Dr. Sue Cooke Joins Initiative To Fight Shortage Of New Antibiotics, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.