Digital Commons Network^™

Tuckaway Farm: A Cultural Shift Towards Sustainable Agriculture, Ruby Woodside

The Sustainability Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Frankia Sp. Strain Cci6, A Salt-Tolerant Nitrogen-Fixing Actinobacterium Isolated From The Root Nodule Of Casuarina Cunninghamiana, Samira R. Mansour, Rediet Oshone, Sheldon G. Hurst Iv, Krystalynne Morris, W. Kelley Thomas, Louis S. Tisa

Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences

Members of the actinomycete genus Frankia form a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with 8 different families of actinorhizal plants. We report a 5.57-Mbp draft genome sequence for Frankia sp. strain CcI6, a salt-tolerant nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium isolated from root nodules of Casurina cunninghamiana grown in Egyptian soils.

Harvesting A Knowledge Commons: Collective Action, Transparency, And Innovation At The Portland Fish Exchange, Jennifer F. Brewer

Geography

While localist visions of alternative food systems advocate for the expansion of local ecological knowledge through more proximate producerconsumer relationships, globalized seafood supply-demand chains persist. Moving beyond this dichotomy, commons scholars recognize that collective action among resource users at the local level can shape cross-scalar producer relations with government and more capitalized firms operating in regional and global markets. In the case of the New England groundfishery, a quasi-public fish auction not only transformed the scalar, logistical, and financial parameters of harvester-buyer relationships, it altered the production and use of local knowledge among some harvesters, and their technological choices. Resulting …

Invasion Of Winter Moth In New England: Effects Of Defoliation And Site Quality On Tree Mortality., Michael J. Simmons, Thomas D. Lee, Mark J. Ducey, Kevin J. Dodds

Natural Resources & the Environment

Abstract

Widespread and prolonged defoliation by the European winter moth, Operophtera brumata L., has occurred in forests of eastern Massachusetts for more than a decade and populations of winter moth continue to invade new areas of New England. This study characterized the forests of eastern Massachusetts invaded by winter moth and related the duration of winter moth defoliation estimated using dendrochronology to observed levels of tree mortality and understory woody plant density. Quercus basal area mortality in mixed Quercus and mixed Quercus-Pinus strobus forests in eastern Massachusetts ranged from 0-30%; mortality of Quercus in these forests was related to site …

Sullivan County, New Hampshire Annual Report For The Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2014., Sullivan County Representatives

Sullivan County, NH Annual Reports

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

Dietary Supplement Labeling: Cognitive Biases, Market Manipulation & Consumer Choice, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

There exists increasing concern that the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) has proven ineffective. Much of the concern regards the disparity in legislative treatment between dietary supplements, foods, and pharmaceutical drugs. Namely, while pharmaceutical drugs must undergo years of costly pre-market testing, most supplements, like foods, can immediately enter the market, and only after repeated instances of adverse reactions can the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) remove them. Such a framework appears to belie both consumer expectations and marketing strategies, as supplements tend to be most perceived for their apparent medicinal qualities. This philosophy of waiting for a …

Contraceptive Sabotage, Leah A. Plunkett

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article responds to the alarm recently sounded by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists over “birth control sabotage”—the “active interference [by one partner] with [the other] partner’s contraceptive methods in an attempt to promote pregnancy.” Currently, sabotage is not a crime, and existing categories of criminal offenses fail to capture the essence of the injury it does to victims. This Article argues that sabotage should be a separate crime—but only when perpetrated against those partners who can and do get pregnant as a result of having sabotaged sex. Using the principle of self-possession—understood as a person’s basic right …

Making Do In Making Drugs: Innovation Policy And Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, W. Nicholson Price Ii

Law Faculty Scholarship

Despite increasing recalls, contamination events, and shortages, drug companies continue to rely on outdated manufacturing plants and processes. Drug manufacturing’s inefficiency and lack of innovation stand in stark contrast to drug discovery, which is the focus of a calibrated innovation policy that combines patents and FDA regulation. Pharmaceutical manufacturing lags far behind the innovative techniques found in other industries due to high regulatory barriers and ineffective intellectual property incentives. Among other challenges, although manufacturers tend to rely on trade secrecy because of the difficulty in enforcing patents on manufacturing processes, trade secrecy provides limited incentives for innovation. To increase those …

Overcoming India’S Food Security Challenges: The Role Of Intellectual Property Management And Technology Transfer Capacity Building, Stanley Kowalski, Aarushi Gupta, Ifica Mehra

Law Faculty Scholarship

The growth of the Indian economy after Independence has had little impact on the food security of the country. The paper analyses the development of advanced crop varieties through the use of agricultural technologies (hereinafter "agbiotech") within the technology transfer system, a framework which comprises of the interactions of intellectual property rights law and agricultural research and development in India. Through this, the author argues that agricultural innovation in India is failing due to the absence of connections within the technology transfer system and advocates for the creation of a national program aimed at advancing IP and tech-transfer capacity in …

Horses As Sources Of Proprietary Information: Commercialization, Conservation, And Compensation Pursuant To The Convention On Biological Diversity, Haley Mcclory, Stanley Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Horses indigenous to East and Southeast (E/SE) Asia, including native, landrace, feral, and wild populations, embody valuable genetic diversity. Conservation efforts for animals have largely been driven by humane altruism, with little consideration for the information value of genomes. Yet, if horses are viewed as archives of information as well as objects of affection, their conservation shifts to a market-based paradigm. Horse genetic resources (GR) likely contain significant value to the lucrative global horse industry, including veterinary applications such as diagnostics, therapeutics, genetic markers, gene therapies, and cloning technologies. As biotechnology becomes increasingly sophisticated, mining of horse GR will accelerate, …

Do You Believe He Can Fly? Royce White And Reasonable Accommodations Under The Americans With Disabilities Act For Nba Players With Anxiety Disorder And Fear Of Flying, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines the legal ramifications of Royce White, a basketball player with general anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, playing in the NBA. White's conditions cause him to have a fear of flying, thus making it difficult to play in the NBA. This subject is without precedent in sports law and, because of the unique aspects of an NBA playing career, lacks clear analogy to other employment circumstances. This dispute also illuminates broader legal and policy issues in the relationship between employment and mental illness.

This Article argues that White would likely fail in a lawsuit against an NBA …

Testing Of Geat Bay Oysters For Two Protozoan Pathogens, Douglas E. Grout

PREP Reports & Publications

Two protozoan pathogens, Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) and Perkinsus marinus (Dermo), are known to be present in Great Bay oysters. With funds provided by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), the Marine Fisheries Division of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) continues to assess the presence and intensity of both of these disease conditions in oysters from the major beds within the Great Bay estuarine system. Histological examinations of Great Bay oysters have also revealed other endoparasites.

Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessment 2015, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

PREP Reports & Publications

This is the second assessment of land use regulations and planning practices in our watershed, and provides an important understanding of how we are managing our community’s natural resources. Although progress in protecting water quality has been made, management actions are inconsistent across the watershed and even within sub watersheds. In order to protect the places we live, and accommodate growth. It is clear that purposeful coordination and consistency is critical to success in improving water quality and minimizing community costs associated with pollution and impacts from intensifying weather events.

University Of New Hampshire Graduate Course Catalog, 2014-2015, University Of New Hampshire

Graduate Catalog

No abstract provided.

Unh: The Magazine Of The University Of New Hampshire, Winter 2014, Unh Magazine

UNH Magazine

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Chain Restaurants Exterior Colors And Logo Colors, Alyssa Mary Dupont

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Impact Of Climate Change On Human Health In New Hampshire, Cameron P. Wake, John Bucci, Semra Aytur

The Sustainability Institute Publications

Climate change threatens human health in many ways. The negative impacts of climate change on human health are likely to increase in both magnitude and frequency as the climate continues to change in response to ever increasing global emissions of heat-trapping gases released from a variety of human activities.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework provides guidance to states and cities to develop strategies and programs to confront the health implications of climate change. This report serves to address Steps 1 and 2 of the BRACE framework via an assessment of past …

Theoretical And Philosophical Foundations Of Therapeutic Adventure., Michael A. Gass, Sky Gray

Kinesiology

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Carex Rostrata On Seasonal And Interannual Variability In Peatland Methane Emissions, Genevieve L. Noyce, Ruth Varner, Jill L. Bubier, Steve Frolking

Earth Sciences

Peatlands are a large natural source of atmospheric methane (CH₄), and the sedge Carex rostrata plays a critical role in the production, oxidation, and transport of CH₄ in these systems. This 4 year clipping experiment examined the changes in CH₄ emissions from a temperate peatland after removing all aboveground C. rostrata biomass. Methane fluxes, dissolved CH₄, and environmental variables were measured during spring, summer, and fall from 2008 to 2011. Clipping and removing the C. rostrata leaves and stems caused an immediate decrease in CH₄ emissions that persisted over 4 years of this …

University Of New Hampshire Undergraduate Course Catalog, 2014-2015, University Of New Hampshire

Undergraduate Catalog

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Interactions Between Cyanobacteria And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Caroline E. Ward

Honors Theses and Capstones

One well-known pathogen that has been the topic of many recent studies is Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which causes thousands of foodborne illnesses a year, mostly from the ingestion of raw or undercooked oysters. It has been shown cyanobacteria can act as a long-term reservoir of Vibrio cholerae, another pathogenic Vibrio, by encasing the cells within mucilaginous sheaths during which Vibrios enter a viable but non-culturable state. In this study we investigated the interaction of V. parahaemolyticus with cyanobacteria to determine whether cyanobacteria aid in the longevity and survival of V. parahaemolyticus. We found that non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus …

Bioremediation Of Hydrocarbons Via Geobacillus, Amanda T. Lade

Honors Theses and Capstones

Hydrocarbon remediation is a vital aspect of environmental cleanup, especially in soil and groundwater to ensure the health and safety of the public’s drinking water. A possible solution to this contamination is bioremediation, the use of microorganisms to degrade pollutants. This research analyzes the effectiveness of Geobacillus as a hydrocarbon degrader for the use of bioremediation. Twelve strains were identified from oil-contaminated sources and grown in minimal media with crude oil as the carbon source. Growth was observed in the crude oil samples, demonstrating the possibility of bioremediation of hydrocarbons via Geobacillus.

The Distribution Of Fitness Effects Of Spontaneous Mutations In Vibrio Fischeri, Chelsea K. Jones

Honors Theses and Capstones

Mutations are the ultimate source of the biological diversity on which natural selection acts, but the vast majority of these mutations are harmful. As such, mutations lead to disease states like cancer, extinction of small populations, and can drive pathogen evolution. Unfortunately, because mutations are rare and past studies have been subject to detection biases, very little is known about the distribution of fitness effects from naturally occurring mutations. In this study, we used mutation accumulation and full genome sequencing to capture naturally occurring mutations before they were exposed to the sieve of natural selection in Vibrio fischeri. We …

Insights From Project Feederwatch: Changes In The Abundance And Occurrence Of Birds In New Hampshire Over The Past 24 Years, Lee A. Sutcliffe

Honors Theses and Capstones

Changes in the climate and land use over time can lead to changes in the composition of wildlife communities. Using data from Project FeederWatch, we examine trends in the abundance and occurrence of birds documented in the winters from 1988 to 2012 in New Hampshire. Changes in abundance and occurrence are summarized for individual bird species as well as across species based on life history traits. In addition, we examined trends for the state as a whole as well as in subregions. We discuss these changes with regards to the variations of climate and land use that are occurring throughout …

The Pleiotropic Effects Of Beneficial Mutations Of Adapted Escherichia Coli Populations, Brian Scott Van Dam

Honors Theses and Capstones

Mutations that improve fitness in one environment can often be beneficial, deleterious, or neutral in alternative environments. When a single mutation effects fitness in multiple environments, it is said to be a pleiotropic, which can have important consequences for niche specialization, niche expansion, speciation, and even extinction in the face of environmental change. While previous studies have revealed that pleiotropy is nearly universal, the role of adaptive history in the spectrum of pleiotropic effects has yet to undergo detailed experimental observation. Using experimental evolution we gathered beneficial mutations in a previously adapted strain of Escherichia coli growing in the same …

Effects Of Keratin Filaments On Erk Signaling During Fas-Induced Death Of Cervical Cancer (Hela) Cells, Amanda Berger

Honors Theses and Capstones

Survival of cancer cells is influenced by a variety of factors, including physical elements such as keratin filaments. We know HeLa cells containing or lacking keratin 8/18 intermediate filaments (K+ and K- cells, respectively) are more sensitive to the death-inducing effects of Fas agonist compared to the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand. Additionally, K- cells are more sensitive to Fas-induced death than K+ as shown by previous studies using mitochondrial activity and caspase activation assays. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that keratin filaments associate with the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade …

Computational Study Of Droplet And Capsule Flow In Channels With Inertial Effects, Robert Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations

The flow of droplets and capsules in channels is important for a variety of industrial and biological applications. Droplet flow is common in microfluidic devices and emulsion processing as well as oil recovery from porous materials. Capsules are used to encapsulate sensitive materials and can be used to study the mechanical properties of biological cells. A computational method was developed to study the two-phase flow of drops with and without surfactants, and capsules surrounded by a thin elastic membrane. This new computational method allowed for the inclusion of inertial effects on droplet and capsule flow which has not received much …

Causes And Consequences Of Diversity Within Experimental Biofilms Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Kenneth Mark Flynn

Doctoral Dissertations

Currently, we do not understand how much biodiversity may be maintained in any environment, especially not in the structured environments of biofilms, which constitute the dominant mode of microbial life. Although maintenance is associated with the complex spatial structure of biofilm architecture and resulting ecological opportunities, how both the abiotic and biotic environment defines available niches remains poorly understood. Here, we experimentally evolved three replicate populations founded by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 for 540 generations under conditions favoring a regular cycle of biofilm formation and dispersal. Utilizing a variety of laboratory and genomic sequencing approaches, we characterize the population genetic …

Conserving Wetlands For Humans And Amphibians: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Understanding The Social And Ecological Effectiveness Of New England's Wetland Policies, Jessica Veysey Powell

Doctoral Dissertations

Freshwater wetland ecosystems are a valuable resource, but current policies fail to prevent their continuing destruction. Policy-makers increasingly use decentralized wetland-buffer programs to address such policy failings, but scant research has evaluated whether these programs are both ecologically and socially effective. In the following dissertation, I address this gap using two complementary projects.

For the first project, I assessed whether forested buffers are an effective tool for maintaining viable populations of pool-breeding amphibians. Such species spend their early life stages in vernal pools, which are small, highly productive wetlands, but use the surrounding forest during juvenile and adult life-stages. Though …

Competencies For The 21st Century: Teaching An Understanding Of Others, Critical Thinking, Leadership And A Sense Of Obligation. Perceptions Of Educational Leaders., Michael F. Schwartz

Doctoral Dissertations

In the 18th century, utilitarian writers highlighted the importance of a sense of obligation, an understanding of others, and the ability to think critically (Daniels, Bizar, & Zemelman, 2001; Kant, 1785/2008). Additionally, scholars stressed the importance of leadership (Burns, 1978). Teacher instruction in the 19th century incorporated many of these values (Kliebard, 2004). However as the common school developed in the early 19th century there was a shift from these values toward a common curriculum meeting industrial needs (Tyack, 1974). As the 20th century ended, significant federal and state legislation further funneled school curriculum to focus on very specific instruction …