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Energy From Olive Mill Waste: Pyrolysis And Oxidation Kinetics Of Olive Mill Waste, Li Buessing

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigates the utilization of the olive mill waste stream before and after the removal of entrained phenolic compounds. The kinetics of pyrolysis and oxidation were analyzed via thermogravimetric analysis. Particle size, heating rate, and extraction process of the phenolic compounds affected the apparent activation energies. The pits and pulp in the olive mill waste had apparent activation energies ranging for pyrolysis from 91-137 kJ/mol and 72-87 kJ/mol, respectively. The analysis of the oxidation of olive mill waste was divided into two distinct zones: the devolatilization and oxidation of volatiles zone and the char oxidation zone. The oxidation had …

Development And Evaluation Of Interspecific Cucurbita Maxima X Cucurbita Moschata Hybrids For Processing Squash, Jacob Uretsky

Master's Theses and Capstones

Interspecific hybrids derived from crosses of Cucurbita maxima Duch. x C. moschata Duch. have been utilized for taxonomic studies and introgression of advantageous traits, as well as for cultivation for fresh market squash. The present study involves the development and evaluation of C. maxima x C. moschata F1 hybrids for use as processing squash. Crosses were performed in the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011 between inbred bush C. maxima breeding lines and vine C. moschata cultigens, and the resulting progeny were evaluated in the greenhouse and field in 2010 and 2011 for phenological growth traits, fruit traits, and fruit …

Detection Of Trehalose In Porphyra Extracts Using Mass Spectrometry And Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Ying Huo

Master's Theses and Capstones

It is known that trehalose helps many plants to survive under desiccated environment26. This property of trehalose has also been proposed to explain why Porphyra could survive desiccation when left on dry land for a long period of time25. However, after extensive study25, effort at identifying trehalose in Porphyra has been unsuccessful, leaving the question of whether trehalose really exists in Porphyra unanswered. In my thesis research, in collaboration with Dr. Anita Klein, I set out to use ion-trap mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the amount of trehalose in Porphyra extracts. Using …

A Comparison Of Bobcat (Lynx Rufus) Habitat Suitability Models Derived From Radio Telemetry And Incidental Observations, Derek Ja Broman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Habitat suitability models derived from data obtained from radio telemetry and citizen observations were developed to evaluate habitat selection of monitored bobcats, compare statewide habitat suitability models and maps developed using locations from telemetry and citizen observations, and produce statewide population estimates. In the winter of 2009-2010, adult bobcats were captured in southwest New Hampshire and equipped with GPS tracking collars. GPS locations were used to calculate home ranges and to build habitat suitability models using resource selection functions (RSF) following a used vs. available design. RSFs were also applied to recent reported statewide sightings. Comparisons between these two approaches …

Effects Of Whole-Tree Harvesting On Site Productivity And Species Composition Of A Northern Hardwood Forest, Gabriel Ethan Roxby

Master's Theses and Capstones

Whole-tree harvesting is widely used in the northeastern United States to supply biomass energy plants with fuel, but questions remain regarding its long-term sustainability. To assess its effects on the northern hardwood forests that make up a significant portion of northern New England, we conducted two regeneration surveys in 2010 and 2011 covering thirty-three small clearcuts. We measured whole-tree (WTH) and conventionally harvested (CH) sites in New Hampshire and Maine, and compared the productivity and species composition of the 10-14 year old regeneration. No significant difference was observed in height, diameter or calculated biomass of stems > 2m in height. Despite …

Field And Laboratory Observations Of Two Gulf Of Maine Sacoglossans, Seth W. Goodnight

Master's Theses and Capstones

The ecology of the sacoglossan Alderia modesta and its ability to retain active chloroplasts from the yellow-green alga Vaucheria spp. was examined with field and laboratory studies. Field surveys found no A. modesta, because Vaucheria spp. was absent or sparse in surveyed marshes. A grass removal experiment tested whether interspecific competition was causing the algal absence. The alga appeared in some plots, but did not promote A. modesta settlement. Absence of Vaucheria spp. is likely due to factors other than competition. Lack of animals prevented laboratory studies.

Placida dendritica and its food Codium fragile ssp. fragile were then chosen for …

Cryopreservation Spermiation Induction And Computer Assisted Analysis Of Summer Flounder (Paralicthys Dentatus) Spermatozoa, Ryan T. Brown

Master's Theses and Capstones

The objective of this thesis was to improve the aquaculture practices for summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus. The experiments in this thesis examined male reproduction. First a practical method for summer flounder sperm cryopreservation was developed. These experiments examined the various parameters required to successfully freeze and store summer flounder spermatozoa. Success of cryopreservation was measured by examining post thaw viability and fertility.

One of the problems facing summer flounder aquaculture is sexually dimorphic growth rates, with females growing larger than males. To overcome this, meiogynogenetic summer flounder were developed, allowing the production of all female stocks. The second set of …

A Comparison Of Standard And Ventless American Lobster Trap Dynamics, Abigail S. Clark

Master's Theses and Capstones

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is the most valuable marine resource in New England and, as with any fishery, effective management depends on accurate stock assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of standard and ventless traps, focusing on determining which trap provides a better index of lobster abundance. While ventless traps caught approximately five times as many lobsters as standard traps, the size of captured lobsters did not differ significantly between trap types. Ventless traps saturated after 16 - 24 hours, but standard traps did not saturate at all. Despite saturating at all densities, ventless …

Genotyping On Custom Arrays Using A Parallel Data Pipeline, Brian Albere

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the past, genotyping (determining a set of alleles in an organism) has been an extremely challenging process. The time, monetary, and technology demands of the task have limited genotype data to a small variety of scientific model organisms with the capacity to conduct genetic crosses. New sequencing technology from companies such as NimbleGen, however, can generate custom organism-specific microarrays at relatively low cost. The combination of these arrays and the knowledge of species' genome-wide SNPs allow genotype experiments, such as generation maps, QTL studies, and natural population variation studies, to be conducted on virtually any organism. Although the NimbleGen …

Valuation Of Ecosystem Services: The Case Of Orseg National Park, Hungary, Ildiko Losonci

Master's Theses and Capstones

A chronic lack of sufficient financial resources has prevented many protected area professionals from achieving adequate ecosystem protection. Using a case study of O&huml;rseg National Park in Hungary and the contingent valuation technique, we examined the relative importance of various ecosystem services to respondents, their WTP for these services, and the oath of honesty's effect on hypothetical bias.

Results from the intercept survey that was administered in the park in the summer of 2011 and filled out by 212 respondents show that visitors prefer the protection of the park's cultural monuments, and ecosystems services like local natural food, climate regulation …

Variations In Carotenoids And Retinol In Milk And Cheese From Jersey Cows At An Organic Dairy Compared To A Conventional Dairy Over A Pasture Season, Amy Rose Beliveau

Master's Theses and Capstones

Carotenoids, widely distributed in nature, are considered to be potentially beneficial in the prevention of a variety of diseases including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and eye diseases. As humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids, the diet is the only source of these beneficial components. Carotenoid concentration in cow's milk varies greatly as a result of feeding practice and season, but no research thus far has investigated these variations in Jersey cows over an entire pasture season. The objectives of this experiment were to 1) determine the differences in concentrations of carotenoids and retinol in milk from cows consuming different diets, …

Paleobiological And Paleoclimatological Significance Of Stable Isotope Patterns Across Early Eocene Hyracotherium Tooth Rows, Abigail R. D'Ambrosia

Master's Theses and Capstones

The main objective of this study was to determine the most reliable teeth in early Eocene Hyracotherium fossil tooth rows for paleoclimate reconstruction using delta18O values preserved in the tooth enamel. Specimens came from two localities within the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, D-1204 and D-1583. ANOVA and T-test results generally indicate non-significant differences in mean and variance across tooth rows consisting of m/1, m/2, p/4, and m/3 adult teeth, suggesting any of these teeth may be used for paleoclimate reconstruction purposes as long as sample sizes are large. Additionally, two distinct isotopic patterns were observed across tooth rows, possibly representing …

The Role Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L) Source Population Characteristics In Resilience To Stress And Restoration Success, Holly K. Bayley

Master's Theses and Capstones

Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), an underwater marine flowering plant, has a high degree of morphological plasticity that allows it to survive and grow under a range of conditions and adapt to environmental changes. The degree to which resilience to stress varies among eelgrass populations is important for eelgrass conservation and management. Eelgrass plants from ten genetically differentiated populations were used in a mesocosm experiment where light availability and sediment organic content were manipulated. Productivity and survival were inhibited and morphology was altered by the stress treatments, with these plant responses differing significantly among populations. To further test differences in resilience, …

Adaptation Of A Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Population To A Biofilm Lifestyle: Why Is Polyphosphate Kinase Important?, Keith Ferguson

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the environment, bacterial populations often exist as communities called biofilms. During this sessile state, bacteria excrete exopolysaccharides that form a sticky, protective matrix. This protective matrix also presents a prominent medical challenge since chronic infections of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are commonly biofilm associated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one bacterium that can colonize the CF lung and persist in a biofilm community. During chronic infections, P. aeruginosa adapts to its lung environment and displays genetic and phenotypic diversification. To model evolution during chronic infections, biofilm populations were experimentally evolved for 540 generations and the genetic variation was sampled at 100, …

Multi-Scale Analysis Of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter Gentilis) Breeding Habitat In New Hampshire, Angela Karedes

Master's Theses and Capstones

I compared characteristics of northern goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis) breeding areas (n = 44) to available habitat (n=100 random sites) across New Hampshire at four spatial scales (162, 405, 809 and 1619 ha). Differences in forest composition between breeding areas and available habitat were present (Hotelling-Lawley p = 0.009) with least squares analysis revealing hay/pasture (p < 0.001) and beech/oak (p = 0.004) present less than expected and birch/aspen (p = 0.039) and white pine (p = 0.008) present more than expected, within breeding areas. Analyses also showed that as distance from the core of the breeding area (centered on the nest tree) increased differences between breeding areas and available habitat decreased. Results suggest that, in New Hampshire, goshawks select breeding areas based on nest stand composition and landscape-scale patterns.

Evaluating The Adsorption And Desorption Kinetics Of Suspended Ion Exchangertm (Sixrtm) System, Mark R. Gordon

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research focuses on four primary components of the Suspended Ion eXchangeRTM (SIXRTM) system. The first component was to evaluate the hydraulics of the SIX contactor. It was determined that no matter the flow regime and the paddle speed, the system had the same hydraulic patterns. The second component was to determine the best adsorption kinetics of the system. The best conditions that reached the optimum rate-constant was with a flow rate of 35m3/hr at a paddle speed of 50 Hz (G-value of 482s-1). The third component was to determine the best desorption rate of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) in …

The Distribution Of Direct And Indirect Fitness Effects Of Beneficial Mutations, Rachel Katherine Staples

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rare, beneficial mutations that increase an organism's fitness provide the basis by which adaptation proceeds. Current theory predicts that the individual fitness effects of these beneficial mutations are exponentially distributed, suggesting that mutations conferring a small fitness increase are more numerous than those of large benefit. However, there is little empirical evidence describing measurable fitness effects of individual mutations, nor their availability or effects across a range of environments. We experimentally evolved a single strain of the cystic fibrosis pathogen Burkholderia cenocepacia under both physically structured (biofilm) and unstructured (planktonic) conditions, collected a sample of mutants, and measured the fitness …

Geochemistry And Release Of Contaminants From Cohesive Sediments Of The Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Vincent Percuoco

Master's Theses and Capstones

The role of cohesive sediments as a source of nutrients and metals to the Great Bay Estuary, NH was investigated by analyzing the porewater of several sediment cores obtained from three fields sites. Contaminant fluxes were compared between several release mechanisms including: molecular diffusion calculated from porewater profiles, bioturbation during core incubations, and sediment resuspension under simulated erosion. Ammonium, phosphate, silica, and nitrate accumulation in porewater lead to diffusive fluxes of 0.3-2, 0-0.5, 0.3-2, and -0.1-0.1 mmol m~2 day-1 respectively. Fluxes from bioturbation were on the same order of magnitude. Under simulated erosion, nutrient fluxes were over an order of …

Distribution Of Mysis Diluviana In Nearshore Lake Ontario, Sean J. Maxwell

Master's Theses and Capstones

Opossum shrimp Mysis diluviana are an important trophic link in Lake Ontario, and in all of the lakes where they occur. Their temporal and spatial distributions are not well documented in the nearshore area (<30 m bottom depth), where alewives and other fish increasingly depend on them as a food source. This study describes their distributions over three years (2009 to 2011) from April through November using data collected from Tucker trawls and multi-frequency hydroacoustics; both deployed over incremental depths. Mysis was found to occur in the nearshore area in 69.6% of the trawl surveys. Maximum densities occurred in April and early May and were located in the deepest (30-m) contour. The density and frequency of occurrence of Mysis increased exponentially from shore. Hydroacoustic methods were effective in quantifying of Mysis density in 42% of the echograms when they were present in simultaneously obtained samples.

Phase Partitioning Of Soluble Trace Gases With Size-Resolved Aerosols In Near-Surface Continental Air Over Northern Colorado, Usa During Winter, Andrew H. Young

Master's Theses and Capstones

Multiphase processing of reactive halogens impact important, interrelated chemical processes in Earth's troposphere. During the Nitrogen, Aerosol Composition, and Halogens on a Tall Tower (NACHTT) campaign at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower, Erie, CO, USA in winter 2011, soluble trace gases, the ionic composition of size-resolved aerosols, and the associated meteorological conditions were measured. Aerosol pH was inferred from the multiphase coupling of HNO3, NH3 , and HCl. pHs calculated from the measured phase partitioning and thermodynamic properties of HNO3 and NH3 were similar both in terms of absolute values as well as overall trends …

Observations Of A Developing Boundary Layer In A Tidally Forced Estuary, Meagan E. Wengrove

Master's Theses and Capstones

Field observations of sediment resuspension within a developing tidal boundary layer were collected during two field deployments from summer 2011 in a long straight channel of the Great Bay Estuary of New Hampshire. The first deployment observed boundary layer development during typical tidal forcing, while the second deployment monitored the tidal boundary layer development response to Tropical Storm Irene. During a typical flood tide, the flow field over the flat sandy mud bed at the monitoring location is unidirectional. Bed stress estimations suggest that during typical tidal forcing, the Estuary is in local morphological equilibrium, and the boundary layer supports …

Ecosystem Structure And Function In An Urban, Piped Stream, Amanda Hope

Master's Theses and Capstones

Piped streams, or streams that run underground, are common features in urban areas. However, there is little empirical evidence regarding their ecological structure and function. This study measured ecosystem metabolism, nutrient uptake, and related characteristics of Pettee Brook -- an urban stream that flows through several pipes under impervious surfaces near the UNH (Durham) campus.

Piped and open reaches of Pettee Brook had similar water quality, nutrient uptake, and ER. However, the absence of light in piped reaches led to their complete loss of GPP. Benthic AFDM and chlorophyll a biomass were also significantly reduced in piped reaches. For both …

The Status Of Five State-Listed Tidal Plant Species In New Hampshire With Emphasis On Potential Impacts Of Sea Level Rise, Lauren A. Kras

Master's Theses and Capstones

Tidal habitat in New Hampshire is restricted to 162 miles along coasts and estuaries. Limited area combined with anthropogenic impacts has caused 27 tidal plant species to be listed as threatened or endangered. In 2009 and 2010, the status of four threatened species: Eleocharis parvula, Samolus valerandi, Lilaeopsis chinensis , and Agalinis maritima and one endangered species Salicornia bigelovii was examined. To guide management and conservation, the historic and current distributions were compared and habitat features were determined. All five species were stable; however, S. valerandi and L. chinensis appear threatened by sea level rise and coastal squeeze as they …

Hydrogen Dynamics In Soil In Northern Boreal And Subarctic Sweden, Kaitlyn J. Steele

Master's Theses and Capstones

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is produced and consumed through syntrophic organic matter decomposition in soil. The purpose of this study was to determine if organic-rich soils can become a temporary source of H2 to the atmosphere under anoxic conditions and the release of labile carbon.

H2 was generally consumed at the subarctic peatland, but the net H2 uptake decreased as site moisture increased from the dry palsa site to the wet Eriophorum site. The dissolved H 2 concentrations suggest that methanogenesis is the predominant decomposition pathway at depth and other decomposition processes or plant-mediated transport influence concentrations closer to the surface. …

Using Landsat 5 Tm Data To Identify And Map Areas Of Mangrove In Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico, Samuel Standish Meacham

Master's Theses and Capstones

Mangroves are recognized worldwide as a major ecosystem that provides significant ecosystem services. They are threatened due to rising pressures from human overpopulation and economic development. The Caribbean Coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula contains mangrove habitat that have been negatively impacted by the development of the region's tourist industry. However, little research has been done to map and quantify the extent of mangrove in the region. This study used remote sensing techniques to identify mangrove in the Municipality of Tulum located in Quintana Roo, and to produce an accurate vector based thematic map that inventories these areas. Anatomical differences were …

The Effect Of Superman, Agamous, And Acs-7 Gene Manipulations On Sex Determination In Transgenic Fragaria Vesca 'Hawaii-4', Xin Ding

Master's Theses and Capstones

Sex determination is of interest to plant breeders who transfer useful genes from wild relatives to the cultivated strawberry. The potential roles in sex determination of seven candidate genes, which included five SUPERMAN genes, the AGAMOUS gene, and the ACS-7 gene, were studied by re-introducing them into diploid strawberry as overexpression and RNAi constructs by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. All of the transgenic calli expressed the GFP fluorescence marker. Among regenerated plants, some AGAMOUS-silenced plants transiently displayed a petalloid stamen or a vestigial petal phenotype, pointing to the AGAMOUS gene as negative regulator of A- and B-class genes according to the widely …

A Qunanitative Evaluation Of Morphological Changes During Fusion Events In A Colony Of Didemnum Vexillum And Of Polycunum Constellatum, Andrea Frey

Master's Theses and Capstones

We documented changes in the abundance and distribution patterns of cells involved in the allorecognition response in two species of colonial aplousobranch tunicates lacking a common vascular system. A histological examination of the fusion junction of isogeneic (CIAs) and allogeneic (CAAs) colony assays revealed that tunic cuticles were rapidly regenerated. The underlying tunic matrix fused readily in Didemnum vexillum in all assay and control types, however it did not fuse in CIAs in Polyclinum constellatum. We identified four and five different cell types in P. constellatum and D. vexillum, respectively. Phagocytic cells represented the most abundant cell type in both …

The Accessibility And Scalability Of Gene Family Analysis, James Jackson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Gene family detection allows us to gain a better understanding of how different genomes are related. At UNH, we have a pipeline that computes these families using a variety of methods. However, the pipeline is inefficient, and performs poorly on large numbers of genornes. The pipeline is comprised of many Pert scripts, which are complex to use, and require specific organization of the data at each step. This means that all users of the pipeline must undergo training to understand each step of the pipeline and the intricacies of each script. The goal of my thesis is two-fold. First, I …

Evolutionary Genomics And Ecoligical Interactions Of Biofilm Adaptation, Charles C. Traverse

Master's Theses and Capstones

How diversity evolves and persists in biofilms is essential for understanding much of microbial life, including the uncertain dynamics of chronic infections. We developed a novel biofilm model enabling long-term selection for daily adherence to and dispersal from a plastic bead in a test tube. Focusing on a pathogen of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, Burkholderia cenocepacia, we sequenced clones and metagenomes to unravel the mutations and evolutionary forces responsible for adaptation and diversification of a single biofilm community during 1050 generations of selection. The mutational patterns revealed recurrent evolution of biofilm specialists from generalist types and multiple adaptive alleles …

Hemoglobin Type, Egg Buoyancy, And Antifreeze Glycoprotein Production As Mechanisms For Adaptive Variation In Gulf Of Maine Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua), Amanda R. Clapp

Master's Theses and Capstones

Three physiological traits were examined to compare captive populations of winter- and spring-spawning cod from the Gulf of Maine, as differences in these traits have been observed in other locally-adapted subpopulations. Daily mean neutral buoyancy of hatchery-spawned eggs was observed at three temperatures (5, 10, and 12°C) and three photoperiods (15:9, 9:15, and 24:0 L: D) at 12°C. Body fluids of larvae held at 0°C for five days were tested for antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) to determine the onset of AFGP production. Juveniles held at 0°C were bled between 20 and 35 days to determine induction time for AFGP production. Hemoglobin …