Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Invasive Monitoring Device For Early Detection Of Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema, Amy Prendergast

Honors Theses and Capstones

Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema (BCRL) is a common co-morbidity in cancer survivors following neoadjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. It is brought about by the disruption in the lymphatic system (think lymph node biopsy) that leads to a buildup of lymphatic fluid in the arm. Current diagnostic strategies for this condition are merely retroactive, and fairly limited in the parameters that are examined to ensure patient well-being long term. We hypothesize that with an approach that mimics bioimpedance spectroscopy analysis, we will be able to provide a clinical support tool that would better determine early stages of lymphedema …

Investigation Of Charge Density Waves And Layer Stacking In Niobium Ditelluride, Gavin J. Smith

Honors Theses and Capstones

NbTe₂ is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide which exhibits charge density waves (CDWs) and superconductivity in the bulk. Previous scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy experiments suggested that Fermi-surface nesting and reciprocal lattice reconstruction are important in the formation of CDWs in NbTe₂. These experiments focused on spectroscopy of pristine regions. We will present low temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments examining the 3x1 CDW in NbTe₂ at 10K. We found a crystalline step and multiple neighboring 60º and 120º CDW domain boundaries. We examined the electronic structure across these domain boundaries and in neighboring domains using scanning …

Artificial Intelligence In Stock Analysis And Portfolio Building, Sean M. Lynch

Honors Theses and Capstones

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) investment analysts, often referred to as “robo-advisors”, has the potential to change traditional portfolio management. These systems access vast amounts of data and make portfolio management decisions and stock market predictions. In this study, I compared AI-generated portfolios with portfolios that were created manually. Surprisingly, the human-generated portfolios outperformed the AI portfolios. However, the prompt used in the AI application affects these results. The subset of AI portfolios that were created with specific objectives specified in the prompts outperformed those that were created with more generic prompts. Overall, this research sheds light on the …

Implementation Of The Dutch Biking System In The United States Subject: Portsmouth Nh, Linda K. Freeman

Honors Theses and Capstones

This thesis explores the feasibility of implementing the Dutch Biking System in the United States, focusing on Portsmouth NH as a potential candidate for such infrastructure development. By analyzing the history of bicycles, the Dutch biking system, and the American biking system, the study aims to establish the need for enhanced biking infrastructure in the U.S. The research outlines a comprehensive implementation plan based on cost considerations and project scope, with a long-term vision spanning several decades. Key stakeholders, including civil engineers, communications specialists, and data analysts, play crucial roles in designing, promoting, and evaluating the biking infrastructure. The study …

Looking For The Answer: Exploring The Choice Between Ai And Search Engines, Joseph Driscoll

Honors Theses and Capstones

With the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence, consumers have found themselves faced with an abundance of options for information retrieval. This study is designed to explore when consumers choose to use an AI tool as opposed to a traditional search engine, as well as determining what the user segments look like for AI tools. The results of this study indicate that there are two AI user segments, along with a third segment of non-users that were not included in the study. One segment has fully embraced the use of AI, while the other has tested it and only uses it …

Do Duckweeds Adapt To Water And Microbes?, Ava M. Rose

Honors Theses and Capstones

Organisms in their home environment sometimes outperform transplanted individuals native to other areas, in a phenomenon termed local adaptation. While local adaptation is traditionally considered to be driven by the abiotic factors of an environment, scientists have recently increased consideration of biotic factors. Specifically, of interest to many is host-associated microbiomes, which can alter host trait expression. As the desire to commercialize microbiome treatments for agriculture and medicine grows, it is important to analyze the potential value of local microbiomes, which may be adapted to their hosts, or to which local hosts may have adapted. Using Lemna minor (duckweed) as …

Judging Our New Judges: Why We Must Remove Artificial Intelligence From Our Courtrooms Now, Kieran Duffy Newcomb

Honors Theses and Capstones

In this paper, I explore some of the ways in which artificial intelligence might enhance the sentencing process through recidivism prediction technology. Notably, this technology can increase the accuracy of risk predictions and the speed with which sentencing decisions are reached. I then show, however, that the recidivism prediction technology is likely to turn into what data scientist Cathy O’Neil calls a Weapon of Math Destruction. The potential harmfulness of this technology is due not to the inherent nature of the technology, but the symbiotic relationship it will have with our already harmful criminal justice system. I argue that the …

Artificial Intelligence And The Entertainment Industry, Caroline Rae Mccarthy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Artificial intelligence is a fast-growing technology that is quickly taking over many industries, such as the entertainment industry. Artificial intelligence has the capability to replicate voices, create fake videos and photos, called deepfakes, of just about anything, and can practically bring people back to life. This technology, as it stands now, is similar to the wild west because in the vast majority of places, it’s lawless. Artificial intelligence is growing so rapidly that lawmakers haven’t had a chance to keep up. This paper explains more of what AI does in everyday life, and how its abilities can impact the entertainment …

Implementation Of Stronger Community Resilience In The United States Before Natural Disasters Strike, Andrew J. Widdekind

Honors Theses and Capstones

Since 2000, the United States has not sustained viable mitigation and preparedness solutions to combat the frequent and intense onset of natural disasters; more must be done on how communities can adapt and withstand them. Instead, environmental and human-induced factors have exacerbated the likelihood of these threats, which has caused billion-dollar weather events to occur more often. This paper focuses on how congressional policymakers would have to incorporate new mitigation/preparedness approaches into current emergency management methodology by creating a new federal statute known as the National Resiliency Act (or similar). A policy like this would strengthen the overall resilience of …

Unlocking The Gates Of Change: Exploring The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On Openness Toward Organizational Change, William A. Whipple Iii

M.S. in Leadership

This capstone delves into the contemporary challenge of organizational change, specifically focusing on leadership's influence on employee openness to change. The objective is to provide leaders with practical tools for fostering employee receptivity to change in today's dynamic work environment. This study employs a mixed-method approach involving a literature review and a quantitative survey. The research reveals a positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee openness to change. A 21-item survey evaluates the correlation between five subdimensions of transformational leadership and employee openness. Practical implications suggest that leaders emphasizing inspirational communication can enhance employee openness to future organizational changes, contributing …

Unh Celebrates Students And Alumni At Annual Social Venture Innovation Challenge, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh Involved In National Report Outlining Carbon Dioxide Removal At Gigaton Scale, Robbin Ray

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Expert Available To Offer Insight On 250th Anniversary Of The Boston Tea Party, Robbin Ray

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Convergence: Eos News And Updates, December 2023, Unh Institute For The Study Of Earth, Oceans And Space

Convergence: EOS News and Updates

No abstract provided.

Three From Unh Honored As Leaders In Business Community, Jeremy Gasowski

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Youth Identity And Postsecondary Decision Making In A Rural State: Evidence Of A College For All Master Narrative, Jayson Seaman, Cindy L. Hartman, Andrew D. Coppens, Erin H. Sharp, Sarah Jusseaume, Molly Donovan

Faculty Publications

This study examined the normative messages that inform youth postsecondary decision making in a predominantly rural state in the northeastern U.S., focusing on the institutionalization and circulation of identity master narratives. Using a multilevel, ecological approach to sampling, the study interviewed 33 key informants in positions of influence in educational, workforce, and quality of life domains. Narrative analysis yielded evidence of a predominant master narrative – College for All – that participants described as a prescriptive expectation that youth and families orient their postsecondary planning toward four-year, residential baccalaureate degree programs. Both general and domain-specific aspects of this master narrative …

Winners Announced: 2023 Social Venture Innovation Challenge, Sustainability Institute

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

2023 Nh Social Venture Innovation Challenge Judges, Sustainability Institute

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Advancing Discovery With Two New Mass Spectrometers, Beth Potier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensors Based On Non-Covalent Crosslinked Molecular Imprinted Polymers, Yuan Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis describes a series of optical chemosensors based on FRET between fluorophores on the polymer and the substrate. It involved the preparation of the polymer and nanoparticles for the chemosensor, and the sensing behavior based on the preparation methods.A photophysically inert sensor matrix was prepared by a robust and simple emulsion method. Stannic oxide encapsulated silica nanoparticles with diameters between 25 and 70 nm have been prepared by one-pot reverse-phase emulsion methodology. The constituents and core/shell morphology of the nanoparticles were demonstrated by electron microscopic technology, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). X-ray diffraction (XRD) was …

Exploring The Mechanistic Effects Of Surface Characteristics On Uv254 And Bl405 Disinfection Efficacy, Castine Annastasia Bernardy

Doctoral Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for more robust surface disinfection technologies. Photoinactivation efficacy for microbial pathogens and many surrogates has been well studied for water disinfection. However, there is a limited body of knowledge from research on surface disinfection applications of these technologies. The onset of the global pandemic resulted in a dramatic increase in surface disinfection devices being marketed to consumers, yet regulations for such devices have not been developed. This doctoral research studies the inactivation efficacy of two wavelengths, UV254 and BL405. The objective of this doctoral dissertation was to expand the body of knowledge required to …

Learning Trajectories From Human Demonstration Via Time Invariant Dynamical Systems, Paul Gesel

Doctoral Dissertations

Learning from Demonstration (LfD) is a powerful approach that enables users to program robots by simply demonstrating how to perform tasks. Rather than just mimicking the task, the robot should capture key characteristics of the task to adapt and generalize in various situations. Given that there is no explicit objective for each demonstrated task, optimal control methods cannot be directly applied. Two primary paradigms have emerged to overcome the limitation: 1) inverse learning and 2) imitation learning. In this dissertation, I formulate several time-invariant and stable dynamic system-based LfD models that leverage both inverse learning and imitation learning in the …

Exploring Protein Function And Stability: Case Studies On Cryoprotection And Thermal Stability Of Antifreeze Proteins, Enzyme Inhibition Of Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease, And B. Subtilis Protein Stability, Katarina Jovic

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, I have explored basic questions related to protein structure, function, and stability, which are critical for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of biology. The dissertation is divided into four chapters, which are different topics I have worked on. In Chapters 1 and 2, I will discuss my work on two different antifreeze proteins, in Chapter 3 my work on the main protease from SARS-CoV-2 is presented, while Chapter 4 details the characterization of protein stability of four B. subtilis proteins. While the projects are distinct from one another, they all contribute to deciphering the molecular basis of life …

Understanding The Role Of Impounded Water Bodies In River Network Nutrient Exports In A Dynamic Landscape, Christopher Thomas Whitney

Doctoral Dissertations

Impounded water bodies are a significant component of aquatic networks and various forms have been studied extensively. However, knowledge gaps exist in the research on human-made dams and their reservoirs as well as beaver ponds as both uniquely affect water quality and nutrient exports in different ways. This study fills those knowledge gaps by investigating fluxes of all forms of dissolved nitrogen from small, human-made reservoirs at seasonal timescales. This study found that small reservoirs have a significant effect on nitrogen concentrations but this effect is seasonal and fluxes transported downstream are highly dependent on discharge. Removal of small dams …

Investigation Of Robust And Adaptive Control Methods For Systems With Uncertain Equilibrium States, Muhammad Hamad Zaheer

Doctoral Dissertations

Equilibrium states represent the natural resting point of dynamic systems in their state-space and provide vital information for the design of stabilizing feedback controllers for these systems. Stabilizing a system at an equilibrium state is desirable as it requires a zero steady-state control signal, resulting in lower energy consumption by the actuator. Mathematical models of real systems usually contain uncertainties that make it difficult to determine the exact values of these equilibrium states. Therefore, control methods requiring precise knowledge of the equilibrium state are ineffective in controlling systems when uncertainties make determining the exact value of the equilibrium state challenging …

A Global Gene Expression Approach To Exploring Rock Colonization By Blastococcus Saxobsidens, Ryan Patrick Wilmot

Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: Blastococcus saxobsidens is an endolithic bacterium associated with biodegradation of stone monuments across the Mediterranean basin. Recently, strains of the bacterium have been isolated from high altitude deserts in Chile, volcanic glass in Iceland, and from masonry of several cultural heritage sites across Europe and the Americas. Blastococcus saxobsidens global dispersion has been linked to patterns of wind distributed dust particles. The physiology that this bacterium uses to colonize a wide range of rock types in such distinct locations has not been previously explored however. This project has established that B. saxobsidens colonizes and respires a variety of chemically …

Displaying Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyases On Bacillus Subtilis Spore Surface For The Treatment Of Phenylketonuria Through Oral Administration, Guo Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

Bacillus subtilis spores are formed in response to adverse conditions as a survival mechanism. These spores are in a dormant state and do not require any nutrients. Their DNA is wrapped with self-assembled multilayers of protective proteins. These spores are highly resistant to various harsh conditions. B. subtilis spores serve as a well-characterized model for studying endospore formation and have been developed as a platform system for displaying heterologous proteins of various functions. It has been demonstrated that proteins displayed on the spore surface can enhance their robustness and extend their shelf-life, including enzymes as robust biocatalysts and antigens as …

Engineering Studies Of An Experimental Open Ocean Seaweed Farm Design, Zachary Moscicki

Doctoral Dissertations

An experimental seaweed cultivation system was designed for offshore and exposed locations. Novel features were incorporated to address major barriers to the expansion of seaweed, including limited nearshore and sheltered marine locations and risk of marine animal entanglement. A novel modular mooring geometry was developed to improve stability, reliability, and spatial efficiency to achieve an economical and robust structure viable in high wave energy environments. Stiff composite (e.g. fiberglass) rods were used to replace components typically made of rope, including mooring lines and seaweed growth substrate (cultivation lines), as a means to mitigate risk of marine animal entanglement.

This dissertation …

An Exploration Of Conventional Beamforming Applied To A Phase Measuring Sonar, Joao Celso Silva De Deus

Master's Theses and Capstones

Brazilian rivers are a particularly challenging navigation environment because of frequentchanges in bathymetry due to sediment transport. To accelerate the production of hydrographic information for these regions, the Brazilian Hydrographic Office has been investigating efficient ways of riverine surveying. In this context, Phase Measuring Bathymetric Sonars (PMBS) are being considered because of their potential to provide wider swaths than traditional Multibeam Echo Sounders (MBES) in shallow waters. Although these systems historically had severe limitations in sounding quality and nadir density, new models with multiple stave pairs are being built to overcome these issues, including the EdgeTech 6205, which claims to …

Schoolyard Sites Appendix Vii: Schoolyard Sites Unit & Lesson Template, Lara Gengarelly

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.