Digital Commons Network^™

Six Students, Alumni Receive Nsf Graduate Research Fellowships, Brooks Payette, Sarah Schaier, Beth Potier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Awards Honor Innovation And Research At Unh, Allison Bell

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Parameterization Of Size Of Organic And Secondary Inorganic Aerosol For Efficient Representation Of Global Aerosol Optical Properties, Haihui Zhu, Randall V. Martin, Betty Croft, Shixian Zhai, Chi Li, Liam Bindle, Jeffrey R. Pierce, Rachel Y.-W. Chang, Bruce E. Anderson, Luke D. Ziemba, Johnathan W. Hair, Richard A. Ferrare, Chris A. Hostetler, Inderjeet Singh, Deepangsu Chatterjee, Jose L. Jimenez, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Benjamin A. Nault, Jack E. Dibb, Joshua S. Schwarz, Andrew Weinheimer

Faculty Publications

Accurate representation of aerosol optical properties is essential for the modeling and remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols. Although aerosol optical properties are strongly dependent upon the aerosol size distribution, the use of detailed aerosol microphysics schemes in global atmospheric models is inhibited by associated computational demands. Computationally efficient parameterizations for aerosol size are needed. In this study, airborne measurements over the United States (DISCOVER-AQ) and South Korea (KORUS-AQ) are interpreted with a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) to investigate the variation in aerosol size when organic matter (OM) and sulfate–nitrate–ammonium (SNA) are the dominant aerosol components. The airborne measurements exhibit …

Funding To Advance Sustainability Projects And Action Across Campus And Beyond, Sustainability Institute

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Expanding Sustainability Opportunities For Honors College Students, Anna Madden

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Funding To Advance Sustainability Projects And Action Across Campus And Beyond, Sustainability Institute

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Expanding Sustainability Opportunities For Honors College Students, Anna Madden

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, May 3, 2023, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Media Responsibility For Environmental Influence, Kaley Lambert

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

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

Convergence: EOS News and Updates

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Epistemics In Storytelling, Ashley Kayla White

Comm-entary

Epistemics play a vital role in storytelling sequences. In fact, laying the necessary epistemic groundwork before engaging in a storytelling sequence may make the difference between successful and unsuccessful story receptions. Taking a conversation analytic approach and drawing from one story-rich recording, this paper aims to explore the role of epistemics in storytelling sequences captured in day-to-day interaction. To achieve this, several critical conversation analytical concepts are employed. These include repair, expansion, physical gesturing, preference organization, reference, delicate formulations, assessments, and more. This paper adds to a framework of conversation analysis scholarship by drawing explicit connections between two distinct concepts …

An Integrative Approach To Assess The Behavioral Impacts Of Noise Stimuli On The Australian Black Field Cricket, Teleogryllus Commodus, Jessica Briggs

Doctoral Dissertations

For acoustically oriented species, elevated levels of ambient sound can interfere with an organism’s ability to detect and assess acoustic signals and cues needed for making important decisions. Ambient noise, defined as any unwanted or non-focal acoustic signal, can impact behavior and decision-making by disrupting auditory sensory perception. As a result, noise in the context of this dissertation can be further delineated as excess sound that hinders a receiver's ability to detect and distinguish acoustic signals. Noise consists of either airborne or substrate-borne modalities or both. While many studies focus on the impact of airborne noise, many species have evolved …

Numerical Modeling Of Flexible Structures In Open Ocean Environment, Alexander Knysh

Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation presents advancements in numerical modeling of offshore aquaculture and harbor protection structures in the open ocean environment. The advancements were implemented in the finite element software Hydro-FE that expands the Morison equation approach previously incorporated in Aqua-FE software developed at the University of New Hampshire.

The concept of equivalent dropper was introduced and validated on the example of a typical mussel longline design. Parametric studies for mussel dropper drag coefficients and bending stiffness contributions were performed for different environmental conditions.

To model kelp aggregates in macroalgae aquaculture, a corresponding numerical technique was developed. The technique proposes a modified …

Tracking Green Crabs: Quantifying Meter-Scale Movements Of An Invasive Species With Acoustic Telemetry In A Gulf Of Maine Estuary, Emily Alana Burke

Master's Theses and Capstones

The green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a long-term invader of the Northwest Atlantic that negatively impacts coastal ecosystems and is a growing concern for management. However, spatial metrics of use have not been robustly quantified, and the general movement ecology is still generally lacking for this invasive species. We tracked the meter-scale movements of 43 green crabs using acoustic telemetry via a Vemco Positioning System (VPS) within the Webhannet estuary (Maine, USA). From the 163,307 crab positions yielded from the VPS array from May 27 – December 16, we described a suite of movement ecology metrics including individual crab position …

Gelatin-Based Microporous Injectable Hydrogels For In Situ Stem Cell Encapsulation, Seth David Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I developed and investigated gelatin-based microporous injectable hydrogels for the encapsulation of stem cells for multiple applications in cell delivery. Utilizing microgels composed from a mixture of gelatin and modified gelatin, I demonstrated the utility of a dual crosslinking mechanism, which enabled rapid gelation and tissue adhesion with improved cytocompatibility. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) encapsulated in this hydrogel proliferated at a more rapid rate than in a nonporous counterpart, and showed increased immunomodulatory potential. Then, I investigated gelatin microporous hydrogel for the encapsulation of MSCs for bone tissue regeneration. Encapsulated cells more readily differentiated into osteoblasts (i.e. …

The Warriors' Views: Mid-Level Officers On American Interventions, Foreign Policy, And The Road To 9/11, 1993-2001, Michael Anthony Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

When President William Jefferson Clinton took office, the United States had entered into a new era, though it was heavily influenced by almost a half-century of Cold War. Foreign policy staples had been embedded into United States foreign policy habits, influencing American decisions even as it tried to transition to a new global environment. The Cold War had left America, but America had a hard time leaving the Cold War. The nation had difficulty transitioning away from applying containment, relying on mutually assured destruction in preventing weapons of mass destruction attacks, and focusing on major conventional warfare when small-scale contingencies …

Highly Dispersed Metal Sites On Semiconductor Surface For Small Molecule Activation, Ehab Shaaban

Doctoral Dissertations

Heterogeneous catalysts have been extensively used in various chemical transformations that have important ecological and economical relevance. The rational design of such catalysts, however, is still not effectively implemented due to the ambiguity that encircles their structure-activity correlations. The origin of synergetic effects which make the binary system (metal/metal oxide) distinct from the individual components continues to elude researchers. In this work, binding and structural properties that emerge from metal/metal oxide interaction were investigated using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Different catalytic structures, including highly dispersed Cu sites on TiO2, were …

Low Current Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry For Environmental Contaminants And Proteins, Taoqing Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

The introduction of electrospray ionization (ESI) in the 1980s has had a significant impact on the field of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), enabling the qualitative and quantitative analysis of small molecules in complex biological and environmental samples. NanoESI, developed in 1993, further improved sensitivity and reduced sample consumption. However, the detection limits for some environmental contaminants, such as perfluorooctanoate sulfonate (PFOS), require ppt-level detection, which necessitates preconcentration. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a commonly used technique, and liquid-liquid extraction has shown promising results for water samples. Recently, the Li group has discovered femtoampere and picoampere ionization modes of ESI, which have …

Scanning Probe Microscopy Studies Of Petroleum Chemistry: Substrate-Dependent Catalytic Properties Of Mos2 And Automating Scanning Probe Microscopy With Machine Learning, Steven Arias

Doctoral Dissertations

With the growth of the population, society’s energy demands are mostly reliant on petroleum products that come from the refining of crude oil. Most of these refining reactions have been developed through averaging spectroscopic techniques, but scientists do not know exactly what is happening in these processes at the nano and atomic levels. This information is crucial when designing an efficient refining process that produces petroleum products that emit fewer harmful gases when combusting. Scanning probe microscopy techniques have become a powerful tool to look into the chemical structures found in petroleum products, to understand catalytic reactions in refining processes, …

Embedding Explicit Metacognitive Instruction Into The General Chemistry Curriculum: Equipping Community College Students With 21st Century Stem Competencies, Sonja Gamby

Doctoral Dissertations

This work describes the development, implementation, and assessment of a curriculum- embedded metacognition instruction model. The Talking About Learning is Key (TALK) module, a 10-week, discussion-based instruction module was initially integrated into a general chemistry course at a community college in Spring 2020. This case study was assessed qualitatively using a thematic analysis to characterize student posts and replies to the Learning Management System discussion board. Course outcomes between Spring 2020 – Fall 2021 were analyzed to determine what effect participation had on course completion and final grade.Finally, the generalizability of the module was investigated using a focused case comparison …

Synthesis, Modification, And Characterization Of Semiconductor Photocatalysts For Environmental Remediation, Norbert Okechukwu Okolie

Doctoral Dissertations

Semiconductor photocatalysis is a viable solution to tackle the increasing global demand for energy and the need for the recovery of wastewater in situ, without the need for fossil fuel dependence. Semiconductor materials active in the visible or near visible regions of light have been explored as suitable candidates for photocatalytic environmental remediation. Magnesium tantalates (MgTa2O6-xNx) were initially explored as promising candidates because their bandgaps can be brought well into the visible region by the introduction of nitrogen atoms as dopants. The synthesis of a highly ordered mesoporous nitrogen doped magnesium tantalate was achieved and the bandgap of magnesium tantalate …

Seismic Soil-Structure Interaction And Foundation Rocking In Unsaturated Ground, Matthew Michael Turner

Doctoral Dissertations

Strong earthquake motions often cause severe damage to buildings and foundation systems, during which the interaction between the soil, foundation, and structure may dominate the seismic response. Most shallow foundations are located on, or embedded in, unsaturated and partially saturated soil deposits. Unsaturated soil layers are particularly common in zones above the water table where water can rise through different mechanisms like capillary action. Additionally, the degree of saturation throughout a soil deposit can vary both seasonally and yearly due to groundwater table fluctuation related to infiltration and evaporation. Properties of soil layers below foundations impact the seismic response of …

Influences Of Students’ Use Of Calculus 1 Signs/Symbols On Students’ Assessment Scores, Phuong Wilk

Doctoral Dissertations

Mathematical notations not only contribute to but also confound the development of the understanding of mathematical concepts (Leinhardt, Zaslavsky & Stein,1990). Inaccurate use of calculus notations is likely to have a significant influence on student conceptual understanding and student assessment scores in the Calculus 1 course. This dissertation study aimed to examine whether or not the relationship between student’s ability to correctly write signs/symbols, interpret signs/symbols and interpret concepts using signs/symbols (students’ use of signs/symbols) and student assessment scores is statistically significant. The relationship between students’ use of sign/symbol and students’ grade performance was also examined under the effects of …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Social License To Operate For Aquaculture: Understanding How Broad Public Perceptions And Local Company Actions Influence Community Acceptance, Emily H. Whitmore

Doctoral Dissertations

With aquaculture development becoming increasingly important in meeting global food needs, understanding social dynamics of development is essential. Social license to operate (SLO), a concept that describes community acceptance and approval of incoming industry, offers a lens into these dynamics and possible strategies for successful development. Using a mixed-methods approach, this project aimed to investigate how broad public perceptions and local company actions influence social license to operate in aquaculture. First, a systematic literature review of SLO studies identified perceptions that would likely condition a community’s willingness to issue social license, independent of company actions. These predictors included environmental values, …

Deep Learning Based Predictive Models For Performance Enhancement In Bio Medical Applications, Sajila Dimagi Wickramaratne

Doctoral Dissertations

The medical field produces large quantities of multidimensional, complex, and often unstructured data. The timely interpretation of medical data is crucial for medical diagnostics. Machine learning applications are increasingly becoming popular with the ever-increasing computational ability and data availability. Machine learning methods can potentially find complicated relationships that may not be apparent in traditional clinical decision rule systems used in medical applications. Models deployed in medical applications need to be reliable, time efficient, and easy to interpret, thus making working with biosignals challenging in some cases.

The first part of the dissertation focuses on building predictive systems using existing data …

Modernism On The Edge Of The Anthropocene: The Ecological Imagination Of Forster, West, Warner, Woolf, And Eliot, Leanna Jean Lostoski-Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

By reading modernist literature on the edge of the Anthropocene, I argue in this dissertation that modernist authors, through the experimental aesthetics of their works, are able to articulate the beginnings of anthropogenic climate change in the early-twentieth century. The early-twentieth century, and particularly the interwar period, in which British modernist authors such as E. M. Forster, Rebecca West, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Virginia Woolf, and T. S. Eliot were writing coincides with the early-twentieth-century ramp up period of human activity rising to the level of a geological force before the beginning of the Anthropocene. While this dissertation does not argue …

A Comparison Of The Spectroscopically Determined Complex Refractive Indices Across Uv/Vis Wavelengths For Vanillic Acid From Two Aerosol Generation Methods, Vahid Hosseinpour Hashemi

Doctoral Dissertations

Aerosols are important because of their direct and indirect impact on the energy budget of Earth. Characterizing and understanding the physical, chemical, and optical properties of aerosols is beneficial to decrease uncertainties on the Earth’s energy budget estimations and improve climate models. Field studies characterize the real conditions and cases; however, controlling all variables, including the weather, is impossible, so only a snapshot can be obtained. Laboratory work can be a great support for field studies because controlling experimental conditions on a smaller scale is easier and targets can be achieved. Laboratory optical property studies of aerosol, even single chemical …

Type 3 Adenylyl Cyclase, Neuronal Primary Cilia, And Hippocampus-Dependent Memory Formation, Yuxin Zhou

Doctoral Dissertations

Primary cilia are microtubule-based cellular antennae present in most vertebrate cells including neurons. Neuronal primary cilia have abundant expression of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and downstream cAMP signaling components such as type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3). The deflects of neuronal cilia is associated with many memory-related disorders, such as intellectual disability. Thus far, little is known about how neuronal primary cilia regulate neuronal activity and affect hippocampal memory formation. Episodic memory is thought to be encoded by sparsely distributed memory-eligible neurons in the hippocampus and neocortex. However, it is not clear how memory-eligible neurons interact with one another to form …

Cyclodextrin Impedimetric Biosensors For The Detection Of Hydrophobic Metabolites, Zahra Panahi

Doctoral Dissertations

Sepsis is a complicated medical emergency and critically ill patients suffering from infectious diseases are at a high risk for developing and dying from sepsis. According to a recent (2019) cohort study from six United States hospitals, suboptimal care (e.g., delay in antibiotics, inappropriate antibiotic therapy) is responsible for 22.7 % of in-hospital sepsis-associated deaths. In September 2020, the World Health Organization called on the scientific community to develop rapid, effective, and affordable tools to improve diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of sepsis. Our long-term goal throughout this project is to develop a cyclodextrin (CD) impedimetric tongue that can provide early …

Sub-Canopy Path Planning For Snow Depth Remote Sensing Using Autonomous Multi-Uavs, Debarpan Bhowmick

Master's Theses and Capstones

NASA studies indicate that 68% of the Earth’s fresh water exists in the form of snow andice. As such, analyzing global snow fall patterns is a useful tool with which scientists can extract the quantity of fresh water present in both the atmosphere and on the ground at any given time. The goal of this research is to leverage autonomous Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to measure snow depth on the forest floor via sub-canopy flight. To enable such remote sensing missions, overhead Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) scans are used to aid in pre-determined UAV flight path planning. This results …