Digital Commons Network^™

From Garvey To King: How Jamaica Influenced The Us Civil Rights Movement, Charlotte Helen Richard

Doctoral Dissertations

“From Garvey to King: How Jamaica Influenced the US Civil Rights Movement” interrogates the influence of Jamaica on African Americans during the Long Freedom Movement. While many historians have focused on the influence of African American leaders on other countries, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s global impact or the inspirational leadership of Stokely Carmichael on the African diaspora, no scholars have yet examined the significance of Jamaican activism, ideologies, and actions on African Americans. “From Garvey to King” situates Jamaica as central to transnational Black Nationalist and Black liberation ideologies, from the bottom up. From grassroots organizing to every-day …

The Dynamic Measure Of Health Goals, Goal Achievement, And Who Succeeds At Their Goals, Hannah Lightcap

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is divided into four parts. Part 1 includes the introduction to the dissertation. Part 2 describes the first study of the dissertation, the Goal Measurement study. This focuses on the development and evaluation of the Health Goals and Achievement Surveys; a survey measuring and evaluating health goals and their achievement. The Goal Measurement Study also offers validity information and reports the relationships between various personality traits and health goal achievement. Part 3 describes the second study of the dissertation, the Personality Predictors and Social Support Study which examines multiple psycho-social predictors of health goal achievement. Part 4 is …

Leveraging Genome Evolution To Address Questions Of Biological Function, Hannah Pare

Doctoral Dissertations

Advances in sequencing technology have facilitated a surge in the production of genome data for diverse animal species. Researchers are presented with the opportunity to create comprehensive phylogenomic datasets, which have previously not been feasible. Unfortunately, extracting biologically relevant information from such a large amount of data is time consuming and computationally expensive, often limiting the scope and possibility of such analyses. My Ph.D. research aims to establish a methodological framework for investigating questions of biological function using comparative genomic and phylogenetic methods. Using two different metazoan genomic datasets we demonstrate the wide-ranging applicability of this framework by addressing research …

Evaluating The Role Of Dissolved Organic Phosphorus Uptake By Phytoplankton, Caroline Anderson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Phytoplankton form the basis of the marine ecosystem and require phosphorus (P) for growth. Typically, phytoplankton utilize inorganic phosphate (PO43-) as it is the more biologically available form of P. Many regions across the global ocean have been found to exhibit vanishingly low concentrations of PO43- including the subtropical North Atlantic and North Pacific. Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) has been shown to serve as an alternative P source when PO43- concentrations are low. However, the concentration of PO43- which leads to significant phytoplankton DOP uptake has not been widely established. In this work, both experimental and field DOP data were …

Feminism In The Anti-Nuclear Movement: Three Women's Quest To Re-Make Society, Sarah Doenmez

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the 40 years between 1974 and 2014, the anti-nuclear movement arose in New England, shook the dominant political forces, changed the culture, and achieved significant victories. Although they are usually not recognized as the power behind anti-nuclear and environmental activism, in fact, I contend that a certain group of women motivated by a second wave ecofeminist vision of peace were and have remained the core of this work in New England. Their fight against patriarchal systems shaping their individual lives extended to a larger commitment to build communities and imbue institutions with a new value system that would nurture …

Filling The Bathymetric Gaps: Toward Quantifying And Characterizing Uncertainty In Interpolated Bathymetry, Elias Opeyemi Adediran

Master's Theses and Capstones

The oceans remain one of Earth's most enigmatic frontiers, with approximately 75% of the world's oceans still unmapped to modern standards. To overcome this, interpolation serves as the primary method for creating seamless coverage from incomplete coverage hydrographic data sets and is essential for creating a seamless digital bathymetric model (DBM) compiled from sparse bathymetric datasets and set-line spacing surveys. While methods for quantifying the uncertainty in depth measurements are well-researched, interpolation introduces unqualified depth uncertainties. This study aims to estimate and characterize these uncertainties which are essential to nautical charting, and navigational safety, and important in many other fields.Organized …

Characterizing The Influence Of Depth And Glacial Drift On Microbial Community Diversity And Potential Carbon-Cycling Enzyme Activity In Permafrost Soils, Dana Victoria Bakke

Master's Theses and Capstones

Microbial communities in permafrost soils play an important role in breaking down organic matter and cycling nutrients. Despite difficult environmental conditions including below-freezing temperatures, yearly freeze-thaw cycles, and short growing seasons, these microbial communities remain active year-round. To better understand the microbial community diversity and potential activity across environmental gradients in northern Alaska, I sequenced the microbial community and measured the potential enzyme activity of three carbon-cycling enzymes at 5-centimeter increments in 60-centimeter soil cores spanning active layer and permafrost at three moist acidic tundra sites located on landscapes with different glacial histories in northern Alaska. I found that microbial …

Annual And Seasonal Variability In Tundra Vole (Microtus Oeconomus) Diet, Mary Kathleen Lisi

Master's Theses and Capstones

Within arctic ecosystems, small mammals (voles and lemmings) influence plantcommunity composition, soil nutrient availability, and carbon cycling through foraging and the deposition of waste. Yet, little is known about rodent diet specifically and how it may vary annually and seasonally. Here, we characterize the composition and stability in tundra vole (Microtus oeconomus) diet in northern Alaska using stable isotope analysis of fecal and hair samples collected over a seven-year period. Results from Bayesian stable isotope mixing models from both fecal and hair sample data show that tundra voles in northern Alaska predominately feed on rhizomatous sedges, Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex …

Bin Packing Problem - An Efficiency Analysis Between Commercial Container Loading And Open-Source Optimization Algorithms, Gabriel Mihu

Master's Theses and Capstones

Bin packing problem literally refers to bin packing: optimize fitting of a number of smaller containers into bins of equal volume, in order to occupy the smallest number of bins. It has various real-world applications, from stock cutting, container shipping to 3D transistor microprocessor design and computer files packing. Finding an optimal solution can easily become a very challenging task as the number of elements increases.Single algorithm application can be very effective in certain cases, but usually multiple algorithms are used in conjunction could be more effective for increased efficiency and for what is considered a highly optimized result. Developing …

Exploring The Role Of Recreation In Rural Nh Youth's Engagement With Master Narratives, Katelyn A. Moscouver

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rural youth often feel compelled to leave their home communities to seek new opportunities, especially at the secondary-postsecondary educational transition. These decisions are driven in part by perceived developmental imperatives to leave rural hometowns given messages that success is best achieved elsewhere. The present study used the framework of identity master narratives to explore recreation's role in facilitating youth postsecondary planning in rural northeastern state of New Hampshire. The study extends and deepens prior research seeking to understand some of the structural-psychological factors connecting recreation involvement in adolescence, postsecondary decision making, and broader demographic patterns among the 15-19 and 20-24 …

Investigating The Relationship Between Sediment Methane Production And Ebullition In Sub-Arctic Lakes, Josibel Pardo

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arctic and subarctic ecosystems are experiencing accelerated warming compared to other regions. Increasing arctic lake sediment and water temperatures stimulate the formation and emission of methane (CH4). Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that can contribute to a global warming feedback loop, in which temperatures rise due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, which in return further increases those emissions. Methane emitted from lakes is primarily emitted through ebullition (bubbling). Various environmental characteristics have an impact on CH4 cycling in aquatic environments, such as temperature, water depth, organic matter, and nutrient availability. Sediment CH4 production is also an important driver of …

Stable Isotopic Signatures From Methane Bubbles, Lake Sediments, And Plants: A Latitudinal Study Of Lake Sediment Methane And Organic Carbon, Theresa Reynolds

Master's Theses and Capstones

Stable isotopes of carbon can be measured in gases (methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) and in organic carbon material like sediments and plants. The stable carbon isotopic ratios in methane (δ13C-CH4) are used in atmospheric inversion models to determine ground sources and calculate the magnitude of emissions. δ13C-CH4 from natural ecosystems is influenced not only by microbial production and oxidation processes but also by the precursor organic matter’s isotopic ratios (plants and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)). Lakes account for 9-24% of global methane emissions and emissions are expected to increase with climate change and warming temperatures. The δ13C-CH4 signatures …

The Microbial Diversity In The Spruce Hole Aquifer Associated With Artificial Recharge Practices, Rafaela Paes De Souza Barbosa

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Systems are utilized globally for underground water storage and subsequent retrieval, serving as a key water management strategy. In Durham, NH, an ASR system was established in the Spruce Hole formation to address various water supply needs, including meeting future demand, reducing treatment costs, and providing backup supply options. This system replenishes the aquifer using water from the Lamprey River. Given the importance of microbial communities in groundwater quality, understanding their composition is crucial. This study explores the microbial diversity in the Spruce Hole aquifer, comparing it to the surface water used for recharge and …

Assembly Of A Supramolecular Host Guest System For The Production Of Solar Fuels, Dylan J. Stolba

Master's Theses and Capstones

Anthropogenic warming of the globe is an issue that has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. This is mainly due to burning fossil fuels which releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Because of our society’s high dependence on this energy source, it’s estimated that over 5 million metric tons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere each year. This makes it clear that we must find a clean and renewable way to generate power. Photocatalysis offers a unique solution to this problem. Photocatalytic systems use light to excite an electron which is then used …

Assessing The Resistance And Resilience Of Recreationally Important Fish Species To Extreme Events In Coastal Texas, Ana Cecilia Silverio

Master's Theses and Capstones

Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. In turn, these extreme events may affect coastal resources such as fisheries. Extreme events not only have ecological effects but also economic and cultural impacts as human communities throughout the world depend on coastal resources for their livelihoods. In this thesis, I used long-term fisheries independent data to discern how different coastal Texas recreational fish species (Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, and Southern Flounder) were affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and a freeze event in 2021. I found variation in the post-storm response (percent …

Reconstructing Paleo-Sulfate Methane Transition Zones In The Japan Trench, Camille Rachel Sullivan

Master's Theses and Capstones

In deep marine subduction zone settings, the movement of sediment pore fluids, as well as sediment transport and deposition, are likely to occur during earthquake ruptures and leave evidence in the sedimentary record. This seismic activity could influence the depth of the sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ), a moving diagenetic front that produces sulfide and carbonate minerals through time. One method for the reconstruction of paleo-SMTZ positions in marine sediments is the measurement of downcore bulk sulfur isotopic compositions. Sulfide produced by organoclastic sulfate reduction (OSR) is less enriched in δ34S while sulfide produced by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) …

Impacts Of Warming Waters On Phytoplankton Respiration, Lydia Margaret Pinard

Master's Theses and Capstones

Phytoplankton play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles within the ocean and areresponsible for 34% of pelagic respiration. It is necessary to quantify plankton respiration to determine carbon budgets in marine systems and the production of accurate predictions of biogeochemical responses to climate change. The Gulf of Maine (GoM) is warming faster than 99% of the Global Ocean and by studying its response to climate change, it may be possible to predict future global changes. Field experiments were conducted in August of 2022 on NOAA’s third East Coast Ocean Acidification (ECOA-3) cruise which sailed in the Gulf of Maine …

A Novel ‘Adjacent Mycorrhizal Symbiosis’ In Invasive Garlic Mustard, Joshua A. Trombley

Master's Theses and Capstones

Invasion of temperate forests by Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) may be affected by interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Although AMF are generally mutualists of land plants, they suppress the growth of close relatives of garlic mustard1–3. Garlic mustard produces indolic glucosinolates, a class of organic compounds known to suppress AMF4,5 and which may protect the plant from AMF antagonism. We would therefore expect a negative interaction between these organisms. Contrary to this expectation, we show that AMF inoculation promotes garlic mustard growth, and this effect is influenced by investments in plant defense. AMF inoculation and subsequent colonization increased plant …

Uncovering Fragmented Information About Pfas Contamination In Private Wells And Its Role In Housing Market Response, Catherine Taylor

Master's Theses and Capstones

PFAS are emerging contaminants that continue to rise in their public and political saliency. Although causal health outcomes are still unclear, there is evidence that the widespread and widely used family of chemicals has been correlated with negative human health impacts. The state of New Hampshire was one of the first in the country to regulate PFAS, establishing a lower maximum contaminant limit (MCL) than the EPA at the federal level. As PFAS policy continues to develop at the federal and state levels, it is important to consider how New Hampshire residents perceive this issue. In particular, residents in Hillsborough, …

The Influence Of Lake Productivity On Methane Production And Ebullition From Temperate And Arctic Lake Sediments, Megan Wimsatt

Master's Theses and Capstones

Northern freshwater lakes (> 40°N) are an increasingly recognized major contributor of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere. Climate warming and eutrophication acceleration threaten to increase CH4 emissions from these lake ecosystems, particularly in littoral (shallow lake edge) zones where ebullition (bubbling) is often a dominant flux pathway. Few studies have investigated the impacts of lake productivity on limnological CH4 cycling for a range of trophic classes and provided a comparison between different latitudes. Here, we analyzed chlorophyll α (chlα; proxy for lake productivity), other water quality parameters, sediment CH4 production rates, and ebullition rates at nine …

Magnetic Properties Of Manganese-Bismuth (Mnbi) Using Dft Calculations, James Wirth

Master's Theses and Capstones

Permanent magnets are in electronic or other systems that are necessary in daily life. Rare earth metals are the common base elements for permanent magnets, but their availability on the global stage is unstable. MnBi is one material being considered to replace rare earth materials due to its high electron mobility and strong conductivity. A literature review on the topic revealed that MnBi has a large energy product, high Curie temperature, promising band structure, and other beneficial features. This review was based on experimental data and theoretical calculations that used a variety of approximations. It was determined that MnBi could …

Harnessing Eye And Face Movements: Bridging Technology And Human Interaction, Daniel Rubin

Master's Theses and Capstones

AbstractThe profound impact of non-verbal communication in the realms of psychology, virtual reality (VR), and automated systems; underscores, a critical inquiry: How can we effectively interpret and utilize non-verbal cues; for example, eye and head movements, to address current limitations in technology and ethics across various applications? This thesis explores the potential of eye and head movement techniques, as a transformative tool in enhancing diagnostic accuracy, user interaction, and ethical compliance in these fields. One significant contribution of my research is the identification and implementation methods of non-invasive diagnostic tools, in healthcare. Through, the advanced analysis of eye and head …

Representation And The Achievement Gap: A Case For Prioritizing Cultural Sameness In The Classroom, Taryn J. Fears

M.S. in Leadership

Abstract

This study examined the impact of cultural representation on achievement for minority students academically and socially across diverse contexts. Recognizing the importance of cultural diversity in educational and youth mentoring settings, this research explores how the representation of various cultural identities, including race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status, influences student achievement outcomes. Coming from a background in community based nonprofit organizations, I have seen how black and brown students respond in classroom and out-of-school time settings when having come in contact with teachers and mentors of similar culture. Having a teacher and/or mentor of a similar culture creates pathways …

What Stories Do Rural Youth Tell About Future Orientation In Their Communities? Implications For Rural Positive Youth Development, Hannah Joy Falcone

Master's Theses and Capstones

It is a tale as old as time; rural youth have a well-developed pattern of outmigration from their hometowns, largely driven by aspirations of achieving education or specialized career opportunities available elsewhere. This qualitative study explores the positive youth development (PYD) experiences of youth living in rural, northern New England communities, including how interactions with rural school, community and work engagement, and experiences out in nature are described as important in future orientation in rural spaces. Virtual interviews were conducted with 18 youth (ages 14-19). Qualitative themes were developed through an inductive coding strategy, alongside a deductive structured coding strategy …

Fate Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In A Wastewater Treatment Facility Using A Novel Membrane Bioreactor, Lindsay Ann Guertin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of chemicals known for their environmental persistence and unique thermal and chemical stability which has led them to be used in a variety of products including paper, carpets, clothes, cosmetics, food packaging, kitchen ware, chrome plating, and aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs). Their resistance to biochemical degradation has led regulators to be interested in reducing PFAS loads to the environment and sources that humans are exposed to (e.g. drinking water). Recent studies have shown that concentrations of some terminal PFAS increase after secondary (biological) wastewater treatment indicating that precursor compounds are …

Nonprofit Cybersecurity: Nist Csf 2.0 As Exemplar Of The Zero-Trust Model, Ariel Maxwell Grad

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis investigates the integration of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) within nonprofit and small organizations to enhance cybersecurity posture. Amidst increasing cyber threats, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic where nonprofit tech adoption allowed organizations to keep serving their communities during country-wide lockdowns [10], and cybercrime surged by 600% [2], the necessity for robust cybersecurity in nonprofits has never been more critical. This study aims to evaluate current cybersecurity practices, specifically Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adoption across varying nonprofit sizes, and assess the applicability of ZTA and NIST CSF. …

Characterizing Modality And Cognitive Effects In Implicit-Statistical Learning: Theoretical Implications For Language Learning In Adults, Katelyn Lerner

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examined the presence of modality and cognitive effects within implicit statistical learning (ISL) to characterize how it operates within the context of language learning. The first research aim looked to investigate differences in ISL performance as it relates to modality, specifically auditory versus visual formats. Additionally, the relationship between cognitive measures and ISL task performance was investigated to characterize potential interactions between learning and cognition. In this study healthy adults between the ages of 18-35 were administered auditory and visual ISL experimental tasks. Participants were familiarized with a target grammar pattern in an exposure phase. After the exposure …

Suspended Ion Exchange For Extensive, Low-Energy And N2o-Emission-Free Removal Of Nitrogen In Municipal Purification, Bailey Jones

Master's Theses and Capstones

In recent years, high concentrations of anthropogenic ammonia have been measured in surface and groundwaters in Europe which can devastate ecosystems due to eutrophication. Sources of this excess ammonia are fertilizers used in the agricultural industry and municipal wastewater discharge. Stricter regulations limiting the amount of ammonia a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) can discharge may be enacted soon to prevent ammonia’s negative effects. A major issue facing WWTPs in the Netherlands is that conventional biological treatment processes used by these facilities are not able to meet the proposed ammonia discharge regulations. These facilities must soon turn to chemical solutions and …

Tracking The Efficiency Of Ibex-Lo Over The Course Of The Ibex Mission, Ryan J. Murphy

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) launched in 2008 and has been active for over 15 years. In this thesis, we track the instrument efficiency by taking the ratios of double and triple type events for dozens of orbits spanning those 15 years. Doing this lets us diagnose the instrument response in a way that is irrespective of incoming particle rates and properly shows any potential degradation that could have occurred during IBEX-Lo's lifetime. Ensuring that IBEX-Lo is operating nominally is especially crucial as we move into the era of its successor, IMAP-Lo.

Through our efficiency analysis, we have found that …

Influence Of Bottom Substrates On Sunken No. 6 Heavy Fuel Oil And Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil Transport, Tori Sweet

Master's Theses and Capstones

Oil spilled into marine or freshwater environments can become submerged in the water column or sink to the bottom if its density is greater than that of water. Meso-scale experiments were conducted in the Coastal Response Research Center’s (CRRC) MacFarlane Flume at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to better understand sunken oil transport in a river environment. Flume water temperatures reflected the annual range of the Mississippi River’s temperatures near Baton Rouge, LA (41 °F to 86 °F), a location where a spill is likely to occur because of shipping traffic. Flat and scaled sand dune substrates were secured …