Seasonal Assessments Of Bioregeneration In Slow Sand Filters Amended With Granular Activated Carbon, Katherine R. Morsefield

Master's Theses and Capstones

The application of slow sand filtration (SSF) has conventionally proven to be a reliable and relatively inexpensive means of producing potable drinking water for decades. As technologies in drinking water treatment continue to advance, innovations to the design and operation of slow sand filtration have the ability to transform its contribution in municipal and industrial settings. SSF amended with granular activated carbon (GAC) has been on the rise in recent decades due to its ability to improve the removal of organic material, while allowing SSF to maintain its innate treatment simplicity.

A slow sand filter amended with granular activated carbon …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel N-Heterocyclic Diazaborole Intramolecular Frustrated Lewis Acid/Base Pairs, Michael Moheban

Master's Theses and Capstones

Herein, a novel intramolecular N-heterocyclic diazaborole FLP complex utilizing boron(III) as the Lewis acid and a pyridyl nitrogen tether as the Lewis base will be presented. It was postulated that the formation of NHBmes can occur after reducing a 1,2-bis(imino)acenaphthenequinone based α-diimine to the dianionic α-diamine by a strong reducing agent like metallic sodium. Efforts to reduce the diimine were successful; however, subsequent attempts to form NHBmes using a 3-coordinate borane were slow and low-yielding. Additional mechanistic elucidation revealed that the first transition state in the formation of NHBmes featured a species that resembled a borinium cation. Consequently, the formation …

Supplementing Sodium Butyrate To Limit-Fed Heifers: Effects On Growth, Health, And Nutrient Digestibility & Effect Of Sodium Butyrate On Viability Of Eimeria Bovis Sporozoites And Ldh Release From Mdbk Cells In The Presence Of Sporozoites, Katrina Klobucher

Master's Theses and Capstones

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in heifer diets. The objectives of experiment 1 was to evaluate the growth, apparent total tract digestibility, and coccidia levels of post-weaned limit-fed heifers supplemented with SB. A 12 week randomized complete block experiment was conducted using 24 Holstein heifers. Treatments were 100g soybean meal (control; CON) and 0.75 g of SB/kg of body weight + 100g soybean meal (SB). Diets were formulated to contain 16.4 % crude protein (CP), 2.27 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME), and fed at a rate of 2.15% of body weight on a …

Assessing Beef Producer's Interest In Cooperative Business Models To Address Processing Capacity Constraints In New Hampshire, Maine, And Vermont, Elaina Enzien

Master's Theses and Capstones

New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont are well-positioned to grow their capacity for local beef production, however significant barriers to accessing processing services exist. The challenges of processing capacity are complex, and the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded those challenges. Cooperative business models, such as cooperative processing and marketing, have been used to address the issues producers face with processing capacity. This study aimed to determine if beef producers in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont would be willing to participate in cooperative business models, whether interest in cooperative models varies by different types of beef producers, and what attributes would these business …

Acoustic Emission Monitoring For Necking In Sheet Metal Forming, Ali Al Jewad

Master's Theses and Capstones

There is extensive evidence in the literature that plastic deformation of metals is associated with an increase in Acoustic Emission (AE) activity. Thus, AE measurement techniques have the potential to monitor a forming process in real time and provide a signal for feedback control, to exploit optimum formability. In this work, custom-made AE sensors employing piezoelectric crystals are implemented to measure the emitted acoustic signal during uniaxial tension and cup drawing tests of an AA6013-T4 aluminum sheet (1.5 mm thick). The uniaxial tension tests are conducted with two AE sensors clamped to each end of the specimen gage section, along …

Enhanced Late Miocene Organic Carbon Preservation And Sulfur Sequestration Beneath The Oxygen Deficient Zone In The Eastern Arabian Sea, Sophie Lee Alpert

Master's Theses and Capstones

The ocean represents the largest sulfur pool on Earth, with 1.3 x 109 Tg of sulfur present in seawater. Marine sediment sulfur sequestration is the primary sink for seawater sulfate, responsible for the burial and storage of 100 Tg of sulfur per year. The sequestration of sulfur in marine sediments is largely driven by the formation of iron monosulfides, metastable iron sulfide minerals, and pyrite, however the different paths driving the degree of pyritization within marine sediments require different environmental conditions and carbon sources. In this thesis research, the possible diagenetic pathways resulting in sulfur sequestration are investigated in a …

Did The Political Climate Exacerbate The Pandemic In The U.S.?, Brittany T. Morin, Joanna Gyory, Anthony F. Morin

Master's Theses and Capstones

The global pandemic that began in the United States in early 2020 continues to be a topic of controversy. The added aspect of affect polarization in the country’s political realm may have exacerbated the effects of COVID-19. In their published article in Nature Human Behaviour, Gollwitzer et. al. found that it was possible to link voting partisanship, physical distancing, and COVID-19 outcomes showing that a county’s partisanship might be used to predict the degree to which that county would socially distance and then, therefore, the rate of cases and fatalities in that error on a lagged timescale. This researcher attempted …

The Biochemistry Of Ursolic Acid: A Potential Therapeutic For Neuro-Inflammation, Emma Jane Arsenault

Master's Theses and Capstones

Ursolic acid (UA) is a naturally occurring triterpenoid found in a variety of plants and berries. This molecule has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with the potential to treat a wide variety of conditions, including neuro-inflammatory disorders. However, the exact mechanism of action for UA is unknown. In this thesis, the fundamental biochemistry of UA was investigated by studying two potential targets: lipid rafts and protein phosphatases. Lipid rafts are an important platform for a wide variety of signal transduction pathways and are a docking point for the assembly of the pro-inflammatory NADPH oxidase 2. The impact of UA on …

Investigation Of Multiple Cyanotoxins In Toxic Lake Aerosols, Hailey Carter

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aerosols from freshwater lakes with toxigenic cyanobacteria pose a potentially serious threat to humans and wildlife. The most studied route of exposure to cyanotoxins is direct consumption (i.e., drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food). However, a less studied but a potentially important route of exposure is inhalation of aerosolized cyanotoxins. Three toxins, produced by cyanobacteria, examined in this study were hepatoxicmicrocystins (MC),and the neurotoxins?-Methylamino-?-alanine (BMAA), and anatoxin-a (ATX). Using a compact lake aerosol monitor(CLAM), this study measured levels of aerosolized cyanotoxins(MC, BMAA, and ATX) at two shallow and inter-connected lakes, Walkers Pond and Lower Mill Pond (Brewster, MA, USA),biweekly …

Water-Soluble Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (Raft) Agents And Their Bioconjugation To Dsdna, Dylan F. Finneran

Master's Theses and Capstones

Understanding the properties of bioconjugates and biomaterials has increasingly become the focus of pharmaceutical companies, material scientists, and academia due to their growing list of applications. Bioconjugates have found broad use in therapeutics, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensing. Historically, interest in specific bioconjugates has depended on the cost-availability of the biomacromolecule, making proteins the most well studied, given their relatively low cost and ease of production. However, recent technological advances in plasmid DNA (pDNA) production from E. Coli allow for greater cost-efficiency, changing the landscape of biomaterial research. Employing alkylating agents with known chemo-selectivity to nucleophilic sites on DNA, …

A Rising Tide? The Role Of Alternative Networks For Women Oyster Farmers In Maine And New Hampshire, Natalie Lord

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing forms of food production globally. In the United States, there has been a renewed interest in aquaculture development in domestic waters. With widespread expansion of shellfish aquaculture started by local entrepreneurs and fishermen, the states of Maine and New Hampshire have experienced aquaculture driven economic development in coastal communities impacted by the decline in wild capture fisheries. Additionally, aquaculture farming practices can provide ecosystem services such as water quality improvement, nutrient removal, and habitat availability. When implemented carefully, marine food products from aquaculture can be among some of the most environmentally responsible choices …

Collaborative Problem Solving For Sustainability, Theresa Mccarty

Master's Theses and Capstones

Conflicts over water resources, like other sustainability-related conflicts, are opportunities for discussion, learning, and resolution. Although miscommunication and competition are often barriers to developing effective solutions for water management, parties can productively negotiate their conflict, strengthen relationships, and challenge the status quo. The two most common strategies negotiators use are commonly referred to as competitive, in which negotiators view their goals in direct conflict and seek to claim as much value as possible, and interest-based, in which negotiators strive to create value and reach an outcome that meets all parties' interests, as well as their own. This research investigated how …

Compression Testing Of Traditional Timber Framing Truss Joinery, Matthew Mcginnis

Master's Theses and Capstones

Timber Framing is one of the earliest forms of construction, utilizing large cross-section timbers that connect to one another with interlocking joinery. These joinery styles were developed over millennium through trial and error, so there is limited research on the failure modes, structural capacities, and factors of safety associated with current design practices. This research project fills a knowledge gap, identified by the Timber Frame Engineering Council (TFEC) of Alstead, NH, regarding the joinery design of traditional birdsmouth (angled bearing) connections and how the connections act under compressive loads.The three most popular truss peak joints (two angled compression members, single …

Using Machine Learning Techniques On Real-World Data To Understand The Characteristics Of The Manchester, Nh Health Care For The Homeless Patient Population For Risk Factor Identification And Intervention Improvement, Kyle Partridge Rasku

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis aims to use health care domain knowledge, statistical techniques, and machine learning methods to conduct an exploratory real-world evidence study of the characteristics of the Health Care for the Homeless of Manchester, NH (HCHM) clinics’ patients in collaboration with academic and clinic partners and the public and community health stakeholders supporting their work. By constructing and analyzing a multivariate feature set created from a sample of anonymized patient data from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2019, I hope to use machine learning methods to accurately represent 2,265 HCHM clinic patients experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity during the …

Anisotropy And Its Effects On Stormwater Subsurface Gravel Trench Design, David Joseph Tarushka

Master's Theses and Capstones

Currently, one of the fastest growing fields in infrastructure is stormwater. Stormwater systems are the first line of defense in protecting cities from flooding and overburdening wastewater treatment facilities. Since stormwater infrastructure will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, any reduction in construction requirements may result in a considerable reduction in spending. The most immediate way to reduce construction costs would be to reduce the size of the system itself.The focus of this thesis will be infiltration characteristics of stormwater systems, using the ongoing research of parking lot A at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. The …

Light Guided, Autonomous, And Mobile Underwater Tracking Of An Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, Cameron Blake Whitaker

Master's Theses and Capstones

Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are being deployed continuously and the frequency of deployment is increasing because UUVs are more cost effective than manned submersibles. They have many applications, like aquaculture and offshore oil & gas, can be submerged for many hours, and can operate at depths dangerous for scuba divers. Whatever application UUVs are deployed for, the UUVs need to have accurate position detection with respect to their position relative to the water body’s surface and world position. Having accurate position detection can mean longer periods of submersion, potentially more data collection, and it is easier for researchers to return …

Elucidating The Role Of Gli3 In Inflammatory Pain, Laura Grace Trachtenberg

Master's Theses and Capstones

The glioma-oncogenic proteins, or GLI proteins play a vital role in the body during development and in diseases. However, not much is known about GLI protein’s additional roles in the body, specifically GLI3. Through previous works in the Elsawa laboratory findings showed a novel role of GLI3 impacting the inflammatory response. Inflammation has potential to affect many pathways in the body including nociception and nociceptive pain. Therefore, the goal of this study was to elucidate the role of GLI3 in inflammatory pain. C57BL/6J adult mice were tested to observe putative knockout of GLI3 (cre-induced mice) in comparison to mice with …

Feeding Biology Of The Aeolid Nudibranch Flabellina Verrucosa, Rebecca Ann Romano

Master's Theses and Capstones

The aeolid nudibranch Flabellina verrucosa is a generalist predator found in the Gulf of Maine. There have been many field and lab observations documenting its association with a number of hydroids, ascidians, and schyphomedusans, but little else is known about their prey preferences or feeding biology. This study investigated the prey preferences of F. verrucosa as well as the potential for ingestive conditioning in this species. Histology of the digestive system of F. verrucosa was also examined and described. Results of both short and long-term preference trials indicated that Flabellina verrucosa has a preference for Ectopleura larynx but this preference …

Before And After: Investigating The Effect Of Thaw On The Permafrost Microbiome, Joy M. O'Brien

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arctic systems are experiencing warming at more than twice the rate of the global average, causing permafrost—permanently frozen soil—to thaw. Permafrost thaw exposes previously unavailable soil carbon and nutrients to decomposition—a process mediated by microbes—which releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Permafrost is thawing at an accelerated rate, and while there is evidence that the composition and function of the permafrost microbiome changes with thaw, there is still much unknown about the taxa that increase with thaw, particularly among different types of permafrost. Here, I address how permafrost thaw impacts the microbiome, particularly the …

Addressing Barriers To Colorectal Cancer Screening In A Federally Qualified Health Center: A Quality Improvement Project, Tania Centra

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, despite the availability of several high-quality screening options. Multiple barriers to CRC screening have been identified, including cost (non-insured), younger age, racial or ethnic minority, recent immigration to the U.S. (non-English speaking), fear or distrust of the healthcare system and rural residence. Addressing health equity within underserved populations requires improved access to CRC screenings per evidence-based guidelines.

Local Problem: The mean CRC screening rate for the designated Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) was 33.7% for the 5 months preceding this quality improvement (QI) …

Implementation Of Telehealth Clinical Nurse Leader Interventions To Reduce Rehospitalizations In Rural Home Health Patients, Briana White

DNP Scholarly Projects

Reimbursement for home-based care is moving towards a value-based purchasing (VBP) model. This change brings a renewed sense of urgency to focus efforts in care delivery to sustain positive outcomes such as reducing rehospitalizations. The Clinical Nurse Leader role has been instrumental in hospital settings in improving patient outcomes, and evidence points toward the potential success of implementation of this role in the rural microsystem setting. This quality improvement project implemented a remote telehealth intervention led by Clinical Nurse Leaders, to decrease rehospitalizations of Medicare patients assessed as at-risk for 30-day rehospitalization. The DMAIC QI model was used to ensure …

Increasing Awareness Of Personal Harm Reduction Interventions In The Clinical Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Shawn Theberge

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

The ever-rising concern for safety in the healthcare setting has become increasingly prevalent and levels of hostility and violence more publicly visible. Over the last decade both patients and clinicians have been targeted in healthcare facilities at record levels. These incidents have created an environment of not only risk but increased anxiety and feelings of uncertainty for most clinical personnel. The study will initially measure clinician’s viewpoint of the clinical setting that they work in; and over the span of the project, track and evaluate the effects of the interventions on clinicians’ overall feelings and perceptions. The expected outcome …

Increasing Rates Of Urine Albumin Creatinine Ratio Ordering By Providers In Diabetics In Adult Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative, James Ehrlich

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: The rising incidence of diabetes within the United States and worldwide has led to increased diabetes related morbidity and mortality. As the leading cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD), more attention needs to be placed on increasing rates of diabetic nephropathy screening. The vast majority of diabetics are treated in primary care, positioning primary care as a center focus for diabetes related screening and treatment.

Local problem: Low rates of diabetic nephropathy screening were noted at an academic medical center affiliated primary care clinic. A quality improvement initiative was elicited to increase the number of urine microalbumin creatine …

Implementation Of Oncology Standardized Scheduling Bundle Impacting Staff Productivity And Patient Satisfaction, Carolyn Brausch

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Patients having timelyaccess to healthcare services is the entryway to quality of care and patient safety. Timely access is essential in cancer treatment and often requires complex scheduling requiring multiple, highly coordinated, time sensitive appointments. To facilitate optimal clinical care, timely appointment scheduling must be patient-centered. With the heavy scheduling workload growing at the the Cancer Network at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and recognition of timely scheduling as a quality indicator, the need to examine the workflow and improve the process became apparent.

METHODS: The goal of the quality improvement project was to provide patients with …

Enhancing Clinicians' Knowledge In The Use Of The Beck Depression Inventory Tool In Outpatient Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Olabisi Oshikanlu

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

The paper outlines a quality improvement project to improve clinicians' knowledge in using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) within an outpatient setting, known as the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. The BDI is among the standard depression screening instruments used. The primary care version of the tool is preferred because it discriminates somatic symptoms that may overlap with other clinical conditions. Clinician knowledge and skills are critical to ensure appropriate scoring and interpretation of the scores. In this quality improvement (QI) project, the clinicians completed questionnaires to determine their BDI-related knowledge before (pre-test) and four weeks after (post-test) the …

How The Media Frames Mental Health And Social Media: A Case Study Of The Facebook Whistleblower, Megan Switzgable

Honors Theses and Capstones

In September 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, leaked confidential documents surrounding internal research performed at the company, revealing that Facebook knew the negative impact Instagram had on the mental health of teenagers. In this paper, I study how the media frames the relationship between mental health, teenagers, and social media when discussing the leaked documents. In order to do this, I perform a critical discourse analysis of thirty print media articles written about the Facebook Whistleblower, focusing on how the
articles present gender, mental health, and the positive and negative uses of social media. I also look at …

Privacy Paradox: The Impact A Health Crisis Has On Individual Views Regarding Privacy And Data Collection, Jessica B. Walsh

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Robot Guided Exercise Training: The Role Of The Human Model, Selena R. Richards

Honors Theses and Capstones

Physical therapy after an injury can be difficult for patients to access, whether it be due to location, finances, or other factors. To make physical therapy more accessible, robot-guided exercise training can be used. Commercial anthropomorphic robots have been created and have human-like movement, but may still lack qualities that make it easy for a human to understand its intentions intuitively. A human model that mimics the movement of a robot performing human exercises can be used to complement the robot and increase human understanding. The ideal model would be viewable from different angles and could visibly show the difference …

Knowledge Gaps: Addressing The Need For Palliative Care Education For University Nursing Students, Odin Todd Bickford

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study aimed to analyze undergraduate nursing students’ primary palliative care knowledge to determine if there is a need for further palliative care education in undergraduate, pre-licensure curriculums. To make this determination, this study utilized the Undergraduate Nursing Palliative Care Knowledge Survey (UNPCKS), created by Dr. Andra Davis and Dr. Megan Lippe, a 27-question survey that addresses the 6 domains of holistic palliative care; i) holistic, patient-centered care (Whole person care), ii) collaborative (Interprofessional), iii) understanding of primary palliative care as a resource and how to support patients/families (Advocacy and Knowledge of Primary Palliative Care), iv) the importance of understanding …

Exploring Educators’ Perceptions Of Legislation About Discrimination, Archer Brooke Miller

Honors Theses and Capstones

Across the nation, there have been efforts in “36 states to restrict education on racism, bias, the contributions of specific racial or ethnic groups to U.S. history, or related topics” (Stout). These laws essentially banned the teaching of critical race theory and systemic racism in all public K-12 classrooms. This study is pertinent because teaching about systemic racism is important. It was critical to shed light on this topic and show people why Sections 297 and 298 of House Bill 2 were salient and what impact it was having.