Digital Commons Network^™

Managing A Public Problem From The Bottom Down, Jamison E. Colburn

Penn State Environmental Law Review (1991 - 2011)

No abstract provided.

Domesticating The Diaspora: Memory And The Life Of Sister Katie, Caroline Waldron Merithew

History Faculty Publications

Three shrines in Illinois honor heroes of the working class: one for the legendary Mother Jones; one for the Virden martyrs, who died for coal mining unionism, and whose memory is kept alive by labor organizers around the world; and one for Catherine (Katie) Bianco DeRorre. Katie's monument, unlike the others, draws few visitors today. But when it was dedicated in 1961, men and women — on the floor of the U.S. Congress, in the neighborhood where Katie grew up, at American universities, in union halls, on the streets of New York City, and in Milan — took notice and …

The Theory Of Generativity, David G. Post

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Reasonableness Models For Research Assessments, William D. Kight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who screen research grant applications often select candidates on the basis of a few key parameters; success or failure can be reduced to a series of peer-reviewed Likert scores on as little as four criteria: risk, relevance, return, and reasonableness. Despite the vital impact these assessments have upon the sponsors, researchers, and society in general as a benefactor of the research, there is little empirical research into the peer-review process. The purpose of this study was to investigate how reviewers evaluate reasonableness and how the process can be modeled in a decision support system. The research questions both address …

Confidence-Based Assessment In Moodle: Insights From Teachers, Administrators, And Programmers, Timothy P. Florian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical thinking is a skill that school systems are trying to develop in their student populations. Numerous studies have been conducted on developing critical thinking skills such as self-regulation, interpretation, and analysis. However, available data on the use of learning management systems (LMS) as a means to develop critical-thinking skills have been opaque. This study examined the perceptions of local stakeholders and the impact of confidence-based assessment (CBA) on secondary students at one high school. The conceptual framework guiding the study represented a synthesis of theoretical perspectives on critical thinking and its development with the current research on the pedagogical …

Acceptance, Communication Mode And Use Of Audio Computer- Assisted Self Interview Using Touchscreen To Identify Risk Factors Among Pregnant Minority Women, Jutta S. Thornberry, Kennan B. Murray, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Michele Kiely

Publications and Research

This paper evaluates the acceptability, communication mode and use of audio computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) among minority pregnant women receiving prenatal care in six Washington, DC sites. A total of 2,913 women were screened for demographic eligibility (18+ years old,gestation, Black/African-American or Hispanic) and risk (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, intimate partner violence). Questions were displayed on touch screen laptop monitors and heard through earphones. The mean length of time to complete the screener was almost 6 minutes.

A-CASI experience, which included difficulty in using the computer, acceptability (enjoyment), and preferred communication mode, was compared across sites, the eligibility and …

Progressive Bullying How Unilateral Actions Could Help International Fisheries, Jack Mewhirter

Theses & ETDs

As the governing bodies of international fisheries, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations have largely failed to protect key stocks. This failure has led to unsustainable harvests that threaten the future of several key fisheries. Although many studies have focused on alleviating their inadequacy through institutional or policy changes, they have often ignored the underlying problem: cooperation among member states. Through an examination of the key variables for cooperation as applied to international fisheries, this thesis demonstrates that attaining legitimate cooperation between member states may not be possible through multilateral governance. Because multilateral governance may not be possible, unilateral actions by key …

Credibility In Contemporary American Media, Kerem Ozkan

Theses & ETDs

Since early in the 20th century, American media outlets have largely been shaped by what one might call the mainstream ideology of the press; a loosely defined, commonly understood set of journalistic practices, beliefs and ethics enacted in order to convey a sense of credibility to audiences. In recent years, the media has increasingly deviated from the mainstream ideology. Prime time is dominated by partisan pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann, while the Drudge Report and the Huffington Post push their ideologies online. A close analysis of such sources reveal that they convey credibility by advancing allegations of …

Creative Control An Explanation Of Species-Specific Enrichment In Mongoose Lemurs (Eulemur Mongoz) And Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Hannah Brown

Theses & ETDs

Creative enrichment designed for a species, or even for a specific individual, can provide an animal with environmental stimulation that may lead to a whole array of benefits for the animal. Exposure to speciesspecific enrichment, or enrichment that is designed for the adaptations of a particular species, encourages naturalistic behaviors by providing cues that are more biologically salient than a more generalized enrichment item. This study explores the relationship between species-specific stimuli and the production of naturalistic behaviors. An acoustic enrichment device was presented to two captive mammalian groups: mongoose lemurs (Eulemur mongoz) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Both species …

Evaluation Of Remediation Agents For Ddt- And Pcb-Contaminated Wetlands, Scott Cloutier

Master's Theses and Capstones

Wetland sediments that are contaminated with hydrophobic organic compounds, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can be remediated via in-situ methods. Four different amendment agents, activated carbon, zero valent iron, organoclay and seaweed were assessed. Activated carbon provided the greatest reduction in both PCB and DDx porewater concentrations: an average of 90% or greater reduction of the six congeners detected. Two amendment delivery technologies were evaluated in a microcosm experiment: a granular activated carbon slurry and Aquablok containing powdered activated carbon. The addition of activated carbon via both delivery techniques was found to significantly decrease PCB porewater concentrations …

Seasonal Nitrate Dynamics In An Agriculturally Influenced New Hampshire Headwater Stream, Catherine Rutherford Dunlap

Master's Theses and Capstones

Nitrate (NO3-) uptake and denitrification in small headwater streams can have significant implications for downstream water quality. I measured seasonal NO3- uptake and longitudinal patterns in potential sediment denitrification in a New Hampshire agriculturally influenced stream during 2009. NO3- uptake was measured through short-term NO3- enrichments and potential denitrification was measured using the Chloramphenicol-amended acetylene-inhibition method. NO3 - was taken up in autumn but not in spring or summer. In autumn, on average 87% of the daily NO3- load was taken up and a maximum of 4% was removed via denitrification. Results suggest that, in this stream, carbon availability from …

Examination Of Thermal Impacts From Stormwater Bmps, Nicholas P. Digennaro

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study presents the examination of 4 years of monitoring of runoff temperature for a range of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) in relation to established environmental indicators for a study in Durham, NH. Stormwater BMPs examined include conventional, Low Impact Development, and manufactured treatment designs. Surface systems that are exposed to direct sunlight have been shown to increase already elevated summer runoff temperatures, while other systems that provide treatment by infiltration and filtration can moderate runoff temperatures by thermal exchange with cool subsurface materials. The storm sewer system saw an annual average event mean temperature (EMT) greater than the …

A Multi-Scale Evaluation Of Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon Platirhinos) Habitat Selection At The Northern Extent Of Its Range, Celine Goulet

Master's Theses and Capstones

A complex interaction of biotic and abiotic variables structure landscapes into a hierarchal assemblage of habitats. Species respond to this environmental hierarchy by selecting habitat based upon a set of ecological variables occurring across a range of organizational levels. However, as the criteria for selection may be scale-dependent, it is vital to quantify the influence these variables have on species distribution at each spatial scale. Two years of telemetry data from 17 individuals were used to examine the multi-scale selection process in the northern population of Heterodon platirhinos on the New Boston Air Force Station in New Boston, New Hampshire. …

Aspects Of The Reproduction Of An Invasive Crab, Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, In Northern And Southern New England, Emily F. Gamelin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Populations of the invasive shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus , were studied in northern and southern New England to determine if crabs differ in reproductive behavior or characteristics between these regions. Additionally, effects of temperature on reproductive activity were quantified through laboratory experimentation.

Number of broods per season increased with temperature, but the seasonal total was limited to three broods in laboratory experiments. Broods experienced limited success at the lowest temperature, 10°C. The reproductive season was longer at lower latitudes, and females at this site had smaller average ovigerous size. Patterns of ovigery varied between the regions, suggesting the production of …

Magnetostratigraphy Of The Hell Creek And Lower Fort Union Formations In Northeast Montana, Rebecca Lecain

Master's Theses and Capstones

Magnetostratigraphic evaluation of a well-exposed stratigraphic section in northeast Montana has been undertaken to expand upon and better understand the timing of the deposition of Hell Creek and Fort Union Formations. Characteristic remnant magnetizations show clear magnetostratigraphic patterning of chrons C28n, C28r, C29n, C29r, C30n, and possibly C30r. Differentially corrected GPS coordinates, including elevation, were recorded at each sample site allowing the magnetostratigraphic framework to be precisely relocated in the field and traced laterally across the landscape. Localities in Montana that have been sampled for fossil studies have been mapped and correlated to the same stratigraphic sections as the magnetostratigraphy, …

Investigating Pheromone Variability In A Terrestrial Woodland Salamander, Adam James Chowinard

Master's Theses and Capstones

The communication system of Plethodontid salamanders relies heavily upon chemical signaling. Pheromone molecules convey a tremendous amount of information to conspecifics, and facilitate a wide variety of the essential social functions of these animals. Much of the information contained within the pheromone mixture is variable from one individual to the next, such as the ability to recognize specific individuals, the size of the sender, and the relative "quality' of the signal. In order for variable information to be conveyed through chemical signals, the corresponding variability must be contained within the pheromone mixture itself. This variability may exist as a gradient …

Elucidating The Microbial Community Within A Trichloroethene Contaminated Competent Bedrock Aquifer Located At Pease International Tradeport, Portsmouth, Nh, Michelle M. Majko

Master's Theses and Capstones

A trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated competent bedrock aquifer exists at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth, NH. Characterization by the Bedrock Bioremediation Center (BBC) at the University of New Hampshire showed active in situ anaerobic degradation of TCE. Formation water from discrete, hydraulically connected fractures was extracted to characterize and enumerate the prevalent TCE biodegradation processes using Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Eubacteria (90%), Archaea (5%), and sulfate reducing bacteria within Desulfobacteriaceae (1--26%) were present at all depths (13--30 meters). Two probes targeting the anaerobic TCE-dechlorinating genus, Dehalococcoides (4--10%) were developed. FISH in combination with Flow Cytometry was employed to automate the analysis; …

Is A Communication Event Stressful For Individuals With Expressive Aphasia?, Emily E. Warner

Master's Theses and Capstones

Objective. This study presents an effort to understand both stress perception and physiologic responses related to expressive communication in individuals with expressive aphasia, acquired as the result of a stroke.

Method. Eight individuals with aphasia and five age-matched, healthy controls participated in a public communication task. Salivary cortisol and perception of stress and mood was measured on one day at home as well as during the ordering task.

Results. A significant difference between groups was found in diurnal cortisol levels in the evening, as well as a non-significant trend in the afternoon measure. Individuals in the aphasia group perceived higher …

Stream Temperature Impacts Of Culverts And Impervious Areas, Gary Lemay

Master's Theses and Capstones

Water temperature in small, headwater streams may reveal much about stream health. Yet, our understanding of stream temperature and its driving factors is limited compared to other water quality parameters. In addition to natural factors, research suggests that watershed urbanization may impact a stream's thermal regime. This research quantified culverts and impervious area's stream temperature impacts across coastal NH streams using experimental data and a deterministic temperature model. Impervious areas were found to increase streams' daily average temperatures, possibly accentuate storm temperature surges, but not diurnal temperature ranges. Road crossings were found to increase the variability of diurnal temperature ranges, …

Production Of Biodiesel From Microalgae, Nkongolo Mulumba

Master's Theses and Capstones

Biodiesel production from microalgae is a promising technique, with advantages of high biomass yield with high lipid content. Challenges include effective techniques to harvest the grown microalgae, extraction of the algal oil and its transesterification to biodiesel. A microalgae strain was selected from 8 different species screened for growth rate and lipid content. A Tubular Photobioreactor was designed and constructed to study microalgae growth. Productivity of 1 g of dry algal biomass per liter of medium within 12 days was achieved, with lipid content up to 20 %. The observed 10 fold increase in biomass is higher than those reported …

Modeling Permafrost Stability In Peatlands With Climate Change And Disturbance, Claire Treat

Master's Theses and Capstones

Boreal and arctic regions are predicted to warm faster and more severely than temperate latitudes. They contain large stocks of below- ground soil carbon in peatlands and frozen soil, and the flux of the soil C to the atmosphere may be a strong feedback to climate change.

Increases in air temperature due to climate change will increase surface soil temperatures, soil temperatures at depth, active layer depths, and growing season length, but not degrade permafrost by 2100 at this site. Both wildfire and climate change increase active layer depths by 25 cm, but effects of wildfire diminish following vegetation recovery.

Nifh Diversity Associated With Montastraea Cavernosa Identified Using An Optimized Primer Protocol, Nathan D. Olson

Master's Theses and Capstones

The diversity of nitrogen fixing bacteria in any system must be identified to in order to fully understand their ecological role. PCR is commonly used to investigate bacterial diversity. To capture the full diversity PCR primers must bind to and amplify all targeted DNA sequences. For this study I analyzed published universal nifH primers' ability to capture the full diversity of nitrogen fixing bacteria. Based on this work I developed a new protocol for capturing the full diversity of nifH sequences. Using this optimized protocol I investigated community differences in nitrogen fixing bacteria between orange and brown color morphs of …

Langmuir Circulation In The Presence Of Lateral Density Gradients, Ke Li

Master's Theses and Capstones

Comparably little is known about the impact of lateral density gradients associated with, e.g., submesoscale fronts on Langmuir circulation in the ocean surface mixed layer. In this investigation, two-dimensional pseudospectral numerical simulations of the laterally stratified Craik--Leibovich (CL) equations are performed to elucidate the effect of an imposed horizontal density gradient on Langmuir cells. The dominant instability mode is found to consist of counter-rotating cells with up- and downwelling jets inclined to the vertical. Linear stability analysis confirms that, although no instability occurs in the absence of the CL vortex torque, the dominant instability mode exhibits growth rates exceeding those …

Evaluating Sampling-Induced Stress In Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua), Travis S. Ford

Master's Theses and Capstones

Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, have historically been regarded as one of the most commercially and recreationally important fishes in the Gulf of Maine. All fish involved in fishing and aquaculture are subject to stress, indicated by elevated plasma cortisol concentrations. Given the amount of research conducted on Atlantic cod, stress, and cortisol, little has been done to compare different blood sampling methods and the effects they might have on plasma cortisol concentrations, particularly in adult fish. This study examined three different methods of repeated blood sampling (standard handling caudal vessel puncture, reduced handling caudal vessel puncture, and cannulation) in Atlantic …

Phenotypic Characterization Of Palmitoyltransferase Mutants Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Ulkucan Kaplan

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study seeks to understand the effects of loss of palmitoylation catalyzed by PAT14 on the phenotype of Arabidopsis thaliana. In this project, I focused on two T-DNA insertion mutants of the PAT14 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana: pat14-1 and pat14-2. PAT14 is one of 23 PAT genes encoding palmitoyltransferase (PAT) proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. PAT proteins are responsible for palmitoylation, one of several cellular mechanisms to modify proteins by lipidation. The purpose of this research was to describe the effect of T-DNA insertion mutations in the PAT14 gene on the phenotype of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Characterization of palmitoyltransferase mutants of …

Microbial Interactions With Oysters From The Great Bay Estuary: Characterization Of Endemic Vibrio Choleraeand Oyster Metagenetics, Brian Michael Schuster

Master's Theses and Capstones

Within the last two decades the number of gastroenteritis seafood-borne outbreaks due to Vibrio species has increased. These infections are usually caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish. I took two approaches to describe the ecology of Vibrios in the Great Bay Estuary, Durham, New Hampshire. First, I performed a phenotypic and multi-locus sequence analysis of 31 V. cholerae strains isolated from oysters, water and sediment in 2008 and 2009. I concluded that the V. cholerae population is endemic, diverse and highly recombinatory, but none of the isolates contain the virulence markers indicative of clinical strains. Next, I …

The Impact Of Sensory Stimuli On The Stress Response Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Noelle Schreiber

Master's Theses and Capstones

This is a multiple subject research study looking at children with ASD (N=8) and a control group (N=6). We looked at cortisol samples along with behavioral observations on a sensory probe and short sensory profile scores to determine differences among the groups. All children showed a change in cortisol over the course of the day however, there was no difference seen in patterns by group. There was a high likelihood based on statistical analysis that children with ASD respond negatively to at least five out of the eight sensory probe items. Short sensory profile scores also showed that there was …

Trivalent Metal Complexation Of Pendant-Armed Cross-Bridged Cyclams, Han Wang

Master's Theses and Capstones

Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive compounds which are used in radiotherapy or diagnosis. They have attracted a great deal of attention over the last decades for molecular imaging. Coordination chemistry also plays an important role in designing metal-based radiopharmaceuticals. A novel class of tetraazamacrocycle ligands where two non-adjacent nitrogens are bridged by an ethylene cross-bridge show good thermodynamic stability and high kinetic inertness in their metal complexes. Seven trivalent metal (Y3+, La3+, Ga3+, In3+) complexes of cross-bridged ligands have been synthesized and characterized. Two vanadyl complexes were prepared as well. All metal complexations have been investigated under microwave-assisted conditions. Both Ga-CB-TE2P and …

The Influence Of Stocking Density And Acoustic Conditioning On The Behavior And Growth Of Atlantic Cod, Gadus Morhua, Daniel Ward

Master's Theses and Capstones

The goal of experiment one (Chapter One) was to determine if stocking density had an influence of the swimming behavior and spatial distribution of adult cod that were being raised in an aquaculture cage at the University of New Hampshire's Coastal Marine Laboratory. Acoustic telemetry and underwater video were used to quantify the behavior and distribution of cod that were stocked at four densities (5, 10, 25 and 45 kg/m³). At the lowest density (5 kg/m³) cod remained deep in the cage and spent 64.3 +/- 0.8% of their time below 1.80m (of a 2.70m cage). This contrasts to the …

Evaluation Of Post Harvest Conditions Contributing To Attacks By The Red Turpentine Beetle, Dendroctonus Valens Leconte At The Massabesic Experimental Forest In Southern Maine, Garret D. Dubois

Master's Theses and Capstones

Silvicultural management of Pinus strobus L. runs the risk of damaging residual trees and can increase the probability of attack from damaging insects, including the common bark beetle Dendroctonus valens Le Conte. Considered a secondary pest, it is possible that D. valens is capable of economic impacts such as the downgrading of logs and lumber due to defect and blue-stain. To assess post harvest conditions that contribute to the probability and severity of D. valens attacks in Pinus strobus, stand and tree characteristics were sampled in four silvicultural treatments and one control site in southern Maine. Results showed that clearcuts …