Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Retail Display Conditions On Ground Beef Quality And Palatability, Sarah Lynn Shoup

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of these studies were to evaluate the impact of retail display case type and muscle type on meat quality attributes, including color, lipid oxidation, texture, and volatile compound profiles, as well as to assess economic implications based on retail color degradation. Case type effects were further evaluated by considering environmental factors such as temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity and their influence on the shelf life of beef patties. An economic analysis was also conducted to estimate the value of patties based on a* (redness) scores at different points during retail display. In Study 1, differences in L* …

Hepatic Lipid Metabolism Of High And Low Water-Efficient Broiler Lines Under Heat Stress, Maria Fernandez Cuadrado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress (HS) is one of the most critical environmental challenges negatively impacting global poultry production, significantly compromising broiler performance, welfare, and economic viability. Specifically, heat stress profoundly disrupts physiological and metabolic processes, including hepatic lipid metabolism. Two broiler lines were divergently selected for high (HWE) or low (LWE) water efficiency. Heat-stressed HWE birds showed reduced fat content compared to their LWE counterparts, and HS reduced abdominal fat content in both lines. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this divergent fat content between the lines. Day-old chicks were placed in …

A Multicomponent Microneedle Patch For The Delivery Of Meloxicam For Veterinary Applications, Katherine Alejandra Miranda Munoz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Veterinary medicine requires innovative drug delivery strategies to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing stress and handling. This dissertation explores the development and application of biodegradable microneedle patches for the transdermal delivery of meloxicam in livestock, offering a minimally invasive alternative to traditional administration methods. The research investigates the fabrication and characterization of microneedles using polyvinyl alcohol, collagen, and chitosan blends, demonstrating their mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and ability to facilitate sustained drug release. In vitro and in vivo evaluations confirm effective skin penetration, dissolution, and localized drug delivery. Pharmacokinetic studies highlight anatomical site-dependent variations in drug absorption, emphasizing the need for …

Impact Of Lighting Wavelength On Broiler Behavior, Health, And Performance, Angela Perretti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lighting influences broiler production, health, and behavior. Due to their advanced visual system, avian species perceive a wide spectrum of light. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of white (W, 350 to 780 nm) blue (B, 450 nm), and green (G, 560 nm) light on broiler production, processing performance, activity, fear, stress, blood cell profiles, tibiotarsi (tibia) morphology, and depth perception. Day-of-hatch by-product chicks from a Cobb 500 female line (N=600) were randomly assigned to 12 pens (N=4 treatment replicates). Body weight and feed consumption were recorded on day (D) 0, 14, 28, and 41, and …

Multivariate Optical Imaging Of The Oxygen-Metabolism Axis, Jesse D. Ivers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic reprogramming is a characteristic hallmark of multiple pathologies and promotes disease progression, survival, and severity. Current methods to investigate metabolic reprogramming, however, require reductions of dimensionality both because of instrumentation limitations and analysis tools. This work aims to define a blueprint for high dimensional study of the oxygen metabolism axis to enable more sensitive study metabolic reprogramming. We hypothesized (1) multivariate imaging of metabolic and oxygenation metrics in ex vivo tissue sections would elucidate differences in resistant and sensitive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) xenografts that traditional uni-variate methods miss and (2) an engineered hyperspectral darkfield microscopy …

Automated Chick Sexing Using Computer Vision, Marta Veganzones Rodriguez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents two complementary approaches to chick sexing, a critical task in poultry production that demands accurate and early gender identification. By investigating both facial and vent-based modalities, we present two complementary methods that aim to improve the efficiency, scalability, and ethical standards of gender classification in day-old chicks through the use of computer vision and deep learning. The first approach draws inspiration from human facial gender recognition to introduce facial chick sexing, a minimally invasive technique that eliminates the need for expert knowledge. This system encompasses a complete pipeline that includes image acquisition, facial detection and alignment, keypoint …

Polymer-Enhanced Nanopore Sensing, Eugene Gyasi Agyemang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The resistive pulse technique characterizes single analytes by detecting fluctuations in the ion current as they pass through a narrow orifice connecting two electrolyte-filled chambers, each containing a single electrode. The amplitude, shape, frequency, and duration of these fluctuations primarily provide information about the analyte’s size, shape, concentration, and net surface charge, respectively. One configuration for resistive pulse measurements is of an electrolyte-filled nanopipette immersed in a bath, where the nanopipette tip acts as the nanoscale orifice. It was previously shown that incorporating the large quantities polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG 8K, 50% w/v) into the external electrolyte bath dramatically enhanced …

Language Barriers In Accessing Healthcare Services For Refugees In The United States, Sadaf Khuram

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

Accessing healthcare is a pivotal aspect of refugees' integration into their host countries and significantly impacts their long-term health outcomes. The literature emphasizes the critical role of language proficiency in overcoming communication barriers within healthcare settings. This thesis, however, challenges the assumption that addressing language barriers alone is universally sufficient. It argues that the importance of language solutions is context-dependent, varying with the design of healthcare systems and the diverse needs and backgrounds of refugees. In some cases, focusing primarily on language barriers can divert resources from other critical areas, particularly when healthcare facilities have limited capacities or when services …

Service With A Smile Or Salesperson Mirroring? Understanding The Flow Of Emotional Contagion In Sales Encounters, Vinh Quoc Trong Luong

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This study examines the directionality of emotional contagion in sales interactions, addressing a critical gap in understanding whether emotions flow primarily from the salesperson to the customer, from the customer to the salesperson, or bidirectionally. While prior research emphasizes customer-driven emotional flow or bidirectional alignment, this study challenges these assumptions by employing categorical Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis (CRQA) to assess temporal emotional synchronization in sales dialogues. Leveraging automated sentiment analysis and multi-agent AI evaluation for performance metrics, the research analyzes 166 sales interactions to quantify emotional influence dynamics. Results reveal that salespeople predominantly lead emotional exchanges, exhibiting stronger and more stable …

Advancing Smart And Adaptive Living Spaces Through Design And Development Of Reconfigurable Multifunctional Robot Rooms, Nithesh Kumar

All Dissertations

This work explores and introduces prototype hardware for a new category of robots: ‘Robot Rooms’, in an effort to refine the concept of traditional smart spaces and human-robot interaction. Unlike traditional robots that tend to be compact and exist within a space, this new category of robots is designed to be expansive: they do not exist within a space but rather shape space around them. We present several design concepts for potential robotic elements of a Robot Room. We then develop and demonstrate, at full scale, a new and novel concept: a ‘slice’ of a Robot Room. This slice changes …

Designing Self-Healable Aromatic Copolymers And Olefinic Composites, Samruddhi Yashwant Gaikwad

All Dissertations

Self-healing polymers capable of recovering from mechanical damage are promising materials for advanced applications, especially those involving mechanical and/or physical fatigue. In these studies, we have developed techniques to achieve autonomous self-healing in commodity Styrene/n-butyl acrylate copolymers. The mechanism of self-healing in the designed polymers involves inter-and/or intrachain non-covalent interactions between π-cloud and polar linkages of acrylic nBA in random/preferentially alternating copolymers. A combination of spectroscopic tools, thermo-mechanical analysis, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations has been used to elucidate the mechanism of self-healing. These studies further show the incorporation of dipolar C-F groups to understand the effect of having fluorinated …

Like Footprints In The Sand: How Founders Imprint Organizational Culture Through Nonverbal Cue Signaling, Dirk M. Roskam

All Dissertations

Despite growing recognition of the significance of founders’ behaviors in shaping organizational culture, limited research has explored how founders’ non-verbal cues (NVCs) imprint culture during a venture’s formative stages. This qualitative case study examines how a founder’s NVCs, ranging from physical environment design to gestures and demeanor, are interpreted by employees and contribute to the imprinting of organizational culture. Drawing on imprinting theory, signaling theory, and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), the study triangulates data from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a literature review. Findings reveal that employees interpret 24 salient NVCs, grouped into themes of environmental values, people-centric …

The Intersection Of Makeup And Recreation: A 21st Century Overview Of Makeup Participation And Its Recreational Benefits, Jason Morgan

All Dissertations

This dissertation critically reconceptualizes makeup participation as a legitimate, multidimensional form of recreation. Through a comprehensive rapid review using the SPIDER framework of 102 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025, the research investigates whether and how makeup fulfills the psychological, affective, and symbolic criteria of meaningful leisure. Drawing on the Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP) and broader recreation theory, the study positions makeup not merely as aesthetic behavior or consumer habit, but as a sustained, emotionally generative practice embedded in identity, creativity, personal growth, and well-being.

Findings reveal that makeup is consistently linked to confidence-building, emotional regulation, self-expression, and psychological …

Evolutionary Biomechanics In Cetartiodactyla: Impacts Of Ecological Shifts On Bone Material Properties And Control Surface Morphology, Danielle S. Adams

All Dissertations

Extreme ecological transitions expose organisms to novel selective pressures that can reshape morphology and performance. This dissertation investigates how the transition from land to water has influenced form and material properties in cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), a clade that has undergone dramatic morphological and physiological adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle. I integrate comparative morphology, material property testing, and phylogenetic analyses, to explore how ecological demands, particularly related to foraging mode and prey detection, have shaped multiple aspects of cetacean morphology and function. Using nanoindentation and microCT, I measured elastic modulus and bone density of the skull and mandible …

Distribution, Roles And Environmental Drivers Of Bacterial Communities In The Chesapeake And Delaware Bays, Mir Alvee Ahmed

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, water samples from the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay estuaries were analyzed to see how estuarine environmental gradients drive distributions, functional potential, growth estimates and gene expressions of bacteria. To answer this, the abundant and versatile taxa– Rhodobacterales and Actinobacteriota, along with broader particle-attached (PA) vs. free-living (FL) bacterial assemblages of these Bays were analyzed using a multifaceted ‘omics approach.

The PA fraction, differing from the FL in taxonomy, distribution, functional potential and estimated growth rates across salinities, and bays harbored genes degrading complex aggregates, and surface attachment. The FL counterpart presented genes involved in nutrient uptake …

Factors Influencing Swift Fox Reintroduction Success To Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana, Dana Nelson

All Dissertations

Reintroductions are an important conservation tool for reestablishing wildlife populations, and studying the factors influencing reintroduction outcomes is important to improving success rates over time. Swift fox are a small canid native to the short- and mixed grass prairies of western North America that have experienced severe population declines due to habitat loss and poisoning in the late 1800s. While swift fox now occupy approximately 40% of their historic range, reintroduction to northern Montana may promote the species’ long-term persistence, encourage connectivity in an existing range gap, and return species to areas where it is culturally significant. We studied the …

A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Of The Social Studies Academy In South Carolina Middle Schools, Audie Cherry

All Dissertations

There is a global labor shortage in the agricultural industry and middle school is a critical time to get students serious about career decision making. The Studies of Occupations, Culture, and Innovations toward Agricultural Literacy (SOCIAL) Studies Academy is a high impact professional development program in South Carolina that provides experiences and for middle school social studies teachers (N = 12) to become more suited to teach their standards associated with the agricultural sciences with hopes of encouraging more students to pursue agricultural careers. This study was a mixed-methods convergent parallel design that examined 1) Academy Fellows (n = 4) …

Cultural And Socioeconomic Determinants Of Hip And Knee Arthroplasty In The Medically Underserved Rio Grande Valley Community, Blake C. Martin, Juan C. Lopez Alvarenga, John M. Gaddis

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: Joint arthroplasty is a common procedure that is increasing worldwide. In this study, we aimed to discover if there were differences in demographics and social factors associated with individuals undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). We hypothesized that older individuals and those with higher body mass index (BMI) would have an increased risk of TKA.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review using the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley UTHealth electronic database from January 1, 2018, to July 1, 2024. Individuals were selected using Current Procedural Terminology codes …

Behind The Trend: An Examination Of Primate Content On Tiktok, Kelsie K. Strong, Lilith A. Frakes, Jessica A. Mayhew, Chelsea J. Thompson, Caroline P. Ratliff

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social media platforms today are teeming with images of wildlife as pets, and studies have emerged investigating the role social media plays on the public's perception of primates and their desirability as pets. This study explores the presentation of nonhuman primates and video engagement, defined as user interactions through likes, comments, shares, and views, on the social media platform TikTok. We examined 1378 videos from 173 different TikTok content creators sharing primate videos. Most content depicted primates within a household (43.1%), indicating they are often shown in the context of being pets. This is cause for concern because the portrayal …

Spatial Distributions And Occupancy Dynamics Of Carnivores In A Central Hardwood Forest, Maximillian Larreur

Dissertations

Extirpation of apex predators, caused primarily by anthropogenic alterations to natural environments and persecution, has led to mesocarnivore release in these areas. Mesocarnivore release is an ecological phenomenon in which mesocarnivores thrive in the absence of apex predator dominance within the carnivore hierarchy. Mesopredators fill this dominant role on the landscape as de facto apex predators, however, this can lead to changes in inter-guild species space use, predator-prey dynamics, activity patterns, and interspecific competition. Understanding patterns in wildlife spatial distributions, which indicate variability in habitat space use across spatiotemporal scales, is critical for developing effective management and conservation plans and …

Economic Analysis Of The Impact Of Development Programs On Buffalo Milk Producers In The Marshes Of Iraq As A Model, Mowj M. Nadhim, Osama K. Jabara, Mohammed J. Abdulradh

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The research examined the impact of development programs on local buffalo milk ‎producers in the marsh areas of Iraq, focusing on productivity levels and residents' living ‎standards. Data was collected from 200 producers in the governorates of Dhi-Qar, Maysan, ‎and Basra, all participating in the development program. ‎ The research assumed that the introduction of modern technologies and the provision ‎of production requirements by international organizations or government initiatives would ‎enhance the production levels and productivity of the rural population. Consequently, this ‎improvement may reflect their standard of living and strengthen their connection to the ‎land, thereby reducing migration. These …

Technical Study And Conservation Treatment Of A Painted Wooden Figure, Attributed As An 18th-Century American Sternboard, Sutton Hastman

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This study focuses on the investigation of an object owned by the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) that was cataloged as an 18th -century American sternboard. The MAG shared concerns regarding the object’s provenance and whether the object was correctly identified. Technical analysis, including multimodal photography, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and wood identification, was conducted to inform the museum on the fabrication of the object and on its material components. The information collected was examined alongside historical research regarding the authenticity of the provenance, aiming to better understand the nature of the …

Supplementing Tannins To Increase Performance And Reduce Methane Emissions In Cows Grazing On Western Grasslands, Horacio Pedro Blanchard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Cattle grazing on U.S. rangelands often rely on a limited diet made up mostly of grasses. As the seasons change from spring to fall, the nutritional quality of these grasses declines, leading to less efficient digestion and higher production of methane—a potent greenhouse gas. In addition, most grass-based pastures lack beneficial plant compounds, such as tannins.

This study explored whether adding natural tannins—specifically, condensed and hydrolyzable tannins from quebracho and chestnut trees—to the diet of grazing cattle could improve how the use efficiency of nutrients and reducing methane emissions from cattle. Over two years, 24 cow-calf pairs grazed in small …

Evaluation Of Novel Biomarkers As Predictive Measures Of Mastitis – Establishing A Relationship With Health Status, Lamb Performance, And Determination Of Prevalence Of Mastitis In Ewes Under Intensive Management, Courtney Berghoff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Inflammation of the mammary gland, also known as mastitis, is a prevalent and financially impactful disease in sheep production. The objectives of this survey were to 1) evaluate current testing methods: somatic cell count (SCC), California Mastitis Test (CMT), and bacterial culture, as well as novel biomarkers: lamb performance, milk composition, and udder conformation, for their impact on ewes categorized as clinically healthy or unhealthy under intensive management systems at 15 days in milk (DIM) and 30 DIM, and 2) identify biological markers that are correlated with clinical and subclinical mastitis. Milk, blood, and fecal samples, a visual and physical …

Farmers’ Perceptions About Drivers Of Poverty: A Case Study Of Cocoa Farmers In Ghana, Felix Agyei Boamah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cocoa farmers in Ghana face numerous challenges that undermine their incomes and living standards, including high labor costs, fluctuating cocoa prices, high cost and limited access to inputs, lack of credit, illegal mining, weather risks, small farm sizes, outdated farming and drying technologies, and inadequate extension services. These issues reduce productivity, lower incomes, and perpetuate poverty. This study examined farmers’ perceptions about the importance of these challenges and assessed possible differences across regions and farm households’ socioeconomic status. In the summer of 2024, data were collected from 400 cocoa farmers in major cocoa-producing areas of Ghana’s Eastern and Ashanti regions. …

A Systematic Review Of School-Based Behavioral Interventions And The Symbolic Labor Of Inclusion For Children With Chronic Illness, Efthymia Efthymiou, Dimitra V. Katsarou, Maria Sofologi, Kalliopi Megari, Soultana Papadopoulou, Evangelos Mantsos, Salma Daiban

All Works

Background: Chronic illness affects children’s health and disrupts the spatial and temporal aspects of schooling by complicating attendance, interrupting learning routines, and exposing institutional rigidity. While many educational systems treat chronicity as an exception to be managed, this review reconceptualizes it as a pedagogical and symbolic challenge to normative assumptions about inclusion, care, and participation. Objective: To systematically examine how school-based behavioral and psychosocial interventions support children and adolescents with chronic health conditions (CHCs) in inclusive educational settings and to analyze what these interventions reveal about institutional practices of care and recognition. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a …

From Waste To Solution: Modeling And Characterization Of Grape Seed Bio-Waste For Phosphate Removal From Wastewater, Abeer Al-Bsoul, Zakaria Al-Qodah, Muhammad Tawalbeh, Khalid Bani-Melhem, Khalideh Al Bkoor Alrawashdeh, Mohammad Hailat, Ahmed A. Al-Taani, Eid Gul

All Works

In this study, particles of ground grape seeds were utilized to adsorb phosphate ions from a prepared solution, aiming to reduce phosphate concentration. Through a series of adsorption experiments, the effects of the adsorbent concentration, initial phosphate ion concentration, temperature, and pH on the phosphate ion uptake were studied. The removal efficiency of the phosphate ion decreased from 77 to 61% as a 25 to 45 °C increment in temperature was observed, which indicated the exothermicity in the adsorption process. The phosphate ion movement onto the adsorbent surface that exhibited the highest uptake value favored a neutral reaction environment with …

Camping And Pass Order Form, Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Fairentry Registration Help Sheet, Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence Integration And Teachers' Self-Efficacy In Physics Classrooms, Fouad Yehya, Areej Elsayary, Ghadah Al Murshidi, Ahmed Al Zaabi

All Works

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), in its vision 2021 and the UAE centennial 2071 plan, highlights the essential role of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in shaping a knowledge-based, future-ready society. This study explores the integration of AI in physics classrooms, focusing on secondary education in the UAE. It also investigates the perceptions and self-efficacy of physics teachers regarding the use of AI tools in classroom settings. A qualitative research design was employed to gather in-depth insights from 15 physics teachers across schools in Sharjah, assessing their confidence and readiness for AI integration through the lens of the attitude and …