Online survey data collection is becoming popular because it provides benefits in cost, ease of collecting and managing data, flexibility in format, and access to a diverse population. Surveys are often used for health studies such as Oregon State University’s WAVE Project, which utilizes the WavePipe system, a server enabling...
African-born population is one of the fastest growing group in the United States. Very little is known about their socio-demographic characteristics, health behavior practices and long-term health. The purpose of this study was to examine hypertension prevalence, health behavior practices and the impact socio-demographic factors have on these outcomes among...
Lignocellulosic biomass has potential as a renewable resource for global energy and bioproducts production. Biomass consists of three main polymers, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose is a homopolymer of glucose, while hemicellulose and lignin are heteropolymers. Lignin is primarily made of syringyl (S), guiacayl (G) and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) units. Pretreatment...
Rapid Arctic warming is associated with important water cycle changes: sea ice loss, increasing atmospheric humidity, permafrost thaw, and water-induced ecosystem changes. Understanding these complex modern processes is critical to interpreting past hydrologic changes preserved in paleoclimate records and predicting future Arctic changes. Cyclones are a prevalent Arctic feature and...
Honko Mangrove Conservation and Education is a Western non-governmental organization based in Madagascar that serves as a source of public science education and caters to diverse audiences. My thesis examines barriers of culture, language and epistemology that may constrain Honko’s ability to conduct effective public education, if they decide to...
Garden-based learning (GBL) with young people has long been viewed as an educational experience capable of teaching numerous types of science content including general science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as discipline specific areas such as biology, horticulture, agriculture and nutrition. However, much of the GBL literature focuses...
Crystal-rich (40-50 vol.%) intermediate lava has been the primary eruptive product of several recent hazardous eruptions: Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines (1991), Soufriere Hills, Montserrat (1995-present), and Unzen, Japan (1990-1995). Despite this association with such devastating eruptions, the formation, timing, and evacuation of such magma is not well understood: do such eruptions...
Rising human global population, appetite for seafood, and the effects of climate change have pushed commercial marine fisheries around the globe onto trajectories that are chillingly unsustainable. Input from fishermen on what it means to have a “sustainable fishery” is often absent or ignored. Some commercial fisheries are lauded for...
The sudden and unexpected death of a seemingly healthy infant sets in motion a number of linked processes with potentially complex and far-reaching ramifications. While individuals, families and communities grapple with the shock and heartbreak associated with the loss of a young life, a chain of multidisciplinary investigative responsibilities is...
Linkages between land use and its influence on the atmosphere have been a long-standing research area. For example, what is the impact of irrigated agriculture on downwind rainfall? Global-scale models show that moisture recycling is an important source of water for inland regions around the world, but they do not...