Sedimentary records from the North Atlantic, instrumental in the development of modern paleo-geomagnetic concepts, show a highly variable field even during times of constant polarity. Yet, our understanding of how the magnetization is acquired in the sediments is poorly understood. Primary magnetizations preserved in deep-sea sediments are known to be...
Fungi are capable of growth on a wide variety of carbon sources, both living and dead. They can produce an arsenal of enzymes and transporters for harvesting sugars, polysaccharides, amino acids, lipids and micronutrients from their environments [1]. Within the nucleus of a cell, transcription factors (TF) control whether genes...
Sulfur is one of the six elements required during the early stages of the evolution of life, and enzymes involved in sulfur transfer and oxidation are increasingly being recognized as potential drug targets for antimicrobials as well as for therapies for cancer, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. Bacteria are able to...
Microscale reactors operate in sub millimeter space dimensions. Their small length scale enables process intensification of mass, heat and momentum transport that influence reaction rates. Hence it's possible to observe the true intrinsic reaction kinetics occurring for a set of reactions. In this work a novel microscale reactor for producing...
Passage of blood through a sorbent device for removal of bacteria and endotoxin by specific binding with immobilized, membrane-active, bactericidal peptides holds promise for treating severe blood infections. Peptide insertion in the target membrane and stable binding is desirable, while membrane disruption and release of degradation products to the circulating...
Biodiversity losses in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems are accelerating at a global scale and the most threatened vertebrate taxa are those associated with freshwater habitats. The causes of biodiversity losses are often complex and include synergistic effects of natural and human-induced stressors, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, urbanization,...
The concept of ecosystem services broadens perspectives on nature to include not only intrinsic value but also the utilitarian value it provides to society. Viewing nature through this lens informs our understanding of how particular ecological processes benefit different actors. In this research, I examine how water utilities in the...
Central Oregon's landscape is rich in dry forests prone to frequent wildfires. Climate change studies and improved modeling indicate this region could experience conditions that result in an increase in number and severity of wildfires. With the potential for increased environmental hazards, the nearby communities face potential risks and vulnerabilities...
Environmental sustainability and economic growth is at the forefront of international policy discussions. There is no question that climate change is happening, but also that countries all around the world aspire to continued economic growth. When it comes to climate change, scientists agree that increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in...
Methods for obtaining accurate, spatially explicit estimates of biomass density in tropical forests are required to reduce uncertainties in the global carbon cycle, and to support international climate agreements and emerging carbon markets. Three-dimensional (3-D) remote sensing techniques sensitive to the vertical structure of vegetation provide a unique opportunity for...
Over the past few decades, a primary focus has been on the negative health effects of not participating in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MPVA). Only recently has sedentary behavior been studied as a distinct and independent risk factor for adverse health outcomes. This dissertation sought to provide new insights into...
Forest management is rapidly undergoing a transformation from a discipline based on efficient commodity production to one for multiple uses, especially on federally managed land in the United States. This new management paradigm has challenged silviculturists to develop and adapt forest management techniques that can deal with increased demands. Using...
Doctoral training programs in counselor education require a dissertation, a capstone project in the academic training and development of graduate students seeking a PhD or an EdD. The dissertation is expected to contribute new knowledge to the profession through the researcher reporting the results of research. The counselor education literature...
Improving the understanding the relations of sustainability behaviors in manufacturing systems and actively engaging with manufacturers (especially SMEs) in sustainability efforts is key to the long-term success of U.S. industry and the natural environment. This study addresses this urgent need by establishing a systemic approach for the design of costing...
Community and technical colleges in the United States are experiencing an expansion of racial and ethnic diversity in students, faculty, and administrators. From 1996 to 2006, the number of Asian female college students increased 55.3%, from 13,184 to 20,477. The number of Asian male students increased 48.9%, from 9,731 to...
Quantification of macroscale transport phenomenon in microfluidic systems is important to many science and engineering disciplines. In part, this is because fully resolved solutions to microscale balance laws over large domains are out of reach with current computational technology. Additionally, engineers are most often interested in some upscaled quantity and...
Over the past twenty years, the national three-year graduation rate for community college students has ranged from 44% to roughly 31% in 2013 (NCES, 2013). As a way to address such low graduation rates, colleges have implemented a myriad of services and programs (i.e., tutoring, mentoring, etc.). Another intervention is...
Several dolphin species have global distributions. The extent of their radiation and limits to gene flow are presumably a product of oceanographic features both recent and historical, behavioral specializations and social organization. Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) are globally distributed in tropical and subtropical waters and are generally found in depths...
A Right-hook (RH) crash is a common type of bicycle-motor vehicle crash that occurs between a right-turning vehicle and through-moving bicycle at an intersection. At signalized intersections, RH crashes can occur at the onset of the green or during the latter portion of the green phase. In spite of the...
Two-phase flows in microtechnology based devices are purposefully present in multiphase reactors, phase separators, analytical devices and others. Two-phase flows can also be an undesirable side effect occurring during operation due to phase transitions or, more commonly, introduction of surrounding air through equipment gaps and with process feed. In both...