Successful ecosystem restoration requires an understanding of the ecological processes directing succession. One of the challenges in the semi-arid grasslands of western United States is replacement of native species by invasive annual grasses. Solutions to this problem require identifying and manipulating ecological processes that direct succession to favor desired vegetation....
Photobiological hydrogen production from live cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 encapsulated in silica gel was investigated. Hydrogen is a dense energy carrier with potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, provided a renewable and sustainable means of production can be achieved. Under certain conditions, Synechocystis sp. PCC...
Nitrosomonas europaea (ATCC19718) participates in the biological removal of nitrogen from wastewater by oxidizing ammonia to nitrite, the first step in nitrification. This bacterium is sensitive to heavy metals (Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺) and cyanide, compounds commonly encountered in wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, we characterized physiological and transcriptional responses...
Recent efforts show that microchannel technologies have much to offer the field of nanomanufacturing: the structuring of matter on the order of one billionth of a meter. During the synthesis of nanomaterials, microchannel reactors take advantage of large surface-to-volume ratios to accelerate heat and mass transport. This accelerated transport allows...
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Brian K. Paul
Recent efforts show that microchannel technologies have much to offer the
Currently, the temporal arc distribution across the ingot during the vacuum arc remelting (VAR) process is not a known or monitored parameter. It is has previously been shown that arcs can spatially constrict during VAR, and this constriction can lead to undesired defects in the material. Additionally, correct accounting for...
Magmatic processes control the chemical compositions of all lavas erupted at
mid-ocean ridges. In this thesis, I present studies of magmatic processes on three
different mid-ocean ridges to determine which processes are in action and to what extent
each has affected the chemistry of mid-ocean ridge basalts at each location....
Crossmatings were accomplished among three semi-closed lines within a population of pigs, for the purpose of investigating effects of crossbreeding on reproductive traits. Two of the lines were purebred (Berkshire and Yorkshire); the third line ("Composite") consisted of descendants from inter se matings among offspring of crosses of the Berkshire...
Biological plant invasions are diminishing the ecological integrity and function of ecosystems worldwide. A primary example of this is in the Great Basin of the United States, where invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae L. Nevski), are dominating many sagebrush-steppe ecosystems. In these invaded...
Reforesting harvested lands in southwestern Oregon has been
difficult because of low rainfall, high evaporative demand, and
competitive understory vegetation. Herbicides have been a preferred
method to control competing vegetation but herbicide use on federal
lands was curtailed in 1984. As a result, interest in livestock
grazing as a vegetation...
