Cellulosic ethanol production for transportation fuel is one source to help satisfy the increasing worldwide demand for energy and depletion of the fossil fuel supply. Evaluating potential production from plants and waste in Oregon, Washington and Idaho is the purpose of this study. Reed Canary grass, Annual Ryegrass, wheat straw,...
As human exploration of space continues, eventually sights will be set on establishing a permanent manned habitat on the surface of Mars. The success of such a base will depend on many new and developing technologies. Low mass and high energy density power production units will be of paramount importance....
Real-time, high efficiency neutron spectroscopy has, historically, been a persistent challenge in the field of radiation detection and, for the most part, has gone unsolved. The most promising method to resolve this challenge, is the boron-capture technique using an organic scintillation system (BC-523a). Detectors that utilize this method possess an...
The benefits of physical activity (PA) are well established (USDDHS, 2008). Concern over the high rate of childhood obesity, however, has highlighted the emphasis of PA. Yet, children and adolescents are not obtaining the recommended amount of PA (CDC, 2011). Physical education (PE) has been recognized as an important source...
Fission product transport in a Gen. IV Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Plant utilizing vented fuel has been characterized using analytical and computational methods. The goal was to increase current understanding of fission product transport in helium-cooled GFRs using vented fuel and to provide a toolset for determining issues which may arise...
With the baby boomer cohort retiring and arguably having more time for outdoor recreation, coupled with population increases and government agencies encouraging people to recreate outdoors, areas such as state and national parks will likely continue seeing high visitation. It is imperative, therefore, for outdoor recreation managers and researchers to...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a contextual model for integrating lessons
from the LifeKnowledge curriculum into the agricultural science and technology (AST) course content. This was measured using the National FFA Organization’s online precept indicator which is part of the LifeKnowledge 3.0 curriculum. Ninth grade students at...
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are the primary owners of roadway infrastructure in the United States. Many of the employees of state DOTs work on roadway work sites, putting them at disproportionately higher risks of injury or fatality. A review of the literature determined that a combination of policies, standards,...
A 2014 Pew Research poll revealed large gaps between public opinion and scientific opinion over environmental and biomedical issues (Funk and Rainie). Similarly, a number of recent popular books have described a growing public mistrust in scientific expertise (Mooney; Storr; Specter). Why is it, then, that so much of the...
This dissertation investigates the effect of endogenous and exogenous events on firm behavior and performance. These are fundamental questions in economics. The contribution of this study is threefold. First, it provides estimates of the impact of mergers on railroad efficiency, which has important antitrust implications. Second, it provides new estimates...