Algae can be used in a variety of wastewater systems to capture nutrients while fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. I conducted field trials at three locations in Oregon with both corn and potato crops to assess the agronomic value and environmental impact of using the resulting algal biomass as...
In order to better predict the aggregation state of nanomaterials, the factors that influence aggregation must be understood. The combined effects of natural and engineered coatings have been shown to factor into nanoparticle aggregation behavior in preliminary research. In this study, aggregation behaviors of gold nanoparticles with two different engineered...
Anaerobic co-digestion of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) for increased methane (CH4)
production has been of increasing interest to municipal wastewater treatment plants
(WWTP) due to the potential economic benefit of using the produced biogas for
cogeneration of energy. FOG loading increase must be done carefully to mitigate the
risk...
Water is one of the most biologically and economically important substances on Earth. A significant portion of Earth's water subsists in the subsurface. Our ability to monitor the flow and transport of water and other fluids through this unseen environment is crucial for a myriad of reasons.
One difficulty we...
In recent decades the habitat of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) has expanded from boreal forests into pan-Arctic tundra ecosystems. It is unknown how the advance of beavers into Arctic watersheds will impact microbial communities responsible for the mineralization of organic matter (OM), which has implications for carbon cycling. To...
Adult development and social experiences are intertwined, which has implications for social policy, health, and well-being across the lifespan. This dissertation explores the benefit and risk that close social partners bring to adults' lives, and the efficacy and consequences of engaging social resources to maintain well-being in the face of...
Identifying effective strategies for increasing access to quality care for children from low-income families has important implications for society. This study examined the effectiveness of expanding child care assistance for low-income families (capping expenses at 10% of income and raising eligibility to 200% of the federal poverty line) to purchase...
Suspensory apparatus breakdown and hyperextension of the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints is a common condition in the llama and has been observed in llamas of all ages. Llama breeders refer to the condition as "down in the pasterns" or "down in the fetlocks." The condition can result in debilitating...
Algae have shown great potential as a source for renewable fuels. However, current production schemes have not been able to prove a sustainable energy return on investment due in part to the high costs of nutrient addition and the energy required for drying the biomass. Integrated algae-dairy production systems have...
The secondary structure of a 16S rRNA molecule is a graphical, two dimensional representation used by molecular biologists in determining evolutionary relationships between different organisms. By comparing two secondary structures, scientists can obtain knowledge of how 'related' one species of bacteria may be to another species [OLSE 1986]. To date,...