Interest in measuring soil quality continues to increase worldwide in view of demands on land productivity and the necessity to preserve soil resources, yet identification of suitable indicators for soil quality assessment is still evolving. This study adapted 10 biological, physical, and chemical indicators of soil quality identified by the...
We construct a website to explain how Gaussian mixture models can be optimized using the expectation maximization algorithm. Previous free, online material on this process has been extremely limited. All sources surveyed failed to entirely describe our identified criteria for an in-depth description and useful visualizations. After surveying a variety...
This thesis analyzes the emerging technology of hydraulic fracturing and shale gas extraction process through a pluralistic philosophical approach. Rather than defending traditional values in nature, such as intrinsic value, I defend a metaphilosophical pragmatism centered on policy implications. I argue that different philosophical positions will, most of the time,...
This thesis explores some of the ethical issues pertaining to the use of so-called radical enhancement technology. Key concepts analyzed include “normal function”, “human being”, and “personhood.” I argue that the use of these key concepts in the debate thus far has lacked philosophical rigor, and that a reexamination of...
Wastewater epidemiology is an emerging discipline that requires collaborative research involving analytical chemists, drug epidemiologists, and wastewater engineers. Wastewater epidemiology involves the sampling and quantitative analysis of raw wastewaters from communities for illicit drugs and their metabolites. Mass loads (mass per day) and per capita (mg per day per person)...
A sensitive, selective, rapid analytical method based on large-volume injection (LVI)
liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry was developed using
commercially-available hardware that eliminates the need for either off-line or on-line
solid phase extraction. Centrifugation followed by the direct injection of 1,800 µL
was used for the quantification of illicit drugs,...
The Arctic climate system is changing dramatically as a response to rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Key indicators of Arctic change include thinning and retreating of Arctic pack ice, thawing permafrost, greening tundra, and rising surface temperatures. The structure of the atmospheric boundary layer influences and is influenced by processes...
The effects of wind forcing on coastal ocean circulation are studied using a
numerical modeling approach. The first region of interest is on the North Carolina
shelf, where the Coastal Ocean Processes (CoOP) Inner Shelf Study (ISS) took place
during August - November 1994. ISS observations are used to initialize,...
I defend robust realism from arguments that raise epistemological challenges to it based on considerations about either moral disagreement or the genealogy of our moral beliefs. The first argument is the “Argument from Conciliationism,” which contends that the moral disagreements that obtain between moral peers give us reason to believe...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging chemical class of concern. Recently in the United States, Health Advisory Limits for two PFAS in drinking water were established for perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in drinking water (set to 70 ng/L combine concentration) by the EPA. Because of PFAS mobility, persistence,...
The production of carbon and export to deep ocean sediments is linked to carbon partitioning between the ocean and atmosphere and is a key driver of climate change over the glacial-interglacial transition. Yet conflicting reconstructions create barriers to understanding changes to the carbon system over this important climate transition. Production...
Stable oxygen and stable carbon isotopes of foraminifera are widely applied in paleoceanographic reconstructions. Oxygen and carbon isotopes are typically measured using pooled sample analysis (i.e., the combination of several shells) or single-shell analysis (typically restricted to heavier shells that weigh above 10 µg). With pooled sample analysis, where many...
Marine heat waves are forecasted to increase in frequency and intensity under future climate scenarios, but little is known about the impact of these events on the one of the most commonly used proxies of ocean temperature - foraminiferal assemblages. This research explores the planktic foraminifera community along the Newport...
We present student perceptions of a new first-year engineering programming class that was designed by informed research practices. While the College of Engineering at Oregon State University saw a lot of major switching in the first year, there were not many students switching into computer science (CS). This could have...
This research was undertaken to develop a sensitive, selective, and rapid analytical method to measure ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) in urine as urinary biomarkers of alcohol exposure. Large-volume injection (LVI) coupled with liquid chromatography / electrospray tandem mass spectrometry was used to eliminate the need for either...
To determine the impact of emerging environmental contaminants on human and environmental health, quantitative analytical methods are required. Analysis of emerging contaminants is hampered by their widely varying physical-chemical properties. Therefore quantitative analytical methods must be developed to determine the behavior of emerging contaminants in environmental systems.
A quantitative analytical...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of anthropogenic compounds that are used ubiquitously in different industrial fields. However, concerns regarding the potential health impacts of PFAS, including perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids
(PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs), has raised stakeholder interest regarding continued use of PFAS. Analytical methods for PFAS...
My dissertation title is, “Applied economic strategies to evaluate policies and environmental outcomes: case studies from immigration and ecosystem services.” The first two chapters of this dissertation concern the relationship between local immigration policies and societal welfare. The third chapter examines the impact of human activity on the environment and...
It is the responsibility of humans, as environmental stewards, to monitor our impact on the environment so that efforts can be made to remediate the effects of our actions and change behaviors. To better understand our environmental footprint, sensitive and simple analytical methods are needed to quantify the contaminants that...
In computer science, learning abstract fundamental programming concepts requiring students to understand memory management can be very difficult and lead to misunderstandings that carry on into advanced topics. This is especially true in data structures with abstract data types. Understanding how novice students think and reason about data structures is...
Beginning with the inception of American art history as a formal discipline in the 1940s, the dominant mode of interpreting nineteenth-century American landscape painting has been to view aspects of the landscape as symbols for grand cultural, religious, national, and moral narratives. While this method of interpretation highlights some key...
An Ls-isocitrate:NADP oxidoreductase has been isolated and
purified from embryonic chicken liver. The enzyme was purified
200 fold by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration
chromatography on Sephadex G-200, ion-exchange chromatography
on Bio-Gel CM-100 and adsorption chromatography on hydroxylapatite
gel.
The purified enzyme was nearly homogeneous as determined
from...
Salmon and other anadromous fish are consumed by vertebrates with distinct
life history strategies to capitalize on this ephemeral pulse of resource availability.
Depending on the timing of salmon arrival, this resource may be in surplus to
the needs of vertebrate consumers if, for instance, their populations are limited
by...
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of the paper.
• Jennifer M. Allen performed the experiments, reviewed drafts of the paper
Salmon and other anadromous fish are consumed by vertebrates with distinct
life history strategies to capitalize on this ephemeral pulse of resource availability.
Depending on the timing of salmon arrival, this resource may be in surplus to
the needs of vertebrate consumers if, for instance, their populations are limited
by...
Salmon and other anadromous fish are consumed by vertebrates with distinct
life history strategies to capitalize on this ephemeral pulse of resource availability.
Depending on the timing of salmon arrival, this resource may be in surplus to
the needs of vertebrate consumers if, for instance, their populations are limited
by...
Salmon and other anadromous fish are consumed by vertebrates with distinct
life history strategies to capitalize on this ephemeral pulse of resource availability.
Depending on the timing of salmon arrival, this resource may be in surplus to
the needs of vertebrate consumers if, for instance, their populations are limited
by...
Salmon and other anadromous fish are consumed by vertebrates with distinct life history strategies to capitalize on this ephemeral pulse of resource availability. Depending on the timing of salmon arrival, this resource may be in surplus to the needs of vertebrate consumers if, for instance, their populations are limited by...
Crown gall disease is an agricultural problem caused by the soil-borne bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A. tumefaciens oncogenes cause transformed plant cells to overproduce the hormones, auxin and cytokinin. High hormone levels cause unorganized plant cell growth resulting in a gall. Control of crown gall disease is difficult because after plant...
Science is difficult for even its researchers to understand. Science journalists must understand scientific discoveries well enough to write clear, accurate explanations of scientific discoveries for laypeople. A sense of ethical judgment will help journalists ensure that their accounts are reliable and appropriate. Responsible science journalists will maintain a working...
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).
Arthur Allen, who covered thimerosal for the New York Times Magazine, wrote a response beginning with the
Museums, aquariums, and technology centers are informal learning environments that facilitate the understanding of scientific phenomena while supporting self-motivated learning. Families are a social group that frequently visits these sites. There are multiple opportunities for adults and children to engage in independent sense-making and collective discussion about their experiences with...
In arid and semi-arid deserts, soils are commonly covered with biological soil crusts. The
study of arid biocrusts and their ecological function has become increasingly common in
the literature over the last several decades. Interestingly, no mention is made of
biological soil crusts in forested ecosystems, raising the question as...
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a sagebrush obligate species, has contracted in extent by nearly half its original distribution. This is primarily due to habitat loss and degradation over the past 150 years. During winter, sage-grouse depend completely on sagebrush habitat for food and cover, yet sage-grouse winter ecology has been...
In this qualitative, phenomenological study I employed
oral history methodology, grounded in a life-span
developmental and feminist approach, to explore the
developmental importance of menarche in twenty older women's
"bodily histories." Menarche is an important developmental
event in the female life course because it represents a major
point of confluence...
The War Production Board issued limitation order 85 in April 1942 in order to conserve fabric and manpower needed for the war effort. The L-85 order froze the silhouette so no major style changes in women's wear would occur during the war. It is clear that on the one hand...
Pacific salmon are an integral part of ecosystems, industry, culture, and food source. Rapid declines and extirpation in many populations and species have caught the interest of environmentalists, scientists, recreational anglers, commercial fishers, general public, and economists. Billions of dollars have been spent to restore, return, improve, sustain dwindling populations...
An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary copper (Cu)
on Cu status and lipid metabolism in Holstein and Jersey cattle. Eight Jersey and8
Holstein cows in mid-lactation were blocked by days in milk (169 ± 37) and
assigned at random to one of two diets. Cows received...
Internal waves and tides are a dominant source of current variability, and they are intermittent and hard to predict. Internal waves can have significant variability in alongshore structure. However, previous studies on internal waves have focused primarily on their cross-shore structure and propagation. For example, while alongshore-propagating superinertial internal tides...
Large burrowing owl (Aihene cunicularia) populations exist in areas of intensive agriculture in California, and pesticide exposure has been identified as a potential threat to population persistence. I evaluated breeding season use of agricultural fields by adult male owls using radio telemetry, and examined egg contaminant residues to estimate population-level...
This research summarizes the cumulative efforts of in-depth research,
extensive participant observation, and archival analysis focused on Southern Oregon
lesbian lands. This community of womyn has persisted in rural Southern Oregon for
nearly 30 years. The intention of this study is to examine both the accumulation of
knowledge of issues...
Trichloroethene (TCE) is a common groundwater contaminant. Bioremediation, or the enhancement of natural microbial processes for the transformation of toxic compounds in soil and groundwater, is an effective solution to this widespread problem. The organisms that transform TCE in the subsurface are sensitive to environmental conditions, especially to the presence...
Behavioral studies of populations provide clues as to what influences their
movements and life history strategies. This is an area of study that has been
underutilized in research surrounding the declining western stock of Steller sea
lions, Eumet opias jubatus, particularly with regards to haulout behaviors. During
the time of...
Clean cooking technologies and fuels have been cited as a viable way to slow climate change and reduce the health and environmental impacts associated with traditional cooking devices used by 40% of the world. While engineers in the Design for Development sector have created hundreds of stove designs that perform...
The US bridal industry has grown over the last 80 years to become a multibillion
dollar industry. Surprisingly, little research has been conducted concerning
the consumer behavior of brides. The bride is in a situation where purchase
decisions need to be made. She has many things she will purchase over...
Self-regulation in early childhood encompasses higher-order executive function processes and lower-order emotional responses that enable children to navigate the classroom environment. Although self-regulation and executive functions are overlapping constructs, self-regulation represents a broad assessment of children’s ability to call upon executive function processes in order to meet contextual demands. Prior...
Forest harvest can have significant impacts on forest ecosystems that may influence the capacity of soils to sequester carbon (C). The microbial community controls decomposition, which is a critical process in partitioning litter- and root-C between CO₂ and storage in semi-permanent soil-C pools. The objectives of this study were to...
Human security is a framework related to the stability and sustainability of political, environmental, economical, and socio-cultural areas of concern. Water resources around the world are under increased pressure from increased development, growing populations, pollution, and global climate change. Large-scale dam development while still popular for political and economic development...
Volcanic and sedimentary deposits of the Mount Jefferson area (MJA) record a fourmillion-year
history of arc-related volcanism related to the subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate
beneath North America. 171 mapped stratigraphic units over an area of 150 km² reveal four
periods of volcanic activity resulting in diverse composition...
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ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF
Jennifer DiGiulio for the degree of Master of Science in Geology presented
This is an investigative, descriptive study that explored fishing regulation conflicts between commercial fishermen and fishery resource management agencies. The purpose of the study was to develop a rich picture of the conflict phenomenon and apply sociological theory in order to illuminate the underlying structures and functions which contribute to...
I developed a conceptual model of Douglas-fir bark beetle dynamics and associated host mortality across spatial and temporal scales. I proposed that a hierarchy of factors influence host resistance to attack at different spatial scales. I then tested this model by measuring the association between the occurrence of beetle-kill and...
This investigation is an exploration of the use of inherent optical properties towards further elucidation of coastal circulation processes occurring on the continental shelf and slope in the Middle Atlantic Bight, south of Cape Cod Massachusetts, during 14-Aug to 1-Sep 1996 and 25-Apr to 15-May 1997. Assessing the possibility of...
PURPOSE-Administrators of nursing homes are turning over at very high rates in the present industry. With the growth of older populations needing skilled nursing care, this presents a risk to the needs of the elderly. Satisfaction and turnover have been correlated in the literature. The purpose of this qualitative study...
The purpose of this study was to describe women's outdoor garments worn in Oregon from 1880 to 1920 to determine whether there were garment differences between the Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon. The question addressed was: can garment differences be explained by the different Oregon climates, geographic locations, and availability...
Use of the Internet for health information has been gaining popularity, and some studies suggest an increase in the use of online interactive peer-to-peer forums for seeking health information. Internet health information-seeking is especially popular among those with stigmatized conditions such as obesity, and negative healthcare experiences have been linked...
The human health effects of exposure to numerous single environmental contaminants have been well characterized. Yet, biomonitoring studies have detected multiple environmental chemicals in humans, highlighting the need to investigate the health effects of exposure to multiple environmental chemicals. Environmental data is highly complex, therefore current methods of defining environmental...
Woody riparian vegetation is an essential component of riparian ecosystems, responsible in part for the maintenance of functional ecological processes. The plant community composition and distribution provide an indication of the underlying mosaic of environmental attributes and processes. Restoration and management of riparian communities have been hindered by the lack...
To determine whether membrane-related events may be involved in
attenuated luteal function after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
administration, corpora lutea (CL) were removed from 10 beef heifers on day 7
of the estrous cycle after i.v. injection of GnRH or saline on day 2 of the cycle.
Luteal slices were incubated...
Geochemical characterization methods are commonly used in the reconstruction of prehistoric raw material use and procurement systems. Trace element studies of lithic source material and artifacts, specifically those made of obsidian, can reveal important information about the environmental and cultural factors which influence the prehistoric distribution of raw material. The...
This dissertation is situated as the third work in a series on academic women. In 1964,
Jessie Bernard published Academic Women, which provided a comprehensive
assessment of the status of women in academia. Two decades later, in 1987, Angela
Simeone offered insight into attempts to achieve equity for women in...
By researching aspects of the geology of Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) and
serving for two summers as a seasonal interpretive ranger, I have developed a training manual designed for fellow rangers. The descriptive nature of the manual, combined with its vivid illustrations, is designed to enable rangers of...
Sororities play an important role in the process by which sorority women become gendered by influencing members' ideas about what it means to be a woman. Women and men become gendered through regular social interaction with other women and men, and sororities have a particularly strong impact on their members...
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of theological
education on philosophy of human nature among Sunday school teachers in
the Church of the Nazarene. Research materials consisted of Wrightsman's
Philosophy of Human Nature scale and a demographic questionnaire
constructed by the researcher. These materials were mailed...
The genus Phytophthora comprises numerous plant pathogens in both natural and managed ecosystems. For Phytophthora spp. that infect roots, dispersal occurs in soil water through a combination of advection and swimming of specialized motile propagules (zoospores). Specific biological and physico-chemical processes, however, remain poorly understood, due to difficulties in studying...
Sea otters act as valuable indicators of ecosystem health and consume prey items that contain anthropogenic microparticles, including microplastics. Microplastic ingestion can exert a wide range of deleterious effects depending on the organism and plastic type. We investigated the ingestion of microparticles by wild sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Alaska...
Impact and relevance are valued by both plant pathologists and
the supporters of research and extension. Impact has been characterized
as the “So what?” of research results, and in applied research
in agriculture typically involves some change in human
behavior. This might involve, for instance, avoidance of broad
spectrum pesticides,...
Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) models are used to explore how physical processes influence the transport of particles (e.g., eggs, larvae, or propagules) in the ocean. On the Oregon continental shelf and slope, the Northern California Current System (CCS) is influenced by spatially and temporally variable coastal currents driven by weather,...
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a problem for coastal communities, the fishing industry, and coastal organisms. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. is a regularly occurring diatom in Oregon’s coastal waters. At times, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. can facultatively produce domoic acid, a neurotoxin that can bioaccumulate in the food chain. While regular shore-based sampling provides...
This thesis combines elements of forestry, interpersonal communication, and rhetoric to describe where residents of Coos Bay and North Bend Oregon obtain information about forests and forest uses, and how they view the credibility of that information. As a qualitative exploratory study, grounded theory methodology was used to develop theme...
In order to support first-year women in engineering, a program was designed to help their transition to college and promote connection with other women. The program focused on three main areas based in research: mentor matching with mentee input, regular formal meetings in small mentoring groups, and the formation of...
_____________________________________________________________________
Jennifer Parham-Mocello, Committee Member, representing College of Engineering
Scott
Bioremediation in the vadose zone is unpredictable because of poor understanding of factors influencing microbial growth in this environment. A lab-scale experimental system was developed to examine, noninvasively, interactions between microbial growth, water flow, and solute transport in unsaturated porous media. Measurements of microbial colonization, and its impact on hydrology,...
Adults with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) are overrepresented in the homeless population, and Oregon’s homeless population has expanded in recent years. In the 1950s, the mentally ill were moved out of the state hospitals and into the community. However, due to a lack of support services in the...
Despite low breast and cervical cancer screening levels among Hmong women in the U.S. reported in the literature, understanding of the barriers to screening for Hmong women is limited. Health literacy issues may influence screening behavior for this population. This qualitative study explored sources of information about breast and cervical...
During summer 2007, perennial sea ice in the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean, experienced an unprecedented amount of basal melt. It has previously been shown that this basal melt was linked to an increase in open-water fraction, increasing absorption of solar radiation into the ocean. GPS ice drifters, deployed around the...
This article presents the results of an exploratory study asking faculty in the first-year writing
program and instruction librarians about their research process focusing on results specifically
related to serendipity. Steps to prepare for serendipity are highlighted as well as a model for
incorporating serendipity into a first-year writing course.
Social networks and social capital can facilitate or constrain collaborative arrangements which can enhance resource governance and adaptability in complex social-ecological systems such as fisheries. Yet, the impact of ethnic diversity among resource users on social network capital in the context of resource governance has not been previously examined. To...
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of
Hawaii’s longline fishery
Michele Barnes-Mauthe*, Shawn Arita,
Stewart Allen, Steven
Toxin production by cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) in freshwater systems has lasting ecological and human impacts. Nutrients, light availability, hydrology, and microbial community composition impact the frequency and intensity of toxic cyanoHABs. Climate change will exacerbate toxic cyanoHABs, making real time and predictive monitoring a vital tool for managing...
Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host) infestations in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production regions of the central and western USA result in severe economic losses in the wheat market. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the vernalization requirements of winter wheat, spring wheat, jointed goatgrass, and wheat by...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may exert profound influences on ecosystem resilience and invasion resistance in western North American sagebrush steppe and other arid rangeland plant communities. Maintenance of plant community structure through ecological feedbacks such as facilitation of nutrient cycling and uptake by host plants, physical and chemical contributions to...
Surface water and groundwater are intimately connected by a two-way flux between the stream and the underlying aquifers; a complicated yet crucial relationship to represent in models. However, the National Water Model currently only considers a one-way flux, where groundwater can enter a stream but cannot return to the aquifer....
Understanding which factors motivate farmers to adopt certain practices is an important part of helping to solve many agri-environmental issues. This study uses 19 interviews with farmers along Oregon’s Willamette River, a statewide producer survey, and select interviews with organizations and agencies active in the farming community to examine the...
Sintering of nanoparticles to create films and patterns of functional materials is emerging as a key manufacturing process in applications like flexible electronics, solar cells and thin-film devices. Further, there is the emerging potential to use nanoparticle sintering to perform additive manufacturing as well. While the effect of nanoparticle size...
The anadromous Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) is a biologically and culturally important species native to the North Pacific Ocean and its adjacent freshwater tributaries. Pacific Lamprey have experienced declines in abundance and distribution throughout their native range, highlighting a need for further research on the species to better inform conservation...
Limited research has analyzed how the values espoused by Western alternative food systems, such as taste and territoriality, are adopted and refashioned in post-socialist societies. Muscovites now echo the global quality turn that reconnects consumers to their food sources. This research qualitatively explores the perspectives of the cosmopolitan consumers of...
Temperate coniferous forests, such as those that cover vast areas of the western US and Canada, have evolved to depend on cycles of disturbance for succession of species and overall ecosystem maintenance. Many of these forest systems are managed, often for timber production, where disturbances are of anthropogenic origin and...
This thesis explored the experiences of four Student Affairs practitioners working within Multicultural Affairs (MA). The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how professionals within MA offices were developing and conducting assessment as well as identify barriers they faced and best practices used. Data for this study was...
The effects of alfaxalone (A-HPCD), propofol (P), ketamine-diazepam (KD) and tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) administered IV in dogs on cardiovascular and respiratory systems, acid-base balance and electrolytes have been reported in the literature, but a study that compares IV TZ to the other induction protocols (IP) is needed. Six dogs enrolled in...
The following experiment presented herein compared growth, physiological, and reproductive responses of beef heifers with (MI) or without (CON) access to a creep-feeder, as a manner to stimulate metabolic imprinting while nursing their dams. On d 0 of the experiment, 60 Angus × Hereford heifers were ranked by initial BW...
The relationship between carbon burial and sedimentation in reservoirs is unknown, exposing gaps in our fundamental understanding of the transport, processing, and deposition of sediment and organic matter in fluvial and lacustrine systems and contributing to uncertainty in our understanding of the net impact of dams to the global carbon...
Hafnium Oxide thin films has had growing attention due hafnium oxide being used as a gate dielectric for MOSFET transistors and a potential next generation photoresist for sub 20 nm patterns. Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography has been identified as the primary candidate technology for generation of sub-20 nm patterns. Current...
Magnetic and gravity modelling was completed along two E-W transects offshore central Oregon. These models indicate that the backstop-forming western edge of the Siletz terrane has a seaward dip of approximately 40° to 49° at 44°48'N, shallowing to ~28° at 44°1 1 'N. This is a well-determined result, given available...
It is considered best practice when designing pedestrian access at intersections to provide two curb ramps at each street corner. In Oregon, there are many locations where long ramp runs cause curb ramps to be set back a significant distance from the apex of the intersection corner to meet this...
This thesis explores open questions regarding molecular forms and interactions of natural and synthetic aromatic compounds present in soils and sediments.
Plant biomass-derived black carbon (biochar) generated through incomplete natural and anthropogenic combustion processes is a major source of aromaticity in terrestrial ecosystems. Chapter one represents a detailed account of...
