Emerging applications for robotic data collection include ocean monitoring, emergency response and urban search and rescue. At the core of these applications is a robot's ability to make informed decisions on incomplete data. This dissertation addresses this problem by developing novel techniques for modeling and estimating structured environments using deep...
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...
Fungi are the primary biological agents of wood deterioration and cause major economic losses of wood products globally. Wood in outdoor applications tends to remain wet for extended time periods, making it susceptible to fungal attack. Understanding the factors involved in fungal colonization of wood is important for developing improved...
Due to its frequent use in agriculture and its frequent detection in surface water,
atrazine was chosen as a model compound to study the treatment capability of a surface flow wetland used to remediate irrigation runoff at a container nursery near Portland, Oregon. Further evaluation of treatment of atrazine was...
Glioblastoma, which occurs in adults primarily between ages of 40 to 70 years and accounts for 15% of all brain tumors, is a devastating diagnosis with a median survival rate of less than a year. Invasiveness of glioblastoma cells significantly reduces the effectiveness of current treatments, highlighting the importance of...
The dominant controls on flow generation in steep, forested hillslopes are poorly understood. This dissertation examined the dominant flow processes operating at the hillslope scale, using a combined macroscale measurement and model development and analysis framework. Irrigation experiments at two steep forested hillslopes were conducted to isolate individual hillslope flow...
Throughout a large portion of our planet, malaria has been nearly eradicated or reduced to levels that are highly manageable, and many countries possess the means to effectively treat the disease. However, many areas of the world, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, are still heavily burdened by malaria....
Untreated wood is inherently hygroscopic and moisture content variations can have substantial effects on dimensional stability leading to the development of deep surface checks that further enhance moisture uptake and ultimately encourage deterioration. The horizontal exposure of wood crossties makes water repellency and dimensional stability particularly important in railroad applications....