Background: Scientists rarely reuse expert knowledge of phylogeny, in spite of years of effort to assemble a great
“Tree of Life” (ToL). A notable exception involves the use of Phylomatic, which provides tools to generate custom
phylogenies from a large, pre-computed, expert phylogeny of plant taxa. This suggests great potential...
Currently, little work has been performed studying energy consumption in hop kilning. This thesis explores drying with an alternative drying schedule that extends the initially elevated drying temperature currently used by growers and examines its impact on drying time and energy use. Extending the time of the initially elevated drying...
Marine bivalves are globally recognized as ecologically and commercially valuable species and, for over a century, researchers have been studying their feeding, digestion and other related physiological processes. These studies have shown that marine bivalves have complex feeding and particle processing behaviors to maximize growth in dynamic environmental conditions. Additionally,...
Semi-volatile trace metals like Li, Cu, Mo, Sn, In, and Pb have the potential to track mobility of a volatile phase in volcanic systems. In this dissertation four studies are presented that either directly investigate or are motivated by observations of trace metal behavior in volcanic systems. A common tool...
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF
MatthewW. Loewen for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Following surveys of seaweeds in Oregon and the Caribbean, four algal species were selected for study on the basis of their crude extract biological activity or thin-layer chromatographic characteristics. Extracts were fractionated by normal phase chromatography, including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Derivatives (methyl esters, acetates, and benzoates) of natural...
Semi-volatile trace metals (e.g., Cd, Sn, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mo) have been analyzed by using laser ablation ICP-MS in a number of silicate glasses (GSE-1G, GSD-1G, NIST 610, NIST 612, BCR-2G, BHVO-2G). Our work investigates and highlights sources of uncertainty in the analysis of semi-volatile metals using LA-ICP-MS. We identify...
Suspended sediment and in situ turbidity data from two western Oregon streams, Oak Creek and South Fork Hinkle Creek, were used to estimate annual sediment loads for the 2006 water year (October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006). Water samples and in situ turbidity observations were taken following the Turbidity...
Retention of engineering students is a problem for many universities, especially during the first year. The problem of introducing students to engineering while increasing retention rates has recently been addressed by many different universities. Implementing novel lab structures, adjusting the lecture to incorporate more effective teaching techniques, and using orientation...
One kilometer Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations for Terra (morning) and Aqua (afternoon) satellites were used to follow the morning to afternoon evolution of marine stratocumulus clouds that were affected by ship stack exhaust. The observations covered the summer months of 2002-2003 and August 2007 for marine layers off...
1. Freshwater mussels (Order: Unionidae) are among the most imperiled aquatic organisms in North America. Conservationists and resource managers within the United States are increasingly advocating restoration of these animals to preserve biodiversity and boost ecosystem services in the nation’s waterways. 2. Historically, restoration methods have yielded less than optimal...