The increased severity of unseasonal drought conditions in the American Southwest have resulted in herbivorous species, like the desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), receiving lower quality forage in their diet at less reliable frequency. The Mojave Desert and the Peninsular Mountain ranges also contain large variations in elevation, which...
Training is a key business process used to increase the skills and knowledge of employees in an effort to improve overall performance. Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of training processes is necessary to ensure time, money, and resources are used to provide the most benefit possible. This investigation is...
This thesis outlines the development of new elastomeric materials and manufacturing processes for soft robotics. Specifically, this work describes the development of custom material formulations for use in additive manufacturing, additive manufacturing processing techniques for silicone elastomers, and multi-component additive manufacturing techniques. Material synthesis and processing is a gap in...
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...
In this thesis, I examine the experiences of breastfeeding mothers who chose to give birth with Certified Professional Midwives at a free-standing birth center, and the factors that influence their known high rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Using grounded theory and data collected from participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and...
The Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex in the Central Andes is one of the youngest large silicic volcanic fields (LSVFs) in the world, erupting over 13,000 km³ of material during multiple supereruptions from 11 to 1 Ma. Understanding the timescales over which magma is stored in the crust prior to eruption is...
Comprehensive studies comparing tensile properties of sutures are over 25 years old and do not include recent advances in suture materials. Accordingly, the objective of this paper is to investigate the tensile properties of commonly-used sutures in cutaneous surgery. Thirteen 3-0 sized modern sutures (four non-absorbable and nine absorbable) were...
Emerging data showing the presence of atmospheric microplastics (MPs) has recently raised awareness surrounding the potential of human nanoplastics (NPs) exposure. Due to factors such as weathering, UV exposure, and other biodegradation processes, plastic pollution in the environment breaks down over time into micro (<5 micrometers) and nanoscale (<1000nm) particles....
A portion of this study was initiated to provide the
basis for implementing a chill unit accumulation procedure
in Yemen. Most continuous or daily minimum, maximum
temperature models severely underestimated chilling units,
and slight modifications offered little improvement for the
complex models. Only the Crossa Raynaud formula approximated
generally accepted...