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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Nitrogen Content Of Lichens As An Indicator Of Inversion-Based Deposition, Brianne Palmer
Nitrogen Content Of Lichens As An Indicator Of Inversion-Based Deposition, Brianne Palmer
UCUR
Inversions have plagued the valleys in Utah resulting in built up pollution carpeting the cities and spreading into surrounding ecosystems. The ecological impact of these inversions is unknown. Inversion-based pollution events deposit nutrients and pollutants in the ecosystems. The purpose of this study is to determine if lichens, due to their unique physiology, preserve a record of inversion-based nitrogen deposition in order to assess the ecological impact of the inversions. In June and July of 2013 we collected 111 samples of lichens from sites exposed to the inversions, along Red Butte Creek and on an elevation gradient on Grandeur Peak …
Advancement Of Petroleum Diesel Alternatives Utilizing A Multifaceted And Interdepartmental Approach, Michael Morgan
Advancement Of Petroleum Diesel Alternatives Utilizing A Multifaceted And Interdepartmental Approach, Michael Morgan
UCUR
The advancement of biologically derived alternatives to petroleum diesel fuel requires a multifaceted approach. At Utah State University we use an interdisciplinary team including the Colleges of Engineering, Agriculture & Applied Sciences, and Science in conjunction with industry partners to drive innovation in improving the science behind petroleum diesel alternatives. With increasing petroleum use, depleting reserves, increasing emissions standards, and other factors, there is need for petroleum diesel alternatives that are cost effective, offer improvement, and perform similarly to petroleum diesel. Our team has focused on the use of oleaginous microbes utilizing low value effluent and waste sources including sugars …
Plant-‐Soil Feedback Of Native And Exotic Species In The Intermountain West, Molly Van Engelenhoven
Plant-‐Soil Feedback Of Native And Exotic Species In The Intermountain West, Molly Van Engelenhoven
UCUR
For thousands of years farmers have known that soil organisms can destroy crops but only in the past ten years have researchers begun to understand that complex interactions among soil organisms and plants can determine plant diversity and productivity. Much of the research in this young field of study has come from qualitative greenhouse experiments and separately from simple mathematical models. Here, we report findings from a six-year plant-soil feedback (PSF) field experiment that assessed the effects of soil organisms on the growth of twelve plant species common to the intermountain west. Initially, twelve native and exotic species were randomly …
Functionalizing Carbon Nanotube Forests With 1,5-Diaminoaphthalene, Ben Pound, T. -C. Shen
Functionalizing Carbon Nanotube Forests With 1,5-Diaminoaphthalene, Ben Pound, T. -C. Shen
UCUR
Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Forests are vertically grown carbon nanotubes. They can be as tall as millimeters, with radii from less than one nanometer (single-walled) to tens of nanometers (multi-walled). Their high surface area to volume ratio provides a unique material system for biosensor applications. However, the CNT surface does not provide covalent bonding sites to many antibodies of interest. One approach is to attach linker molecules with aromatic rings via π-stacking to the CNT surface and activating the linker molecules to bind covalently to specific antibody molecules. Unfortunately, the conventional solution-based functionalization approach often leads to collapse of the CNT …
Waterfowl Population Trends, Pariette Wetlands, Utah 1980-‐2010, David Baird
Waterfowl Population Trends, Pariette Wetlands, Utah 1980-‐2010, David Baird
UCUR
We obtained from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 30 years of monthly waterfowl population surveys completed at Pariette Wetlands in the Uintah Basin, Utah between 1980 and 2010. The Pariette Wetlands are the largest wetlands managed by the BLM within the lower-48 states and are comprised of 4,033 acres of land. Pariette Wetlands is surrounded by about 6,000 square miles of land where oil and gas production is the major activity. This waterfowl refuge is a significant location for migrating waterfowl species within the Pacific Flyway and provides important summer habitat for resident waterfowl. Our objectives were to determine …