ThermoSolver is an educational thermodynamics software program designed to be both
easy to use and useful in that it permits the user to make nontrivial chemical engineering
thermodynamic calculations. The software program accompanies the textbook
Engineering and Chemical Thermodynamics by Milo Koretsky, and is available for free
download from the...
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, but rates around the world vary greatly. Americans have the highest incidence rates in the world, 4 to 5 times those of Spain. The hypothesis of this thesis was that vitamin D metabolism is a factor in prostate cancer development...
As time continues, the issue of full European Union membership for Norway becomes a more pertinent issue. The EU has long awaited the membership of Norway, but unfortunately the Nordic country has decided to remain independent. Norway’s historical past has led many Norwegians to believe their country is not ready...
Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), an ornamental native to China, is an invasive species in Oregon and many other areas. In Oregon, butterfly bush invades disturbed areas, particularly riparian areas. The Oregon nursery industry has the highest farm-gate value of all agricultural commodities and butterfly bush is a significant plant to...
The LIGO interferometers have reached their designed sensitivity level which is greater than any other interferometer ever built. At this point, it is important to have a proper understanding of small perturbations that might still exist (until now these issues did not come to the forefront because other more critical...
Un Paseo Encantado, an enchanted walk, is a collection of my observations and experiences in a study abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. My commentary on Spanish culture is based on reading I did prior my departure, in combination with my observations while in Spain. In six chapters, I explore the...
Through examination of empirical evidence on individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and related Pervasive Developmental Disorders, the author attempts to provide an overview of the social deficiencies associated with these disorders. Points of primary concern are the social deficiencies in developing competence in experience-sharing and demonstrating empathy, especially in how they...
Two strains of Escherichia coli were studied to determine the effect of constitutive expression of the SOS DNA damage repair response on the activity of ribonucleotide reductase. Activity of the reductase and cellular deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools were both determined before and after exposure of the cells to ultraviolet radiation....
This thesis explores a three month period that I spent abroad working in medical clinics and hospitals in Ecuador. My work was conducted in three distinct areas: the urban landscape of Quito, Ecuador’s capital; Puyo, a small town bordering the Amazonian rainforest; and a small community located in the heart...
The computer game industry continues to progress toward realistic-looking character motion. However, even in state-of-the-art games, the use of motion capture data in character animation may result in errors such as “foot slipping,” where the feet do not match up with the floor properly during translation. Various algorithms have been...
Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (PNGC) operates the Landfill Gas to
Energy Facility at Coffin Butte Landfill in Corvallis, OR. At this facility, three internal
combustion engines use the landfill gas (predominantly methane and carbon dioxide) as
fuel to turn generators that produce enough electricity to power 1,800 average sized
homes....
Wind energy is a cornerstone to the world of renewables. It is widely used in many parts of the world as a clean and effective form of power generation. However, wind power has a number of drawbacks, which limits its use in many regions. Solar power has been used not...
With the miniaturization of microelectronics and increase of processor speeds in the last few decades, thermal management is drastically affecting overall packaging and system capabilities. Due to the special needs introduced, research focusing on microscale cooling has increased. This study combines the positive characteristics of single- and two-phase flows in...
Fire blight is a serious disease of apple and pear trees caused by the bacterium, Erwinia amylovora. This bacterium harbors a pathogenesis mechanism known as the Hrp secretory operon which induces some resistance genes and suppresses other resistance genes in the host plant following invasion. While previous researchers analyzed expression...
This thesis describes the implementation of an interface for querying established correspondences between anatomical structures across species. I was the main developer of this query engine, called the Comparative Anatomy Information System. My work involved developing methods to query the knowledge base, perform the specified comparison, display the anatomical hierarchies...
Media application on the internet has become more and more popular as the bandwidth of the network links increase. The bottleneck of the existing media systems is no longer the link bandwidth at user’s end, but the server’s ability to handle streaming requests. These existing streaming systems do not scale...
Currently, there is no accurate, low-cost method to track divers. Watching bubbles can
give you an approximate xy-location, and expensive underwater radios utilizing ultrasonic waves can work if the diver knows where they are. Traditional radio waves do not work well in water due to the conductive nature of water....
High-throughput culturing (HTC) consisting of extinction culturing in autoclaved seawater has led to the isolation and characterization of many novel strains of oligotrophic marine bacteria. Strain HTCC 2207 was isolated from the Oregon coast by the HTC method. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that this strain...
The LifeKnowledge curriculum is a recent initiative of the National FFA Organization to develop key learning precepts in agriculture education students. This material utilizes cutting-edge teaching techniques in lesson plans designed to develop leadership, teamwork, personal development, and communication abilities in students. This project surveyed current agriculture teachers in Oregon...
Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors are versatile devices that can be configured to sense a variety of measurands such as temperature and pressure. The potential use of surface acoustic wave devices for magnetic field detection is explored in this study. Compared to current magnetic field sensors, a sensor based on...