The free-radical theory of aging proposes that intracellular accumulation of oxidative damage caused by
reactive oxygen species (ROS) is responsible for the process of senescence. ROS are produced during
normal aerobic metabolism and have been shown to cause numerous cellular and sub-cellular defects
that lead to termination of the cell...
In order to combine my passion for creativity, my love for children, and my engineering background, I decided to create a very personalized thesis project. Princess Catie Goes to College is a children’s book about a young girl whose older sister leaves for college. I chose to write about this...
This thesis consists of an autoethnography of a sexual assault survivor written using poems, journal entries, annotations, photographs and song lyrics. The ethnography is a chronological record of feelings the author experienced during the day prior to the attack and emotions she navigated during the year and a half after...
Creating an untraditional more personalized thesis allowed me to combine my
passion for children, travel, language, and books all into one. Hans the Adventurer is
a children’s book about a young German boy who loves to go on adventures.
However Han’s has to go on the adventure alone when his...
This study sought to conduct an in depth analysis of women’s first sexual experiences looking for factors contributing to the experience and the emotional outcomes of first intercourse. Fourteen heterosexual, female, college students were interviewed about their first sexual experience and sexual background using a semi-structured interview format. The narratives...
Women in Transition: The Mexican Family, Migration, and the Mothers of Casa de los Angeles is broken into three parts: methodology, history of migration and gender roles, and in Mexico, the examination of interviews from mothers in San Miguel de Allende. Methodology explores the various ways historian collect oral histories....
My project is designed to determine how the English major and English Studies exist at OSU, through the collection of perceptions and opinions about English Studies at OSU from students and faculty (both inside and outside of the English department) via email surveys. I used secondary research to determine how...
This project calculates the value of β for ice particles based on wavelength dependent values of their refractive and absorptive indices. β is the ratio of the force due to radiation to the force due to gravity acting on a particle in the solar system. This parameter can later be...
"Watchmen: as a Work of Literature" asserts the premise that literature contains complexity and themes, as well as literary devices, and decided that is a graphic novel meets these requirements, it is also considered literature. The graphic novel Watchmen is analyzed like a literary text, and the narrative devices, literary...
Vox comm is a digital wireless, voice-operated personal communicator developed as an electrical engineering Senior Design project. It is designed to provide a method for hassle-free, short-range communication. The product platform boasts of low power and small size for a host of usage models. This thesis details the product design...
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a phenotypically variable disorder of hemoglobin that leads to abnormally shaped and dysfunctional red blood cells. Several studies have attempted to construct early predictive models for SCD, including Miller et al.’s (2000) model which uses easily identifiable predictors in early life. The primary aim of...
When a nucleus is in an excited state, it will decay to lower energy by emitting photons. Often there are several intermediate stages in a decay cascade. Occasionally the photons in a cascade will be emitted in coincidence. This will be resolved by the detector not as two distinct photons,...
Thomas Stearns Eliot’s 1922 modernist poem The Waste Land presents itself as an alternative to the decaying society Eliot found himself inhabiting. It begins as a personal means of pulling together one’s fragmented consciousness, but in doing so Eliot manages to present a solution to a world of selfishness—looking beyond...
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...
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....
Methane hydrates and biohydrogen are two disparate subjects that are of interest in the growing field of alternative energy research. However, before commercial use becomes a viable option, each has challenges that need to be overcome. Methane hydrates require large investments of time and capital to locate. In this thesis,...
Seed germination is strictly defined as the physiological events before radicle
protrusion through the endosperm cap, the endosperm region adjacent to the radicle tip.
There are two opposing forces governing seed germination: the growth potential of the
embryo and the mechanical resistance of the endosperm cap. The endosperm cap cell...
Tot Mizaj, a central term in Traditional Uyghur Medicine (TUM) theory, says there are four typical characters in all things in nature; the geography, people, organs, animals, foods, and medicines. It is by maintaining balance of these characters that existence is perpetuated. Each Mizaj, corresponding to one element; fire, air,...
We consider development of sand ripples in shallow water flows which do not reach an equilibrium height but have a time-varying ripple height that slowly reaches a maximum value and then is quickly destroyed by the fluid. A simple scenario to explain the time periodic behavior of the sand ripples...
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...
The purpose of this project was to investigate play and our cultural assumptions as to its usefulness or lack there of. The concepts of hard work versus hard play were explored in order to discover when human beings are operating at their best. In terms of innovation and productivity in...
One of the distinctive features of mitochondria is that they have their own DNA. When compared to nuclear DNA, it is known that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) not only has a much higher rate of spontaneous mutation, but also arises from metabolically distinct precursor pools. Others from our laboratory have demonstrated...
Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is an emerging form of liver disease associated with obesity, type II diabetes and dyslipidemia. As the prevalence of these metabolic conditions increases, so too has the occurrence of NASH in all sectors of the population. The pathology of this disease is similar to its alcoholic form,...
Circadian regulation is essential for many physiological functions, from sleep/wake patterns to hormonal rhythms. While the brain’s biological clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), likely plays a role in reproductive rhythms, it remains unknown if intracellular circadian clocks elsewhere contribute to the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates pituitary...
Decades of experimental work has illustrated the high degree to which the partitioning of most elements is dependent on phase composition, temperature and pressure. In order to quantitatively describe clinopyroxene partitioning it is required to derive expressions using theoretical constraints calibrated with experimental data.
The experimental database available for such...
As genetically modified products come under greater production, tensions surrounding the potential benefits and harms of the technology have appeared in divergent policy between the European Union (EU) and certain member states. The purpose of this thesis is to consider whether some type of international law, also called an environmental...
The end of the Cold War brought about changes within international political relations that resulted in expanded interest in global civil society. Such developments, like globalization and democratization, have encouraged the growth of social and political organizations. Political scientists have found that these inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations have a significant...
Science is difficult for even its researchers to understand. Science journalists must understand scientific discoveries well enough to write clear, accurate explanations of scientific discoveries for laypeople. A sense of ethical judgment will help journalists ensure that their accounts are reliable and appropriate. Responsible science journalists will maintain a working...
Acarapis mites have been present in the United States since 1984 and are presently considered a threat to honey bee populations in North America. They have
been present in Europe since 1921 where infestation rates have now dwindled to a
level that is not considered dangerous. Consequently, accurate information on...
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a foreign country? You perhaps
will experience a roller coaster of emotions in what is termed “culture shock.” This
thesis will investigate the theory of culture shock and explore cultural dimensions that
affect it. These theories will be...
In this project we measure the neutron capture cross section of ²⁰⁸Pb. We began by calibrating our silicon detector with ²⁰⁴Tl. Two experiments were then performed, the first in December of 1999 and the second in March of 2000. Both experiments were performed in the nuclear reactor of the Radiation...
The LA Book is a free-to-students Linear Algebra textbook written at the introductory
level and suitable for teaching MTH341 at Oregon State University. It functions both as
a traditional, printed book (rendered via LaTeX) and as an online textbook (rendered via
HTML), viewable via any modern web-browser. It is built...
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...
Myxozoa have been found worldwide; these parasites infect a wide variety of hosts, but have been found most often in fish. Carassius auratus (goldfish), a popular aquarium fish and a widespread invasive species, have been identified as an intermediate host for several myxozoan species. Some myxozoan parasites are pathogenic and...
By identifying the relationships between abundance and metabolic activity in a bacterial community, we advance our knowledge of the marine carbon cycle. In the present study, our goal was to examine the role of protist grazing on the metabolic activity of γ- Proteobacteria in the upwelling system off the Oregon...
By identifying the relationships between abundance and metabolic activity in a bacterial community, we advance our knowledge of the marine carbon cycle. In the present study, our goal was to examine the role of protist grazing on the metabolic activity of γ- Proteobacteria in the upwelling system off the Oregon...
The reading of world literature, literary works from cultures other than one’s own, offers
an effective means of creating greater awareness and sensitivity towards others. Research
on the subject makes it clear that world literature can help lay the groundwork for a sense
of world citizenship in students. To what...
In the West, the growth of the modern, androcentric medical establishment can
be shown to be correlated with the decline in women’s authority and status in the
healing arts. As the world of science and medicine expanded exponentially, the
understanding of the body changed through the studies of anatomy and...
The aim of this Physics Education Research project was to implement a modified version
of Calibrated Peer Review and measure the impacts in junior-level students' scientific
writing. The project developed and implemented a set of guiding questions, instructor
written examples, and a rubric which were implemented in a multi-staged process,...
This study examines the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on merger and
acquisitions (M&A). Using data from Kinder, Lyndeberg, and Domini (KLD) Research
Analytics and Thomson’s Securities Data Corporation’s (SDC) Platinum Database, we
empirically test if CSR scores effect a firm’s propensity to pursue M&A activity.
Specifically, I examine...
This project is a short novelette told from the points of view of several different characters. The story is set in an airport and follows these characters as they wait for their flight to arrive. Each of the characters is observing the others, much like people do everyday without realizing...
People often grow increasingly culturally confused when spending significant amounts of time in a foreign land. Identity can become lost only to reform in the image of the host society. This thesis presents a creative nonfiction series of essays that explore the author’s loss of self and contextual identity, the...
The decisions in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001) (SWANCC) and Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. ___(2006), deviated from the more broad interpretations of congressional intent granted by the court in past assessments of the constitutionality of environmental...
Plasminogen activators (PAs) have been implicated in: ovulation, oocyte maturation, fertilization, implantation, and many other reproductive activities. Three pathways have been implicated in the activation of the PA regulatory system. These include the conventional PKC and cAMP-dependent signaling pathways, and also an independent pathway thought to be regulated by protein...
During the 1970’s the United States experienced several periods of high inflation that have been at least partially attributed to positive oil price shocks. The effectiveness of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at controlling the price of oil has varied over time, as well as the responsiveness of U.S....
Various vineyard practices influence the quality of a wine. In 1999, three levels of nitrogen (N), two levels of tillage and two levels of irrigation were applied to Pinot noir grape cultivars at Benton Lane Vineyards in the Southern Willamette Valley. N treatments were zero, soil and foliar applications. Every...
Hatchability of broiler eggs has not increased over the last twenty years. Increasing hatchability with in ovo technology may be possible through feeding metabolic modulators to the developing embryo. Exogenous fatty acids and antioxidants provided during incubation may enhance polyunsaturated fatty acid, lipid, and antioxidant status of the chicken embryo....
Knowledge concerning trade wind cumulus, one of the most dominant cloud types
on the planet, has become increasingly important when considering global issues such as climate change due to their potential influence on the Earth’s energy budget. In this project, using data from the Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean...
Pesticides can often be toxic and for this reason their methods and quantities of application are extremely regulated. Pesticide applicators are at risk of permanently damaging their health from exposure to pesticides. In order to ensure that these employees have the proper information to protect themselves, they are required 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...
Temperature data from above and below the Cougar Dam collected by the U.S. Geological Survey prior to the construction of the temperature control structure was analyzed to determine how the di®ering temperature regimes a®ect the growth and survival of threatened spring- run Chinook salmon. An ARIMA time-series model was used...
Fanconi's Anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive chromosomal instability disorder. The
symptoms include congenital abnormalities, defective hematopoiesis (formation of cells
of the blood), and high risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia and solid tumors.
Fanconi researchers have long been puzzled by how Fanconi Anemia (FA) cells, which
are known to...
The nature of engineering work requires that ethical considerations are taken into account while making decisions surrounding topics such as technology, equal distribution of cost benefits, and consumer risk. In order for engineers to make ethical decisions in their careers, it is helpful if their engineering education provided them with...
The first chapter of the graphic novel The Death of, which illustrates the opposition of a young girl to her stagnant environment through thoughts of creativity and death. Rendered in graphite pencil.
This project discusses the topic of personal names and the cultures of different
peoples and their particularities, specifically in Vietnam and Denmark. The first part of
this paper gives a brief history of naming traditions (mostly relating to Western European
traditions). The second part of the paper compares two families...
In contemporary art, some artists enter into working relationships with other
groups or institutions to create a final piece. For example, an artist may be invited by a
museum to take part in an exhibition, or an artist may work with a city council to create a
public artwork. However,...
Many economic development methods over the years have tried to solve the problem of poverty with varied success. Microenterprise development is a method that works with the poor to create small self-run businesses to increase their income, and therefore bring more freedom from disease illiteracy and discrimination. Within microenterprise development...
In the thrust to shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable options, Ecuador produces African palm-based biodiesel, which is currently imported by the Unites States. An analysis of this specific interaction was done via personal contact with the industry in Ecuador and extensive literature review of the topic. The results...
The primary goal was to characterize the adsorption of a recombinant therapeutic protein
in the presence of selected surfactant species at the air-water interface. For this purpose,
dynamic interfacial tensiometry was used to determine the surface tension kinetics
exhibited by protein solutions containing either Tween 80 or the poly[ethylene oxide]-...
The heroine of this fantasy novel is Alina who lives in a medieval-like time and place. The day before her 20th birthday, in an impetuous moment, she breaks a local superstition by standing in a sunbeam. This allows a fairy to kidnap her and take her to the fairy castle...
Spending time in a German speaking country may aid in vocabulary acquisition and production. This study hypothesized a concrete link between written language use and experiences abroad. Intermediate German students’ vocabulary uses in impromptu essays were evaluated by counting the number of total word, unique words, and content words. This...
The method of gas-phase electron diffraction is a very useful tool for determining
the geometry of a molecule in the gas-phase to a high degree of accuracy. In this thesis,
the structures of tropone and tropolone, which are similar molecules that are both based
on a 7-carbon ring, were investigated...
Cob is an earthen building material composed of sand, clay and straw. Though cob homes
are presently being built in the Pacific Northwest, there is no applicable building code for this
material. The purpose of this study is to establish estimates for the major engineering parameters,
including both average values...
One of the roots of the global problem of HIV/AIDS is the shame associated with an HIV diagnosis. Because it can be transmitted sexually, HIV is stigmatized. Even though there are many routes of transmission that would not cause embarrassment, many times the public view is uncompassionate towards its victims,...
Sperm competition is the post-copulatory analog of male-male combat, wherein sperm
from more than one male coincide in a female’s reproductive tract and compete with one
another for fertilization of a limited number of ova. Post-copulatory sexual selection,
such as sperm competition, can be a powerful driving force for the...
Inner shelf hypoxia has occurred along the Oregon coast between the latitudes 44ºN
and 45ºN since 2002 with increasing duration and intensity, posing a threat to marine
life. The objective of this research was to determine whether variation in respiration
rate explains spatial and temporal variation in hypoxia. Dissolved oxygen...
Variability in the depth and duration of anesthesia in individuals within a species is
frequently observed, yet few studies have investigated its causes in reptiles. To evaluate
the potential causes of variability in reptile anesthesia, I conducted experiments to test for
effects of body temperature, body composition and time post-feeding...
Growing up on a ranch in eastern Oregon, life is hard. Adelaide Stevens knows this at sixteen, when her father shoots her wounded horse and her mother divorces him. Five years later, Addie returns from college to her small town to take care of her ailing mother, and over the...
To understand human social environments and interaction, it is often necessary to examine them in creative and metaphorical terms. In this thesis, a model of chemical interaction, atomic and molecular bonding, and the role of electrons, nuclei, and other chemical principles are used to describe the social environment of human...
The intent of this thesi s is to prove whether or not simple moving averages can be
used to predict the future price performance of stocks and outperform the buy-and-hold
method of investing in the stock market. The importance of this research is that if moving
averages can predict future...
The Harderian gland (HG) of the red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, is a secretory structure that plays a role in the vomeronasal system by solubilizing semiochemicals such as prey chemoattractants and the female sexual attractiveness pheromone. The HG produces secretions containing pheromone-binding proteins that form a complex with pheromone...
Seven schools of thought, varying in cosmology and age, were studied in order to
glean the ethical precepts and virtues to which each school of thought adhered. These
injunctions were put in list-form and compared with respect to both semantics and
content. The purpose of this investigation was to look...
The marathon is well noted for the extreme stress it applies to the body and mind. The
physiological aspects of marathon training were investigated and examined for someone
unfamiliar with the field. Several training programs were investigated within a
framework provided by the popular Daniels' Running Formula. By the Formula's...
Future satellite missions like NASA’s upcoming Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission are targeting reconnection diffusion regions at the Earth’s magnetopause. These diffusion regions are small compared to the total surface area of the magnetopause. Furthermore, the location of the diffusion region depends on external parameters such as the current state of...
In the United States there are currently two different options for providing safety audits to roadway projects. Traditional audits can be conducted using procedures similar to those in the United Kingdom, or those similar to Australia and New Zealand (Austroads). Another option for conducting safety audits is to use the...
In the continuing effort to reduce time spent in the product development cycle many industries
have realized the benefits of rapid prototyping. Within a few hours a design engineer can turn a
computer model into an actual three-dimensional object allowing customers, engineers and
marketing agents to evaluate a product early...
A series of seven magnesium-doped copper scandium oxide films were made by radio frequency sputtering, and intercalated at various oxygen pressures to create different oxygen concentrations in each film. The objectives of this study were to verify the p-type nature of these transparent conductive thin films, to determine the correlation...
Objective: To explore patient perspectives on the role of personal growth-related risk taking in
the recovery process, and to identify social stigma’s role when consumers approach and evaluate
new endeavors. Methods: 177 Kaiser Permanente Health Plan members participated in a mixedmethods
study of recovery among individuals with serious mental illness...
Maintenance of optimal nutrient supplies is fundamental to the functioning of
vertebrate, invertebrate, bacterial and plant physiology. Organisms on this planet compete
with each other primarily to fulfill nutritional needs in order to maximize their health,
wellbeing, and reproductive success. Here we examine nutrient concentrations in several
different grass species...
The highly conserved multi-protein mismatch repair (MMR) system is known for its ability to correct post replication errors in genomic DNA. A hallmark of MMR deficiency in all organisms is microsatellite instability. The initiating proteins in the eukaryotic MMR system are hetrodimers formed with an integral MSH2 subunit and one...
When a student participates in a service break trip, a process called reorientation occurs after the trip is over, when the student is trying to connect what they’ve learned on the trip to their normal lives. The objective of this project was to explore the concepts of volunteerism, community service,...
The scope of this particular research delves into the psychological measurement of
alumni that graduated from the College of Business at Oregon State University. The goal for
this research is to refine the pool of alumni survey items, and to improve the measurement
properties for future use. This research proposes...
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...
Two policies for allocating individual assets from a pool of assets to incoming requests were contrasted within the context of replacement analysis. Assets within a pool are considered similar in the service they provide, but may differ in age and cumulative usage. The two policies considered for allocating assets to...
Previous research suggests a link between litter size in ewes and differential excretion of fecal hormones. An accurate test for fetal number would be useful to sheep producers and a fecal hormone response could be utilized in such a test. Fifteen previously categorized fecal hormones were analyzed within fecal samples...
The present study examined if having an older sibling was significantly related to stronger selfregulation and achievement, in a sample of 74 preschool children participating in a selfregulation intervention. It was hypothesized that children with an older sibling in the fall would have higher self-regulation and achievement scores than children...
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are grown using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). A modified radio frequency (RF) parallel-plate plasma etching system serves as the growth reactor. The effects of process parameters, including temperature, pressure, and C2H2:NH3 ratio, are studied. CNTs are grown on glass substrates with Al underlayers and Ni...
While previous experiments on the physiological activity of primary and secondary cyanolichens have been done, an analysis of photomorphs has never been attempted. Photomorphs of Peltigera britannica (Gyelnik) Hotan-Hartw. & Tonsberg were studied to compare the physiological response of a primary cyanolichen to an additional symbiotic partner (green algea) while...
It is hypothesized that extracting the vapor from two-phase flow in a microchannel will result in a lowered pressure drop required to drive the flow. The goal of this thesis is to construct an experimental device that will test this hypothesis by comparing a number of phase separating test conditions...
The present study sought to identify the personality traits associated with emotional intelligence. Eighty three students (30 male, 53 female) ranging between 17 and 42 years of age completed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and a personality inventory known as the California Q-Sort as part of a 10 week...
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...
This research focused on the accuracy of trait judgments at zero acquaintance and after five minutes of interaction. Thirty-five undergraduates judged the neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness of four to six others whom they did not know. Participants then interacted in one-on-one conversations with each target for five minutes....
Rockfish of the genus Sebastes are important components of Oregon reef communities. I examined patterns of age and growth in young-of-year rockfish across two nested spatial scales – local and regional – along the Oregon coast. Using otolith microstructural examination, I examined the relative importance of local versus regional factors...
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is an evolutionary conserved process that functions to maintain genomic integrity through the correction of mismatches that have escaped proofreading. Mutations in the MMR gene Mlh1 are associated with approximately 50% of all cases of Lynch syndrome, a hereditary predisposition to colorectal cancer, through varying and...
Designing and building a home Media Center can be a daunting task given the multitude of available options and configurations. The goal of this project is to build a home Media Center, and in the process, create a guide that a less technically knowledgeable person could use to build their...
The optical characterization of transparent conductive thin films is demonstrated. The basics of transparency and conductivity, as they relate to transparent conductor research, are explained. A functional model of the reflectance and transmittance of a sample film, including interference fringes, is derived from the Fresnel electric field amplitude coefficients. The...
Studying human’s ability to estimate temporal durations could lead to a greater
understanding of our cognitive abilities as well as the processes that underlie temporal
estimation. It has been shown through previous research that time and number may be
interconnected cognitively and that the magnitude of one may alter the...
The large population of 2r>100m near earth objects (NEOs) presents a certain hazard to life on earth. It has been proposed that a nuclear device may be used to alter the course of such objects, thereby averting a catastrophic collision with the earth. The asteroid interdiction problem includes a number...
This paper addresses how the implementation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has affected the use of Information Technology (IT) in Mexico. In order to answer this question this thesis analyzes the direct and indirect effects of NAFTA on Mexico’s economic and regulatory environment, and how this influences the...
Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) is the fungal causal agent of the disease tan spot in wheat and causes necrosis and chlorosis in infected leaves. These symptoms are caused by host-selective toxins (HSTs), molecules that serve as the sole determinants of pathogenicity. Ptr has three known HSTs, the proteinaceous Ptr ToxA and...