Chiropractic treatment is used to reduce stiffness and pain. While more thoroughly studied in humans, it has been shown to be effective in horses, but relatively little evidence exists to quantify the benefits. To address this shortcoming, four methods were used to assess the effects of chiropractic treatment in horses...
Oregon State laboratories are responsible for a significant portion of the university’s overall resource and energy consumption, and therefore minimizing waste in a sustainable way should be a top priority for the university while aiming for carbon neutrality by 2025. This study addresses major factors that should be considered when...
Electrochemical sensing provides a quantitative alternative to colorimetric reactions within paper-based devices. The paper-based devices were fabricated by screen printing the conductive and reference inks onto porous substrates that were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry. Devices were evaluated based on the magnitude of the average anodic peak height, which correlates with...
This study sought to understand the commonality of vaccine misconceptions among college students and where individuals feel they are obtaining their vaccine information. An IRB approved survey was used to collect 126 responses from Oregon State University students. Individuals, on average, correctly answered only 54.10% of the statements based on...
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is a phenomenon that has yet to be adequately addressed. Treatment options remain limited and incomplete. The ability to effectively cryopreserve IVDs would allow for better allograft transplantations and storage of samples for research purposes. This study aimed to assess how cryopreservation with different...
This thesis project explores Tim O’Brien’s use of fiction to go beyond simply recounting an experience in the Vietnam War to write a true war story through examination of his writing, interviews, and their impact on me as a reader. I dissect three of O’Brien’s fictional narratives for their similarities...
A long running problem in mathematical biology is the prediction of extinction events, a specialized case of the larger global stability problem found in differential equations and dynamical systems theory. A central technical question is how to introduce the randomness observed in real ecological systems not accounted for in deterministic...
Highly elastic solutions have been shown to increase contaminant removal from silicon wafers, indicating the possibility for reduced reliance upon hazardous chemicals and expensive technologies during the fabrication of semiconductor devices. The onset of this enhanced removal is explored using rinsing and siphoning experimentswith polymer fluids of high molecular weights...
This project concerns the design, layout, assembly, debugging, and testing of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that autonomously, reliably, and effectively conducts Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) measurements. CV is an electrochemical procedure done to analyze, quantize, and visualize reversible reduction-oxidation reactions, often used in medical devices to monitor the levels of...
The SpiderHarp is a bio-inspired electronic musical instrument that uses a localization algorithm developed at Oregon State University to translate plucks of its strings into musical notes. This localization algorithm was inspired by the way spiders locate prey in their webs. The SpiderHarp frame, sensors, and web design are also...
Parking around Oregon State University campus can be severely limited, and for students looking to spend all day studying and going to classes it can be a pain to find parking that lasts for more than two hours. This thesis aims to resolve these issues by developing an application called...
In a big data day and age, there is an abundance of information and we now have the tools to understand it with data mining and machine learning algorithms. With the rise and fall and rise again of Bitcoin, the finance industry and society itself is caught in between. There...
Controllers for robotic systems can be complex and difficult to write by hand. Learning offers an approach to improve a controller through direct feedback. Learning is not trivial, as the feedback does not tell the agent how to improve, only how well its current actions solve the given task. Learning...
The sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima is a model organism for the study of temperate symbiosis. Anthopleura elegantissima can engage in symbiosis with two different algal symbionts: the dinoflagellate Breviolum muscatinei and the chlorophyte Elliptochloris marina. One host enzyme that has been shown to be important in cnidarian-algal symbioses is carbonic...
The leading edge of a sub-orbital, sounding rocket dictates an aerodynamically optimal profile which is difficult to manufacture. The university level offers no current standard to produce rocket nose cones made with pre-impregnated composites. Of particular interest is the molding technique used to fabricate a nose cone. The focus of...
The purpose of this study was to understand current caregiver attitudes towards powered mobility devices for young children with disabilities. This data was obtained by collecting surveys from pediatric physical therapists who interact with many caregivers on a daily basis and often act as the bridge between families and access...
Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) like trichloroethene (TCE) were mostly used to replace drying cleaning fluids which contained hydrocarbons like benzene, and were highly flammable. Through improper disposal, storage, and spills, TCE and its downstream products, like cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), leached into groundwater and threaten human and environmental...
Gamma ray bursts are some of the brightest events in the entire observable universe. Since the late 1960’s, thousands of gamma ray bursts have been observed and they have been researched extensively. However, there are still many mysteries which remain unsolved. One such mystery is whether or not the viewing...
For many, the concept of Home resides in the subconscious; an idea that is present, but not questioned, or even realized. However, this concept may be particularly troublesome to define for those who have left their homes in pursuit of a different life. The concept of Home becomes a conscious...
Wildfires can affect soil physical properties, resulting in changes in infiltration, hillslope runoff, groundwater recharge, and sediment and dissolved nutrients to streams. In November 2016, the Chimney Tops 2 Fire burned 4,617 ha of Appalachian hardwood forest in eastern Tennessee. A portion of the fire burned through a National Ecological...