Epidermal RNA samples from FVB/N mice treated with PAH standards and
environmental PAH mixtures were harvested and purified using Trizol extraction and
RNeasy mini prep kit purification. Epidermal RNA integrity was low (RIN mean 3.5),
indicating significant RNA degradation and the need to modify handling, collection, and
processing of skin...
It has been claimed that stimuli signaling threat are processed rapidly and
draw our attention (e.g., Fox, Russo, & Dutton, 2002). Similarly, it has been
argued that expressions of fear have a strong pull on our attention because
they signal threat (e.g., Phelps, Ling, & Carrasco, 2006; Vuilleumier &
Schwartz,...
Fifty years ago, swine production was a lot different than it is today. Today, swine are being produced in much tighter confinement, which maximizes production and ultimately profit. As more people educate themselves about swine production, there seems to be an increasing level of concern for swine welfare in terms...
Thomas More’s text, Utopia, introduces the word “utopia” in conjunction with an ideal society, prodding readers to think of “utopia” as synonymous with “ideal.” Indeed, Utopia is structured as an egalitarian and communal place, rendering it highly ideal to those wishing for equality in their own worlds. However, More overturns...
Phenolic compounds are known to have biological activity with beneficial effects on human health. Fruit of cultivated tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are a major source of phenolics in the U.S. diet because this crop is the second most consumed vegetable per capita, but actual levels are low compared to other...
Oxytocin is a hormone well know for the stimulation of childbirth and milk letdown in mammals. Large levels of the hormone are also released during angiogenesis in the growth of the corpus luteum (CL), a temporary endocrine gland that forms on the ovaries following ovulation. Levels of oxytocin decline after...
Massive die-offs of Bufo bufo gargarizans were observed in May 2008 in Mangwal
Gee, Korea. To find out the causes for this disaster several different elements
were examined: pH, total nitrogen, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved heavy
metal, suspension, introduced species, habitat change, disease, temperature
changes, and precipitation and humidity....
Written for PSY 482.
Throughout the history of psychotherapy, exposure and response (ritual) prevention (ERP) has widely been considered the most effective treatment for patients who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Clark, 2005). Through the utilization of fear hierarchies that aim to desensitize feelings of anxiety and dread, ERP’s empirically...
The world is currently using an unsustainable system of meeting its transportation
needs with oil. This system is taking a toll on the world environment and on global politics.
The physical availability of oil is the system’s most immediate problem and will most likely
bring about a transition away from...
Old-growth dry-mixed conifer forests are valued as habitats for late seral forest species, for the
ecosystem services and landscape diversity they provide, and for their aesthetic appeal. The
structure of these forests has been heavily altered by historic logging of overstory ponderosa
pine and Douglas-fir. Additionally, changes in fire regime...
Carbonation of Carbon is of concern for reinforced concrete bridges. While long-term environmental deterioration of structures is unavoidable, protective design allows a structure to fulfill its service life without any significant serviceability or strength loss due to deterioration. Understanding the process of concrete carbonation and the effect it has on...
Suicide attacks are a prevalent topic in modern international media. The devastation in the United States caused by suicide tactics on September 11, 2001 encouraged the development of counter-terrorism policies that could provide effective security and reduce the worldwide sense of vulnerability. The necessity for international collaboration on research regarding...
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes the right to clean water, entitling everyone to “sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses”. This rationale is the inspiration for comparing the effects of clean water strategies. A comparison between Tunisian and Egyptian approaches will evaluate...
This study considered collision data for Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon
in order to determine whether or not red light cameras are effective in reducing red light
running collisions. Red light running is extremely dangerous and is a leading cause of
urban automobile collisions in the United States. Red light...
Among sensory and food scientists, the 9-point hedonic scale has been the most
commonly used scale for measuring liking and disliking of products. Recently, the
Labeled Hedonic Scale (LHS) was developed to overcome some recognized limitations
of the 9-point hedonic scale. One of the claimed advantages of the LHS is...
The purpose of this project is to characterize mixing effects of the Beta 2 tool that is under development by the Hewlett Packard Pinot team. By optimization of a stage oscillation process, the undesirable effects of a locally high concentrated drug elution within a well plate can be alleviated. This...
Fair value accounting has become a very popular and controversial topic in light of the 2008-2009 liquidity crisis in the United States. Fair value, also called mark-to-market, implies that assets and liabilities get measured and reported in firms‘ financial statements at market value as opposed to historical value. This study...
Background: Breastfeeding has many benefits but many new mothers find difficulties when
trying to breastfeed. This is a program evaluation of Baby Connection a feeding program for the
first year. Baby Connection is a volunteer program in Lane County, Oregon. Methods: Records
were analyzed during the first 15 months of...
The freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata serves as the intermediate host of the
blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Previous studies using the 13-16-R1 strain of B.
glabrata demonstrated an association between the gene encoding Cu/Zn superoxide
dismutase (SOD1) and susceptibility/resistance to the parasite. This association is
assumed to involve a polymorphism that...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic chemical compounds found in the
environment, largely as a result of partial combustion of organic compounds. PAHs are
present in the atmosphere in populated cities worldwide. Because of the health risks they
create, PAHs are a global health concern. PAHs are introduced into the...
This study explores the extent to which the United States has conformed to the tenets of classical liberalism and/or civic republicanism with regard to private property and takings law. Mainstream scholarship suggests that classical liberal theory has played a dominant role in American property law since the founding. In the...
Many Gram-negative bacteria use a type III secretion system (TTSS) to establish a relationship with a host. Pathogens can use the secretion system as a way to deliver proteins known as type III effectors (TTEs) into a host cell and block host defense. The variation and redundancy of the type...
The goal of this research project is to better understand the impacts and
difficulties of offering gender-focused social programs through micro-lending banks.
Previous research has demonstrated not only the importance of micro-lending, and the
benefits of lending to women, but also the value of offering social programs specifically
designed to...
This study sought to explore the differences between the varied academic advising models in the College of Science at Oregon State University through the feedback of its undergraduate students and advisors. Using parallel surveys of students and their academic advisors, it found that the decentralized and centralized models each had...
Low Reynolds number airfoils have become of interest recently for applications on Micro-air Vehicles (MAVs). Airfoils at low Reynolds numbers and high angles of attack are known to be unstable due to low lift to drag ratios. This study investigates the effect of a movable leading edge flap on the...
This thesis describes the design and implementation of a motor controller that is a customizable and cost effective replacement for the motor controllers used by Edwards Robotics Company (ERC). Extensive research of comparable products available in the market was conducted. The research formed the basis for the design specifications of...
In ¬¬¬¬2009 the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted the “Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey” for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The survey found that, nationally, 74% of commercial truck drivers wear their safety belts at all times. In the western region of...
According to The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS report of regional
statistics for HIV/AIDS from 2001-2008, Latin America has the third highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS
among children and adults in the world with about 2 million infected in 2008. Among all of these
countries, Mexico has the...
The Society of Automotive Engineers organizes the Formula SAE competitions annually for universities internationally to compete in a series of events. Teams compete in several dynamic tests for the vehicle’s handling, performance, and fuel economy, as well as static events that judge the team’s assumptions for cost, design, and business...
This study explores the influence that the sustainability of hotels has on the choice of hotels. Because of recent concern about global warming and reducing energy consumption, many designers are planning sustainable buildings. But often attractiveness is sacrificed for the goal of making a building sustain in its environment. The...
Circadian clocks are internal mechanisms regulating many physiological processes.
Research suggests that the circadian clock may regulate repair of cellular damage caused
by reactive oxygen species (ROS), but molecular pathways from the clock to ROS repair
are not known. The gene cncC, known in mammals as Nrf2, and its repressor...
The purpose of this thesis is to explain why the reservation system manifested so
disappointingly for the Native American groups of Southwest Oregon. It seeks to characterize the
struggle that raged in Southwest Oregon from 1850 to 1856 between three main groups there:
indigenous peoples, white squatters and miners, and...
The OSU Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is a nonprofit, student-run organization dedicated to enhancing its members‟ engineering, leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. The OSU Formula SAE team objective is to design, build, and race an autocross style car that competes at annual events worldwide. The purpose of the proposed...
The boom of the microcar market in India has lead to domestic and international firms taking advantage of this growth. Many places including India are experiencing this trend, but due to differences in cultures, preferences and values, the United States is not. Companies that want to venture into the microcar...
For wood beams, it is often assumed that the neutral axis is located at the centroid of the
beam. The neutral axis of isotropic, homogeneous materials is located at the centroid of the
material, but wood is neither isotropic nor homogeneous. The varying grain patterns and
knots located throughout wood...
A swing arm compressor was designed, built, and tested as an undergraduate senior design
project for Dr. Richard Peterson. The system developed, while not functioning entirely as
desired, gave some initial data and a good base of knowledge for a second iteration of the
project. This thesis describes in detail...
Sulfide is an important species to measure in environmental water samples. The
spectrophotometric detection method for reduced sulfur species (sulfide) based on
generation of methylene blue was adapted to work in an apparatus utilizing microfluidic
PDMS mixing and observation cells with flow channels in the 100 μm range. The
benefits...
This study tested natural products from cyanobacteria from the Red Sea in Egypt and marine tunicates from the Algoa Bay in South Africa. Products from marine organisms have been used as lead compounds for the synthesis of new drugs because of their biological activity mechanism. Specifically, these products may contain...
Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS’s) are a key element to NASA’s deep space exploration programs. As NASA looks towards new generations of smaller, modular spacecraft, appropriately smaller RPS’s will be needed. The Single General Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (S-GPHS-RTG) has been developed to fill this role. The S-GPHS-RTG will...
Gene synthesis is an important tool in molecular biology. However, the current
bench-top method of gene synthesis is a costly, time-intensive and reagent-consuming
process. Lab-on-chip technology has many benefits over current bench top methods.
Microchips consume smaller reagent volumes, are reusable and less expensive to make.
This thesis explores the...
Presented in this paper is an analysis of the body of scholarly work that attempts to apply
Thomas Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions to mathematics. These applications vary on
several levels, from the authors’ interpretation of Kuhn’s original work to the definitions
used for terms such as paradigm, revolution, and...
The entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana are commercially available as microbial control agents for the black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the key root-feeding insect pest in Pacific Northwest small fruits and ornamentals. Understanding habitat selection is critical to improve the efficacy, persistence and cost of...
This thesis argues for a similar politics of style behind the aesthetic experimentation in the short fiction of Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) and Clarice Lispector (1920-1977). By locating the two writers within the international trajectories of modernism, I contend that both Woolf and Lispector engage modernist experiments in consciousness as a...
This thesis examined factors that contribute to residential mobility, specifically
looking at which aspects of a family’s current situation pushes them out of their current
home and what factors pull them into new locations. Residential mobility is of particular
interest to developmental scientists because of the possible detrimental consequences for...
Gluten intolerance is a condition that affects a significant portion of the world’s
population. While awareness about the condition has recently increased, the condition
remains poorly understood and therefore commonly mis- and underdiagnosed. In this
paper, I examine the challenges in obtaining a gluten intolerant diagnosis and attempt to
capture...
This study provides an overview of topics related to ecolabels and examines consumer perceptions of sustainability given different ecolabels. An internet based survey was used, and different ecolabels were found to have variant impacts on consumer perceptions of sustainability using descriptive statistics. More research concerning the perceptions of ecolabels on...
A topic of concern for feminists, film critics, media researchers, and film scholars
alike who believe in a causal connection between film violence and real life violence have
found an enemy in the slasher film. Critics of slasher films, a subgenre of horror, often
charge these films are uniquely violent...
Fluctuations in one system affect adjacent systems; mechanistic understanding of linkages helps conservation efforts be more effective by focusing on influential species and areas that facilitate connections between ecosystems. This study explored marine-derived nutrient inputs to adjacent terrestrial communities. We quantified wrack (seaweed and other organic matter) deposition at sites...
Work engagement is demonstrated when employees are involved with, committed to,
enthusiastic, and passionate about their work. The goal of this study was to summarize
relevant information on work engagement, produce a working coding system to identify
evidence of work engagement, and discuss the implications of work engagement on an...
A Cell Phone Audio Controlled Point of Sale system was designed and built for an undergraduate electrical and computer engineering senior design project. The system was designed to enable a user to transfer data from any cell phone to a point of sale device using audio tones. The project involved...
The pharmacy practices in Ecuador and the United States are different on three different levels: culturally, educationally and governmentally. Research was conducted to compare and contrast the differences of community pharmacy practices between the United States and Ecuador. Eight different pharmacists in Quito were interviewed with a series of questions....
Post-menopausal women are at an increased risk for osteoporosis due to increased
bone resorption associated with estrogen deficiency. Subcutaneous administration of leptin, a
hormone produced primarily by adipocytes, attenuates bone loss in the ovariectomized (ovx)
rat, an animal model for post-menopausal bone loss. Leptin has both direct peripheral and
indirect...
The proper way to order knowledge and find truth about the natural world in the eighteenth century lay in one’s ability to correctly learn and employ the quality of reason. While all had the right to seek reason, only a privileged few achieved its proper use, creating an intellectual elite...
A wireless power transfer system using inductive coupling was designed and implemented as part of a three-member project team. The system uses coupled magnetic fields at a frequency of 606kHz to transfer electromagnetic energy from a charging base to the batteries of portable devices. It succeeded in transmitting power to...
To understand the forces exerted on structures during tsunamis, model cities are subjected to human-generated tsunamis. The study of vertical evacuation, wherein individuals could take refuge in the upper levels of strong buildings, has resulted in a growing need for a low cost wireless acceleration data logger. Such a device...
As a result of numerous financial scandals at the turn of the 21st century, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002, requiring all publicly-listed companies to comply with regulations aimed at reducing the amount of material misstatements in the financial statements, both frauds and errors. Although the costs of...
Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) is the causal agent of the disease tan spot of wheat,
which can be responsible for the destruction of up to 50% of a wheat crop harvest.
Tan spot disease results in chlorotic and/or necrotic lesions triggered by the
pathogen’s production of one or several host-selective toxins...
In public high schools, drug and alcohol prevention programs and policies have been ineffective in their deterrence of drug and alcohol use and abuse (Skager R., 2007). It is important to consider the needs of students and to create an effective, student centered drug and alcohol prevention program and policy....
There has been much controversy in recent years over the leaching of chemicals from plastic water bottles. In this study, two of the most common plastics used in water bottles, polyethylene terphthalate (PETE) and polycarbonate (PC) were studied. The leaching of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from polycarbonate (Nalgene ™, Camelback...
The western spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata
undecimpunctata) and the western striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma trivittatum) are
pests of many crops, including vegetable, fruit, and nursery crops. Pesticides are
commonly used to control this pest. Trap and kill technologies are under development as
use in an alternative control for cucumber...
This project describes the investigation of marine cyanobacteria collected from the Red Sea with an emphasis on the identification and prioritization of biologically active fractions for future purification and molecular structure elucidation of medicinally relevant secondary metabolites.
Five crude extracts of taxonomically unidentified Red Sea cyanobacteria supplied by Egyptian collaborators...
Females more commonly injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in
athletics than do males. Despite many studies researching anatomical, neuromuscular,
and hormonal causes, the predisposing risk factors behind this occurrence are currently
unknown. This study compared 5 females who had injured their ACL to 15 healthy
females concentrating on three...
Farmers rely almost exclusively on the imported European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) for fruit and vegetable crop pollination services. The recent decline in honeybee health has underscored the danger of relying on a single species to provide vital services. Increasing pollinator biodiversity with native bees may provide biological insurance against...
Part 1: A Diels-Alder Approach to the Synthesis of Novel Analogues of the Natural
Product Siamenol
Due to the prevalence of biaryl motifs in natural product synthesis, the Carter
research group has been exploring the utility of a Diels-Alder approach to biaryl
synthesis. The Diels-Alder approach involves a [4+2] cycloaddition...
For several years researchers have investigated how teachers’ beliefs
impact a classroom. Equally important to consider when striving to improve
education are the beliefs held by the students. College Algebra is an important
class for many collegiate students, and gaining an insight into their beliefs about
mathematics and desires for...
Wave energy has a promising future, especially for the Pacific Northwest, and Oregon, pioneering the way to meet Oregon’s goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025. The project represents a significant ability to harness the untapped potential energy of ocean waves, and maintains the potential to replace standard power sources...
The production of the fullerene C60 and its emerging applications in consumer
products imply its ultimate release to the environment. Due to the molecule’s relative
novelty, the aqueous characteristics of C60 have not been fully assessed, though it may
potentially harm human or ecological health. C60 is highly insoluble in...
Farmers rely almost exclusively on the imported European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) for fruit and vegetable crop pollination services. The recent decline in honeybee health has underscored he danger of relying on a single species to provide vital services. Increasing pollinator biodiversity with native bees may provide biological insurance against...
Due to the many advances in the areas of biotechnology and medicine, the need for long-
term storage and stabilization of biological materials is rapidly increasing. The field of
biopreservation is attempting to address these issues by finding ways to maintain the integrity and
functionality of proteins, cells, and organs...
The Capacitive Touch Children’s Guitar is a fully functional electronic toy demonstrating
an application of Cypress Semiconductor’s CapSense touch sensing technology. It was
developed as a senior design project by myself and two other engineering students. I was
responsible for the guitar’s LED lights, main microcontroller and sound storage and...
Pulsed laser deposition was used to create 0.1-Bi(Zn₀.₅ Ti₀.₅)O₃-0.9-BaTiO₃ (BZT-BT) thin films to examine the effects of laser energy (2.25 or 2.5 J/cm²) , pulse frequency (2 Hz or 5 Hz), and deposition temperature (550, 600, 650, and 700°C) on the electrical properties of the films. These effects were analyzed...
Optical tweezers are capable of trapping micron sized particles through the transfer of
the momentum of light. These capabilities are expanded through the use of computer
controlled holograms for beam shaping. This hologram creation is facilitated through the use of
a spatial light modulator, which is a liquid crystal device...
Using returnable bottles within a brewery setting can lower costs associated with
purchasing new bottles as well as reduce the energy associated with recycling glass
bottles. A commercial dishwasher was retrofit specifically to wash bottles. The design
and assembly of the piping flow network, testing of water flow through the...
CantonS wild-type flies were used to determine sex-specific differences in the daily
locomotor activity patterns in males and females. Under light entrainment, when flies are
kept in a 12:12 light-dark condition, both males and females showed bimodal activity
with a morning peak around lights-on and an evening peak around lights...
A project to create a fundraising plan for remodeling the Milam Foods Labs accompanied by a personal reflection on the trials and experiences leading up to the completion of the University Honors College thesis project.
This thesis discusses the African American authors Richard Wright and James Baldwin, and their views regarding how literature should be written. These views are examined as laid out in a selection of each author‟s essays, as well as through an analysis of the characters Bigger Thomas and Rufus Scott in...
Mycoplasma haemolamae is associated with mild to marked anemia in stressed, immune-suppressed, and debilitated animals, and may be found in low numbers in healthy animals. The continued presence of the organism, detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay, may be associated with an underlying problem, such as stress or immune-suppression...
Hemodynamic forces regulate vascular homeostasis and arterial structure through mechanical stimuli by a process called mechanotransduction. Cellular response to mechanical forces involves coordination between cell surface receptors and intracellular signaling pathways. While previous work has focused on the role of integrin receptors in mechanotransduction, little is known about the role...
Generating solutions to Sokoban levels is an NP-hard problem that is difficult for even modern day computers to solve due to its complexity. This project explores the creation of a Sokoban solver by eliminating as many potential moves as possible to greatly limit the overall search space. This reduction is...
Hemodynamic forces regulate vascular homeostasis and arterial structure through mechanical stimuli by a process called mechanotransduction. Cellular response to mechanical forces involves coordination between cell surface receptors and intracellular signaling pathways. While previous work has focused on the role of integrin receptors in mechanotransduction, little is known about the role...
Wire and fiber ropes used in rigorous CBOS (cyclic bend over sheave)
applications were investigated. Small diameter stainless steel, tungsten, and Vectran®
ropes were tested over small sheaves at high loads and cycle speeds. Sheaves were made
with Al6061-T6511 and Al7075-T651 and were coated with 0.002” hard coat anodize;
some...
Water movement, from forest soil to streams, has traditionally been modeled by translatory flow. A hypothesis was presented by Brooks et al. (2010) suggesting that, in addition to translatory flow, there exists an immobile pool of water trapped in small pores with low matric potential. Comparisons of water stable isotope...
This thesis is a comparative study of the two processes of currency change that occurred in Ecuador in 2000 and in France in 2002. Although the background of these two countries and the motivations behind each currency change varied, Ecuador and France have experienced many similar outcomes. Each of the...
HafSOx is a dielectric material that also functions as an insulator. It is able to be spin-coated onto a silicon substrate, creating a thin, amorphous film. It is very dense, which helps lead it to a high dielectric constant, making it ideal for electronic devices through the use of lithography....
With the growing importance of sustainability, organizations in the non-profit
sector need a way to measure, track, improve, and report their sustainability. Through
research in current literature and a survey of practices within local non-profits, it is
shown these organizations need a simple, flexible process with stakeholder participation
to measure...
Sea turtles are endangered species that can be censused with aerial surveys, but the number of turtles in an area must be extrapolated to include animals that are submerged. Twenty-one satellite tags were attached to juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in North Carolina. I analyzed surfacing and dive behavior...
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most of the people live in villages below the poverty line, and do not have access to basic health care and a primary education. Living standards are very low, and surviving day to day is a lifetime struggle. Most villages...
OVERVIEW OF INTRODUCTION - This is a combined thesis for both disciplines of BioResource Research (BRR)Interdisciplinary and International Degree (ID) Programs OSU. The first chapter encompasses the BRR research, which is a preliminary study utilizing immunohistochemical method to characterize melanomas in bigenic mice with activated Cdk4 protein and Retinoid-X-Receptor α...