Index Catalog // ScholarsArchive@OSU

A multi-bit hybrid DSM over full-scale range without feedback DEM

Creator:: Kwon, Sunwoo, 1974-
Abstract:: Evolution of the mobile communication standards and proliferation of hand-held devices mandate stringent Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) speciﬁcations. Among various ADCs, a ∆Σ ADC is best known as a power-eﬃcient ADC when more than 12b is required. However, a conventional discrete-time (DT) ∆Σ Modulator (∆ΣM) is inadequate for low-power wideband applications...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

A perceived-risk curriculum for at-risk learners

Creator:: Kash, Laurel Renee
Abstract:: Although perceived-risk curriculum, that is, where the learner experiences effects of eustress (positive stress), has been used in Arts or outdoor activities, it has not been used in school classrooms. Milkman’s 1996 studies of after-school Project Self Discovery demonstrated that at-risk students lessened their adverse risky behaviors, such as substance...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Academic achievement trajectories of adolescents from Mexican and East Asian immigrant families

Creator:: Jeong, Yu Jin
Abstract:: Academic achievement of adolescent children is directly associated with their success in adulthood. Little is known, however, regarding how adolescents in immigrant families academically grow over time and what factors influence the trajectories. Drawing on the National Educational Longitudinal Survey 1988 (NELS: 88), this study aimed to: 1) identify the...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Activity recognition in desktop environments

Creator:: Shen, Jianqiang
Abstract:: Knowledge workers are struggling in the information flood. There is a growing interest in intelligent desktop environments that help knowledge workers organize their daily life. Intelligent desktop environments allow the desktop user to define a set of “activities” that characterize the user’s desktop work. These environments then attempt to identify...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Acute and delayed effects of an exhaustive bout of exercise on landing biomechanics in women and men

Creator:: Kipp, Kristof
Abstract:: Although female athletes are at greater risk of non-contact knee injuries than men, the factors that contribute to these injuries are not well understood. One important question is whether intense exercise influences the risk of knee injury, both acutely and over the following days. The purpose of this study was...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Adaptive diversity and divergence at frog antimicrobial peptide loci

Creator:: Tennessen, Jacob A.
Abstract:: In this dissertation I study evolutionary patterns at genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in frogs. AMPs are short, amphipathic, cationic, secreted proteins that kill bacteria and other pathogens through a non-catalytic mechanism that involves binding to and disrupting the microbial cell membrane. In many animal taxa, positive selection is much...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Adult 4-H volunteer empowerment in 4-H youth development settings

Creator:: Olsen, Pamela
Abstract:: The primary purpose of this study was to determine which factors related to adult 4-H volunteer empowerment in 4-H youth development settings. This study examined the relationship of adult 4-H volunteers’ perceived leadership styles of Oregon 4-H Youth Development Educators (YDE) to the adult 4-H volunteer sense of empowerment. In...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

An assessment of the relationship between culturally specific coping methods and occupational stress for black male counselor educators : Implications for increased diversity in CACREP accredited programs

Creator:: Dempsey, Keith
Abstract:: The absence of Black male counselor educators in CACREP accredited programs is astounding. Out of a pool of 130 CACREP programs, only 31 have at least one Black male full time counselor educator. Although these programs are comprised of approximately 2,000 counselor educators, only 58 of them are Black men....
Resource Type:: Dissertation

An exploratory study of the developmental experience of novice play therapists

Creator:: Aguilera, Mary E.
Abstract:: The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the developmental experience of novice play therapists. A review of the play therapy training literature as well as the counselor development literature suggested that there are characteristics such as patience, flexibility, and a love for children that are needed to work with...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Applying machine learning for prediction, recommendation, and integration

Creator:: Bao, Xinlong
Abstract:: This dissertation explores the idea of applying machine learning technologies to help computer users find information and better organize electronic resources, by presenting the research work conducted in the following three applications: FolderPredictor, Stacking Recommendation Engines, and Integrating Learning and Reasoning. FolderPredictor is an intelligent desktop software tool that helps...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Aquatic insect adaptations to different flow regimes

Creator:: Yamamuro, Asako Melody
Abstract:: My thesis explored the effects of environmental variability on population dynamics and community composition of aquatic insects. Environmental variability in the form of flow regime in streams can limit the distribution and life-history traits of aquatic insects. I used tributaries to the McKenzie River in Oregon with dramatically different flow...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Aroma investigation of ‘Marion’ and thornless blackberries in Pacific Northwest of America

Creator:: Du, Xiaofen
Abstract:: The objectives of this study are to 1) qualitatively and quantitatively measure the odor-active compounds in ‘Marion’ blackberry; 2) compare the aroma profiles of advanced selections and new cultivars of thornless blackberry cultivars with ‘Marion’; 3) study the development of furaneol in ‘Marion’ during ripening and; 4) investigate the distribution...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Ascorbylation- the biological relevance of covalently bound ascorbic acid

Creator:: Kesinger, Nicholas G.
Abstract:: Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is well known as a co-factor for proline-hydroxylase and as an anti-oxidant. However, it is also capable of forming covalent bonds, particularly in the role of a nucleophile, henceforth termed 'ascorbylation'. The ascorbylation of electrophiles can occur under physiological conditions. Furthermore, there are a number...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Bacterial pathogens and associated toxins involved in erythrophore cell aggregation

Creator:: Hutchison, Janine R.
Abstract:: Current detection methods for bacterial contamination rely on structure based detection of proteins and nucleic acids. While these methods are easy to use and reliable, they cannot evaluate the toxicity of a sample and the potential to cause disease. Previously, erythrophore cells derived from Betta splendens had been suggested as...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Beginning the year in a fifth-grade reform-based mathematics classroom : A case study of the development of norms

Creator:: Cheval, Kathryn Meador
Abstract:: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the development of social norms in a fifth-grade reform-based mathematics classroom through a close examination of one teacher's actions during the first three weeks of school. This study offers insights into the following research questions: 1) How does an elementary...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Behavior graphs for data-driven animation of 3d characters

Creator:: Srinivasan, Madhusudhanan
Abstract:: In this dissertation, we present a user-in-the-loop method for the design of an interactive motion data structure that benefits from the advantages of both motion graphs and blend-based techniques. Our novel approach automatically analyzes a traditional motion graph built from labeled motion clips. The result is a more condensed, coarser...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Bereavement experiences following a death under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act

Creator:: Srinivasan, Erica G.
Abstract:: Oregon residents with a terminal illness have had the option to use aid-in-dying under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) since 1997. The DWDA allows terminally ill Oregonians to make a request for lethal dosages of medication, prescribed by physicians for the purpose of self-administering to end one's life....
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Biological insertion of nanostructured germanium and titanium oxides into diatom biosilica

Creator:: Jeffryes, Clayton S.
Abstract:: There is significant interest in titanium oxide and germanium-silicon oxide nanocomposites for optoelectronic, photocatalytic, and solar cell applications. The ability of the marine diatom Pinnularia sp. to uptake soluble metal oxides from cell culture medium, and incorporate them into the micro- and nano-structure of their amorphous silica cell walls, called...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Biologically active cyclic depsipeptides from marine cyanobacteria

Creator:: Medina, Rebecca A.
Abstract:: This thesis describes the chemical investigation of marine cyanobacteria collected in Madagascar and Panama with an emphasis on the isolation and structure elucidation of medicinally relevant secondary metabolites. A collection of the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula from the Radames Islands, Madagascar yielded two new cyclic depsipeptides, radamamides A and B,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Biomarkers of oxidative stress and DNA damage in agricultural workers

Creator:: Muniz, Juan Fermin
Abstract:: Pesticides are among the most pervasive environmental contaminants and they are an important potential risk for human health. Agricultural workers are constantly exposed to pesticide spray, drift and residues in the soil and foliage. Many agricultural pesticides are readily absorbed by the body, through contact with the skin, the respiratory...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Breeding tomato for increased fruit phenolics

Creator:: Boches, Peter S.
Abstract:: The purpose of this research was to develop tools and germplasm for the production of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with high fruit phenolics without the use of genetic engineering. A candidate gene analysis was undertaken to identify genes regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in tomato fruit (Aft, Abg, atv, and Purple Smudge)....
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Bridging differences : Saudi Arabian students reflect on their educational experiences and share success strategies

Creator:: Shaw, Donna L. (Donna Laible)
Abstract:: This study examines the U.S. educational experiences of Saudi Arabian students. Using qualitative case study and photo-elicitation research methods, this study conducted multiple interviews with 25 Saudi students and explored their perceptions of their American learning environment, how it differed from Saudi Arabia, and the strategies they developed to successfully...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Chemical cues and the molecular basis of olfactory chemoreception in caudate amphibians

Creator:: Kiemnec, Karen M.
Abstract:: Chemoreception is one of the dominant sensory modalities for many species of salamanders (reviewed in Chapter 2). At least seven of the ten currently recognized salamander families are known to respond to some sort of chemical cue. These responses are as varied as delaying hatching, seeking refuge, or initiating aggressive...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Chromatophores as cell-based biosensors for the detection of chemically and biologically toxic substances

Creator:: Dukovcic, Stephanie R.
Abstract:: Cell-based biosensors are function-based detectors that use the physiological response of a living cell to sense biologically stimulating agents. This emerging technology extends the application of current detection methods by reporting on the toxicity of a sample and the potential to cause disease. Previously, Betta splendens erythrophores have been described...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Computed tomography analysis of wood-adhesive bonds

Creator:: Modzel, Günter Georg Rolf
Abstract:: The importance of wood bonding increased in the last decades due to the increased usage of wood composites whose performance depends to a large extent on the adhesive penetration and subsequent bonding of the adherends. The presented research used XMT (x-ray microtomography) to perform a non-destructive, threedimensional analysis of the...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Connections between combinatorics of permutations and algorithms and geometry

Creator:: Wills, Dean Connable
Abstract:: Geometric Problems become increasingly intractable and difficult to visualize as the number of dimensions increases beyond three. Inductions from lower dimensional spaces are possible yet often awkward. This thesis shows how elementary linear algebra, vector calculus, and combinatorics offer improved methods for calculating the dihedral angles of n-simplicies and proving...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Conservation genetics of Kincaid's lupine : a threatened plant of western Oregon and southwest Washington grasslands

Creator:: Severns, Paul M.
Abstract:: Kincaid's lupine (Lupinus oreganus Heller) is a federally listed threatened species native to remnant grassland of western Oregon and southwestern Washington, and is the primary larval host plant of a once thought extinct butterfly, Plebejus icarioides fenderi Macy. Past studies concerning Kincaid's lupine reproduction suggested that populations may suffer reductions...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Contemporary forest road management with economic and environmental objectives

Creator:: Thompson, Matthew P.
Abstract:: One of the basic questions facing transportation planners and road managers is how to provide and maintain a road system that provides efficient access to the forest while limiting adverse effects roads can have on water and soil resources. The purpose of this study is to develop decision support models...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Critical windows of transplacental carcinogenesis : identifying efficacious approaches to chemoprevention with dietary phytochemicals

Creator:: Castro, David J.
Abstract:: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a re-emerging class of environmental pollutants. The persistent nature of these highly toxic compounds along with their ubiquity in the environment creates an unavoidable route of exposure. The developing fetus and neonate are a particularly susceptible population due to their incomplete complement of xenobiotic metabolizing...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Cross-section fatal crash type prediction models

Creator:: Zhu, Hong
Abstract:: The rural two-lane highway in the southeastern United States is frequently associated with a disproportionate number of serious and fatal crashes. The major research objectives are to investigate the relations between probabilities of fatal crash type occurrence and potential contributing factors from road geometric design characteristics and roadside, environmental features....
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Cryopreservation of Shoot Tips: Antioxidant Investigations with Rubus and Protocols for Mentha and Vaccinium

Creator:: Uchendu, Esther Eyiuche
Abstract:: Oxidative stress that occurs during cryopreservation may be reduced by the addition of antioxidants. Vitamin E (Vit E), Vitamin C (Vit C), glutathione (GSH), lipoic acid (LA), glycine betaine (GB) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were applied at four steps of the PVS2 vitrification protocol (pretreatment, loading, rinsing, and regrowth). Shoot tips...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Cytoskeletal regulation in cell motility and invasion

Creator:: Jang, Hyo Sang
Abstract:: Cell motility and invasion are important for development, immunity, wound healing, and tumor cell metastasis. Cells on two dimensional substrates migrate in three steps: protrusion of the front end, translocation of the cell body, and retraction of the rear end. For cells to migrate efficiently, these steps need to be...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of the transcriptional regulation mediated by orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFI and C2H2 zinc finger protein Ctip2

Creator:: Zhang, Lingjuan
Abstract:: COUP-TFI, an orphan nuclear receptor of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily, plays important roles in homeostasis and the CNS development, including differentiation, patterning, axonal projection, cell migration, cortical arealization and the temporal specification of neural stem cells. A number of COUP-interacting proteins have been described previously, and the majority of...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Description and analysis of dietary preference of lingcod in the nearshore zone, Oregon

Creator:: Tinus, Craig A.
Abstract:: The lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) is an important groundfish species in both recreational and commercial fisheries of the Northeastern Pacific. It is a large, fast-growing, generalist predator of invertebrates and fishes. In response to concerns that lingcod may limit populations of rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), I compared the diets of 375 adult...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Design and analysis of a nuclear reactor core for innovative small light water reactors

Creator:: Soldatov, Alexey I.
Abstract:: In order to address the energy needs of developing countries and remote communities, Oregon State University has proposed the Multi-Application Small Light Water Reactor (MASLWR) design. In order to achieve five years of operation without refueling, use of 8% enriched fuel is necessary. This dissertation is focused on core design...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Design techniques for wideband low-power Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital converters

Creator:: Wang, Yan
Abstract:: Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are traditionally used in high quality audio systems, instrumentation and measurement (I&M) and biomedical devices. With the continued downscaling of CMOS technology, they are becoming popular in wideband applications such as wireless and wired communication systems,high-definition television and radar systems. There are two general realizations...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Design, analysis and evaluation of bridge superstructures for live loads

Creator:: Turan, O. Tugrul
Abstract:: Due to age, original design that is deficient by modern standards, inadequate maintenance, environmental conditions, and increasing loads, large numbers of bridges in United States and elsewhere are classified as deficient and in need of rehabilitation or replacement. According to a national bridge inventory established by the Federal Highway Administration,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Detecting fluid flows with bioinspired hair sensors

Creator:: Dickinson, Benjamin T.
Abstract:: Many animals detect prey or enhance their locomotion with information from hair-like receptors that are activated by local fluid flows. The utility of biological hair receptors has motivated the design of artificial hair sensors (AHS) for flow control applications where aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces play a significant role in the...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Development of 2D models to estimate nearshore bathymetry and sediment transport

Creator:: Splinter, Kristen D.
Abstract:: We examine the interactions and feedbacks between bathymetry, waves, currents, and sediment transport. The ﬁrst two pro jects focus on the use of remote sensing techniques to expand our knowledge of the nearshore. Due to the plethora of snap-shot data that is available from satellites and their distribution via Google...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Dietary soy and green tea in the prevention of prostate cancer

Creator:: Hsu, Anna
Abstract:: Prostate cancer risk is significantly lower in Asian countries compared to the US, which has prompted interest in the chemo-preventative action of dietary components such as soy and green tea commonly found in Asian diets, such as soy and green tea. Studies have suggested that soy isoflavones and green tea...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Directional 60 GHz communication networks

Creator:: Yildirim, Ferhat (Ahmet Ferhat)
Abstract:: It is well known that multipath effects cause inter-symbol interference (ISI) for high-speed signaling and ultimately limit the achievable data rate at any frequency band. In this thesis, we study several different methods to tackle this issue and provide solutions for establishing efficient wireless links that can provide several Gbps...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Distinguishing biological and physical controls on soil respiration

Creator:: Phillips, Claire L.
Abstract:: Soil respiration, or the combined CO₂ emissions from roots and soil microorganisms, constitutes one of the largest losses of carbon (C) from terrestrial ecosystems. The major drivers of soil respiration, which include soil moisture, temperature, and substrate quality, have been known for some time. Nevertheless, correlations between these drivers and...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

DNA-based identification of commercially important salmon and trout species (genera Oncorhynchus and Salmo) in North America

Creator:: Rasmussen, Rosalee S.
Abstract:: There are seven commercially important species of salmon and trout (genera Oncorhynchus and Salmo) in North America, many of which are closely related but command markedly different prices. The purpose of this research was to provide improved and novel methods for the detection of salmon species substitution on the commercial...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Duty-cycle controlled switched resistor techniques for continuously tunable, low-voltage circuits

Creator:: Kurahashi, Peter
Abstract:: A duty-cycle controlled switched resistor is a tunable resistive element that uses pulse width modulation as the method of tuning. This thesis will describe the operation of switched resistors and propose several circuit architectures that are well suited to the use of switched resistors. These architectures include filters, mixers, and...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Ecology and biological control of an apomictic invasive plant, Chondrilla juncea (Asteraceae)

Creator:: Campanella, Donald M.
Abstract:: A study consisting of three parts was undertaken to investigate how variation in species interactions, population genetic structure, epidemiological parameters, and plant breeding system may influence the ecology and biological control of an apomictic invasive plant, Chondrilla juncea (Asteraceae). Interactions between natural enemy species may modify their net effect on...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Economic modeling of tropical deforestation in Antioquia (Colombia), 1980-2000 : an analysis at a semi-fine scale with spatially explicit data

Creator:: Orrego, Sergio A.
Abstract:: This dissertation used land rent theory and an economic model of land-use conversion to examine the main drivers of the deforestation occurred in Antioquia,Colombia, between 1980 and 2000. Land-cover information at a semi-fine scale (1:25,000) obtained largely from aerial photography was employed to calculate deforestation. In addition, free international databases...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Effects of Medicinal Herbs on Contraction Rate of Cultured Cardiomyocyte. Possible Mechanisms Involved in the Chronotropic Effects of Hawthorn and Berberine in Neonatal Murine Cardiomyocyte

Creator:: Salehi, Satin
Abstract:: Herbs have been used for many centuries in diverse civilizations for the treatment of heart disease. Only a few natural supplements claim to have direct cardiovascular actions including hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) and berberine derived from the Berberidaceae family. Several different studies indicate important cardiovascular effects of hawthorn and berberine. For...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Effects of the aging-related loss in lower extremity strength on the feasible region for balance recovery

Creator:: Kadono, Norio
Abstract:: A backward fall is a major cause of hip fractures. Hip fractures have the potential to increase the mortality rate of older adults. Thus, the prevention of backward falls by older adults is a critical subject to be studied. Specifically, it remains unknown what effect aging-related losses in muscle strength...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Efficient classification for longitudinal data

Creator:: Wang, Xianlong
Abstract:: We propose a new classification method for longitudinal data based on a semiparametric approach. Our approach builds a classifier by taking advantage of modeling information between response and covariates for each class, and assigns a new subject to the class with the smallest quadratic distance. This enables one to overcome...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Efficient training and feature induction in sequential supervised learning

Creator:: Hao, Guohua
Abstract:: Sequential supervised learning problems arise in many real applications. This dissertation focuses on two important research directions in sequential supervised learning: efficient training and feature induction. In the direction of efficient training, we study the training of conditional random fields (CRFs), which provide a flexible and powerful model for sequential...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Emergency contraceptive pills and college women : factors influencing intention and use

Creator:: Nelson, Heather A.
Abstract:: Approximately half of the 6.4 million pregnancies occurring each year in the United States are unintended (Finer & Henshaw, 2006). Unintended pregnancies, defined as pregnancies not wanted at the time conception occurs, regardless of contraceptive use (Chandra, Martinez, Mosher, Abma, & Jones, 2005) can have serious repercussions on women, children,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Emotion regulation for counselors-in-training : determining and developing the emotional suitability of applicants and trainees for counseling work

Creator:: Cook, Jeffrey D.
Abstract:: A historic struggle in the counselor education field has been determining and developing the emotional suitability of applicants and trainees for counseling work. The literature suggests that emotional suitability for counseling includes such things as: the ability to experience a full range of emotions, the ability to modulate emotions,the ability...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Enhancing hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells through development of platinum-free cathode and improvement of reactor design

Creator:: Hu, Hongqiang
Abstract:: Microbial electrolysis provides a new approach for hydrogen generation from renewable biomass. At current stage, the most likely limiting factors for successful scale up of this technology are the large internal resistance and high fabrication cost. This dissertation presents an attempt to overcome these limitations by investigating novel microbial electrolysis...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Environmental variability and system heterogeneity in terrestrial biogeochemical models

Creator:: Sierra, Carlos Alberto
Abstract:: Ecosystems are highly heterogeneous systems subjected to important levels of environmental variability; however, it is common in terrestrial biogeochemical models to assume homogeneous properties of the elements of the system or constant environmental conditions. For some processes, heterogeneity in these models is treated very simplistically, but there is not much...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Essays in applied economics

Creator:: Nag, Sharmistha
Abstract:: My dissertation concerns two separate issues. The first issue is examined in Essay One, and the second issue is examined in Essays Two and Three. The first essay develops an economic model of the determination of the rental rate of leased farmland in the United States. Particular attention is placed...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Essays in semiparametric econometrics

Creator:: Livingston, Olga Voyteshenko
Abstract:: Two essays are focused on semiparametric econometric methods. The first essay investigates applicability of the smooth back tting estimator (SBE) to statistical analysis of residential energy consumption. The second essay attempts to incorporate additivity restrictions into semiparametric stochastic frontier estimation. The procedure described in the first study is used to...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Essays on strategic behavior in oligopoly markets : advertising, output, and price competition

Creator:: Isariyawongse, Kosin
Abstract:: This dissertation addresses issues of strategic behavior of firms in oligopoly markets. In the first study we analyze how generic advertising affects brand advertising and firm profits in differentiated oligopoly markets. We develop two models, one with vertical differentiation and another with horizontal differentiation. In the case of vertical differentiation,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Evaluation of Rubus seed characteristics: seed coat morphology, anatomy, germination requirements and dormancy breaking

Creator:: Wada, Sugae
Abstract:: Rubus seed characteristics; seed coat morphology, anatomy, germination requirements and dormancy were studied in order to define protocols for breaking seed dormancy. Morphological analysis of the seed coat (testa) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) included 56 seed accessions of 10 subgenera preserved in the collections of the US Department of...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Evidence, explanations, and recommendations for teachers' field trip strategies

Creator:: Rebar, Bryan M.
Abstract:: Field trips are well recognized by researchers as an educational approach with the potential to complement and enhance classroom science teaching by exposing students to unique activities, resources, and content in informal settings. The following investigation addresses teachers' field trip practices in three related manuscripts: (1) A study examining the...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Expanding the scope of a Diels-Alder approach to biaryl synthesis

Creator:: Schwartz, Johanna Perkins
Abstract:: A Diels-Alder approach to biaryls (DAB) has been applied towards the synthesis of highly substituted, programmable biaryl templates. Tri- and tetra-ortho-substituted biaryls can be produced in just three to four steps from commercially available materials utilizing the Diels-Alder [4+2] cycloaddition. The methods described herein will illustrate the ability of mono...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Exploring resilience in the lives of women leaders in early childhood health, human services, and education

Creator:: Turner, Susan Diane
Abstract:: Women leaders in early childhood health, human services, and education face tremendous challenges in their efforts to cultivate resilience amidst a myriad of risk factors including incessant stress, low wages, and limited professional support. Women who foster mental health in young children and high-risk families are vulnerable to secondary traumatic...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Exploring the move to include non-need in community college institutional financial aid policies

Creator:: Suchanek, Julie M.
Abstract:: The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that led to the move to include non-need aid in community college institutional financial aid policies. The following questions guided the research: (1) What meaning do those involved in the formulation of institutional financial aid policy at community colleges give...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Fabrication and application of polymer based microfluidic devices

Creator:: Koesdjojo, Myra T.
Abstract:: The concept of reducing laboratory operations in scale such that they fit on a microfluidic chip has been met with great enthusiasm. Lab-on-a-chip devices promise to be cost effective to operate due to reduced reagent consumption, have the potential to offer shorter analysis times due to their short path lengths,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Fabrication and geometrical characterization of metal and metal-dielectric composite periodic nanostructures

Creator:: Bhowmik, Siddhartha
Abstract:: Periodic metal and metal-dielectric composite nanostructures have been of interest from the field of plasmonics and metamaterial fabrication. In order to exploit the behavior of these unique materials in the visible region of the optical spectrum, these structures need to be significantly shorter than the wavelength of response, and hence...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Factors associated with school teachers' attitudes toward HIV prevention education in Lusaka, Zambia

Creator:: Henning, Margaret Jo
Abstract:: In Zambia, there are approximately 920,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Children are often referred to as a "window of hope" due to a low HIV/AIDS prevalence rate (UNAIDS/WHO, 2006). With growing numbers of infections and an increased strain on the social and economic structure due to HIV/AIDS there is a...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Factors related to the economic sustainability of two year chemistry-based technology training programs

Creator:: Backus, Bridgid A.
Abstract:: Two-year chemistry-based technology training (CBTT) programs in the U.S. are important in the preparation of the professional technical workforce. The purpose of this study was to identify, examine, and analyze factors related to the economic sustainability of CBTT programs. A review of literature identified four clustered categories of 31 sub-factors...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Failure analysis of pre-notched composite laminated plates under four-point bending conditions

Creator:: Arias Gonzales, Sergio
Abstract:: Ever since composite laminate technology was introduced into the aerospace and automotive industry, there has been a need to fully understand the damage progression experienced by composite laminated plates in the presence of a notch. While numerous research studies have been conducted on this matter when subjected to in-plane loads,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Fashion media's role in the debate on millinery and bird protection in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Creator:: Scarborough, Amy D.
Abstract:: The purpose of this study was to explore the possible relationship among fashion media, the social responsibility agenda of the Audubon Society, and the use of birds in millinery in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Both the content analysis method and the historic method were used to gain...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Forest biomass estimation with hemispherical photography for multiple forest types and various atmospheric conditions

Creator:: Clark, Joshua Andrew
Abstract:: The importance of accurately identifying inventories of domestic energy, including forest biomass, has increasingly become a priority of the US government and its citizens as the cost of fossil fuels has risen. It is useful to identify which of these resources can be processed and transported at the lowest cost...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Forest-meadow dynamics in the central western Oregon Cascades : topographic, biotic,and environmental change effects

Creator:: Rice, Janine M.
Abstract:: Montane meadows comprise a small area of the predominantly forested landscape of the Oregon Cascade Range. Tree encroachment in the last century in these areas has threatened a loss of biodiversity and habitat. Climate change in the coming century may accelerate tree encroachment into meadows, and exacerbate biodiversity loss. Multiple...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Functional decreases in hydraulic and mechanical properties of field-grown transgenic poplar trees caused by modification of the lignin synthesis pathway through downregulation of the 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase gene

Creator:: Voelker, Steven L.
Abstract:: Society uses massive quantities of wood fiber in production of paper, and demand for fiber is projected to increase further as production of biofuels from fermentation of plant cellulosic materials increases. Because these end uses generally require the costly step of removing of lignin, wood with reduced or more easily...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Functional polymers and proteins at interfaces

Creator:: Schilke, Karl F.
Abstract:: Functional polymers and proteins at interfaces and surfaces are of fundamental importance for biomaterials, biocatalysis and microreactor applications. Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized on poly-DL-tryptophan tethers showed 30x higher specific activity in aqueous and non-aqueous media than the same enzyme adsorbed or covalently bound directly to the surface. An excess...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Galvanostatic control of ion selective electrodes with the solvent polymeric membrane

Creator:: Perera, Hasini R.
Abstract:: Detection technique that proposed utilizing electrochemically controlled, reversible ion extraction into polymeric membrane in an alternating galvanostatic/ potentiostatic mode was introduced. This method is studied in detail to comprehend the advantages of the novel sensor (pulstrode) compared to the potentiometric ion selective electrode (ISE), studies included possible applications and limitations....
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Gene flow from transgenic glyphosate-resistant creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) at the landscape level

Creator:: Zapiola, Maria Luz
Abstract:: Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is an outcrossing, small- seeded, perennial grass that can establish outside of cultivation and has several compatible relatives. Glyphosate is a nonselective, broad spectrum, herbicide. Transgenic glyphosate-resistant (GR) creeping bentgrass (GRCB) was developed by The Scotts Company and Monsanto, but is still under USDA-APHIS regulated...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Generation of full-length cDNA clone and functional analysis of leader proteases of grapevine leafroll-associated virus-2

Creator:: Liu, Yu-Ping
Abstract:: Papain-like leader proteases are found in diverse families of human, animal, plant, and fungal positive-strand RNA viruses. In addition to autocatalytic processing, these proteases play a variety of roles in the virus life cycle. In particular, the leader protease (L-Pro) of a prototype member of the Closterovirus genus, Beet yellows...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Hartree-Fock electronic structure calculations forfree atoms and immersed atoms in an electron gas

Creator:: Walsh, Kenneth Charles
Abstract:: Electronic structure calculations for free and immersed atoms are performed in the context of unrestricted Hartree-Fock Theory. Spherical symmetry is broken, lifting de-generacies in electronic conﬁgurations involving the magnetic quantum number m. Basis sets, produced from density functional theory, are then explored for completeness. Com-parison to spectroscopic data is done...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Hydrodynamics of droplet impingement on heated surfaces : effects of nanofluid and nano-structured surface

Creator:: Shen, Jian
Abstract:: This study investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics of droplet impinging on heated surfaces using High Speed High Resolution (HSHR) imaging and evaluates the effect of surface temperature and using water and a nanofluid on a polished and a nano-structured surface. Three types of surfaces are used in the study: polished silicon,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Identification and quantitation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 4-oxo-2-nonenal metabolites in vivo as biomarkers of oxidative stress

Creator:: Kuiper, Heather C.
Abstract:: Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms in the body becomes tipped heavily in favor of the reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species can be present in excess due to elevated O2 levels, radiation, infection, smoking, or even excessive exercise. It is also...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Image features and learning algorithms for biological, generic and social object recognition

Creator:: Zhang, Wei
Abstract:: Automated recognition of object categories in images is a critical step for many real-world computer vision applications. Interest region detectors and region descriptors have been widely employed to tackle the variability of objects in pose, scale, lighting, texture, color, and so on. Different types of object recognition problems usually require...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Improving student satisfaction and retention with online instruction through systematic faculty peer review of courses

Creator:: Aman, Richard R.
Abstract:: The purpose of the study was to determine if online courses that were faculty peer reviewed based on five factors of quality instruction resulted in increased levels of student satisfaction and higher rates of student retention when compared with nonreviewed courses in a post-secondary context. The five factors of quality...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

In my own words, a study of faith as articulated by adults with developmental disabilities

Creator:: Pickett-Cooper, Patricia K.
Abstract:: This qualitative study considered faith as a part of the lifespan development of adults with developmental disabilities between the ages of 30 and 67 years. Ten individuals who participated attended an adapted liturgy and/or fellowship group hosted by two Roman Catholic faith formation groups. The data were gathered through individual,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

In vitro and in vivo approaches for the functional characterization of the scaffold protein, GRASP

Creator:: Venkataraman, Anand
Abstract:: Studies using the pluripotent embryonic carcinoma cell line, P19, as a retinoic acid (RA)-responsive model system have been instrumental towards our understanding of the RA-dependent signaling pathways in development and homeostasis. Grp1-associated scaffold protein (GRASP; also known as Tamalin) was first identified by our group, as a gene robustly induced...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Information foraging in debugging

Creator:: Lawrance, Joseph A.
Abstract:: Programmers spend a substantial fraction of their debugging time by navigating through source code, yet little is known about how programmers navigate. With the continuing growth in size and complexity of software, this fraction of time is likely to increase, which presents challenges to those seeking both to understand and...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Institutionalizing sustainability in community colleges : the role of the college president

Creator:: Williams, Peter G.
Abstract:: The purpose of this research study was to describe and improve understanding of the meaning of institutionalized sustainability and the role that a college president plays in institutionalizing sustainability on a community college campus. The following questions guided the research: (a) What does it mean to have sustainability “institutionalized” at...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Inter-relationships of vegetation, hydrology and micro-climate in a young, Douglas-fir forest

Creator:: Barnard, Holly Rene
Abstract:: The links between forests, streamflow, and climate are poorly understood. Despite hundreds of studies over the past 60 years, fundamental questions of forests' effects on the hydrologic cycle remain unanswered. The hydrological cycle involves mutually-dependent biological and physical processes that operate at multiple scales of time and space, and this...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

International comparison and evaluation of agricultural productivity growth

Creator:: Rada, Nicholas E.
Abstract:: Long-run food price changes respond to long-run changes in food demand, quasi-fixed and variable production factors, and agricultural productivity. Recent global food-price volatility puts a renewed spotlight on the trends and sources of any agricultural productivity growth. Because food prices’ most critical effects are on human hunger, it is especially...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Investigating the effects of temperature on secondary metabolism in Vitis vinifera L. cv. merlot berries

Creator:: Cohen, Seth D.
Abstract:: Grapes (e.g. Vitis vinifera L.) are one of the more important fruit crops from an economic standpoint with world market values over 550 million US dollars in 2007 and 2008, second to apples (United States Department of Agriculture). While a satisfactory level of ripeness is of primary concern, the quality...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Investigations of regulatory T cell induction by 2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin during a graft-versus-host response

Creator:: Marshall, Nikki B.
Abstract:: The immune toxicity of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been studied for over 35 years, but only recently has the profound immune suppression associated with TCDD exposure been linked to induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs). The effects of TCDD are mediated through binding the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

John Archibald Wheeler : a study of mentoring in modern physics

Creator:: Christensen, Terry M.
Abstract:: This dissertation has two objectives. The first objective is to determine where best to situate the study of mentoring (i.e. the 'making of scientists') on the landscape of the history of science and science studies. This task is accomplished by establishing mentoring studies as a link between the robust body...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Killing spinors and affine symmetry tensors in Gödel's Universe

Creator:: Cook, Samuel A.
Abstract:: The existence of generalized symmetries of Maxwell's equations in Gödel's Universe is investigated. It is shown that their existence is in turn tied to the existence of certain spinorial objects called Killing spinors. The conformal algebra, corresponding to valence (1; 1) Killing spinors, for Gödel's Universe is discussed in detail....
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Larval dispersal in marine fishes: novel methods reveal patterns of self-recruitment and population connectivity

Creator:: Christie, Mark R.
Abstract:: Many marine fish populations are severely declining due to over-fishing, loss of both juvenile and adult habitats, and accelerating environmental degradation. Fisheries management and the implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other conservation tools are currently hindered by large gaps in knowledge about larval dispersal and its subsequent effects...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Learning based methods applied to the MAV control problem

Creator:: Salichon, Max
Abstract:: This thesis addresses Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) control by leveraging learning based techniques to improve robustness of the control system. Applying classical control methods to MAVs is a difficult process due to the complexity of the control laws with fast and highly non-linear dynamics. These methods are mostly based on...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Local weather, regional climate, and population dynamics of northern spotted owls in Washington and Oregon

Creator:: Glenn, Elizabeth M.
Abstract:: Since the early 1990s, declines in northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations have been documented through extensive field surveys and range-wide demographic analyses. Although loss of late-successional forest has been credited as the primary cause for spotted owl population declines, environmental variation has also been shown to influence vital...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Looking toward the future: examining aspirations and sense of purpose among rural youth

Creator:: Shamah, Devora
Abstract:: In light of recent economic and social changes rural communities continue to worry about the future of their young people. Will they be prepared for the challenges that lay ahead as they move into adulthood? The aspirations youth hold set them on a pathway toward achieving goals, beginning post-secondary education,...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Low power design techniques for high speed pipelined ADCs

Creator:: Lingam, Naga Sasidhar
Abstract:: Real world is analog but the processing of signals can best be done in digital domain. So the need for Analog to Digital Converters(ADCs) is ever rising as more and more applications set in. With the advent of mobile technology, power in electronic equipment is being driven down to get...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Low-power dynamic CMOS circuits in high-performance memory arrays

Creator:: Patwary, Md. Ataur R.
Abstract:: Dynamic CMOS circuits are commonly used in high-performance memory arrays to implement wide-NOR logic functions for their read and search operations. This is because dynamic circuits have significantly higher speed and lower area compared to static circuits for performing similar operations. Register File (RF) arrays are located at the top...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mahler's order functions and algebraic approximation of p-adic numbers

Creator:: Dietel, Brian Christopher
Abstract:: If P is an integer polynomial denote the degree of P by ∂(P) and let H(P) be the maximum of the absolute value of the coefficients of P. Define Λ(P)=2[superscript ∂(P)]H(P) and for a fixed prime p let C[subscript p] denote the completion of the algebraic closure of the p-adic...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mass spectrometry-based identification and characterization of protein and peptide adducts of lipoxidation-derived aldehydes

Creator:: Chavez, Juan D.
Abstract:: Oxidative stress is recognized as an important underlying factor in the pathogenesis of many degenerative diseases as well as normal senescence. The free radicals, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and electrophiles produced during oxidative stress are capable of modifying nucleic acids, lipids and proteins. There are a variety of oxidative modifications...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mathematical approaches to the physics of mesoscale oceanography

Creator:: Early, Jeffrey J.
Abstract:: The long-term evolution of Gaussian eddies is studied in an equivalent barotropic model using both linear and nonlinear quasi-geostrophic theory in an attempt to understand westward propagating satellite altimetry tracked mesoscale eddies. By examining both individual eddies and a large basin seeded with eddies, it is shown that long term...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Micro total analysis system for in-situ and autonomous spectrophotometric monitoring of iron in groundwater

Creator:: Koch, Corey R.
Abstract:: We have developed a compact micro total analysis system (μTAS) to serve as a platform for in-situ spectrophotometric water quality monitoring. Individual fluidic, optical, and electrical components were designed, developed, and characterized. These components were combined in both an integrated (single lithographic “chip-based” platform) and a modular manner. The microfluidic...
Resource Type:: Dissertation

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