We demonstrated a sensitive biosensor based on plasmonic metal composite nanostructures. The device can be fabricated and duplicated with ease using a novel nanoprinting technology which allows precise transfer of metal nanostructures without complicated lithography processes. The design featured by its unique material composition and sub-wavelength structures maximizes the exposure...
A system for radiological dosimetry for nonhuman biota developed by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) relies on calculations that utilize the Monte Carlo simulations of simple, ellipsoidal geometries with internal radioactivity distributed homogeneously throughout. In this manner it is quick and easy to estimate whole-body dose rates to biota....
An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is an important part of a freestanding bipedal robot's state estimation system.
IMUs return translational accelerations and rotational velocities, which must be numerically integrated to obtain a robot's orientation.
This thesis documents the implementation of the IMU alignment and integration systems for the ATRIAS robot....
Landscape characteristics can strongly influence demographic and genetic processes in wildlife populations. Climate change and human land use are causing many landscapes to change rapidly, and the effects on wildlife populations must be understood to properly manage these threats and design effective conservation strategies. In this dissertation, I explored the...
The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that offers science-based information about pesticides and related topics to the general public, medical personnel, applicators, researchers, and regulators. The Herbicide Properties Tool project is the creation of an updated...
Often, characters of entertainment works, such as movies, books, or video
games, display traits that people find relatable. In certain cases, a spectator of a work
will develop such a strong psychological bond with a character that they identify with
them. Identification with fictional characters is usually a subconscious act...
The symbiosis between cnidarians, such as corals and sea anemones, and photosynthetic dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Symbiodinium spp. is one of the most productive in the marine environment. This mutualistic endosymbiosis allow reef-building corals to lay down the foundation of coral reef ecosystems, which supports a highly biodiverse community...
The advent of synthetic adhesives has transformed the structural applications of wood. However, a persistent issue in adhesively-bonded wood products has been moisture durability. When designing wood based composites, moisture durability will depend on both the wood phase and the adhesive phase. A key question, therefore, is how does one...
The design of mobile wireless devices has always focused on reducing power, area, and cost. This dissertation proposes two techniques that are leveraged to save power and area and therefore cost. The first techniques reduces the noise in the receiver and results in a relaxed power requirement. The second technique...
Lateral spread is a pervasive type of liquefaction-induced ground failure that occurs on gentle slopes or near free-faces, such as river channels. Resulting horizontal displacements can reach up to several meters, and can be considerably damaging to foundations, bridges, roadways, pipelines, etc. In the 1990s, Bartlett and Youd (1992a, 1995)...
This honors undergraduate thesis examines the process of simulating power system state estimation, the use of the alternating direction method of multipliers in the problem of distributed power system state estimation, and provides a rudimentary asynchronous implementation of the above for a linearized DC power system. The asynchronous implementation is...
Exposure to urban outdoor air pollution is ubiquitous and low birth weight represents an important health disparity in the United States. While previous research suggests that exposure to outdoor air pollutants are associated with term low birth weight, few studies have evaluated the effects of multipollutant outdoor air exposures or...
Graphics hardware in mobile devices has become more powerful, allowing rendering techniques such as ray-cast volume rendering to be done at interactive rates. This increase of performance provides desktop capabilities combined with the portability of a tablet. Volumes can demand a high amount of memory in order to be loaded...
Purpose: This study examines the relationship between food insecurity (FI) risk and families’ readiness to change obesity-preventing behaviors within rural home-environments.
Methods: Families (n=144) were recruited through six elementary schools (K-5/6) in low-income, rural, Oregon communities. Families completed surveys including a FI risk screener and the Family Stage of Change...
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon that alters many different physiological processes. Although many age-related phenotypes, such as neurodegeneration, weakening circadian rhythms, and inflammaging, are well-studied, the links between them are not. To elucidate these links we created an inflammation-like state in Drosophila melanogaster by overexpressing Relish (Rel), an NFκB...
Incoming and graduating engineering students in the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University were surveyed in order to assess awareness and integration of social responsibilities into their emerging professional persona and how those views are informed by program and faculty interactions. Preliminary analysis of responses...
Bird and bat collisions with wind turbine blades are an occurrence which are extremely variable in
frequency. With the expansion of wind farms, determining the true quantity of collisions and the
species involved is imperative for preventing ecological damage. Explored in this thesis is a blade
mounted camera for wirelessly...
High-energy delayed γ-rays from photofission were demonstrated to be signatures for detection and identification of special nuclear materials. Such γ-rays were measured in between linac pulses using independent data acquisition systems. A list-mode system was developed to measure low-energy delayed γ-rays after irradiation. Photofission product yields of ²³⁸U and ²³⁹Pu...
Background: Social interaction among peers on a campus of higher education has long been considered an important part of the college student experience, in particular for the first-term students transitioning into college life. Students who socially connect with peers on campus tend to persist at higher rates, while other benefits...
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a method for mechanically characterizing a 25 μm thick elastoviscoplastic hemodialysis membrane and for quantifying the force required to use that membrane in compression sealing. First, methods are developed for mechanically characterizing the thin elastoviscoplastic membrane. Then, a finite element model is...
This project analyzes, tests, and redesigns an environmental control system for Global Formula Racing’s (GFR) dynamometer. It seeks to develop a working system to test GFR’s car engine under air conditions similar to those faced during competition. A model is developed to predict the performance of the environmental control system,...
OSU’s Global Formula Racing (GFR) team creates two carbon fiber chassis each year, one for combustion engine powered the other electric. These two vehicles compete in SAE sanctioned competitions teams and in order to enter they both have to provide design and testing information to prove the vehicle is safe...
Fischer-Tropsh Synthesis is a chemical process that converts CO and H₂ (syngas) into long stable hydrocarbon chains to use as fuel. This process suffers from large product distribution that requires expensive post processing. In this study, the reaction mechanism of hydrocarbon chain growth on Co is investigated on different surface...
The creative writing portfolio Fewer Mice includes 53 “Liners” (comedic one-liners), four untitled prose poems, two flash-length stories (“Cleanup” and “Battle Creek”), and two short stories (“Pipes” and “Tulips”). The purpose of this portfolio was to explore the craft of writing and determine which techniques are specifically and personally beneficial...
The intent of this report is to provide a brief description of water quality issues in Nicaragua, Uganda and Bangladesh, and the technologies available to address these issues. The water quality parameters considered include: bacterial contamination, heavy metals and arsenic, pesticides and industrious chemicals, turbidity, radiological characteristics, and taste and...
The objectives of this research were to investigate the optimal conditions for anthocyanins extraction from different anthocyanin rich fruit and to develop microencapsulation formulation for improving stability of anthocyanin extracts. In the extraction optimization study, two extraction methods, "conventional solvent extraction (CE)" and "ultrasound-assisted extraction (UE)" for three different anthocyanin-rich...
Advances in low-power digital integration and microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have paved the way for micro-sensors. These sensors are equipped with data processing capabilities along with sensory circuits. Sensor data are processed on these individual sensors and transmitted to the target (sink). Lowcost integration and small sizes of these sensors have...
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds from four different types of fruit pomace, including apple, blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry, and further to investigate the feasibility of creating apple pomace based biocomposite boards using thermal compression molding and to optimize the biocomposite formulations...
In 2012, a university in the north western United States began offering a redesigned college algebra class that had a greater emphasis on active learning. Specifically, two out of four class periods were completely devoted to students working together in small groups on carefully designed worksheets. Two years later, the...
An enabling technology for long duration, deep space missions is the availability of a high power, long-lived power supply. The goal of this work is the design of a self-regulating deep space nuclear reactor. The design objectives are to produce 250 kWth for a 25-year period using the presence of...
In this dissertation, I describe the experimental investigation of catching ions in superfluid helium droplets. The ultimate goal of our project is to build a coherent electron diffraction apparatus for atomic structure determination from oriented single macromolecules. This involves generating protein ions from electrospray ionization (ESI) and doping them in...
Transparent and electrically conductive metal oxide nanoparticles have attracted much attention, and can be used to improve the performance of solar cells, transparent electrode materials, and gas sensor technology. Specifically, indium tin oxide (ITO) nanocrystals (NCs) are potentially useful nanomaterials, having technological applications in enhanced sensitivity of optical spectroscopy due...
This thesis will explore the architectural material culture excavated at the Robert Newell Homestead (35MA41), currently located in Champoeg, Oregon. Specifically, the research focuses on the vernacular architecture or the features and construction methods used that both reflect the environment and the cultural traditions of the dwellings occupants. The Robert...
The objective of this paper is to present an alternative model that can be accepted into our current medical care system that outlines protocols for physicians treating terminally ill patients and that will ultimately increase the number of end of life conversations made between them and their patients. The work...
The factors that cause abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture were investigated. Included
in this study were aneurysm volume, thrombus thickness, lumen area, thrombus area,
the average stress acting on the aorta, and the maximum stress on the aorta. The
geometric values were obtained by tracing a series of computerized axial tomography...
At any given time, 60% to 85% of prisoners across the United States are struggling with substance addiction and dependence. Upon release, about two-thirds of former prisoners will reoffend and return to prison. Due to the high rate of substance use and abuse in prisons, drug treatment, specifically Correctional Therapeutic...
This paper evaluates the previously unknown effect that a Fiscal Stress Label (FSL), a State fiscal intervention program signaling fiscal duress, has on passage rates and voter support for school district tax referenda. Previous research suggests that FSL receipt is associated with increased school district revenue, however the reason why...
Background: Legislators and higher education policy makers increasingly are turning to policy initiatives to incentivize institutions of higher education to transform policies and practices in the name of student success, with success typically defined as retention and graduation rates. One such policy receiving increased attention amongst states is outcomes-based funding,...
There has been a tremendous growth in interest in carbon nanodots (C-dots) in the past several years. As a nascent nanomaterial, C-dots have shown great promise in applications that benefit from their superior water dispersibility, low toxicity, non-blinking fluorescent output, chemical and biological compatibility, ease of functionalization and resistance to...
The environmental movement needs people from communities of color and the differing perspectives they provide. Latinas/os are one of the largest communities of color in the US, and their numbers continue to grow. However, mainstream environmental organizations have failed to engage this community in authentic ways. The lack of meaningful...
Assessing student conceptual understanding is a valuable method for gauging specific student learning outcomes but can be difficult and time consuming to measure. This research investigates the potential of automating some intermediary steps of a qualitative analysis of student conceptual understanding with tools from the field of Natural Language Processing...
Institutions of higher education are increasingly being held accountable and experiencing pressure to demonstrate how well their students are achieving intended learning outcomes. External and internal influences fuel this pressure. After decades of rhetoric on student learning outcomes assessment there remains a question of whether the practice has been fully...
Optical wireless communication (OWC) is an alternative to radio frequency (RF)communication with a signi cantly larger and unregulated spectrum. In OWC systems, optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (O-OFDM) with intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) is commonly used. There are two common signal structures in most OWC systems based on...
Threshold-based time of arrival (TOA) estimation is a technique for high-precision indoor localization. Existing threshold selection methods, such as xed thresh- old and normalized threshold methods, do not consider the signal-to-noise radio (SNR) value at the receiver. This is not desired for high-precision positioning. A proper threshold value depends on...
Respiratory infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), especially Mycobacterium avium, can lead to progressive, recurrent disease that is refractory to therapy. Bacterial biofilms are intrinsically resistant to a variety of stressors and pressures, including host killing mechanisms and antibiotic therapy. Though it is becoming increasingly evident that NTM biofilms are...
The purpose of this case study is to explore a mentoring program designed for African American male community college students at a Pacific Northwest community college. Community college practitioners can use the knowledge gained from this study as a best practice to increase the persistence and success of African American...
The central Oregon coast was selected as an ideal site for wave energy
development and establishment of the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC). PMEC will consist of two nearshore sites, one north (NETS) and one south (SETS) of the Yaquina River, Oregon. Our study aims to assess how the development...
Wheeled mobility devices (WhMD) pose unique safety risks to users while riding public transportation. Unsecured or improperly secured WhMDs create safety concerns for other transit riders and operators. Tests using accelerometers and visual observations were conducted to understand how WhMD orientation and securement in articulated buses, streetcars, and light rail...
Although plant remains, such as opal phytolith and charcoal analyses, have been used since the beginning of the 20th century to reconstruct past environments by ecologists and botanists, only recently have these techniques been considered by archaeologists in understanding the past at the site level. This study employs opal phytolith...
Apart from the traditional role of preventing progression from HIV to AIDS, antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) has an additional benefit of substantially reducing infectiousness, making them potentially an important strategy in the fight against HIV. Recent advances in drug therapy have also seen the use of antiretroviral drugs as a...
Changes in climate caused by increased concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the Earth’s atmosphere have led land and ocean surface temperatures to increase by 0.85°C and sea level to increase by 19 cm relative to preindustrial times. Global climate change will lead to further alterations in mean temperature and...
Limnology is undergoing a transition to high-throughput -omic analysis of freshwater
bacterial communities. An important first step in making the transition is to
characterize several genomes that can be used as references to guide metagenome
assembly and analysis. Here I characterize four new freshwater cyanobacterial
genomes, a pair of lake...
In 2010 the American taxpayers spent $697 million educating veterans under the provisions of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly referred to as the GI Bill). Most veterans begin their college education at a community college. However, the number of veterans succeeding in community colleges is exceedingly low. Based...
The low risk and sustainable implementation of nanotechnology requires understanding how nanomaterial physicochemical properties influence their toxicity. Major drivers of toxicity need to be avoided while maximizing product efficacy so nanomaterials can be produced to best serve their applications and be of low risk when intentionally or unintentionally released into...
Detection of xenon radioisotopes (radioxenons) has proven to be an important method for detecting nuclear explosions and is particularly well suited for detecting undeclared underground testing. The radioxenon isotopes ¹³¹mXe (t₁/₂ = 11.934 d), ¹³³mXe (t₁/₂ = 2.19 d), ¹³³Xe (t₁/₂ = 5.243 d) and ¹³⁵Xe (t₁/₂ = 9.14 h)...
Purpose: This study examines the nutrition knowledge/behaviors of adolescent athletes before/after a sport nutrition intervention. Methods: The WAVE pilot study intervention provided sport nutrition education to soccer players (n=26; 14-19y) through face-to-face lessons (Intervention group [IG]). Anthropometrics and the Sport Nutrition Questionnaire were done pre/post intervention, while the comparison group...
Reports of foodborne outbreaks have increased in the last decade, posing a public health risk to consumers. In an attempt to mitigate this risk, the newly established Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) takes a preventive rather than reactive approach to food safety. Under FSMA, producers are required to validate...
Marine bivalves are globally recognized as ecologically and commercially valuable species and, for over a century, researchers have been studying their feeding, digestion and other related physiological processes. These studies have shown that marine bivalves have complex feeding and particle processing behaviors to maximize growth in dynamic environmental conditions. Additionally,...
Damage estimates to the built environment from tsunamis are important for disaster mitigation, including planning emergency response and recovery. This dissertation evaluates the damage states of buildings in a small urban coastal city, Seaside, Oregon, from tsunami hazards generated by a Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) event. This study is separated...
The Pacific Northwest produces over 95% of the nation’s processed red raspberries, valued at over $65 million. Two of the major soilborne pathogens effecting the production of raspberry in this region are the oomycete Phytophthora rubi, which causes root rot in red raspberry plants, and the plant-parasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans,...
Bees provide critical pollination services to diverse agricultural crops, native plants and trees. Globally, there are reports of bee declines which have been attributed to diseases, exposure to pesticides and changes in land use that are believed to have led to a reduction in foraging resources and nesting habitats for...
Cyclic nitramines are a class of compounds that include most of the commonly used explosives today. These are among the most common toxicants released into the environment as a result of human activity, generated on military ranges, battlefields, and production sites. Of these, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5- triazine (RDX) is of particular interest,...
Entomopathogenic fungi are cosmopolitan microbial pathogens that cause fungous diseases in a wide range of insects via spore infection. Due to their natural enemy status, they have tremendous potential for use as microbial control agents against insect pests, especially subterranean pests for which few management options are available. The clover...
This thesis examines the effect of aerodynamics on Formula SAE cars. Due to the different objectives of the Formula SAE events, an understanding of the car's complete aerodynamic design is necessary. Using a half car computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, a series of sensitivity studies are conducted to determine trends...
The mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) is an intersection of more than a river and ocean, but also multiple economically valuable activities including dredging to maintain a deep draft shipping channel and an active Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) fishery. More than three million cubic meters of sediment are annually...
Thorough understanding of the mechanisms controlling the temperature structure in the surface mixed layer of the ocean and, in particular, accurate values of sea surface temperature are critical for properly parameterizing air-sea heat exchange and quantifying the amount of heat redistributed below the surface. It is however difficult to obtain...
Turbulent flows over rough surfaces are encountered in many engineering and geophysical applications. Flows of this nature, due to their increasing technological interests, have been a subject of rigorous investigation in recent years. Of the particular interest to the oceanographic community is the study of turbulent oscillatory flow over rough...
The Oaxaca Valley, located in the state of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico, was the site of the Zapotec civilization and its now famous capital, Monte Albán. This site, with political, military, and economic influence and control, helped to consolidate the three arms of the Oaxaca Valley, resulting in a state-level...
Nitrification is the process within the global Nitrogen Cycle where ammonia (NH3) is oxidized to nitrate (NO₃⁻) and can be carried out by two distinct groups of bacteria. The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) first oxidize NH₃ to nitrite (NO₂⁻), and second, the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) oxidize NO₂⁻ to NO₃⁻. In aerobic...
During the beginning of the postpartum period, 80 to 100% of lactating dairy cows have bacterial contamination within their uteri. Presence of uterine bacteria may contribute to increased number of days open and services per conception within these cows. Expulsion of uterine contamination is crucial for uterine involution and reproductive...
Two research projects comprise this thesis. The first project investigated modifying the hormone dosing strategy traditionally used in superovulating donor cows for an embryo collection to decrease drug costs without decreasing the number of high quality, transferable embryos recovered. The objective of this project was to evaluate the number and...
The purpose of this study is to measure and compare radiation emissions from flames burning large hydrocarbon fuels to assist in understanding how the molecular composition changes radiation emissions. Radiative heat transfer is significant because it is a primary mode of heat transfer for many combustion devices. This study also...
Thymocytes, cells of the thymus gland, undergo developmental steps that
enable them to properly mature into T-cells. Errors in gene expression may lead to
improper maturation and potentially mass proliferation of dysfunctional thymocytes,
a hallmark of leukemia or lymphoma. BCL11B is a tumor suppressor and
transcriptional regulatory protein that is...
Red Signal Countdown Timers (RSCTs) are devices placed at intersections to inform drivers of the time remaining on a red indication before it turns green, typically to improve intersection efficiency. This study examines the visual attention of Oregon drivers to circular red (CR) indications with RSCTs as compared to standard...
We present a proof that the number of breakpoints in the arrival function between two terminals in graphs of treewidth ω is n^(O(log²ω) when the edge arrival functions are piecewise linear. This is an improvement on the bound of n^(Θ(log n))by Foschini, Hershberger, and Suri for graphs without any bound...
Over two million people experience homelessness in the United States, but homeless people are often marginalized by invisibility and stigmas surrounding poverty within their local communities. This research seeks to amplify the voices of Corvallis area homeless women as a means to understand their everyday lived experiences. Six women residing...
The cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum L., has been one of the world’s most important food crops for more than 190 years and may become even more important to global food security in the coming 20 - 30 years. One of the world's largest growing health concerns is not just the...
Diabetes is a pandemic that affects nearly 29.1 million Americans and the fourth leading cause of mortality in the US. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition which occurs due to little to no production of insulin by the pancreas. This form of diabetes requires constant monitoring of blood glucose...
The thesis documents research about combining the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program with the Impact 2002+ methodology to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for wastewater treatment processes. The LCA for the operational phase of a local wastewater treatment plant was performed and the environmental impacts caused...
The Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) is a broad zone of dextral shear inboard of the North American - Pacific plate boundary. Despite decades of study, the significance of a mismatch between geodetic velocities and geologic fault slip rates across the ECSZ remains incompletely understood. Geodetically determined interseismic strain across...
Loss of lowland estuarine and freshwater off-channel habitats along the Pacific Northwest coast has contributed to the decline of salmonid populations. These habitats serve as nursery grounds for juvenile salmonids providing them with food, winter shelter, and a transition zone between freshwater and saltwater. Lowland areas have undergone anthropogenic alterations...
Coastal sand dunes and beaches offer a variety of ecosystem services such as coastal protection, sand stabilization, species conservation, and recreation. However, the management and balance of ecosystem services offered by dunes and beaches is challenging when ecosystem services interact across the landscape. Management focusing only on one ecosystem service...
The fluid impact forces on a bridge superstructure in horizontal and vertical directions due to tsunamis represented by solitary waves are investigated through a large-scale laboratory experiment and numerical simulations. The experiment is conducted in a two-dimensional wave basin using a 1:5 scaled reinforced concrete bridge deck model tested under...
An ideal labeling reaction between protein and surface should generate a protein-patterned surface with control over the orientation of the desired protein. Controlling orientation would generate a homogeneous, un-fouled protein surface and allow for maximum efficiency in regards to the activity, reactivity, and stability of the protein. In this research...
Identifying habitat and spatial requirements of wildlife species across multiple spatial scales is a challenging, yet crucial component of wildlife management. Habitat use of bats is particularly difficult to study, and managing habitat to conserve bats is especially challenging because bats are highly vagile organisms that exploit several different types...
Chlamydia is a genus of obligate intracellular bacteria that undergo a unique, biphasic developmental cycle. The infectious and metabolically inert Elementary Bodies (EBs) begin the cycle of infection by attaching and invading a host cells. Once inside, the EBs differentiate into the metabolically active, dividing Reticulate Bodies (RBs) within their...
Evapotranspiration (ET) is the process by which water is transferred from land to the atmosphere. ET is the second most important component of a hydrologic budget and remains difficult to estimate. The primary objective of this project was to determine the limitations of estimating ET from water table elevation fluctuations...
Wheat is a globally traded staple crop. Wheat is important in human diets because of its agronomic adaptability, physical characteristics, functionality for the production of leavened products and nutritional value. Two significant characteristics make wheat an important staple food-crop. First, the proteins present in wheat endosperm have attributes that enable...
This thesis details the applications of a new method of agent-based structure synthesis. The goal of this research is to create structures that meet a structural goal within a simulated physics environment. The method proposed works as an iterative process of changing the structure, evaluating the new structure and using...
Changes in environmental conditions in marine ecosystems could directly or indirectly influence distribution, abundance, settlement, and size at settlement of flatfish. Understanding species-specific and age-specific responses to environmental variability is important for managing commercially important flatfish stocks. Slope-spawning flatfish whose offspring rely on extensive drift from the slope (spawning) to...
This dissertation examines the spatial distribution of park access by type in relation to trajectories of gentrification in Seattle from 1990 to 2010. The dissertation includes 5 Chapters. The first chapter provides an overview of the literature that motivated this research. The second, third and fourth chapters are research papers...
In this thesis we study a numerical analysis problem motivated by the need to simulate an event such as an oil spill in a deep water environment. Numerical simulation can help to mitigate the disastrous effects of such events by aiding the management of risk assessment and recovery efforts.
However,...
Objective: This study used the Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to explore the relationship between preconception dietary restriction and subsequent birth outcomes in an attempt to quantify their association. Methods: The survey question of interest focused on changing diet to lose weight during preconception. Descriptive statistics were calculated...
Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) face numerous challenges associated with climate change. Most research has emphasized the potential effects of elevated summer water temperatures; however, climatic changes are also projected to significantly alter incubation and rearing habitats during the late autumn, winter, and spring months ("the incubation period"). Along the southern...
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Paraguay and used traditionally by the native Guarani peoples for centuries to sweeten medicinal teas. Stevia has only been commercially cultivated over the past 50 years and cultural practice information suitable for implementation by growers is limited. Currently stevia’s commercial...
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze an abrupt case of climate change in the past as a means to understand the mechanisms that force climate change. By looking to past analogs of climate change, we hopefully will gain an understanding of these events, which could be used to...
This study compared and analyzed the practice of pediatricians in Salem Pediatric Clinic, Salem, OR, USA with physicians in Hospital de Niños Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina in the treatment of acute otitis media in children. It was found that Argentine and USA practices for treatment of...
Transgenerational immune priming occurs when an adult is exposed to a parasite or other pathogen and then transmits information to its offspring through protective phenotypes to cope with the same pathogen (Moret, 2006). There has been evidence for transgenerational immune priming in various invertebrates (Tidbury et al. 2011). Here we...
In this work we propose a curve approximation method that operates in the curvature
domain. The curvature is represented using one of several different types of
basis functions (linear, quadratic, spline, sinusoidal, orthogonal polynomial), and the
curve's geometry is reconstructed from that curvature basis. Our hypothesis is that
different curvature...