The data retrieved from gt;momic sequencing techniques provides the raw information required to infer the basis of mutations and their resulting phenotypes, wherein plant ontologies can be utilized in annotating said phenotypes using a common, shared vocabulary. By relating mutant genes of similar phenotypes both within and between plant species,...
Models that seek to predict environmental variables invariably demonstrate bias when compared to observations. Bias correction (BC) techniques are common in the climate and hydrological modeling communities, but have seen fewer applications to the field of wave modeling. In particular there has been no investigation as to which BC methodology...
Rebuilding of some U.S. West Coast rockfish (Sebastes spp.) stocks relies heavily on mandatory fishery discard, however the long-term condition of discarded fish experiencing capture-related barotrauma is unknown. We conducted two studies designed to evaluate delayed mortality, physical condition,and behavioral competency of yelloweye rockfish, Sebastes ruberrimus, experiencing barotrauma during capture...
Since the decimation of the southern right
whale Eubalaena australis population in New Zealand by
whaling, research on its recovery has focused on the wintering
ground at the Auckland Islands, neglecting potentially
important wintering habitat at Campbell Island. For
the first time in 20 years we conducted an expedition to...
Periodic weighing of seabird chicks is labour-intensive and repeated handling can cause high levels of disturbance to chicks. Although automatic weighing systems using a fibreglass nest have been designed for albatross species with a pedestal nest made of mud, this approach is inappropriate for great albatross species (genus Diomedea) whose...
Streams that dry during part of the year are common throughout the world, yet studies of the macroinvertebrate assemblages in these types of streams are rare compared to those in permanent streams; and studies that assess the effects of agriculture on temporary stream invertebrates are even rarer. We studied macroinvertebrate...
The impacts of climate change are being observed worldwide. However, some regions and context specific situations make particular areas more vulnerable to the impacts than others. Alaska’s Kenai River Watershed (KRW) is on the front lines of climate change and may be especially vulnerable to the impacts due to distinct...
Potential water scarcity and drought conditions are predicted in and around Eugene, Oregon due to decreased snowpack and subsequent decreased snowmelt in the Western Cascade Mountains. This phenomenon was triggered by a long-term trend of warmer winters scientifically linked to global climate change patterns (Dalton et al. 2013). Numerous stakeholders,...
The project location is a pre-historical gathering site for basketry materials utilized by the Wintun people within the boundaries of the Red Bluff Recreation Area. Due to environmental changes and neglect, the site has fallen into disuse and degradation. The aim of this project is ethnoecological restoration, which varies from...
This capstone project is presented for the completion of Oregon State University’s (OSU) Master of Natural Resources Program. Water resource reliability in the Pacific Northwest is becoming less dependable, but population and municipal water demand is increasing. The Gales Creek Watershed and its tributary Clear Creek encompass 48,481 acres in...
The focus of this dissertation was to understand protein function and structure ona molecular level. To do this successfully, a variety of biochemical and biophysicaltechniques were employed. A wide variety of techniques were applied to study theproteins of interest in this dissertation to probe protein-protein interactions, proteinfunction, protein structure, and...
The economically viable production of value added fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic feedstocks hinges on our ability to quickly and efficiently transform structural carbon molecules to end products. The sugars in lignocellulosic biomass are held primarily within cellulose and hemicellulose. Cellulose is composed primarily of glucose monomers which are quickly...
Atmospheric pressure changes do not stop at the permeable snow surface but rather propagate into it. These pressure changes range from high-amplitude, low-frequency events caused by seasonal cycles and synoptic weather systems to small-amplitude, high-frequency events caused by topographic features and turbulence. The effect of pressure changes on interstitial air...
When hops are added to beer, varying degrees of hoppy aroma persist in the finished beer as a result of a number of factors. Dry-hopping is a technique whereby hops are added to beer post-fermentation to leverage the maximum aroma potential of the hop essential oils while minimizing bitterness contribution...
Assembly time estimation is a key factor in evaluating the performance of the assembly process in an automated assembly process. The overall goal of this study is to develop an efficient assembly time estimation method by generating the prediction model from an experimental design. In order to estimate these times,...
Student engagement with faculty is positively associated with increases in the retention and graduation rates of students enrolled in institutions of higher education. Although a considerable amount of research has focused on understanding the engagement experiences of students enrolled at four-year colleges and universities, little emphasis has been placed on...
Bone strength and fracture resistivity are related to a variety of factors encompassed in what is referred to as bone quality. However, bone quality is not a well-defined concept; therefore individual fracture risk cannot be predicted accurately, and osteoporosis treatment monitoring remains di cult. Clinically available imaging modalities use bone...
Plethodontid salamanders have served as an informative vertebrate system for studying the role of chemical signals in facilitating social and reproductive behaviors. Individuals produce complex mixtures of chemicals from multiple glandular regions. In total, these secretions convey a wide variety of information, and are important for numerous inter- and intraspecific...
This study uses an existing database of dynamic loading tests of driven piles installed in the Puget Sound Lowlands to improve the reliability of axial performance. First, the unit shaft resistances developed from stress wave signal matching to dynamic records of pile installation are used to develop an effective stress-based...
The ternary system (Bi₀.₅Na₀.₅)TiO₃-(Bi₀.₅K₀.₅)TiO₃-Bi(Mg₀.₅Ti₀.₅)O₃ (BNT-BKT-BMgT) was explored along the [75-(x 2) ]Bi₀.₅Na₀.₅TiO₃ - [25-(x 2)]Bi₀.₅K₀.₅TiO₃ - [x]Bi(Mg₀.₅Ti₀.₅)O₃ composition line. Thin films were fabricated using chelated mixing route solutions spin cast onto platinized silicon substrates. Processing parameters such as: excess cation molar%, solution molality, and crystallization temperatures, for composition where x=0,...
Soft robots are designed to utilize their compliance and contortionistic abilities to both interact safely with their environment and move through it in ways a rigid robot cannot. To more completely achieve this, the robot should be made of as many soft components as possible. Here we present a completely...
Although only a minority of introduced species become established and have noticeable consequences in their new communities, some can displace native species, alter food webs, and cause local extinctions. Studying these invasive species can provide new insights into basic ecological questions as well as inform management strategies. Pacific lionfish (Pterois...
Biological invasions have been identified as one of the prominent drivers of global environmental change. In particular, invasive predators typically have substantial negative effects on populations of native prey, even driving species to extinction in extreme cases. However, beyond direct predatory effects, little is understood regarding the specific mechanisms by...
The effects of alfaxalone (A-HPCD), propofol (P), ketamine-diazepam (KD) and tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) administered IV in dogs on cardiovascular and respiratory systems, acid-base balance and electrolytes have been reported in the literature, but a study that compares IV TZ to the other induction protocols (IP) is needed. Six dogs enrolled in...
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) seed yield can be affected by plant growth regulators (PGR) and irrigation; however, the effects of these factors on physiological maturity (PM), harvest maturity (HM), and seed quality are unknown. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine how irrigation and trinexapac-ethyl (TE, a...
There are many links between exposure to environmental pollution and risks to human health. While advances in the fields of toxicology, exposure science, and environmental chemistry have shown light on many of these links, many more research challenges remain. One major challenge is how to accurately characterize the toxicity of...
This thesis provides a comparison of advanced econometric frameworks to account for unobserved factors in crash reported data (also referred to as unobserved heterogeneity) while identifying contributing factors by roadway classification for heavy vehicle injury severity and crash rates. The presented thesis provides two manuscripts that expand the literature regarding...
Hereditary variation is a vital component in the development of new and improved cultivars of landscape plants. Sources of hereditary variation include naturally occurring variation, recombination due to controlled crosses, artificial mutagenesis, and genetic modification via biotechnology. Here I explore all methods with the exception of genetic modification via biotechnology....
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition that affects the central nervous system, and impacts the lives of over 400,000 individuals in the US. These individuals face unpredictable relapses of disabling conditions, are less active and experience poorer quality of life than the general population. Health professionals are challenged to...
The implementation and construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls has undergone substantial expansions in recent years, owing to its relatively low cost, ease of construction, and high efficiency compared to conventional retaining methods. As a result, MSE walls are being constructed to greater heights with complex features (e.g. multiple...
The multifaceted role of the environment in regulating the structure and dynamics of biological communities has long fascinated ecologists and motivated much debate and research. Now, in a time of accelerated global changes due to human impacts, the need to understand how the environment shapes communities has gained new urgency....
There is increasing awareness that human activities are altering the ways that natural systems operate and that local shifts in species composition and abundance can lead to abrupt and irreversible global change. Therefore, understanding the processes that buffer biological communities from critical shifts and how our actions affect natural stabilizing...
This project determines the short term and long term effective stiffness values for Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) with a reinforced concrete topping. The reinforced concrete was attached to the CLT panels with interface connections, and different types of interface connections were tested. Throughout this project, there are 31 tests with...
Forest soils and topography have long been known to influence forest productivity in complex terrain such as Oregon’s Coast Ranges. Incorporating physical site characteristics into predictions of forest growth and yield, however, has been problematic because of the high spatial variability of soil properties and the challenges associated with representing...
Quantitative assessments of post-fire effects are key to improving our understanding of ecosystem resilience. While remote sensing technology has allowed us to assess post-fire landscape effects, we are often limited by the lack of information related to pre-fire forest attributes. As a result, our ability to interpret fire effects in...
The goal of dissertation research was to use geochemical, statistical and geological methods to constrain and understand climate variability over several different time scales. Specifically, I have addressed three questions regarding past climate change: (1) how does the record of Irish cirque glaciers constrain the dimensions of the Irish Ice...
Despite more than two centuries of exploration, including more than six million deep wellbores with depths exceeding 40,000 feet in some parts of the world, our ability to constrain subsurface processes and properties remains limited. Characteristics of the subsurface vary and can be analyzed on a variety of spatial scales....
As the effect of ocean acidification (OA) on marine calcifiers is better understood, a range of potential mitigative strategies have been proposed, many of which are plagued by concerns of scale and feasibility. One oft-cited option is to increase the biomass of photosynthetic organisms to remove CO₂ from the water...
Today nano scale materials are being used for wide range of applications. One promising topic in nano scale materials is using them for reinforcement of different polymeric materials to reach desirable stiffness properties. The stiffness of these materials is mostly found experimentally because the nanocomposite community lacks a decent analytical...
We demonstrated a low-cost and high-sensitivity DNA detection method using quantum dot-fullerene based molecular beacons (MBs) and magnetic nanoparticles. The MB tethered magnetic nanoparticles can be well dispersed in analytes for efficient DNA capture and concentrated by an external magnetic field for enhanced fluorescence signal detection. The detection requires only...
Energy consumption has become a great deal for cloud service providers due to financial as well as environmental concerns. Studies show that cloud servers operate, most of the time, at only between 10% and 50% of their maximal utilizations. These same studies also show that servers that are kept ON...
Cognitive radio technology emerges as a promising solution for overcoming shortage and inefficient use of spectrum resources. In cognitive radio networks, secondary users, which are users equipped with cognitive radios, can opportunistically access spectrum assigned to primary users, the spectrum license holders. Although it improves spectrum utilization efficiency, this opportunistic...
The rapid scaling of network bandwidth and data center throughput has motivated the wide adoption of high speed transceivers. Silicon photonics (Si-Photonic) is one of the most promising techniques to realize tightly integrated optical transceivers for next-generation high speed I O standards. This dissertation focuses on the design techniques of...
Treatment of extrahepatic portosystemic shunts provides many options, including cellophane banding. These cellophane bands are secured with a ligation clip. Weck® offers two forms of these: the stainless steel Hemoclip, and the polymer Hem-o-lok. This in vitro study compares the mechanical strength of these two of types of clips by...
Floods remain the world’s most destructive natural hazard, despite centuries of efforts to minimize losses. Understanding public preferences for flood mitigation measures, and the impacts of these measures, is key to minimizing flood-induced losses. This study quantified tradeoffs between flood mitigation measures and determined factors that influence public preferences for...
This particular study focuses on the changes in the ideas and perspectives of Nicaraguan women throughout the span of several generations. With the gaining popularity and successful strides that women have made to advance the Women’s Movement in Nicaragua, the definition of empowerment, the ideology of stereotypes, and the manner...
This thesis is an exploration of writing a music album from a singer-song writer perspective. It contains the process of writing lyrics and music, inspiration from other artists, as well as performance. It goes through the emotional ebbs and flows of creative writing, ground work for recording an album and...
Increasing complexity and demand of healthcare has not been matched with policy changes and improvements in healthcare training. In Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties (LBL), a few challenges that prevent the efficient training of healthcare providers are (1) limited training capacity due to clinical placements and availability of qualified faculty...
This thesis on online communities for sex buyers seeks to understand questions such as “what can we learn from online communities for sex buyers?” We explore these issues with the framework of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis and through the use of qualitative research of both the review boards at Punternet...
The metal-organic–framework MOF-5 is used as an adsorbent in advanced systems for vehicular hydrogen storage that are currently under development. Presently, these systems are limited by poor thermal conductivity of the adsorption bed, and thus our research addresses how the interfaces between grains of MOF-5 can be engineered to improve...