EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Invasive species are one of the most significant threats to native ecosystems in the nation (Mooney, 2001). As defined by Federal Executive Order 13112, a species is considered invasive if it is not native to the ecosystem under consideration, and its establishment causes or is likely to cause...
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...
This case study examines the Upper Klamath Basin of Oregon, which is experiencing a water crisis due to over-allocation. The purpose of this case study is to identify land cover / land use change looking specifically at wetland conversion and to discussion the effects of wetland loss on ecosystem services....
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...
Canine Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) makes up 2% of all canine cancers and is the most common cancer of the bladder for dogs. Usually diagnosed in its later stages, TCC is difficult to treat, with low survival times. Current diagnosis involves invasive techniques, and mainstream screening tests are often ineffective....
Users interested in customizing their Primo installation are required to configure specific settings, files, and code during the View setup process. A consequence of this is that unique customizations are not easily sharable between institutions. With the release of the new Primo User Interface, Ex Libris has enabled institutions to...
Soil solarization has been used throughout the world, but its effect on plant growth variables in ornamental tree saplings in the Willamette Valley are not well documented. Solarization could be an alternative to chemical controls for soil pathogens and weeds, and it may also influence plant growth factors. This study...
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...
The Boulder Batholith and Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics (EMV) formed concurrently during shortening between ~85-76 Ma near the end of Mesozoic Cordillera arc magmatism. Together they represent an exceptionally well-preserved and voluminous record of continental arc magmatism. We report field and analytical results from studies of the EMV and Boulder Batholith...
Seismic design of wood-frame single-family dwellings’ (WFSFD) lateral force–resisting systems requires determination of the stiffness of horizontal diaphragms and shearwalls. During design, sizes and locations of shearwall openings are often changed, altering shearwall stiffness and loads and requiring a significant redesign effort. Rigid and tributary area method analyses are examined...
For this paper, we will provide some background about Oregon State University’s repository and ETDs, discuss our project to migrate the repository from DSpace to Sufia/Hydra, our use of the Portland Common Data Model to represent objects and files in the repository, some of the challenges we are facing in...
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide with rare diseases face unique challenges to quality of life (QoL), including stigma and limited support. To address these concerns, many rare disease organizations offer support conferences for people to meet others with their condition. This is the first research to examine the effects...
Utilization and preference of whelk shells by the hairy hermit crab are examined in the following to further define the ecology of Oregon’s mid to low intertidal ecosystems. The study was conducted at Tokatee Kloochman State Natural Area (TK) where I made observations before collecting data. My observations were of...
Over half of the U.S. coastline is found in Alaska, and the majority of the state’s economic activity occurs along the coast. Increased coastal development poses a potential threat to nearshore habitats in Alaska. The installation of artificial reef (AR) systems can mitigate habitat loss; however, few AR systems have...
The quality of relationships in early childhood have lasting effects on children’s academic and behavioral success. Teacher report is the most widely used measure to assess the quality of the teacher-child relationship, however teachers are often biased by the child’s behavior. Observed quality of the relationship may illustrate differences in...
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...
Sand dunes provide coastal communities critical protection from flooding and erosion, as well as a habitat for a range of species- some threatened or endangered. As such, it is of importance to develop a quantitative understanding of the processes through which these systems evolve at a variety of temporal and...
Carcinus maenas is an invasive marine predator. Its generalist feeding strategies make it one of the most effective invaders. Carcinus maenas has invasive populations throughout the world, and was recently introduced to the west coast of North America. This study looks at the abundance and growth of C. maenas in...
Over 70% of the Antarctic krill population exists along the Antarctic Peninsula, a region undergoing rapid climate change. Recent studies have shown a clear correlation between krill recruitment each spring and the timing and coverage of sea ice the winter before, with less sea ice and a shorter duration being...
Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
Isolate and purify a pKN800 plasmid from Escherichia coli. Using restriction mapping determine the orientation of the Luciferase (lux) operon with respect to the plasmid backbone. Then transform the plasmid into E. coli strain DH5α to analyze the expression of the lux operon and the efficiency of transformation.
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...
Oregon State University Libraries and Press has reorganized its circulation, reference and building management services into a new department, focusing directly on the experience of library users. The Library Experience and Access Department (LEAD) was designed to meet evolving needs with access to user-focused, proactive, and flexible services and spaces...
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...
Self-directed mobility is a fundamental human right. Typically developing children engage in mobility for a majority of their day, but children with disabilities do not have the same opportunities. Children with disabilities are at a disadvantage and have a greater risk for developmental delays in physical and cognitive skills, along...