Metabolic syndrome, characterized by a collection of risk factors including abdominal obesity, insulin insensitivity, elevated plasma triglycerides, hypertension and low plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), is a major contributing factor to the development of cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes (T2D). Xanthohumol (XN), a flavonoid isolated from Humulus lupulus cones, has...
A majority of human caloric intake is in the form of complex carbohydrates, which have been assumed to be tasteless. However, there is considerable evidence from rat and human studies to support the existence of a secondary carbohydrate taste receptor that detects glucose polymers. Psychophysical studies in our lab suggest...
China suffered its biggest food-safety crisis in 2008 when it was discovered that melamine had been illegally added to the milk formula. More than 290,000 children were poisoned and at least six infants were dead. Chinese citizens and the governments around the world gave the Chinese government a lot of...
As a young adult, I have been able to witness first hand just how drastically social media is changing our culture and the way that we look at things. As social media continues to become more vastly used by its members who are in many different phases of life and...
Numerous populations of salmon and trout undergo extensive migrations, migrating from freshwater to the sea and throughout ocean basins. Years later they return to their natal streams with remarkable accuracy and precision. The outward migration is accomplished without the benefit of following experienced migrants or prior individual experience. Evidence suggests...
Radiochromic film dosimetry offers many advantages over standard film that requires wet chemical processing. Radiochromic film offers: a permanent color change upon irradiation; high spatial resolution; a response that is independent of energy, particle type, and angle of incidence; near tissue equivalence; and a wide dosimetric range. However, there are...
This thesis examines the challenging situation high school dual credit teachers in Oregon face teaching first-year composition in the high school location. I argue that thorough training, support, and professional development are vital for high school teachers teaching dual credit writing courses, who without it may find themselves faced with...
The consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with several health benefits, including cancer prevention. Many of these benefits are attributed to the phytochemical, sulforaphane (SFN), which is derived from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and broccoli sprouts. These vegetables contain glucoraphanin (GFN), SFN’s precursor, which is converted to SFN by...
Streams across the world are highly fragmented due to the presence of in-stream barriers (e.g., dams and stream-road crossings), many of which restrict or block fish passage. Retrofitting or replacing these structures is a high priority for restoring habitat connectivity for native fishes and other aquatic organisms in the Pacific...
In this thesis, I present a new method we developed to study low frequency (< 700 cm⁻¹) vibrational dynamics: Time-resolved third-harmonic generation (TRTHG) spectroscopy. Among a variety of vibrational spectroscopy techniques, TRTHG differentiates itself with robustness, versatility, and simplicity. In TRTHG experiment, that involves only two ultrashort laser pulses, the...