Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is an emerging form of liver disease associated with obesity, type II diabetes and dyslipidemia. As the prevalence of these metabolic conditions increases, so too has the occurrence of NASH in all sectors of the population. The pathology of this disease is similar to its alcoholic form,...
The Min protein system in Escherichia coli helps the cell division process by identifying the center of the cell [1, 7]. This system has been modeled succesfully computationally under standard conditions. There has been recent experimental interest in the cell division process for significantly perturbed cell shapes. We take the...
E+A galaxies represent an important niche in galaxy evolution as a subset of post-starburst galaxies. Set apart from other post-starburst galaxies by their rapid quenching of star formation, E+As are thought to have started their formation outside a galaxy cluster's center and have fallen inward due to gravity; the star...
Dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC) is a highly potent, but less prevalent, environmental carcinogen belonging to a class of compounds known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). They are highly ubiquitous and arise as a byproduct of natural and anthropogenic combustion processes. Previous studies have documented carcinogenic effects upon in utero exposure of PAHs....
Lung cancer in humans is an adult-onset disease. It is the number one cause of cancer mortality for both men and women and has a poor (15%) survival rate. Biological markers of the disease would allow for early diagnosis and treatment. The specific aims of this research project were to...
Although assays have been done on the effects of vitamin E alpha-tocopherol (ɑ-tocopherol) on the lifespan of wildtype C. elegans, none have been done on the effects of the vitamin on mutant strains with mitochondrial mutations. By using a mev-1 genetic mutant strain of C. elegans with higher levels of...
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone in the world to some degree through social isolation and a changing of the norms, including the number of deaths. However, no research has been done on how companion dogs in the United States have been affected by these societal changes. Research in Israel,...
Understanding the electrical transport properties of graphene provides a basis for determining its future as a potential semiconducting device that can be used for the next generation of transistors and photodetectors. Graphene p-n junctions can also function as field effect transistors, and thus are a logical starting point for I-V...
Hydrophobic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) are prevalent in industry and manufacturing. They are known for their white pigmentation, are found in sunscreens, paints, cosmetics, and are frequently used in wastewater treatment. Understanding the physicochemical properties of TiO2 P-25 NPs, such as hydrophobicity, are essential when determining their fate, transport,...
The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) is a public key cryptosystem used for creation and verification of digital signatures in electronic documents. In this thesis, we created a Java applet that provides the functionality of the ECDSA using all of the NIST elliptic curves over GF(p). This applet was...
Intertidal herbivores, such as isopods, help regulate and contribute to nutrient cycling and organic carbon flow through the trophic levels in estuaries and coastal ecosystems. Though much is known about the microbiomes of macrophyte leaves that serve as the primary food source for isopods, and (to a lesser extent) the...
Dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and an IARC classified 2A probable human carcinogen. Mouse progeny transplacentally exposed to DBC have been shown to develop lung and liver tumors, with liver tumors developing predominantly in males later in life. Sulforaphane (SFN) is an isothiocyanate that plays a crucial...
Ultraviolet (UV)-protective compounds, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAA) are critical for the survival of marine organisms exposed to high-solar radiation. A chemically similar compound, gadusol, was discovered in eggs of the atlantic cod in 1980, and was originally thought to be derived from MAAs that had been ingested. However,...
Dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC) is a highly potent, but less prevalent, environmental carcinogen belonging to a class of compounds known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). They are highly ubiquitous and arise as a byproduct of natural and anthropogenic combustion processes. Previous studies have documented carcinogenic effects upon in utero exposure of PAHs....
Vitamin E (vitE) is a group of lipid-soluble antioxidants- of which alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active and only form considered to be an essential nutrient. Through preferential binding and trafficking, the alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) regulates the concentration of vitE in the body. The impact of vitE deficiency on...
Rates of electronic cigarettes (or “e-cigarettes”) use among youth are so high that the Surgeon General declared them to be of “epidemic proportions” (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2012). If these rates go unchanged, e-cigarettes will likely be responsible for the creation of a new generation of combustible cigarette...
The properties of (1-x)BaTiO3-xBi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3 (BT-BMT) ceramics were fabricated from reagent-grade ceramic powders by solid-state methods and investigated for solubility, relative permittivity, dielectric loss, polarization, and electromechanical strain. The solubility limit was found to be between x = 0.3 and 0.4. Ba-deficient samples were fabricated, corresponding to stable single-phase compositions; these...
Titanium dioxide, in the anatase form, is a photocatalyst and has applications in water pollution reduction. Efficiency can be improved with a graphene substrate, which delays electron-hole recombination and may reduce the band gap. In this work, we determine if graphene can also act as a morphactant, changing the shape...
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P. Alex Greaney
Titanium dioxide, in the anatase form, is a photocatalyst and has applications
The ferlin protein family regulates membrane trafficking events for a wide range of cellular and physiological processes in eukaryotic organisms. Structurally, ferlins are distinguished by containing five to seven C2 domains with a single-pass transmembrane domain at the C-terminus. In mammals, there are 6 ferlin genes, including Fer1L6, which confer...
Otoferlin is a protein that is essential in the process of hearing. Mutations in otoferlin are associated with profound recessive deafness. The long-term goal of the Johnson lab is to understand how otoferlin contributes to hearing and why certain mutations result in deafness. This project sought to characterize the difference...
Ferlins are a family of calcium-sensitive proteins involved in fusion and fission membrane trafficking events. There are six ferlin members: dysferlin, otoferlin, myoferlin, Fer1L4, Fer1L5, and Fer1L6. Previous research shows the first three ferlins play a pathophysiological role in humans, while the other three remain uncharacterized. Fer1L6 is one of...
Fer1L6 is an uncharacterized member of the ferlin family of proteins, a group of large, calcium sensitive proteins with emerging roles in vesicle trafficking and various disease states. The presence of Fer1L6 has been identified within the C2C12 cell line of mouse skeletal muscle. To determine the protein’s subcellular location...
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the primary cause of community-acquired pneumonias, including what is commonly known as walking pneumonia. This disease affects people from all demographics, but especially children and older adults. Outbreaks are a significant public health concern and work to develop new pharmacological agents is currently being researched. How M....
The planar peptide model has guided our understanding and interpretation of protein crystal structures since its origin in the 1950s. It is well understood that deviations from this model occur, but the majority of peptides are planar, as measured by the standard omega torsion angle. Here, we report the first...
This thesis examines the dielectric properties of two systems based on the perovskite materials
barium titanate and strontium titanate. A solid solution was created starting with these base
materials and then adding varying amounts of bismuth-zinc titanate and sodium niobate. These
compositions were calcined and sintered at temperatures determined to...
The McDonald Forest is one of the Oregon State University Research Forests, owned by the College of Forestry and located approximately seven miles northwest of the heart of Corvallis. I took four hikes on the McDonald Forest at four major recreation destinations: Oak Creek, Dimple Hill, Lewisburg Saddle, and Peavy...
This work is concerned with determining whether nicotine has a role in promoting oxidative damage in human tissue, particularly in lung tissue. This follows from recent reports of a novel lung disease found in some E-cigarette users, characterized by oxidative damage and elevated levels of neutrophils (termed “vaping disease”). It...
Hatchability of broiler eggs has not increased over the last twenty years. Increasing hatchability with in ovo technology may be possible through feeding metabolic modulators to the developing embryo. Exogenous fatty acids and antioxidants provided during incubation may enhance polyunsaturated fatty acid, lipid, and antioxidant status of the chicken embryo....
This work is concerned with determining whether nicotine has a role in promoting oxidative damage in human tissue, particularly in lung tissue. This follows from recent reports of a novel lung disease found in some E-cigarette users, characterized by oxidative damage and elevated levels of neutrophils (termed “vaping disease”). It...
Emotional intelligence is the ability of an individual to recognize, utilize, and regulate emotions, which are likely relevant to the perception of emotions in humans as well as in animals. The perception of emotions in companion animals enables an individual to improve the intensity of the bond between a human...
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...
Infections in hospitals account for over 100,000 deaths per year. These infections occur at the
hospital from complications following bacterial adhesion to intravenous catheters, coronary
stents and other implanted devices. Another common problem is protein adsorption to the
surface of the device and subsequent blood clotting. Methods for combating these...
This study examines issues related to prescription drug abuse among 12 – 17 year olds in the United States; namely, the physiological effects of prescription medications, current treatments, and prevention methods. The following research questions are addressed: 1) What factors influence and promote the growing prevalence of prescription drug abuse...
Dwelling on the bottom of large rivers to high alpine streams, freshwater sculpins (genus Cottus) occur in high densities across the Pacific Northwest, with 21 currently recognized species found in the Pacific Northwest. Sculpin fill many ecological roles, with some species serving as important prey sources, and others competing with...
Exciton polaritons are quasiparticles composed of a quantum superposition of matter and light states that arises from the coupling of a standing wave photon and an exciton. This research has two primary objectives: to design and fabricate a Fabry-Perot microcavity system in which to produce exciton polaritons; and to show...
Nitrous oxide is an important greenhouse gas that has both natural and anthropogenic sources in the modern atmosphere (Ciais et al., 2013). This project expanded the knowledge of the history of atmospheric N2O in the geologic past by measuring N2O concentrations in air trapped in very old polar ice. A...
Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) like trichloroethene (TCE) were mostly used to replace drying cleaning fluids which contained hydrocarbons like benzene, and were highly flammable. Through improper disposal, storage, and spills, TCE and its downstream products, like cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), leached into groundwater and threaten human and environmental...
Tuberculosis (TB) is a pressing global health issue with approximately one third of the world’s population infected by this bacterium. As one of the most dangerous infectious diseases, it has killed approximately 1.7 million people of all ages around the world per year (World Health Organization, 2016). Currently, several drugs...
Lignocellulosic biomass represents a vast and renewable source of fermentable sugar for
production of biofuels. However, native lignocellulose—comprised of cellulose,
hemicellulose and lignin—is refractory to degradation because the crystalline cellulose is
not easily hydrolyzed by cellulases. Standard chemical treatments of lignocellulose to
reduce the crystallinity of cellulose prior to enzymatic...
The sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima is a model organism for the study of temperate symbiosis. Anthopleura elegantissima can engage in symbiosis with two different algal symbionts: the dinoflagellate Breviolum muscatinei and the chlorophyte Elliptochloris marina. One host enzyme that has been shown to be important in cnidarian-algal symbioses is carbonic...
The value of the student experience beyond just the academic classroom setting has been well established by a number of scholars in the higher education field. In more recent years the literature has intentionally expanded beyond the “typical” student demographics in order to examine the unique aspects, challenges, and needs...
This thesis serves as a literature review of dashboards that calls for further research in the area of Feedback Mechanisms (FMs). A dashboard, for the purposes of this paper is a display used to provide performance feedback to a user. An FM is the mechanism used in a dashboard to...
The need for clean energy continues to rise as the earth’s non-renewable resources continue to be depleted to satisfy energy demands. One plausible renewable energy source exists in biomass-powered fuel cells.¹ While there are several ways to convert sugars to energy, one interesting approach is to convert the sugars to...
Natural freshwater availability is decreasing as the global population increases. Advances in desalination technologies aim to produce fresh water in an economical way. More sustainable energy sources are desired for these desalination plants to limit the carbon footprint of water production since global carbon dioxide production is exacerbating freshwater scarcity....
Wire and fiber ropes used in rigorous CBOS (cyclic bend over sheave)
applications were investigated. Small diameter stainless steel, tungsten, and Vectran®
ropes were tested over small sheaves at high loads and cycle speeds. Sheaves were made
with Al6061-T6511 and Al7075-T651 and were coated with 0.002” hard coat anodize;
some...
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) plays an important role in preserving genomic stability and reducing cancer risk. Environmental exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are believed to contribute significantly to carcinogenesis. PAHs are found in food, air, water and soil and upon bioactivation can form diol epoxides which are electrophilic in...
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has potential applications as a low-cost catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Defects on MoS2, such as edge sites and sulfur vacancies, are known to be the major active sites for HER. Controlling the formation of these defects allows for the enhancement in reactivity of MoS2...
This thesis is a study of the effects of social media and the influence it has over people and their wellbeing. The study within the thesis manipulates the social media habits of Oregon State students, and looks at the changes in their wellbeing. Throughout the background research the evidence supports...
User studies in human-robot interaction and social robotics in general involve human participants and their reactions, observations and expectations of robots. This thesis presents two innovative experimental methods aimed at gaining access to high-stakes social data not typically collectable with traditional user studies. The Actor Method provides access to data...
This thesis aims to investigate the reasons for discordance in the physician-family relationship, to explore how to improve that relationship, and to develop a set of practices to help prevent conflicts. The research was done by analyzing research on surrogate decision making, conflicts surrounding end of life, and case studies....
Advances in electronics fabrication, coupled with the demand for increased computing power, have driven the demand for innovative cooling solutions to dissipate waste heat generated by these devices. To meet future demands, research and development has focused on robust two-phase heat transfer devices. A confined impinging jet is explored as...
As part of the 2019 Botswana Global Health Internship Program, a qualitative study was conducted to identify the components key to the development of a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education program to be implemented at the Junior Secondary School in Maunatlala, Botswana. The study was based on the principles...
Traditionally, people learn to perform object assembly tasks by following the steps in a paper-based instruction manual. Using augmented reality (AR) technology, the instructions could instead be computer generated and appear directly within the user’s workspace as they perform the task. Literature suggests AR’s feasibility in improving performance and learning...
Project Loom is a system of sensors, actuators, processors, and wireless connectivity chips that the user can pick and choose from in order to create an Internet of Things application that fits their desired needs. The modularity of the system and ease of use allows for the user to create...
Paper-based microfluidic assays, like the common pregnancy test, allow for rapid screening at the point- of-care at low cost and with no instrumentation. Fabric has many similar properties to paper, but is more flexible and durable, making it a promising option for use in a variety of diagnostic and screening...
"Bacteriology is such a broad subject that a life-time
spent in its perusal would fail of an entire knowledge of
the subject, so the authors have chosen a field which is certainly one that ought to interest every individual because
it pertains to milk, one of the most important foods...
Testing the many potential chemoprevention agents from dietary sources in animal or human models is expensive and takes a long time. In vitro models can be useful for screening the right compounds to use in larger studies. We tested the MatTek™ EpiIntestinal™ small intestine epithelial 3D cell culture model for...
Global atmospheric carbon levels are continuing to rise from pre-industrial revolution levels. One of the main regulators of global atmospheric carbon levels, and thus climate, is the world's oceans. Unicellular marine cyanobacteria account for a large percent of total marine carbon fixation. We measured chlorophyll-specific ¹⁴C uptake rates (P[superscript b])...
Previous research has shown that gender stereotypes are present in advertisements and in popular culture items. We conducted a content analysis of Halloween costumes to examine the presence of gender stereotypes in the poses of the models, weapons, and costume role (e.g. hero, counter authority, mythical creature, royalty). A sample...
Pseudomonas syringae is a Gram-negative bacterium that can infect a variety of important crops. Infection by P. syringae is dependent on a type III secretion system (T3SS) that delivers effector proteins to plant cells to suppress host defenses. Previous work has shown that, in the presence of simple sugars, specific...
Micro-organisms are a distinct class of unicellular vegetable organisms placed under the general name of bacteria instead of trying to affix either algae or fungi to this class of living beings. These microorganisms are divided into two classes; pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. The pathogenesis is determined by inoculating a susceptible...
Severe cases of COVID-19 have been associated with cytokine storms, leading to widespread inflammation, tissue damage, and organ failure. Pro-inflammatory cytokines have also been shown to play a role in liver diseases, including alcoholic liver disease. To investigate alcohol consumption as a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 severity,...
Zinc is an important micronutrient involved in many cellular processes, including those part of immune function; however, about 15% of the US population is at risk for marginal zinc deficiency. This can lead to immune system complications including the generation of inflammatory cytokines. Aging is another factor that worsens the...
Age-related diseases have been associated with chronic inflammation and impaired immune response, one of the hallmarks of aging. Aging individuals also have a higher susceptibility to zinc deficiency. The effects of zinc deficiency share many commonalities with the effects of aging on the immune system and zinc deficiency may be...
The wellbeing of the Willamette basin in Oregon depends on the river ecosystem’s microbial communities, which control primary production and the biological processing of nutrients, pollutants, and organic matter. Yet, only a few studies have investigated the diversity of the microbial communities of the Willamette basin. This paper examines how...
Ovarian steroidogenesis is heavily controlled by the formation and function of the theca cells. A condition known as polycystic ovarian disease in humans and cystic ovarian disease in cattle is due to abnormal steroidogenesis. Knowing more about theca cell formation and function can aid in gaining further knowledge about polycystic...
Currently available soil moisture sensors have intrinsic limitations that limit their adoption by industry. Depending on the technology, these limitations may include high costs, battery requirements, precice manual installation, high cost, and/or constrictive legislation that regulates their use. A passive soil moisture sensing system based around RFID technology would allay...
Learning about periodic and oscillatory systems is a huge step in an undergraduate's
comprehensive understanding of physics and complex systems such as solids. However,
understanding how specific changes to such a system affect aspects of the entire system can
be difficult. The goal of this study is to create a...
Investigating the insectivorous diet of the Trowbridge’s shrew (Sorex trowbridgii) across forest types can illustrate how forest management affects biotic communities. I used DNA metabarcoding methods with ANML primers to identify stomach and intestines contents from shrews caught in pitfall traps in the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) and Willamette...
The Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world, covering 195,000 km2 across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It has a unique annual flooding regime with the majority of land being completely inundated during the wet season, which provides important habitat for threatened species such as jaguars (Panthera onca)...
Unintended pregnancy has been found to be one of the most prominent challenges that the public health system is forced to overcome due to the financial and social burdens that accompany it (Yazdkhasti et al., 2015). With nearly 48% of reproductive-age American female patients having experienced at least one unintended...
Bacterial endophytes have the potential to confer benefits to Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii
), for instance drought tolerance. Bacterial endophytes originating from seeds are
especially important. This is because seed endophytes are more likely to be the first endophytes
to get established within the young host plant. The goals of...
Background: 250,000+ individuals injure an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the United States annually. Individuals post-ACL surgical reconstruction (ACLR) are at elevated risk for ACL re-injury, potentially from kinematic and kinetic asymmetries. While studies have examined asymmetries at the hip and knee post-ACLR during landing, less is known about asymmetries...
Purpose: This study examines the relationship between community-based fitness class participation and risk for falls in adults aged 55 or older. Our aim was to compare scores on fall risk factors between community-based Better Bones & Balance® (BBB) participants and active peers who engage in other (non-BBB) community-based fitness classes....
Modified ride-on cars (ROCs) offer children with disabilities access to independent mobility. Aims: 1) To examine the association between caregiver attitudes towards self-directed mobility, caregiver alignment with the medical and social models of disability, and total modified ROC driving time; 2) To compare caregiver attitudes towards self-directed mobility, caregiver alignment...
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been studied for their carcinogenic toxicity. PAHs are formed by incomplete carbon combustion. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is an IARC classified Class 1 Human carcinogenic PAH. New studies are conducted to gain a better understanding of PAHs and how to reduce exposure. Glutathione S-transferase M 1 (GSTM1...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. but is often thought of as a man’s disease. Women with CVD, however, suffer poorer health outcomes due to previous education of stereotypically “male” signs and symptoms of heart attacks, despite the fact...
The discovery of new blue pigments is a field of great interest, as commercially available pigments present properties that make them undesirable such as poor sustainability, cost, and stability. By researching solid solutions with the melilite structure, we discovered a new solid solution Sr2Zn1-xNixGe2O7, with 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.6,...
Recently local grains have become an area of economic growth. Local grain products, including whole-wheat and sourdough products, are increasingly in demand for their health benefits, unique flavor profiles, and association with local food movements. These local grain economies are beginning to boom, but they lack the technical aid that...