In 2020, Oregon suffered one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, with a higher percent of forest area burn, the destruction of residential areas, and the risk to human health. The level of intensity of these wildfires were due to the effects of climate change and Oregon wildfire seasons...
Vitamin D sufficiency supports cardiovascular health and lower cancer risk. Rates of vitamin D insufficiency vary by racial/ethnic group, in part because skin pigment limits sunlight penetration. However race/ethnicity is an unreliable marker of vitamin D deficiency, given individual differences in skin pigment, or phototype, and other characteristics. Clarifying associations...
BACKGROUND: The association of vitamin D with heart attack and stroke remains unclear.
METHOD: Using data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS), we collected
dietary vitamin D data from 5,995 participants and serum (25)OH vitamin D from 1,606
participants. The association of vitamin D with prevalent heart attack...
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most colleges and universities around the world were forced to switch to remote learning. Many instructors were provided little guidance regarding how to restructure their courses for the remote classroom. The purpose of this study was to understand how the shift from in-person...
Forest harvest practices can impact nutrient concentrations and stream temperatures, altering aquatic ecosystems. To better inform future sustainable forest resource management practices, quantifying the impact of current practices on water quality, particularly in headwater streams is important. In this study, I quantified monthly nitrate-nitrite (N) and orthophosphate (P) concentrations, 7-day...
Un Paseo Encantado, an enchanted walk, is a collection of my observations and experiences in a study abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. My commentary on Spanish culture is based on reading I did prior my departure, in combination with my observations while in Spain. In six chapters, I explore the...
This study was conducted to determine if a time-integrated Phillips sampler was able to estimate sediment yield when compared to a reference produced by an automated sampler. Time-integrated samplers are easier to use, more cost effective, and can withstand storm events better than automated samplers, but are not designed to...
Coastal dunes provide many functions and services including coastal protection, recreation, and habitat. Vegetation contributes to dune growth and stability, thereby increasing the coastal protection value of dunes. On the U.S. Pacific Northwest coast, the dominant dune grasses are the introduced non-native American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) and the native American...
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...
In the face of increasing demand for and reduced supplies of water, methods to augment water supply and storage capacity are becoming increasingly important. In some areas, this has taken the form of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), which involves injecting water into a well during a time of water...
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are grown using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). A modified radio frequency (RF) parallel-plate plasma etching system serves as the growth reactor. The effects of process parameters, including temperature, pressure, and C2H2:NH3 ratio, are studied. CNTs are grown on glass substrates with Al underlayers and Ni...
This study evaluated the memory and visual discrimination capabilities of Enteroctopus dofleini, the Giant Pacific Octopus. Octopuses have been known to have advance sensory capabilities and through this study we challenged our specimen to remember and actively choose a specific patterned jar based on a visual pattern and positive reinforcement....
Myxozoans are microscopic parasites, related to corals and jellyfish. Most Myxozoa probably have two-host lifecycles that require a vertebrate (typically fish) and invertebrate (annelid or bryozoan). However no life cycle is known from the Sphaerospora lineage.
I hypothesized that the life cycle of Sphaerospora elegans, a myxozoan parasite of three-spined...
Wildfires can affect soil physical properties, resulting in changes in infiltration, hillslope runoff, groundwater recharge, and sediment and dissolved nutrients to streams. In November 2016, the Chimney Tops 2 Fire burned 4,617 ha of Appalachian hardwood forest in eastern Tennessee. A portion of the fire burned through a National Ecological...
In recent years, simulated laboratory experiences have become more prevalent in educational curricula. These simulations, called virtual labs, can enable learning in ways that are not limited by physical constraints. The development of virtual labs is often ad hoc, resulting in unnecessary, repetitive work. The purpose of this thesis is...
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Appendix D – Matlab Server Interface
The goal of my thesis is to (a) help reveal to the Corvallis community who comprises this local population and (b) to share with local resource agencies what potential gaps are present from the perspectives of the homeless individuals who call Corvallis home. We interviewed eight (8) individuals who have...
Ceratonova shasta is a myxozoan fish parasite that impacts hatchery and wild populations of salmon and trout in the Pacific Northwest. Levels of the parasite in river water can be effectively monitored through direct filtration of parasite spores from water, extraction of total "environmental DNA" (eDNA), then quantitative polymerase chain...
In recent decades, the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires has increased substantially in many parts of the world, including the western United States. These fires have the potential to impact water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and downstream communities for many decades. As such, it is increasingly important to understand the...
Recently, there has been an expansion of large-scale studies looking at strain variation of Brettanomyces. These studies have found variation between strains in terms of utilization of maltose and production of volatile phenols. While there is research going into this subject, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the differences...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wildfire on soil hydraulic properties of forested hillslopes. The study site was located within the Stouts Creek wildfire, which burned approximately 10,705 ha of forest in southwestern Oregon in summer 2015. Three soil hydraulic properties (soil moisture, unsaturated hydraulic...
This analysis seeks to (1) establish a typology of the post-medieval ceramics from the Malkin Tower site, (2) determine vessel forms and extrapolate site function, and (3) establish a tentative chronology for the site. Over four hundred post-medieval ceramic artifacts from the Malkin Tower site were analysed via descriptive and...
This study investigated learning in three engineering student clubs at a large public university. This included a small-sized chemical reaction car competition, a large-sized formula racing team, and an international humanitarian engineering club. Research methods included observations of work sessions (N=27) and semi-structured interviews (N=19). Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory...
The Interactive Virtual Laboratories (IVLs) are a series of two-dimensional simulations designed to help students conceptually learn difficult concepts in thermodynamics. Three studies were performed to help elucidate how the IVLs affect student learning. In the first study, eight students were observed while completing one of the IVLs. The students...
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the number of English Language Learners (ELL) in the United States. According to the Education Commission of the States, ELLs have significantly lower achievement levels than their non-ELL peers. Further, numerous research studies report that teacher education programs lack ELL...
Thomas Stearns Eliot’s 1922 modernist poem The Waste Land presents itself as an alternative to the decaying society Eliot found himself inhabiting. It begins as a personal means of pulling together one’s fragmented consciousness, but in doing so Eliot manages to present a solution to a world of selfishness—looking beyond...
As genetically modified products come under greater production, tensions surrounding the potential benefits and harms of the technology have appeared in divergent policy between the European Union (EU) and certain member states. The purpose of this thesis is to consider whether some type of international law, also called an environmental...
An important by-product of the kraft pulping process, black liquor is currently used in most pulp mills to produce steam in a recovery boiler. Two important black liquor characteristics are viscosity and burning (firing) characteristics, which determine the operating efficiency of the recovery boiler. Kraft black liquor is a complicated...
A combined experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study of single-phase liquid nitrogen flow through a microscale pin-fin heat sink is presented. Such cryogenic heat sinks could find use in applications such as high performance computing, spacecraft thermal management, and hydrogen storage thermal management. A circular pin fin heat sink...
Falls in older adults are a significant issue in the United States. Many older adults are advised to participate in fall prevention exercise programs in an attempt to increase strength and stability, but it is unclear what role limb dominance and potential limb asymmetry has in exercise performance. The purpose...
The present study examined whether attention capture is driven by object saliency or contingent on top-down control setting using a go/no-go paradigm. Specifically, we investigated whether salient color singletons capture attention only when the target itself is also a singleton. We used a go/no-go task. Participants were told to search...
Water-soluble quantum dots obtained through ligand exchange are widely applicable for biological imaging and marking, LEDs, and photovoltaics. Lipoic acid (LA) was reduced to dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) using 365-nm soft UV light in a process known as photoligation, and ligand exchange with dodecanethiol-capped CuInS₂-ZnS core-shell quantum dots occurred. The reaction...
This study used a factorial mesocosm design to quantify American bullfrog (Lithobates castebeianus) eDNA to assess the relationship between body size, density, and eDNA shedding rates.
Juniper (Juniperus spp.) encroachment into the sagebrush steppe ecoregion is one of the main causes of sagebrush degradation and can alter the understory vegetative community by outcompeting native shrubs and grasses, which reduces the available forage and cover for small mammals. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are generalist, omnivorous predators in the...
The objective of this study was to identify the varying effects of altering the rumen fluid: substrate ratio on the outcomes of in vitro rumen fermentation. In vitro fermentation is a useful tool for evaluating the energy value of feedstuffs and the effect of feed additives on Volatile Fatty Acid...
Demanding task environments (e.g., supervising a remotely piloted aircraft) require performing tasks quickly and accurately; however, periods of low and high operator workload can decrease task performance. Intelligent modulation of the system’s demands and interaction modality in response to changes in operator workload state may increase performance by avoiding undesirable...
The primary goal was to characterize the adsorption of a recombinant therapeutic protein
in the presence of selected surfactant species at the air-water interface. For this purpose,
dynamic interfacial tensiometry was used to determine the surface tension kinetics
exhibited by protein solutions containing either Tween 80 or the poly[ethylene oxide]-...
There is a considerable body of research on the effect of land use regulations on property values. However, less work has been done on the relationships surrounding tax revenue, small zoning changes, and the fiscal outlook of cities and counties. As a result, the purpose of this study is to...
Gold nanostars are a relative newcomer to the nanoparticle scene, and their unique properties make them very desirable for spectroscopic applications. These nanoparticles, with their sharp tips, create electric field enhancements that interact with light in an advantageous way. This Thesis outlines our in-depth study of gold nanostar synthesis, the...
An experimental setup has been partially developed to investigate the impact of an actively controlled trailing edge component upon the energy harvesting performance of an oscillating airfoil in a pitching and heaving regime. While previous and current efforts have and continue to
function to characterize the performance of such a...
A long running problem in mathematical biology is the prediction of extinction events, a specialized case of the larger global stability problem found in differential equations and dynamical systems theory. A central technical question is how to introduce the randomness observed in real ecological systems not accounted for in deterministic...
Ocean acidification has led to many issues regarding the decline of calcifying organisms, such as
coralline algae. Acidified sea water inhibits precipitation of CaCO3 that affects the structure and
growth of coralline algae. Therefore, non-calcifying algae may outcompete calcifying algae in the
intertidal systems with future acidic ocean condition. Variety...
Methane hydrates and biohydrogen are two disparate subjects that are of interest in the growing field of alternative energy research. However, before commercial use becomes a viable option, each has challenges that need to be overcome. Methane hydrates require large investments of time and capital to locate. In this thesis,...
Background: Breastfeeding has many benefits but many new mothers find difficulties when
trying to breastfeed. This is a program evaluation of Baby Connection a feeding program for the
first year. Baby Connection is a volunteer program in Lane County, Oregon. Methods: Records
were analyzed during the first 15 months of...
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a foreign country? You perhaps
will experience a roller coaster of emotions in what is termed “culture shock.” This
thesis will investigate the theory of culture shock and explore cultural dimensions that
affect it. These theories will be...
Every year, hundreds of low-income families on the Oregon Coast are forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying the bills. A local, non-profit agency on the Oregon Coast is working to alleviate the level of crisis that many families face, by offering a holistic approach to...
Understanding ecological interaction strengths is one of the main objectives of ecology. Recently, two methods for estimating interaction strengths of predator-prey interactions in nature have been proposed: a field observation approach proposed by Novak and Wootton (2008) and stable isotope analysis. The field observation method estimates feeding rates based on...
Recent studies have shown that novel continuous dropout methods can be viewed as a Bayesian interpretation of model parameters, though most such studies have shown results using normal distributions. As the posterior distributions over neural network nodes and parameters are intractable, given that they are a result of artificial construction...