This investigation was undertaken to determine 1) the effects
of various carbon sources in defined media on pectolytic enzyme production,
2) the effect of the incubation period on pectolytic enzyme
activity, and 3) the development of improved methods for the purification
and characterization of the polygalacturonases (PG) produced
by Fusarium...
The biochemical composition of ten species of estuarine phytoplankton
was determined. Studies were made of their growth in
various culture media and of their relative value as food for oyster
larvae. Nine of the species were isolated from Yaquina Bay, Oregon.
An attempt was made to select species which commonly...
While water scarcity and energy demand are continuously increasing in the world, alternative sources are needed to meet the requirement of a growing population. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a sustainable technology that converts organic matter in wastewater into electricity, thus it can be a potential alternative source for water...
Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax) are an economically and ecologically important forage fish which transfer energy from planktonic primary producers and secondary consumers to upper trophic predators. Previous genetics studies of Pacific sardine suggested a panmictic population with a shallow genetic structure. However, more than one subpopulation within the Central California...
As with other areas of the curriculum home economics
tends to respond to the objectives of powerful interest
groups rather than to the work of recognized scholars and
the ideals of democracy.
The philosophical orientation of this study is derived
from the work of Jurgen Habermas, a dominant figure in...
A study was made on the effect of CCC (2-chloroethyl)-trimethyl-ammonium
chloride), a plant growth retardant, on the RNA (ribonucleic
acid) content of wheat plants, It was found that the RNA content of
wheat leaves generally decreased with increasing levels of CCC up to
1x10⁻⁵M. Thereafter, the RNA content again increased...
Lycopodium alkaloids have shown widespread and noteworthy biological activity, consisting of over 250 known natural products. Moreover, their structural complexity and diversity have attracted considerable attention from numerous laboratories including our own. Recently, we have developed a unified approach that would provides access to numerous, previously unprepared C₁₀-functionalized lycopodium alkaloids....
Two novel and highly related C₂H₂ zinc finger proteins (CTIP1/BCL11A/EVI9 and CTIP2/BCL11B/Rit1) have been implicated in COUP-TF signaling, etiology of myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, and hematopoietic cell development. However, the precise cellular function(s) and the contribution of these proteins to neoplastic processes and hematopoietic cell development remain unknown. The goal...
This thesis describes the development of a new enantioselective synthetic method employing chiral cis-2,5-diaminobicyclo[2.2.2]octane-based organometallic catalysts. The significance of this new method to organic synthesis is illustrated with preparation of enantioenriched products that are transformed to important pharmaceutical agents. Chapter 1 provides a brief historical overview of asymmetric catalysis, especially...
To determine if 6 weeks prior supplementation with vitamins E and C
could alleviate exercise-induced DNA damage, prevent lipid peroxidation and
inflammation, slow the rate of vitamin E utilization and/or attenuate muscle
damage, 22 subjects (11 females: 11 males) were studied during a 50 km (32
mile) ultramarathon. Subjects were...
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how novice students solved computer programming problems in a beginning college level computer science (CS) course with an introduction to object-oriented programming (OOP) and what knowledge they obtained about OOP and computer problem solving (CPS) as a result of their experiences....
More than 30 members of the diverse amphidinolide family of biologically active macrolides have been isolated over last three decades. From this family, amphidinolides C and F stand among the most complex and densely functionalized affiliates. Recently, we have accomplished the first total synthesis of amphidinolide F. The all-carbon framework...
The environmental health science community recognizes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a re-emerging class of environmental pollutants due to their persistence and prominence in mixtures of concern. Due to their widespread distribution in the environment, exposure to PAHs often occur as complex chemical mixtures. Exposures are linked to numerous adverse...
The study was conducted on the Ochoco National Forest in
central Oregon. Vegetation-soil relationships were evaluated for the
following objectives: 1. Develop a sound ecological foundation on
which total land management decisions may be based. 2. Evaluate
forest succession, stocking, and growth to improve management.
3. Develop accurate range condition...
Geographic variation was investigated among 225 locations from five geographically disjunct regions in central Oregon. Characters included: germination speed and uniformity in two test environments
differing in stratification period and incubation temperature; weight, three dimensions and three 'angles' of seeds; weight and three dimensions of wings; cone length and scale...
The bulk of resilience research has focused on developmental outcomes in a single domain of functioning (e.g., academic achievement), overlooking the complex interplay of positive and negative developmental outcomes that may co-occur within an individual (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000). Resilience may strengthen over time and across domains (e.g., psychological...
Wheat sharp eyespot (SES), caused by the soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia cerealis is a common stem disease of wheat globally. The disease caused a severe and extensive epidemic throughout the Willamette Valley of Oregon in 2014 and has remained one of the most important wheat diseases in this region. However, litte...
Sediment samples were collected from eight sampling sites
along the Yaquina Estuary, Oregon from Yaquina Bay to Elk City near
the head of the estuary. Samples were collected in November 1973,
February 1974, May 1974 and August 1974 from two or three intertidal
levels depending on the magnitude of the...
Biology of Scaptomyza apicalis Hardy (Diptera: Drosophilidae) was studied in
relation to its host, meadowfoam, Limnanthes alba, a recent oil seed crop grown in the
Willamette Valley, Oregon. Populations of flies and larvae were monitored weekly over
three consecutive crop-years beginning in 1996. Yellow sticky traps gave relative
population estimates...
The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop hypotheses
about the relationships between nurturance in fathers to their small
children and independent variables thought to be associated with
fathers' nurturance. A second purpose was to attempt to clarify
the father role in contemporary American society.
The literature of child...
Epiphytic diatom assemblages in the intertidal zone of Yaquina
Bay and estuary were obtained from the following host macrophytes:
Zostera marina, Fucus evanescens, and species of Enteromorpha,
Polysiphonia, and Ulva. Samples were collected in September 1970
and in January and May 1971 from seven stations approximately evenly
spaced between the...
Soil erosion by mass wasting is the major problem on forest
lands of the Pacific Northwest, The clay fractions of soils from a
large number of sites in Oregon's Western Cascades were characterized
in order to determine the relationships of various clay materials to
mass movements. Each site was either...
In this thesis, novel design techniques have been proposed for implementing high-linearity SC circuits in a standard digital CMOS process. They use nonlinear MOSFET capacitors instead of linear double-poly capacitors. To reduce their nonlinearities, a bias voltage is applied to keep MOSFET capacitors in their accumulation regions. For further reduction...
Anthropogenic climate change is threatening biodiversity as I currently understand it. There is now a large body of work highlighting species responses, globally, to this threat. Importantly, responses at the species level emerge from responses at lower levels of biological organization (individuals and populations) across a species’ geographic range. For...
Infiltration, soil erosion, nitrogen loss and soil profile
characteristics were measured on 36 sites representing land occupied
by Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentate, wyomingensis, and vaseyana.
Infiltration, soil erosion, and nitrogen loss were strongly correlated
but highly variable. Soil loss, but not infiltration or nitrogen
loss was significantly different between subspecies....
The relationships between black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) and Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) herbivory and understory vegetation in unmanaged forests in Olympic National Park were studied from 1985 - 1989. From 1985 to 1986 I studied the impact of cervid exclusion on shrub, fern, and forb forage quality, tannin...
Pollutant body burdens, ability to tolerate supplementary stressors, and biomarkers of physiological stress were investigated in the ground beetle, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), inhabiting a gradient of heavy metal contamination in Poland. The central question was to determine if beetles inhabiting polluted habitats incurred costs compared with beetles in less...
Since at least the 1970s, rural areas in the western United States, as elsewhere across the country and world, have been subject to social, economic, and political forces that have resulted in novel demographic and land tenure trends when compared to previous decades. Collectively, these processes of restructuring have created...
:
___________________________________________________________________
John C. Bliss
Since at least the 1970s, rural areas in the western United States, as
Relatively recent increases in ponderosa pine abundance have effected unprecedented changes to ecosystem structure and function. Efforts to restore ponderosa pine systems are often focused on the manipulation of tree structure and the re-introduction of a more natural fire regime. Successful restoration should also incorporate understory components but information addressing...
The need for cheap reliable energy, while simultaneously avoiding uranium supply constraints makes uranium carbide (UC) fueled Gas Fast Reactors offer an attractive nuclear reactor design. In order to qualify the fuel, an enhanced understanding of the behavior of uranium carbide during operation is paramount. Due to a reduced re-solution...
The use of remote sensing techniques in coastal science and engineering has rapidly increased in the past few decades. This dissertation outlines new remote sensing tools using two remote sensing technologies (lidar and X-band marine radar) along with two nearshore hydrodynamic and morphodynamic analyses supported or motivated by these remote...
In the United States, many of the thorniest natural resource conflicts occur on private lands. This is especially true in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon where the hallmark habitat type, Oregon white oak woodland and savanna, is imperiled. Almost exclusively found on private land, Oregon white oak is threatened...
:
_____________________________________________________________________
Dr. John C. Bliss
In the United States, many of the thorniest natural resource conflicts
Recent emphasis on range improvement of sagebrush-bunch-grass
types in Oregon has underscored the need for better understanding
of their importance to deer winter range management. The
objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of various sagebrush
control practices on the composition, production, and utilization
of deer forage plants...
Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms in the body becomes tipped heavily in favor of the reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species can be present in excess due to elevated O2 levels, radiation, infection, smoking, or even excessive exercise. It is also...
This study was concerned with determining if: (1) the
effectiveness of residence hall student government varies according to
the perceptions of its role held by residence hall student staff and
government officers, and the hall type and population; (2) the
perception of hall student government held by student staff varies...
In the past decade, declines in amphibian populations have captured scientific and popular interest. The causes of the declines are likely to be complex and involve interactions between several environmental stressors. Using multifactorial experiments, I investigated the combined effects of several anthropogenic stressors on developing amphibians in Oregon, USA. In...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widely known and studied environmental contaminants, originating from a range of natural and anthropogenic sources. PAHs are known to occur in the environment as complex mixtures, containing both unsubstituted PAHs, as well as a range of PAH derivatives. Among the less-studied of...
The Cascadia subduction zone has been characterized as a typical Chilean-type
subduction zone based on qualitative comparisons of plate age and convergence rate, with
simple forearc structure. However, the discovery of unusual structural styles of
deformation, variations in the morphology of the forearc, and its absence of seismic activity
suggest...
Feeding of [3-¹³C, 2-¹⁵N]arginine, 38a, unequivocally established that the β-
arginine moiety of blasticidin S, 1, was formed from α-arginine by an intramolecular
migration of the α-amino group to the β- position. Further feedings using chirally
deuteriated arginines 38e and 38f revealed that the aminomutase process occurred with
inversion of...
Island systems and species are susceptible to extinction because of their small population size and an ecological naiveté from an evolutionary past lacking strong competition and predation. For example, only one-fifth of the world’s bird species occur on islands, yet more than 90% of the avian extinctions witnessed during historic...
In the Pacific Northwest, multiple studies have found negative effects of
timber harvest on stream amphibians, but the results have been highly variable and
region-specific. In this collection of studies, I examined the short term effect of timber
harvest using a field study, and used lab work to examine a...
Fire history and fire regime were interpreted from tree ring analysis of 4320 stumps at 178 sites in a 25 by 55 km area in the central Oregon Coast Range. A total of 27 fire episodes were identified in a 516 year period, with sizes estimated at 18 to 544...
The use of Landsat data has historically been constrained to spectral and spatial information derived from a carefully selected image or set of images. However, free and open access to Landsat imagery combined with advances in data storage and computing are revolutionizing how the Landsat temporal domain is used to...