The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of community trust in state systems. Consideration of community concerns by public health agencies may help to establish more equitable policies, engaging community in emergency response and promoting inclusivity and trust. This paper outlines varying definitions of trust, then describes key considerations in...
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) sought to reform the health care system of the United States in a number of key ways, including by expanding access to health insurance to low-income Americans. The legislation provided for the expansion of Medicaid, the jointly funded federal-state public...
Under the Skin is a collection of short stories that explores how different characters behave when placed in situations that are outside of their control. Stories include “Mirror Image,” which sees a young teen grapple with the fear of being an incorrigibly bad person; “Very Slowly, Then All At Once,”...
This research aims to understand the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the workplace, with an emphasis on the design of the physical space. The research uses primarily qualitative data from relevant literature, survey data, and interviews conducted with professionals in the field. The results show that hybrid working...
The nucleocapsid of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for viral genome packaging through binding to viral genomic RNA. Liquid-liquid phase separation, or LLPS, is the formation of microscopic, rapidly reversible, liquid-like immiscible droplets. There is increasing scientific evidence that LLPS underlies the formation of membraneless compartments within cells and that this process...
The National Pygmy Goat Association is a hobby livestock organization founded in 1975. Over the past five decades, it has grown in size and importance, occupying a niche role as the primary breed registry and certification authority for the smallest domestic ruminant. This history attempts to capture the scope of...
The purpose of this study was to examine how fearful and self-conscious shyness subtypes are related to shame, dissociation, and PTSD following traumatic experiences. We hypothesized self-conscious shyness, characterized by feelings of embarrassment and fear of public scrutiny, to be related to symptoms of high betrayal. We predicted fearful shyness,...
Christian communities vary widely in their degrees of acceptability or apprehensiveness toward newly developing technologies, ultimately aiming to help individuals optimally grow in their relationships to God and with others. Technologies viewed as conducive to accomplishing these goals are more likely to be accepted by Christian communities. Technologies viewed as...
This project examines the portrayal of the life and times of Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich (Empress Elisabeth of Austria) in the popular Austrian musical "Elisabeth das Musical" (Elisabeth the Musical), written by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay. "Elisabeth" was first performed in Vienna in 1992 and has since become the...
Being human is often portrayed as desirable in fiction. Many fictional beings, particularly robots and androids, seek out being human as a goal. Although current robotics is not advanced enough for robots and androids to be deemed sentient, the world of fiction is quickly becoming reality. With the integration of...
Background: Individuals rapidly infer character traits and behaviors through the process of facial perception. Perceptions of trustworthiness, accurate or not, completed by authorities in the criminal justice system may have implications for individuals suspected of crimes, including harsher or longer sentencing decisions. Objective: The present study concerned how the presence...
This study sought to understand the unique challenges that housing insecurity programs faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous Qualtrics survey, containing closed- and open-ended questions, was sent to housing insecurity programs in Benton County, Oregon. Questions focused on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected services and how programs adjusted to...
In ethnographic research, an anthropologist becomes integrated in the community of their study. Throughout this process, the anthropologist adapts to the cultural practices and the language of this community, becoming intimately connected to them. Ethnography communicates, through the anthropologist’s experience, crucial practices, tensions, and values discovered during research. However, it...
The WWC family consists of three proteins‐ KIBRA/WWC1, WWC2, and WWC3. The three proteins share a similar primary structure and interact with a common set of proteins. Each paralog contains two WW domains which recognize proline‐rich sequences of the type PPxY (P is proline, Y is tyrosine, x is any...
Drought represents an import part of natural hydrologic cycles that govern the rate and transportation of water on global and regional scales. (Trenberth, et al. 2015) Agriculturally, drought represents a threat to crop production and can endanger political and economic stability through the loss of resources and the threat of...
The SpiderHarp is a bio-inspired electronic musical instrument that uses a localization algorithm developed at Oregon State University to translate plucks of its strings into musical notes. This localization algorithm was inspired by the way spiders locate prey in their webs. The SpiderHarp frame, sensors, and web design are also...
The fungal pathogen Cochliobolus victoriae, the causal agent of Victoria blight, produces a host-selective pathogenicity factor called victorin. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a dominant gene called "supersense" (SSN) confers constitutive victorin sensitivity at very low concentrations. SSN encodes a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich-repeat (NB-LRR) protein. In the SSN-carrying Heiligkreuztal 2 ecotype (TAIR Germplasm...
Background: Training and quality assurance (QA) are important to high fidelity program implementation in practice settings but are rarely the focus of translation research. Thus, it is important to conduct studies that specifically address training and QA.
Methods: Using the maximum variation case study method, we examined training and QA...
Drone strikes have become a defining strategy in the US War on Terror. Since the first combat drone strike in 2001, the executive branch has intentionally increased the deployment of drones for counterterrorism operations throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This thesis explores the moral and legal justifications for...
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...
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...
The opioid epidemic in the U.S. has had significant impacts on opioid overdose rates, productivity, and healthcare expenditure. Research has drawn attention to the necessity of a more integrated, biopsychosocial approach to treatment of chronic pain, and how it could alleviate the current public health emergency. Previous literature alluded to...
Nuclear energy is very efficient and cost-effective, but the stigma attached to it hinders its expansion around the world. However, with rising concerns over climate change and the fact that nuclear energy effectively has zero greenhouse gas emissions, there is an opportunity for nuclear to be more acceptable as a...
The advancement of the US energy grid is a necessary task to undertake as renewable energies like wind and solar power become more and more prevalent in our energy sector. However, due to uncontrollable factors such as wind speed and cloud cover, the intermittence of these energy sources continues to...
Many people around the world suffer from a mental illness, and too few receive the help they need. Mental illness is especially prevalent among the homeless. Homelessness is represented in all ages, ethnicities, and genders, and is especially represented among first world countries such as the United States and Spain....
The extensive adoption of social media has provoked widespread debate about how
online communication impacts social relationships. An apparent paradox of Facebook
is that people simultaneously express feeling more and less connected than ever
before. Through perspectives from psychology and communication studies, this thesis
addresses a question of public concern:...
According to the United Nations, Iran has one of the highest percentages of drug addicts in the world, with anywhere between three and four million addicts addicted to heroin or crystal meth in a population of 80 million. At least 700,000 of these addicts are women, whom make up ten...
The purpose of this study was to examine pregnant Puerto Rican women’s perspectives on the Zika virus threat. Using data collected from open-ended, semi-structured interviews and observational field notes, we aimed to understand the degree to which Zika contributes to maternal stress. How concerned are pregnant women in Puerto Rico...
Anammox (Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation) is a significant biogeochemical process carried out by certain bacteria, generally referred to as anammox bacteria. These bacteria have the ability to anaerobically oxidize ammonium (NH4+) with nitrite (NO2-) to form nitrogen gas (N2) without an organic carbon source. While anammox bacteria are found in a...
The purpose of this meta-synthesis was to investigate why students from the U.S. receive the scores they do on the international TIMSS and PISA science exams. This work sought to shed light on the perceived disparity between science performance of U.S. students and students from other countries. To do so,...
Though currently relatively unknown outside Latin America, Andean root and tuber crops are rapidly gaining interest elsewhere. Tubers are a major food and important sources of nutrition in South America and have potential in countries outside their center of origin. We conducted a two-part study on oca (Oxalis tuberosa), mashua...
The consumption of alcohol has been shown to have effects on health that are both harmful and
therapeutic, depending on the amount that is consumed. Alcohol’s effects can be damaging to the body in excess but, in moderation, can act as a protectant against certain conditions. The two studies discussed...
The rate of physician dissatisfaction is steadily rising. Between 2011 and 2012, the number of physicians that would not choose a career in medicine if given the opportunity to decide again increased by 15% (Adams). This discontentment has major repercussions in the midst of the rising need for physicians: it...
In the United States, the state of housing and the lack thereof has been
declared a national crisis. In response, cities have taken measures to police behaviors
that are associated with what they perceive to be disorder and decay. These behaviors
are also commonly associated with houselessness. Laws that criminalize...
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly used in winemaking, baking, and brewing, also serves as a host for the production of therapeutically valuable pharmaceuticals. Recently, the Bakalinsky laboratory constructed a recombinant yeast strain expressing two zebrafish (Danio rerio) genes in order to produce a UV-protective “sunscreen” compound called gadusol. An antioxidant...
The Channel Islands were the only part of the United Kingdom occupied by Germany during World War II. The Occupation began on June 30, 1940 and ended almost five years later on May 9, 1945. The Occupation is divided into four phases: pre-invasion, invasion, occupation and isolation, and liberation. The...
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...
Although Latino students make up more than a quarter of the U.S. public school system, only three percent of children’s literature either features a Latino protagonist or is written by a Latino author (Machado et al.). Latinos are therefore severely underrepresented in children’s books. Additionally, studies have revealed that Latino...
Current human – ocean relationships are dominated by unsustainable extraction of marine resources having both ecological and socio-economic consequences. Sustainable fishery management utilizing stakeholder collaboration must become a proactive strategy to prevent or reduce further long-lasting impacts. In Oregon, USA, a newly developing fishery for gooseneck barnacle (Pollicipes polymerus) presents...
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fourth most common cancer overall, causing an estimated 307,000 deaths in 2012. Prostate cancer is distinct from other cancers in that there are numerous treatment options, yet very few guarantees in relation to outcome. The most common treatments...
This study compared and analyzed the practice of pediatricians in Salem Pediatric Clinic, Salem, OR, USA with physicians in Hospital de Niños Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina in the treatment of acute otitis media in children. It was found that Argentine and USA practices for treatment of...
The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that offers science-based information about pesticides and related topics to the general public, medical personnel, applicators, researchers, and regulators. The Herbicide Properties Tool project is the creation of an updated...
Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a recently introduced, invasive pest in Oregon. It oviposits in near-mature and mature fruit, and thus is an important concern for the small fruit industry. A crop consultant observed that mature raspberry fruit with D. suzukii larvae do not show symptoms of molds as...
The Ambovombe-Androy region of southern Madagascar is one of the most water stressed areas in the country and is also notorious for having the worst quality water on the island. Before improvements and change can be made however, it is vital to know what infrastructure, quality, and access levels currently...
It is well known that water transport in xylem depends on its anatomy, but recent research shows that water transport through different parts of the growth ring are affected by the water potential in different ways. The goal of the project was to learn the extent to which wood morphology...
Honko Mangrove Conservation and Education is a Western non-governmental organization based in Madagascar that serves as a source of public science education and caters to diverse audiences. My thesis examines barriers of culture, language and epistemology that may constrain Honko’s ability to conduct effective public education, if they decide to...
In response to the growing popularity of the Mediterranean Diet, it is important to understand that there are variations between the diets of the many Mediterranean countries. This is certainly true of the diets in Spain, especially among the younger generations. Therefore, should the term “Mediterranean Diet” be universally applied...
The potential of red blood cell (RBC) and platelet damage was studied for a novel microfluidic hemoperfusion device currently in development at Oregon State University for use in treating sepsis. COMSOL 4.4's computational fluid dynamics (CFD) module was used to examine shear rate profiles in laminar, Newtonian blood flow throughout...
Global population growth and dependence on traditional energy sources has created an interest in biofuels and other alternatives to traditional energy. The economic disparity between countries raises questions about their ability and willingness to create biofuel markets. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of specific factors...
China’s global influence in the realm of science and technology (S&T) has increased dramatically in recent times. China and the United States are now each other’s main partner in scientific collaboration. As a major research university, OSU is one of the institutions with a large stake in this international collaboration....
HIV testing among high risk adolescents in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is challenging due to poor access to test sites and AIDS-related social stigma. We adapted the OraQuick HIV Test, a self-implemented test (SIT), for low literacy youth with no internet access. To compensate for poor literacy, a picture instruction...
Native American traditional foodways serve as one of the most important resources for indigenous communities because these resources provide a variety of non-physical cultural assets and health benefits to Native groups through the medium of food. The demolition of North America’s foodways through colonization has had adverse effects on indigenous...
The idea of college needs to shift from being about going to a “good school” for any
degree to "getting the right education” for what you want to do. I want to
investigate why we should be giving access to career assessment and preferred
learning tests at the middle school...
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...
Moral elevation, or elevation, is a prosocial emotional state elicited by witnessing displays of altruism or moral beauty. For this study, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and autonomic physiology activity were monitored during elevation induction. We hypothesized that changes would occur in mPFC activity during elevation and that these would significantly...
Physicians and veterinarians arguably uphold the same ethical principles and responsibilities for their patients in general practice. Both professionals swear to, and practice their respective oaths of non-malfeasance (to do no harm) and beneficence (to alleviate patient from suffering and promote patient welfare). Despite these similar practices, different outcomes are...
Transgenic biotechnology holds enormous potential as a tool to address global food insecurity. Transgenic food crops have been shown to increase food availability and food system security by incorporating disease, pesticide and drought resistance. Production costs of transgenic crops are lower due to the reduced need for costly pesticides and...
Every Spring and Summer, thousands of climbers attempt to summit Mt. Rainier. Many of them stop at Camp Muir, a base camp at 10,000 feet, where they can use restrooms, camp overnight, or refill water bottles before continuing their climb. Camp Muir currently uses a gas system to melt snow...
Although U.S. Latin@s are more affected by major depressive disorder than non-Latin@ whites, they are less likely to utilize mental health services. The purpose of this project is to create a children’s book that promotes the utilization of mental health services among U.S. Latin@s with major depressive disorder. This book...
This study explored factors that affect acquisition and proper use of contraception among the college-age Latina population at Oregon State University. Interviews were conducted with eleven health care providers at OSU’s Student Health Services during the spring of 2014. Using content analysis we identified individual-level barriers including lack of knowledge...
Glioblastoma, which occurs in adults primarily between ages of 40 to 70 years and accounts for 15% of all brain tumors, is a devastating diagnosis with a median survival rate of less than a year. Invasiveness of glioblastoma cells significantly reduces the effectiveness of current treatments, highlighting the importance of...
Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera, a serious diarrheal disease in developing countries. V. cholerae has a unique redox driven respiration-linked sodium pump, Na⁺ translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NQR). Several reports previously showed that NQR plays an important role in virulence, metabolism, and sodium homeostasis of V. cholerae. This...
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...
Although an efficacious bovine herpesvirus type-1 (BHV-1) vaccine has been used for many years, BHV-1 vaccine-related abortion and respiratory disease have been occurring in a rising number of herds. To investigate whether isolates from BHV-1 vaccination with adverse effects are identical to the wild type virus or vaccine virus, regions...
Social behavior such as play, affiliation, and some vocalizations of captive animals can be indicators of good welfare. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) near Otjiwarongo, Namibia are often housed in social groups with various backgrounds. Observations of social and active behaviors were recorded for a group...
Conservation of natural resources has become a new watchword of the scientific community. While many terrestrial ecosystems are well protected, marine ecosystems have only recently come to the forefront. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been introduced as a means of protecting biodiversity, commercial stocks, and ecosystem services. There are many...
Biosphere models predict the transport of radionuclides in the environment with an end goal of assessing the possible risk to humans. Little data exists to support these mathematical biosphere models. The objectives of this work were to verify foliar uptake in biosphere models using experimental data, compare existing biosphere models...
Of the major players in the birth and growth of nuclear technology, France and the United States are two of the biggest. Their glaring differences in culture and political regimes, therefore, have resulted in two very different attitudes toward adoption and implementation of nuclear power. Through extensive literary research, cultural...
Sea turtles are endangered species that can be censused with aerial surveys, but the number of turtles in an area must be extrapolated to include animals that are submerged. Twenty-one satellite tags were attached to juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in North Carolina. I analyzed surfacing and dive behavior...
Tomato is considered to be one of the most important vegetables for its value as a source
of nutrients and antioxidants, and as a model crop for biological research, including seed
biology. In this thesis, tissue-specific gene expression and its regulation in tomato seeds
were analyzed to understand the mechanisms...
Madagascar, home to a high degree of endemic species and has been subject to numerous programs and organizations intent on preserving its biodiversity, which is currently pressured largely by anthropogenic causes. Protected areas, including national parks, make up a central part of these conservation efforts, combining ecotourism and restricting access...
Sea turtles are endangered species that can be censused with aerial surveys, but the number of turtles in an area must be extrapolated to include animals that are submerged. Twenty-one satellite tags were attached to juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in North Carolina. I analyzed surfacing and dive behavior...
According to The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS report of regional
statistics for HIV/AIDS from 2001-2008, Latin America has the third highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS
among children and adults in the world with about 2 million infected in 2008. Among all of these
countries, Mexico has the...
Volcanism is an agent of major disturbance in many parts of the world. While the effects of volcanic disturbance are fairly well-known among some groups of species, few studies have been performed in bird communities. Likewise, few studies have attempted to compare how communities in temperate and tropical biomes respond...
The doctor-patient relationship is one of the most unique and privileged relations
a person can have with another human being, and having access to a well-developed and
effective association is important for the experienced and objective quality of health care.
Yet, over the past few decades a number of cultural...
The doctor-patient relationship is one of the most unique and privileged relations a person can have with another human being, and having access to a well-developed and effective association is important for the experienced and objective quality of health care. Yet, over the past few decades a number of cultural...
In contemporary art, some artists enter into working relationships with other
groups or institutions to create a final piece. For example, an artist may be invited by a
museum to take part in an exhibition, or an artist may work with a city council to create a
public artwork. However,...
Marine reserves are known to directly replenish overfished species. However, the
community-wide effects of reserves are less clear. I examined the community of coralreef
fishes in a large, fully protected marine reserve in The Bahamas: the Exuma Cays
Land and Sea Park. Visual-transect surveys provided estimates and comparisons of the...
In the thrust to shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable options, Ecuador produces African palm-based biodiesel, which is currently imported by the Unites States. An analysis of this specific interaction was done via personal contact with the industry in Ecuador and extensive literature review of the topic. The results...
Introduction Over the past century, great technological advances have enabled high-speed communication and transportation across the globe. This technology trend combined with the needs of continuous expansion of market place has motivated major corporations not to restrict their business activities to within a single principality. Engineering design activities can take...
It is necessary to encode data when transmitting over a noisy channel in order for
errors to be detected and corrected. List decoding algorithms provide all code words
within a specified distance of a received word in order to be sufficiently robust for
cases when two or more code words...
The coastal regions of Chile and Oregon are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. The intertidal communities of both areas have been well studied, but much remains to be learned about how those communities are structured over large scales. Here, I explore the upwelling regimes and the...
Collaboration is crucial when advancing in scientific research. One person cannot
study all aspects of a system. That is why it is important for the scientific community to
communicate with each other and stay updated on research being conducted in other labs
around the world. In my research, I was...
Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), commonly known as type 2 or
delayed onset diabetes, is a recognized growing global epidemic, which is connected to cultural and behavioral factors, such as diet, exercise, obesity, and genetics. In a recent survey of both men and women in Mexico City, the prevalence of...
Acarapis mites have been present in the United States since 1984 and are presently considered a threat to honey bee populations in North America. They have
been present in Europe since 1921 where infestation rates have now dwindled to a
level that is not considered dangerous. Consequently, accurate information on...
Two strains of Escherichia coli were studied to determine the effect of constitutive expression of the SOS DNA damage repair response on the activity of ribonucleotide reductase. Activity of the reductase and cellular deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools were both determined before and after exposure of the cells to ultraviolet radiation....
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, but rates around the world vary greatly. Americans have the highest incidence rates in the world, 4 to 5 times those of Spain. The hypothesis of this thesis was that vitamin D metabolism is a factor in prostate cancer development...
Adverse effects of anti-epileptic (AED) medications on bone density have been reported since the 1960s. Phenytoin and carbamazepine, two commonly prescribed AED, are frequently associated with osteomalacia including fractures and reduced bone formation. The mechanism by which AED induces bone loss is not fully explained. We sought to determine the...
Mangroves are becoming increasingly recognized as important nursery habitats for many juvenile fish and macroinvertebrate species, however little is known about their importance for zooplankton communities. The complex structure of mangrove environments may provide zooplankton populations with shelter, substrate, food, and protection from depredation. These factors could impact zooplankton survival,...
A survey of a non-random sample of adults was conducted in Angers, France to
investigate possible cultural changes in dietary behaviors that may contribute to
increasing rates of obesity. Participants described contemporary habits regarding eating
habits and activity level, as well as attitudes and opinions about obesity. The results
largely...