According to the World Health Organization, there are an estimated 1.4 million blind children in
the world, of whom approximately 300,000 live in Africa. About one-half of these cases of
childhood blindness could have been prevented. Each year, an estimated half a million children
become blind (nearly one per minute),...
The population of minority groups is on the rise in the US, yet still minorities are not proportionally represented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Of these minorities there are 4 races/ethnicities that are vastly under represented: Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians/Native Alaskans, and Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders. For the US to...
Over the past several years, increases in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have coincided with the 2007-2008 recession and the higher rates of unemployment in the U.S. With SNAP being the largest program, in terms of spending embedded in the farm bill, it is likely to see some spending...
In this work sample, a student teacher implemented ESOL standards and
strategies on a unit covering chemical compositions in a high school chemistry
classroom. The ELD program at this high school has two types of ELD classes. ELD 1/2
classes have a grammar-based curriculum focused on the English Language, while...
Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is well known to exhibit some of the strongest piezoelectric responses, explaining why it is at the heart of piezoelectric-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) research. The use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to synthesize PZT offers many advantages over alternative deposition techniques, mainly regarding its ability to...
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 quorum sensing regulatory pathway has been extensively studied for its impact on the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that causes acute and chronic infections in immunocompromised individuals such as those suffering from the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis. Part of the quorum sensing pathway that has not been...
From improving technologies to increasing access to modern infrastructure and wealth, our once parceled and divided world is slowly “flattening”, or becoming more globally integrated. As a result of this changing climate of business, companies must recognize the harm that a narrow view on culture and experiences can cause in...
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...
We proposed to test the hypothesis that ecologically relevant concentrations of pesticide mixtures will increase susceptibility of metamorphic amphibians to a fungal pathogen known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd. Bd has received considerable attention as one of the causes of declining amphibian populations. We hypothesized that exposure to the contaminants...
The process of expressing a gene involves not just binding of proteins and enzymes to DNA to produce first RNA and eventually proteins, but rather association of these transcription factors with chromatin and structural proteins called histones. When histone H3 is trimethylated at lysine 27 to produce H3K27me3, gene silencing...
Cells are constantly bombarded with mutagens, both endogenous and exogenous in origin. Endogenous sources of mutation include reactive oxygen species formed during aerobic respiration, replication errors by DNA polymerase, and spontaneous deamination and depurination (Jackson 2009). Exogenous sources of mutation include UV and ionizing radiation, aflatoxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons...
Little is known about the role that worms played in the lives of modern Europeans. This research strove to combine a multitude of primary sources to shape a cohesive depiction of the role of parasitic worms in modern Europe 1700-1800. The Scientific Revolution played a key role in changing the...
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potent immunosuppressant, and suppresses many disease models including graft-versus-host (GVH), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and a model of type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice (1-3). In this study, we show that the inflammation of the pancreas due to insulitis is not a systemic autoimmune...
With each generation of technology, computers become even more capable of rendering objects with an ever increasing number of polygons. As a result, the desire to add more details to a 3D model increases as well. Among the many tools provided by computer graphics software that an artist has at...
Few plant mitochondrial genomes have been published to date
because of their structural complexity and difficulties in their physical
isolation. Plant mitochondrial genomes are known to have a high level
of heteroplasmy and can exist as several different circular or linear
strands. Sequencing additional mitochondrial genomes will help to
understand...
For centuries wood has served as a primary structural building material in small
dwelling, large communal structures, bridges, and temporary structures. Even
today wood is the dominant material in residential construction. Despite this long
standing use of wood, non-residential multi-story construction in light of the green
building revolution has yet...
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...
SAR11 is a clade of marine bacteria that are the most abundant heterotrophs in ocean surface water. They play a significant role in marine carbon cycling. Although many culturing experiments have been done on SAR11, there was no research that focused on verifying the observations about inhibition of SAR11 growth...
The experiments explained in this Honors thesis are focused on finding a cellular model for analyzing Bcl11b, a transcription factor dysregulated in 20% of cases of T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL). Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. Because T-ALL is a result of incorrect thymocyte development, research...
Natural products (secondary metabolites) are small organic molecules derived from plants, microbes, and marine organisms that have served as a diverse source of useful compounds pharmaceuticals. New biologically active natural products are critical as anti-infective and cancer drug leads. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, produce diverse cytotoxic metabolites that represent potential...
Methamphetamine has flooded the media for the past two decades however, this
drug has impacted the nation for many decades prior. Since its synthesis in 1893,
methamphetamine has appealed to various aspects of society including soldiers,
housewives, college students, businessmen, truck drivers, drugged crazed hippies, and
athletes. The extensive effects,...
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....
Affection is one of the most fundamental needs of humans. The current study aimed at better understanding how affectionate communication positively influences others, specifically through prosociality. It was hypothesized that individuals who give or receive affection more frequently are more altruistic and tend to feel more empathy, love, and compassion...
A period of over forty years (1913-1954) of gold dredging dramatically changed
the landscape of Sumpter Valley, Oregon into a rocky, uninhabitable terrain. The Defrees
Ranch LLC used cattle feeding to increase top soil, vegetation, and habitat on the dredge
tailings. This thesis investigated the use of feeding cattle as...
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...
One of the first cognitive dysfunctions to arise with aging is memory loss, affecting an estimated 85% of elderly in the U.S. over the age of 80 with Age Associated Memory Impairment. A common feature in humans and animals experiencing memory loss with aging is the decline in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)...
The purpose of this paper was to consider whether the integration of
complementary and alternative medicine within coordinated care organizations would be
possible and beneficial. Per capita health expenditures in the Unites States are greater
than any other nation’s in the world. However, many complain that the organization and
distribution...
The memristor is a resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) with a basic metal/insulator/metal (MIM) structure. These nano devices are nonvolatile, have a conceptually simple crossbar device structure, are power efficient and have the capability of switching between high and low resistance states in nanoseconds making them promising to replace...
Over the past few decades, the ratio of women to men in many traditionally maledominated fields has become much more equal. However, in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields the ratio has not improved at the same rate. In computer science the ratio is still very uneven. Today women...
The inhibitory effects of (Ag⁺) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NP) 3-5 nm in diameter (stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)) and 20 nm (stabilized with citrate) on nitrification rates of the model ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) Nitrosomonas europaea were investigated. Experimental solutions contained HEPES buffer and ammonia (NH₃) in the presence and absence...
Tetrachlorethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) were common solvents used in the 1970’s that are now frequently observed groundwater contaminants. One method of remediating these contaminants is in-situ bioremediation that uses a dechlorinating microbial population. The microbial population performs the sequential reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (c-DCE), vinyl...
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...
A line of four garments was designed and developed using the various stages of the design process, based on the idea of translating music into fashion, the intangible into the tangible. The line was inspired by Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, guided by the composer’s music and symphonic...
he Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is widely known as one of the best-managed marine protected areas in the world. The park is divided into different management zones, the most prevalent of which are marine national park zones, which are designated as no-take, and conservation zones in which some regulated...
This thesis consists of two papers in manuscript format. The first paper presents optical measurements of tsunami inundation through an urban waterfront in a laboratory wave basin. The physical model was constructed at 1:50 scale and was an idealization of the town of Seaside, Oregon. The paper presents an analysis...
Title: Curren, M. The Effects of Sex and Task on Biomechanical Factors Related to ACL
Injury Purpose: To investigate the influences of sex and task on biomechanical factors
associated with ACL injury. Methods: We used a nine camera motion capture system
(Vicon, Inc.) using a standard retroreflective marker set (25...
The action of pendant, polyethylene oxide (PEO) brush layers as nonfouling coatings for
biomedical materials is well understood. However progress toward clinical application of stable, high density PEO coatings has historically been impeded by the lack of cost effective, noninvasive methods for their preparation. Triblock polymers featuring a hydrophobic, polypropylene...
Regular ankle taping is commonly used to prevent ankle sprains, but the effects of its
long-term use are not fully understood. This study examined the effects of ankle
taping on balance in athletes who regularly tape their ankles versus those who do not.
Fourteen collegiate gymnasts’ ability to balance on...
In recent years, non-coding DNA has received much attention within the scientific
community. This attention has not only illuminated the mystery behind functionally
important regions like the centromere, but has also brought to light additional important
questions regarding centromere mechanisms, inheritance, and cellular recognition by the
kinetochore, a protein complex...
The purpose of this thesis was to develop an analytical framework based in Aristotle’s
Nicomachean Ethics and to apply this framework to Disney films in order to broaden the
current discussion and analysis of Disney films. The first portion of this thesis was an
overview of the most common critiques...
Plant litter decomposition plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, and contributes large amounts of carbon to soils, which store more carbon than any other terrestrial pool of organic matter. Decomposition plays a fundamental role in nutrient cycling and alters soil properties that shape plant community composition and...
Understanding species distributions temporally and spatially will facilitate effective conservation efforts and catalyze informed environmental management decisions. The predicted distributions of 31 species of European bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera) were mapped across Europe using species presence records and environmental data from 72 environmental variables (annual mean temperature, precipitation, etc.). In order...
Thermal transport properties of a material are often difficult to measure, especially for
thin films, but they are important for materials that have applications in modern devices,
such as nano-scale electronics, thermoelectrics, and thermally resistive coatings. In this
thesis, we describe an apparatus developed to measure the thermal conductivity of...
Corals form the foundation for coral reef ecosystems and contain symbiotic dinoflagellates which greatly contribute to reef primary productivity. Loss of dinoflagellates from animal (host) cells results in cnidarian bleaching which leads to decreased coral fitness, and reef deterioration. Elevated temperature, caused by global warming, is the primary environmental stressor...
In a society where equality is sought as the norm, occupational gender representation is still skewed in some disciplines. One field where gender equality in representation has not yet been achieved is engineering, whether in college or at the professional level. This imbalance is not only a potentially vicious cycle...
Today’s marketing researchers provide incredible depth of information which explains much consumption behavior in the marketplace. Research into consumer behavior, especially the family of research related to consumer culture theory, provides theory on which cultural phenomena motivate consumers to exhibit the patterns they do in the marketplace. This study uses...
When vessel walls within the vasculature are damaged, exposed extracellular
matrix (ECM) proteins trigger a series of events that lead to the formation of a
hemostatic plug (Andrews et al. 2004, Furie et al. 2008, Watson 2009). Thrombus
formation requires an orchestrated series of receptor-mediated events facilitating platelet
recruitment, platelet...
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the number of edge-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles in de Bruijn graphs using ideas from finite field theory, particularly linear recurring sequences. It is known that the de Bruijn graph B(d,n) admits d-1 disjoint Hamiltonian cycles when d is a power of 2, and...
Amphiphilic gold nanoparticle surfactants can self-assemble at oil-water interfaces to form stable Pickering emulsions. These nanoparticle surfactants have previously been synthesized by functionalizing gold nanoparticles with thiol terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG-thiol), and subsequently with an alkane-thiol. It is necessary to improve the bio-compatibility of the nanoparticles if they are to...
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])...
The improvement of coupled tendon transfer surgeries through the insertion of an adaptive engineering mechanism was explored using biomechanical simulations performed in OpenSim. Tendon transfer surgeries are commonly performed on the upper extremity to restore hand function. A conventional 4-tailed tendon transfer procedure model and a modified 4-tailed procedure model...
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...
Veterinary medicine impacts everyone in the world to some degree and veterinary medicine is taught in some format in every country across the globe. However, veterinary education differs between countries due to the environmental and cultural variations. The purpose of this study was to investigate how veterinarians are trained in...
The Curaçao Lava Formation (CLF) records the magmatic and tectonic processes that formed the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP). A model of the petrogenesis of the CLF was developed using new geochemical and geochronological data. These data include major element compositions obtained using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), trace element concentrations...
Background: The prevalence of diabetes has increased dramatically in recent decades. A lack of control over blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes-related complications. A network of family and friends providing diet-related support and diabetes-related care support may be associated with lower levels and changes in blood sugar (HbA1c) levels....
The Design/Build/Fly competition (DBF) is an annual aerospace engineering competition hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Oregon State University's AIAA chapter competed for the first time at DBF in 2013 and finished in the top 25% which is a respectable finish for a first year team....
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...
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...
Natural products isolated from bacteria can be developed into new therapeutic agents. The soil bacteria actinomycetes, specifically the Streptomyces species, are prolific producers of antibiotics. This thesis is composed of two projects which focus on novel drug discovery from soil bacteria collected from the Indonesian Black Water Ecosystem (the ICBB...
String theory, one of the more popular approaches to quantizing gravity, is a highly complex
theory, involving high level mathematics and physics. But the basic ideas of string theory are not inaccessible, even to the undergraduate. This document acts as report to my thesis project, the writing of A Detailed...
A student-built lap time simulation coupled with the scoring model of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Series has revealed the major importance of downforce on overall points. As a result, the Global Formula Racing (GFR) team has recently focused much effort towards the development of an aerodynamics package...
Wine grape pomace (WGP) as a source of antioxidant dietary fiber was used to fortify bread and muffins bakery goods. Pinot Noir wine grape pomace (RWGP) and Pinot Grigio wine grape pomace (WWGP) replaced wheat flour at concentration between 5-20% (w/w). The finished bread and muffin products were evaluated for...
Due to inefficiencies and unsustainable growth in health expenditures, a new
approach needed to be taken in the realm of healthcare. There was a need to increase
efficiency and value in order to achieve health outcomes. Hence, arose the concept of the
Coordinated Care Organization (CCO). CCOs are seen as...
It has previously been shown that the proportion of fat metabolized during
aerobic exercise is higher in trained subjects, and there is conflicting evidence as to
whether or not gender or age influence fat utilization during exercise. PURPOSE: The
primary objective of this study was to investigate whether body composition...
The addition of a weather ballooning program at Western Oregon University creates research opportunities for the Science Department, allows for projects in professional development for in-service teachers, fosters a partnership with Oregon Space Grant, and creates another option for students participating in the Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences. As the...
Sepsis is a life-threatening blood infection which leads to an uncontrolled systemic inflammatory state. In North America alone, sepsis annually afflicts approximately 750,000 individuals and kills 38-50% of these (more than HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and colon cancer combined). Current treatment involves administration of IV fluids, antibiotics and hemoperfusion, requiring prolonged...
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 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...
Pb(Zr₁₋ₓTiₓ)O₃ (PZT) is a common piezoelectric and ferroelectric thin film material with a wide variety of applications, including ferroelectric random access memories, novel thin film transistors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The most common substrate for PZT in all of these areas has been platinum-coated silicon. Alternative substrates are desired for...
Due to the colloquial and adaptive nature of jazz, not much is known about the process of how a jazz piece is composed. Often, pieces that were not intended for jazz performance are adopted by jazz musicians; those who compose jazz are almost always performers, as they focus their explanation...
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...
Flavonoids are a large family of compounds synthesized by plants that have a common chemical structure. It is believed that the health effects of fruits and vegetables are primarily due to dietary flavonoids content. Current research indicates that dietary flavonoids show promise for mitigating and/or preventing chronic conditions associated with...
Evaporation synergy is a phenomenon that occurs between different classes of soil and allows for a greater amount/quantity of soil water evaporation. 20 of the 66 soil texture class combinations have been shown to exhibit evaporation synergy (Fisher, 2012), however the impact of column width on the functionality of this...
Atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased by approximately 40% since preindustrial times from 280 ppm (parts per million) to 400 ppm. The rise in Pco₂ is causing the ocean to become more acidic due to the uptake of carbon dioxide by the water, termed “ocean acidification”. As the Pco₂ in the...
Researchers of healthy aging have determined trends between a species’ body mass and its maximal life span (MLSP). Actual MLSPs are then compared to predicted MLSPs and reported as a longevity quotient (LQ). Long-lived mammals, such as humans and naked mole rats (NMR), have LQs ranging from 5.0 to 10.0,...
This thesis project provides a guiding framework for the structural analysis portion of the National Concrete Canoe Competition (NCCC). Step-by-step instructions on how to 3-dimensionally model a “standard” sized concrete canoe in AutoCAD Civil 3D, import the model into SAP2000, and proceed to analyze the canoe with the SAP2000 finite...
This research effort considers bicyclist’s left-turn behavior at roadway intersections with varying levels of traffic control; specifically, seeking to address the question where do bicyclists look to acquire information. A demographic comparison was made to determine if factors such as gender or experience influence the nature of how a bicyclist...
Many diseases cause a heavier burden on women than on men; however, treatment guidelines are based largely on data on men (NCBI, 2012). It becomes obvious that certain differences in genetics between men and women account for specific sex-related diseases, but there is too spare research focus on that issue....
DNA segments in the fungus Fusarium graminearum were identified as possible genes encoding for chromodomain proteins (CDPs), and targeted for genetic manipulation. Targeted single-gene deletion strains, as wells as GFP-S tag fusion strains, were generated from wildtype F. graminearum protoplasts, and verified strains were screened for phenotypic differences, such as...
Sepsis, caused by bacterial release of endotoxin, is a serious blood infection that causes uncontrolled systemic immune response. In North America alone, sepsis kills between 220,000 and 380,000 people each year, more than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and HIV/AIDS combined. Sepsis treatment is complicated and often requires prolonged hospital stays,...
Extensive research has been conducted to improve the menus that allow navigation of digital world, most of it focused on the most common varieties of menu. Radial menus, a less common menu variety designed so that menu entries are aligned on a polar coordinate system, have largely been ignored. Early...
A unique, permanent root-growth arrest phenotype was observed in UV-B irradiated Arabidopsis thaliana roots lacking the DNA damage response kinase ATR. Segregation analysis suggests the dependence of this phenotype on another, unidentified gene, termed ursu. High-throughput sequencing technologies were used to map and identify the causal ursu mutation. Illumina HiSeq...
For many years, engine overhearing has been the major cause for vehicle breakdowns and engine malfunctions for most teams in Endurance events at Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) Series competitions. Additionally, with a growing importance of aerodynamics to the overall success of the Global Formula Racing at these events,...
The purpose of this project was to research, design and build a shoe press for a local company called Soft Star Shoes. Soft Star Shoes were looking for different ways to replace their barging process, which is the process of attaching the rubber sole of the shoe to the upper...
Cerebral palsy is a permanent neurodevelopmental disorder that affects physical activity level as well as perception and cognition and is often accompanied by secondary disorders (Rosenbaum, 2006). In order to gain the most health benefits, research shows that meeting the physical activity requirements of strength and cardiorespiratory training should be...
The Speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is the most widespread minnow in western North America (Gilbert and Williams, 2002). It has diversified widely across its range—both morphologically and genetically—and as such might rightly be called a species complex. Our ongoing work aims to determine where boundaries between potentially undescribed species lie...
Firemaster 550 (FM550) is an additive flame retardant mixture used within polyurethane foam and is increasingly found in house dust and the environment due to leaching. In this study, we sought to investigate mono-substituted isopropylated triaryl phosphate (mITP), a major component of FM550, which has been shown to cause cardiotoxicity...
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) hay is an important source of forage for a variety of livestock species, and is most common in cool, coastal climates such as the Pacific Northwest. An endophyte fungus called Neotyphodium lolii frequently colonizes this grass to promote insect resistance, drought tolerance, and growth enhancement without...
Diatoms, the most common type of algae, are one of the most prevalent organisms in the world. They live in wet ambient environments such as oceans, lakes and rivers and are easily recognizable because of their unique structure. Diatoms are surrounded by a silica cell wall called a frustule. The...
The purpose of this study is to explore kernel machine learning methods for species distribution modeling. Previous studies have shown the success of Generalized Boosted Regression Models, however kernel methods have been unexplored for species distribution modeling. Using the eBird dataset, four machine learning methods were tested for accuracy and...
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...
The ATRIAS agile humanoid robot, along with a number of other spring-mass walking
machines, currently have two instabilities: one resulting from inertial forces on the torso
which cause the robot to spin like a top, and another resulting from stiff ground collisions
which cause chattering of the point-contact toes. This...
The lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a successful invasive predator with large impacts on native fish populations in the western Atlantic. Lionfish predation may affect competition between prey species so it is important to understand whether lionfish display preferences between prey species. I investigated lionfish and native graysby grouper prey preference...
Particleboard is a commodity composite panel made from the residual materials of other wood products manufacturing companies. The industry operates on low profit margins and thus produces high volumes of differing panel grades. Slight inefficiencies over the course of a year can mean a significant loss in profit. Previous calculations...
DNA segments in the fungus Fusarium graminearum were identified as possible genes encoding for chromodomain proteins (CDPs), and targeted for genetic manipulation. Targeted single-gene deletion strains, as wells as GFP-S tag fusion strains, were generated from wildtype F. graminearum protoplasts, and verified strains were screened for phenotypic differences, such as...
Presentation entitled : The Challenge of Finding Where SOD Gets Zinc: Identifying Novel Techniques to Recombinantly Express Metallothionein / by Nick B. West, Joseph Beckman and Daniel Sudakin
Dutch elm disease (DED) is a disease of elm trees caused by three species of Ascomycota fungi: Ophiostoma ulmi, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, and Ophiostoma himal-ulmi. There are also two subspecies of O. novo-ulmi: subsp. americana and subsp. novo-ulmi. The pathogen is spread by bark beetles, which inhabit and traverse different elms....