Using a spectrometer and photomultiplier tube, I measured the electromagnetic radiation transmittance properties of three types of tissue-- ventral skin, cardiac muscle, and liver tissue--in the red-sided garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis between the wavelengths of 450 and 850 nanometers (nm). Control readings were taken using a 10⁻² neutral density...
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...
Legislation to reduce the annual limit of field burning in Oregon has led to increased study of
alternative non-thermal grass-seed management methods. Of these methods, non-thermal residue
management, in combination with crop rotations and different tillage practices, offer potential to
equal or exceed crop production of conventional thermal production systems....
Interest in organizational culture has grown enormously over the last twenty years and much
effort has gone into investigating the relationship between organizational culture and
performance. Because most research to date has focused on large organizations, we chose to
investigate the culture in a community bank undergoing a cultural transformation....
Various vineyard practices influence the quality of a wine. In 1999, three levels of nitrogen (N), two levels of tillage and two levels of irrigation were applied to Pinot noir grape cultivars at Benton Lane Vineyards in the Southern Willamette Valley. N treatments were zero, soil and foliar applications. Every...
In this project we measure the neutron capture cross section of ²⁰⁸Pb. We began by calibrating our silicon detector with ²⁰⁴Tl. Two experiments were then performed, the first in December of 1999 and the second in March of 2000. Both experiments were performed in the nuclear reactor of the Radiation...
The timber and Christmas tree industries are important components of the Pacific Northwest economy. A goal of both industries is to produce high quality trees with high growth rates. Accomplishing this requires increased genetic quality of the trees grown. Tissue culture provides the most promise for propagating these superior genotypes....
The purpose of this project was to investigate play and our cultural assumptions as to its usefulness or lack there of. The concepts of hard work versus hard play were explored in order to discover when human beings are operating at their best. In terms of innovation and productivity in...
While previous experiments on the physiological activity of primary and secondary cyanolichens have been done, an analysis of photomorphs has never been attempted. Photomorphs of Peltigera britannica (Gyelnik) Hotan-Hartw. & Tonsberg were studied to compare the physiological response of a primary cyanolichen to an additional symbiotic partner (green algea) while...
Cucurbits are grown in production agriculture in Oregon as well as in smallholder agriculture in tropical South America. Experimental research was performed at the OSU Research Farm in 2001 with direct-seeded cucurbits, and literature reviews were conducted to develop a characterization of smallholder farming in tropical South America. The two...
Regression testing is a common and necessary task carried out by software practitioners to validate the quality of evolving software systems. Unfortunately, regression testing is often an expensive, time-consuming process, particularly when applied to large software systems. Consequently, practitioners may wish to prioritize the test cases in their regression test...
Hispanics in Hood River County, Oregon account for roughly 25% of the population, with many employed in agriculture. A community health survey was carried out in Hood River County during the winter months of 2001 with the purpose of evaluating the health conditions, needs, and barriers to access of needed...
This project calculates the value of β for ice particles based on wavelength dependent values of their refractive and absorptive indices. β is the ratio of the force due to radiation to the force due to gravity acting on a particle in the solar system. This parameter can later be...
Previous research suggests a link between litter size in ewes and differential excretion of fecal hormones. An accurate test for fetal number would be useful to sheep producers and a fecal hormone response could be utilized in such a test. Fifteen previously categorized fecal hormones were analyzed within fecal samples...
One method of fabricating intermetallic nickel-aluminum MECS devices involves diffusion bonding together pre-patterned elemental foils of nickel and aluminum. This process shows good potential for the mass-production of NiAl devices, but several quality issues remain. Of large concern is the deformation of internal features during the bonding process. This research...
To understand human social environments and interaction, it is often necessary to examine them in creative and metaphorical terms. In this thesis, a model of chemical interaction, atomic and molecular bonding, and the role of electrons, nuclei, and other chemical principles are used to describe the social environment of human...
The psychoactive component of marijuana, A9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is known
to have effects in humans that are mediated by the cannabinoid receptor (CB 1). Although a great deal of research has been done to confirm the interaction of exogenous cannabinoids with the CB 1 receptor, little is known about the receptor's...
A series of seven magnesium-doped copper scandium oxide films were made by radio frequency sputtering, and intercalated at various oxygen pressures to create different oxygen concentrations in each film. The objectives of this study were to verify the p-type nature of these transparent conductive thin films, to determine the correlation...
Plasminogen activators (PAs) have been implicated in: ovulation, oocyte maturation, fertilization, implantation, and many other reproductive activities. Three pathways have been implicated in the activation of the PA regulatory system. These include the conventional PKC and cAMP-dependent signaling pathways, and also an independent pathway thought to be regulated by protein...
When a nucleus is in an excited state, it will decay to lower energy by emitting photons. Often there are several intermediate stages in a decay cascade. Occasionally the photons in a cascade will be emitted in coincidence. This will be resolved by the detector not as two distinct photons,...
This study sought to conduct an in depth analysis of women’s first sexual experiences looking for factors contributing to the experience and the emotional outcomes of first intercourse. Fourteen heterosexual, female, college students were interviewed about their first sexual experience and sexual background using a semi-structured interview format. The narratives...
We consider development of sand ripples in shallow water flows which do not reach an equilibrium height but have a time-varying ripple height that slowly reaches a maximum value and then is quickly destroyed by the fluid. A simple scenario to explain the time periodic behavior of the sand ripples...
Rockfish of the genus Sebastes are important components of Oregon reef communities. I examined patterns of age and growth in young-of-year rockfish across two nested spatial scales – local and regional – along the Oregon coast. Using otolith microstructural examination, I examined the relative importance of local versus regional factors...
The purpose of this study was to research and analyze the influencing factors that have led occupational therapy further away from mental health practice. The following research questions were used as a basis to analyze the shift of the OT profession away from mental health:
1. To what extent are...
Presented here is an investigation and comparison of two entrapment methods of algae. Conventional calcium alginate bead entrapment is compared to a recently described modified bead entrapment method, utilizing poly(ethylene glycol) and calcium alginate, which results in void or capillary formation within the beads. It is shown that algal growth...
This study compares the requirements of three forest certification systems, the Sustainable Forestry Institute (SFI), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with the 2005 McDonald-Dunn Forest Plan Revision. The analysis was done with a series of matrices comparing the requirements of SFI and FSC...
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...
Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is an emerging form of liver disease associated with obesity, type II diabetes and dyslipidemia. As the prevalence of these metabolic conditions increases, so too has the occurrence of NASH in all sectors of the population. The pathology of this disease is similar to its alcoholic form,...
The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) is a public key cryptosystem used for creation and verification of digital signatures in electronic documents. In this thesis, we created a Java applet that provides the functionality of the ECDSA using all of the NIST elliptic curves over GF(p). This applet was...
"‘Biometrics is at the forefront in our agenda for homeland security,’ declared Asa Hutchinson, the Department of Homeland Security's undersecretary for border and transportation security, at the 2004 Biometric Consortium Conference” [11].
Flashy retinal scanning and voice activated computers were once considered technologies for science fiction movies and novels. Nowadays,...
Designing for construction safety is a collaborative process that combines the field experience of builders with the design skills of architects to improve construction safety. Research studies have shown that the design of a project is a factor in approximately fifty percent of jobsite deaths. To reduce this problem it...
The West Fork Smith River, a 69 km2 watershed in the Coast Range of Oregon, is prone to short periods of very high water temperature in mid-summer due to a combination of human and natural influences. In the summers of 2003 and 2004 more than 400 juvenile coho salmon regularly...
Biodiesel is a renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable diesel fuel made from agricultural feedstocks. With a vibrant agricultural industry, Oregon is positioned to play an important role in the future of this energy source. Limiting factors to widespread biodiesel production include low value of biodiesel feedstock crops, lack of infrastructure, lagging...
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,...
Dental disease is a very prevalent and costly disease in which the symptoms, not the disease, are currently being treated. The disease is caused by pathogenic oral bacteria, many of which are a part of the Mutans Streptococci. The objective of this thesis was to find a natural substance that...
Science is difficult for even its researchers to understand. Science journalists must understand scientific discoveries well enough to write clear, accurate explanations of scientific discoveries for laypeople. A sense of ethical judgment will help journalists ensure that their accounts are reliable and appropriate. Responsible science journalists will maintain a working...
The large population of 2r>100m near earth objects (NEOs) presents a certain hazard to life on earth. It has been proposed that a nuclear device may be used to alter the course of such objects, thereby averting a catastrophic collision with the earth. The asteroid interdiction problem includes a number...
During the 1970’s the United States experienced several periods of high inflation that have been at least partially attributed to positive oil price shocks. The effectiveness of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at controlling the price of oil has varied over time, as well as the responsiveness of U.S....
ThermoSolver is an educational thermodynamics software program designed to be both
easy to use and useful in that it permits the user to make nontrivial chemical engineering
thermodynamic calculations. The software program accompanies the textbook
Engineering and Chemical Thermodynamics by Milo Koretsky, and is available for free
download from the...
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...
As time continues, the issue of full European Union membership for Norway becomes a more pertinent issue. The EU has long awaited the membership of Norway, but unfortunately the Nordic country has decided to remain independent. Norway’s historical past has led many Norwegians to believe their country is not ready...
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....
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...
The LIGO interferometers have reached their designed sensitivity level which is greater than any other interferometer ever built. At this point, it is important to have a proper understanding of small perturbations that might still exist (until now these issues did not come to the forefront because other more critical...
Through examination of empirical evidence on individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and related Pervasive Developmental Disorders, the author attempts to provide an overview of the social deficiencies associated with these disorders. Points of primary concern are the social deficiencies in developing competence in experience-sharing and demonstrating empathy, especially in how they...
Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), an ornamental native to China, is an invasive species in Oregon and many other areas. In Oregon, butterfly bush invades disturbed areas, particularly riparian areas. The Oregon nursery industry has the highest farm-gate value of all agricultural commodities and butterfly bush is a significant plant to...
Wind energy is a cornerstone to the world of renewables. It is widely used in many parts of the world as a clean and effective form of power generation. However, wind power has a number of drawbacks, which limits its use in many regions. Solar power has been used not...
Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (PNGC) operates the Landfill Gas to
Energy Facility at Coffin Butte Landfill in Corvallis, OR. At this facility, three internal
combustion engines use the landfill gas (predominantly methane and carbon dioxide) as
fuel to turn generators that produce enough electricity to power 1,800 average sized
homes....
The computer game industry continues to progress toward realistic-looking character motion. However, even in state-of-the-art games, the use of motion capture data in character animation may result in errors such as “foot slipping,” where the feet do not match up with the floor properly during translation. Various algorithms have been...