Understanding of gene flow, connectivity, and diversity is critical to predict the stability of key marine species. The Oregon coast of the U.S.A. shows fine-scale levels of geographic variation in environmental stressors such as temperature, pH, and oxygen levels, prompting questions about the potential for local adaptation. In this thesis,...
Informal higher education science learning programs are increasingly being used as a tool to build scientific research capacity. However, there is low understanding of the impact that these programs on their target audiences, which is important to future capacity building efforts and program design. The purpose of this research project...
Approximately 12% of Americans do not consume the amount of zinc equal to the Estimated Average Requirement for zinc and could be at risk for marginal zinc deficiency. Zinc is an essential component of proteins in the defense against oxidative stress and DNA damage repair. Specifically in the prostate, zinc...
Emily Dickinson's religious poetry of the nineteenth century reveals a sensibility that resists traditional, orthodox Christianity. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate Dickinson's two-fold critique of rational
religion. The poet does not merely oppose the existing pattern of interpretation with another; she questions the whole process of construing...
This study addressed the following question: "How does facilitating informal explorations with friends and family outside of a science course help students who are enrolled in the course?" The context was a physics course for prospective elementary and middle school teachers. This was a qualitative study that analyzed student responses...
The individual through earliest recorded history reveals contradictory views of the
human life-span. "Am I a free and unique individual, able to make choices and decide my
own destiny?, or, "Am I only a victim of circumstance, a speck of dust in the universe's
whirlwind of fate?"
Each view is...
Pancreatic beta cells produce and release insulin, a vital hormone that regulates blood glucose levels, and their dysfunction contributes to the development of diabetes mellitus. Dietary zinc deficiency and exposure to the toxicant inorganic arsenic have both independently been associated with diabetes, although the effects of their combination on pancreatic...
Consuming cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli sprouts, kale, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy is associated with several health benefits, such as a decreased risk of certain cancers. Cruciferous vegetables contain the glucosinolate, glucoraphanin (GFN). Cutting, chopping or chewing these vegetables releases the enzyme myrosinase, which transforms GFN into sulforaphane (SFN)....
During fall term of 2015 and winter and spring term of 2016 I assisted in research within Dr. Emily Ho’s lab. The project that I assisted in looked at the effects of low zinc status and arsenic exposure in mice. Zinc is an essential micronutrient involved in numerous cellular processes...