While rib stress injuries (RSI) may be common and documented at an elite or international level in rowing, there is limited information at the collegiate level. Specifically, identifying occurrence and differentiating acute from overuse onset, stratifying by time-lost (time-loss or non-time-loss) may provide sports medicine clinicians, rowers, and coaches a...
Loss of a limb can severely impact everyday way of life. Prosthetics provide a way to return functionality to the user and improve quality of life. However, most prosthetic systems currently available in the market lack sensory feedback making them comparatively more difficult to use resulting in prosthetic abandonment. Therefore,...
Self-regulation is the ability to regulate cognitions, emotions and behaviors and is important for success in school and adaptation in children. The amount and quality of sleep a child receives can influence their development and self-regulation. This study examines the relationship between children’s self-regulation in the fall of their kindergarten...
Homosexual men in Nazi Germany experienced legal and social oppression that was rooted in both the cultural homophobia of Twentieth Century Germany and the existential homophobia of high-ranking Nazi officials. However, the Nazi Regime’s enforcement of homonegative policy was not unilateral, often ignoring the actions of members of Nazi-affiliated groups....
Due to increasing populations, food production must increase significantly to be sustainable. The Internet of Things has been shown to have potential in the field of agriculture to make farming practices more efficient. However, for IoT to be properly integrated into agriculture, sensors must be applied within the field and...
Industrial waste heat composed of saturated liquid water can be redirected to charge a thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system. This energy can be stored long-term in the inherently energy-dense chemical bonds and used for space heating. Initial reactor scale cycling experiments were conducted in tandem with TCES material improvements. Hydration...
This studies the participants in Black Lives Matter-related communication on the social media app TikTok and the content they posted. Using grounded theory, the information gathered from Black Lives Matter TikTok videos was analyzed to determine the goals of the content creators, as well as the feasibility of community dialogue...
By studying gravitational waves, we can gain new insights into the merging events between massive objects such as black holes as well as neutron stars. Moreover, studying low-frequency waves allows us to observe merging events between supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, which in turn allows us to...
This research paper describes the impacts of a new programming class on first-year, non-CS engineering students. In the spring of 2021, the College of Engineering at Oregon State University piloted a new programming course that will be required of all engineering majors in the following academic years. We used the...
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women, with an estimated 12.4% of American women diagnosed with this tumor type. Evidence suggests that exogenous disruptors can exert epigenetic changes leading to aberrant gene expression, shifting the cellular balance toward oncogenesis. While chemical pollutant exposure is well-studied, light...
Although it is the first drug approved for usage to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), riluzole’s mechanism of action is unknown and its therapeutic quality is hampered by its relatively short window of effectiveness. P2X7 is a purine receptor found in astrocytes and other cells, which increases calcium concentrations within...
The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) times periodic signals from pulsars as a method of detecting gravitational waves. NANOGrav detects waves emitted in the nanohertz frequency range, a range lower than those previously explored by other organizations. This allows for the study of rarely observed sources such...
Differential access to healthcare contributes to health disparities, and discrimination by language preferences may limit healthcare access to individuals for whom English is not their preferred language. This study looks at whether those who have different language preferences within the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS ) survey reported different...
Glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a bioactive peptide found in the dairy product whey, along with whey protein isolate (WPI). Past studies have shown that digested GMP retains bioactivity in rodent guts. This study tested whether GMP or GMP-derived peptides or whey protein or whey protein-derived peptides inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines. THP-1 cells...
From British Columbia to northern California, coastal giant salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) are a dominant vertebrate predator in headwater streams. Though widespread, salamander health and abundance levels differ greatly between locations, provoking the question as to what factors may influence this variation and whether habitat features or biotic variables play a...
One of the main ways that one can accurately gain knowledge of the experiences of students on a college campus is to talk to the students themselves. In this study, we used Photovoice, a participatory action approach, to help better understand the experiences of the students at Oregon State University...
Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host”. A wide variety of putative probiotics exist on the market; however, clinical evidence of their efficacy is lacking. Probiotics have been previously used in the treatment of metabolic diseases like type...
Fires that affect buildings can have disastrous impacts, including significant losses to people, property, and the environment. Understanding how fires can impact structures provides the foundation to prevent structural collapse in fire. It is critical that the effect of fire is studied to protect the safety and welfare of civilians....
Microtubules (MT) are highly dynamic cylindrical-like structures within cells whose growth is controlled by motor proteins, a class of biological machines that walk along the MT while simultaneously regulating MT growth. Here we are interested in the behavior of kinesin-14 motor proteins. Although processive behavior of kinesin-14 motors has been...
Estradiol (E2) plays a role in positive and negative feedback mechanisms of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in female mammals. These mechanisms are regulated by two different populations of kisspeptin (KP)-producing neurons: anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) neurons, which are stimulated by E2, and arcuate (arc) neurons, which are inhibited by E2. AVPV...
Treated wood commodities disposed of in landfills contain chemicals that can migrate into the environment. Wood treatments such as ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA) contain heavy metals which prevent the biological degradation of wood. These metals can migrate out of treated wood into soil or groundwater, posing environmental hazards. This...
Invasive plant species are a significant concern in Oregon’s forests, particularly in early-seral sites. Early-seral forests are generated by severe disturbances such as fire or timber harvest, and persist until canopy closure. They are vulnerable to invasion because they have abundant resources, and are important because they provide unique resources....
The phosphoprotein (P protein) in viruses of the Mononegavirales order is known to play an essential role in the completion of viral replication mechanisms. The P protein is involved in stabilizing the viral polymerase and nucleoprotein during RNA transcription and replication, regulating nascent RNA encapsidation by the nucleoprotein, and mediation...
Asians are a minority group that are scarcely represented throughout Hollywood and the film industry. Even when there is some type of inclusion, they are often subjected to stereotypes that have been perpetuated for decades. This contributes to shaping how Asian and Asian Americans are perceived, as well as the...
This is a two-part thesis. The first part is a generalization of vector calculus tools to Minkowski Space, a non-Euclidean 3-dimensional geometry that has a distance function that is not positive definite. We orient a cube in Minkowski Space using the generalized Stokes' Theorem to relate a divergence integral to...
About one third of Americans have metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by five risk factors related to blood pressure and triglyceride levels and could lead to diabetes and heart disease if left untreated. Watermelon has been shown to exhibit cardioprotective effects due to its high phytochemical content and may act...
Objective: This study presents an in-depth review of the correlations between peer learning methods and Academic success for students within the Oregon State University introductory PH 20X physics series. This study also sought to determine how, if any, demographics impacted the relationship between these correlates, and if the course structure...
Introduction: In the US, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 1 in 10 people. IBS is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder that consists of many gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, changes in bowel movement, differences in the appearance of stool, diarrhea, constipation, increased gas, and mucus in stool. IBS causes...
The pulsed sphere benchmark problems are a set of physical experiments that have been used to verify Monte Carlo codes and evaluate nuclear data. All Monte Carlo codes rely on benchmark experiments that test the features of the code to verify that the simulations are producing realistic results. In the...
This project uses a variety of 3D technologies to give a deeper understanding of what it was like to live through the events of World War II. It includes three unique scenes: a Parisian Alleyway, an Underground Air Raid Shelter, and the attic where Holocaust survivor Henry Friedman and his...
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is recognized for its difficulty to diagnose and subjective symptomatology. There is no known cure nor a recommended therapeutic diet to aid in the multidisciplinary treatment for FMS. A systematic review was conducted to investigate if diets can improve the pain symptoms of fibromyalgia. A total of...
Despite the prominence of LEDs in our society, we have limited knowledge pertaining to their long-term effects. These seemingly white LEDs have a large blue light component to them. Recent results have shown that Drosophila living in 12 hrs. of blue light and 12 hrs. of darkness live substantially shorter...
This paper seeks to assess the merits of “Vote With Your Dollar” (VWYD) strategies for consumer and investor activism as a model for changing corporate behavior. A novel framework was constructed to group VWYD strategies and campaigns under shared attributes. To assess one such group, the boycott, the research gathered...
The demands of the healthcare system on its employees are heavy and intense. Long working hours, high-stress environments, and emotionally exhausting situations can lead to burnout. This is particularly a constant concern in emergency medicine. Burnout has been associated with impacting well-being and performance. There is also an interest in...
Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the most widely read novels written by an Oregonian. A mute Native American, a boisterous Irish white man, and numerous African Americans working behind the scenes of the narrative all converge in this struggle for autonomy. Little to no...
Characterizing a mindset landscape within the physics classroom is crucial to portray the variation and context of mindset in the classroom. This paper will be looking at students enrolled in Oregon State University’s PH20x series, which is a series of three algebra-based introductory physics courses. This project is an exploratory...
Paper-based microfluidic assays, like the common pregnancy test, allow for rapid screening at the point- of-care at low cost and with no instrumentation. Fabric has many similar properties to paper, but is more flexible and durable, making it a promising option for use in a variety of diagnostic and screening...
Projects in forestry and civil engineering depend on accurate information, which is often acquired through remote sensing techniques. One of the remote sensing technologies that has gained importance in the last decade is light detection and ranging (lidar), which describes the surveyed area with 3D points, presented as point clouds....
When my mother’s mother sent her over to the new, western world, she sent her with a suitcase full of spices you couldn’t find at an American grocery store in the 90’s: tamarind and turmeric, coriander root and cumin. Ammu, my mother, had truly packed her entire life and everything...
Tendinopathy is characterized by injured or inflamed tendons and can be caused by long durations of strain or excessive tension being applied. Current treatments for tendinopathy may include physical therapy and pain management. However, these methods may not heal the tendon or restore it to its original healthy state. New...
For next-generation molten salt reactors, there is a need to be able to characterize the corrosion of the molten salts contained within them. One such tool that may be used to accomplish this is a dynamic ref- erence electrode, or DRE. Here, an aqueous dynamic reference electrode (aDRE) was developed,...
Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have gained much popularity in the search for alternatives to clean sources to harvest energy. Given their capability to harness an electric potential given a temperature differential across their opposing faces, and the foreseeable prevalence of naturally and/or commonly occurring temperature gradients in multiple applications, TEGs are...
This thesis acts as an artist statement to accompany the series Rose Colored Glass, which is a collection of acrylic paints using mirrors as canvases. Part prose and part autobiography, Queer Tragedy isn’t the Whole Story follows my journey from institutionalization and assualt to healing. Each mirror has a story...
Women’s history is often not included in K-12 classes. However, women are an essential part of American history and should be better represented in the K-12 curricula and classrooms. The purpose of this thesis is to both acknowledge that women’s history is often missing in K-12 classrooms and to provide...
This study assessed suitability of annelid habitats under current baseflow conditions and evaluated the mobility of suitable annelid substrates under a 2-year peak flushing flow. Outputs from a 2020 Bureau of Reclamation SRH-2D model were combined with field measurements of annelid presence/absence and habitat variables including depth, velocity and d50,...
Ice-penetrating radar produces detailed images of the internal ice layers in a glacier. Because the layers form from each year's snowfall, the curving of the internal layers is a record of the climate conditions that the glacier experienced as it flowed throughout the millennia. The Hiawatha Glacier lies on top...
Electron behavior in semiconductor materials critically determines electronic applications. Previous research has shown carrier temperature higher than the lattice temperature of LEDs due to energy differences in the quantum well. Study of these findings requires a novel set-up to dig out weak signal in a thermal-noise filled environment; analytical methods...
Communication is an aspect of healthcare that affects healthcare providers and patients at each step of their medical journey. The purpose of this research is to identify the effects that language barriers cause between healthcare workers and patients and the patients’ families and how those effects are perceived by and...
Over 100 years separate the 1918 Influenza and COVID-19 pandemics, and a multitude of science, public health and communication advancements have emerged. With the COVID-19 pandemic still underway, recently reaching the one million death mark in the United States alone (CDC, 2020), researchers are searching for clues as to how...
This study examines healthcare policy preferences of Oregon State University students through the lens of Political Culture Theory, as pioneered by Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky in the 1980’s. The primary goal of this study is to examine the impact of cultural traits as described by Political Culture Theory on...