Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP/LL-37) is a cationic antimicrobial peptide that is widely expressed by myeloid and epithelial cells at the human-environment interface. It possesses broad spectrum antimicrobial capacity against bacteria, fungi and viruses. In addition to its direct antimicrobial activity, CAMP/LL-37 also attracts and recruits monocytes, neutrophils and other...
The human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) is a broad spectrum microbicidal agent and modulator of both the innate and adaptive immune system. It is induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D₃) through activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and primary bile salts through activation of the xenobiotic nuclear receptor farnesoid X...
Partial reactions of photosynthesis were examined in the wild
type strain and six photosynthetic mutants (8, 11, 26, 40, 50, a') of
Scenedesmus obliquus, strain D₃. A reproducible procedure for the
isolation of active chloroplast fragments from Scenedesmus was
developed. Several chloroplast reactions were examined, as well
as two in...
Optimization of reservoir operation is involves various competing objectives for a scarce resource (water). To find the optimal operation of reservoirs, it is essential to consider multiple objectives simultaneously. There are various sources of uncertainty associated with the reservoir operation problem that should be considered as well.
The overarching goal...
Two light sensitive mutants of the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus strain D₃ have been characterized. The photodynamic nature of their sensitivity has been established, the subchloroplast site of photodamage has been investigated, and their noncarotenogenic character has been verified. The two mutants possess several similarities, although mutant L. S. -41...
As the aging population continues to grow worldwide, age-related complications are becoming more apparent within the aging population. One of the first age-related complications to become apparent is age-associated memory impairment and it can make the elderly more dependent on caregivers early on. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is important to...
The solution structure determination of DNA molecules has been an important part of structural biology. NMR solution structures are a complement to structures solved via X-ray crystallography; the two methods are the only ways of obtaining three dimensional coordinates of macromolecules. Because of the nature of the molecule, the solution...
Studies toward the total syntheses of highly potent cytotoxic alkaloids
including the bromopyrrole alkaloids and indole alkaloids were conducted and are
described. Studies carried out in the course of this dissertation consist of five total syntheses of natural products that include bromopyrrole alkaloids nagelamide A, D and agelastatin D as...
Cutaneous melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer arising from malignant transformation of pigment-producing melanocytes, with a diagnosis of metastasis indicating a median survival rate of less than a year. Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially childhood sun exposure, is an important etiological risk factor of melanoma. This DNA damage...
Detailed current profiles between the sediment-water interface
and 20 cm above it reveal a viscous sublayer in the bottom boundary
layer on the Oregon continental shelf. Data from three field experiments
are used to test fundamental assumptions about boundary layer
flow in the ocean. The first study, discussed in Chapter...
The fate of hexachlorophene, a widely used bactericide, was
investigated using both intact male rats and rabbits and liver microsomes
from male rats. Hexachlorophene administered intraperitoneally
was found to be rapidly absorbed and distributed to all the
tissues of the animals. Excretion of the chemical in both species
occurred slowly,...
In this thesis we investigate the extension of certain theorems
of additive number theory to three algebraic systems. A generalization
of a theorem by Cauchy and Davenport on the cardinality of the
sum of two sets of residue classes is given. We obtain and compare
estimates for the order of...
Allen Freedman defined a density space to be the ordered pair
(S,𝓕) where S is a certain kind of semigroup called an s-set and 𝓕
is a special type of family of finite subsets of S called a fundamental
family on S. Several properties for density spaces are
obtained, and...
Weed resistance is usually diagnosed after a weed control practice has lost
efficacy and weed populations begin to increase rapidly. Prediction and validation in
the field at a very early stage of resistance development is a promising method for
preventing an uncontrollable problem. Pattern-thinking helped individuals connect their
experience of...
Acoustic scanned holography is a method of lensless photography
which uses sound waves to construct the hologram and light waves to
reconstruct the image. The receiving transducer scans a plane area
containing the sound field generated or scattered from the objects. In
simultaneous source receiver scanning, both the source and...
In nanoscale materials, the Coulombic interaction between electrons are stronger than in bulk materials. These stronger interactions, caused by confinement and reduced dielectric screening, have interesting consequences for light-matter interactions. In carbon nanotubes (CNTs), strong interactions can enhance the impact ionization process, and thus assist photocurrent generation in CNTs. Conversely,...
Seventy-two species of Blennocampinae in 21 genera and six tribes
are known from the Nearctic region. The adults and known larvae of
all species and genera are keyed, described and illistrated. A
definition of the subfamily, a review of previous work, a table of
host-plant associations, and a discussion of...
Sandy beaches and dunes cover approximately one-third of the world’s ice-free coastlines and provide ecosystem services including coastal protection, recreation, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. These dynamic interface habitats are variably shaped by wind, waves, sedimentary processes, and vegetation feedbacks. Positive biophysical feedbacks lead to the formation of vegetated coastal...
Experiments were conducted to determine if allelopathy is a mechanism
by which buckwheat interferes with a) the growth of Canada thistle and/or b)
mycorrhizae colonization in Canada thistle roots. In a competition experiment,
buckwheat plant biomass was only affected by the intraspecific competition
from other buckwheat plants and not by...
The phantom midges (Diptera: Chaoboridae) are a relatively small fly family composed of 50 extant species in six genera. Larvae are of interest to limnologists and ecologists because of their tolerance to toxicants, predatory avoidance strategies, and the role chaoborids play in zooplankton community dynamics. Relative to mosquitoes, systematists have...
Meadowfoam (cultivar Mermaid) is an entomophilous
winter annual oilseed crop that has historically produced
an average of only two of five seeds per flower. Reference
to inadequate meadowfoam pollination exists in the literature,
but quantitative evidence is lacking. Studies were
undertaken to: 1) quantify meadowfoam pollination requirements
and 2) evaluate...
Current frameworks for analyzing forest carbon offset projects in disturbance-prone western forests often fail to address the dynamic nature of carbon pathways through time. They do not account for the probability of loss due to wildfire, which can influence the prediction of carbon storage at the end of a planning...
This dissertation focuses on personal privacy in human-robot interaction, which we call "privacy-sensitive robotics." Our understanding of "privacy" is very broad, including not just information privacy but also physical, psychological, and social privacy. We begin by surveying the scholarly literature on privacy and talking about why it applies to interactions...
The purpose of this study is to critically explore low-income women's experience as they negotiate post secondary education in community colleges. Three research questions explore the context through which low-income women have entered the college experience, what that experience is like for them, and how the community college experience has...
Research on the population genetics of microbial organisms requires the use of specialized analyses designed for clonal organisms to avoid violating the assumptions of traditional population genetic models. The tools necessary for performing these analyses existed as a set of unrelated software with non-overlapping capabilities and did not cover all...
Traditional approaches for the direct preparation of alkenes are unable to fully control either the stereochemical configuration of the carbon-carbon double bond or else the regiochemistry of the substituents surrounding it. The recently introduced concept of carbenoid eliminative cross-coupling (CEXC) offers a remedy to these deficiencies by providing for a...
Experiments were conducted under field and greenhouse conditions
to investigate the effects of chlorpropham (isopropyl mchlorocarbanilate)
on vegetative and reproductive development in
Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra L. subsp. commutata Gaud.) and to
determine the time of induction and initiation under natural conditions.
Chewings fescue was found to be very susceptible...
Nine feeding trials and four laboratory scale experiments were conducted in this study. The study consisted of: (1) use of grass straw:corn juice (CJ) silages with fishmeal and/or alfalfa hay supplementation in beef heifers, sheep, pregnant dairy heifers, water buffaloes and Hereford cows; (2) use of cull onions:grass straw silages...
To assess the context dependence of kin discriminating
behavior, I examined kin-biased aggregation behavior in tadpoles
of R. cascadae in different ecological conditions. I manipulated food
distribution, predator presence, thermal heterogeneity, and
relatedness in a multifactorial mesocosm experiment. All four
factors interacted to influence tadpole dispersion. My results
suggest that...
Most operating power reactors use oxide fuel in the form of uranium oxide (UO2) which is robust against high temperatures but suffers from poor mechanical performance at high levels of burnup. Currently, the maximum average burnup in light water reactors in the US is 62.5 GWd/t, which is partially imposed...
This dissertation uses manipulative experiments to explore amphibian-Bd infection dynamics. Although there has been almost two decades research since the discovery of Bd, many questions still remain regarding what conditions mediate chytridiomycosis virulence. My research shows how certain host and pathogen factors can influence disease virulence. Identifying how host and...
Pseudomonas is a diverse, ubiquitous, and widely studied genus of bacteria. As Pseudomonas species occupy a wide range of niches in the ecosystem, they have made remarkable biological impacts. Better understanding of Pseudomonas biology, genetic diversity, and functional interactions with other organisms and the environment will provide valuable insights into...
The transcriptional promoter sequences for the Rhizobium meliloti
nitrogen fixation genes nifA and nifB were cloned to a β-galactosidase gene
fusion plasmid vector and transferred by homologous recombination to a
specialized transducing phage. The promoter fusions were then transduced
to a recombination deficient strain of Escherichia coli as single-copy
lysogens...
Many investigators have suggested that current photosynthate
supply can limit adventitious root formation on leafy cuttings.
Accordingly, studies were undertaken to determine the effects of
altering photosynthesis and carbohydrate levels on adventitious root
formation by leafy cuttings of a number of different species.
Pea cuttings rooted at high CO₂ (1800...
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and thimbleberry
(Rubus parviflorus) are clonal shrub species common to
reforestation sites in the Oregon Coast Range. These
species have economic importance, because they reduce
conifer seedling growth and survival. A population modeling
approach was used to facilitate study of the biology of
these species and to...
Factors that influenced the uptake, storage, and elimination of dietary quinoline by rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were studied to obtain an understanding of the mechanisms affecting the bioaccumulation of dietary contaminants in teleosts. Rainbow trout readily absorbed ¹⁴C-quinoline from pelleted food (1% ration at 138 ug quinoline/g food) and most...
In this research, we have captured, in pattern form, key elements of programming and design in four programming paradigms (imperative, object-oriented, functional and logical) as well as multiparadigm programming. These pattern sets have formed a foundation upon which we were able to build a deeper understanding of multiparadigm programming and...
I investigated the population dynamics of fireweed (Epilobium angustfolium), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) , and woodland groundsel (Senecio sylvaticus) to understand
their colonization, persistence, and extirpation in Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir forests. Factors affecting the species' frequency and abundance in forest communities were evaluated. Their population dynamics were modeled and field experiments...
A number of studies with ¹⁴C-labeled 2-chloro-2', 6'-diethyl-
N-(methoxymethyl) acetanilide
(alachlor) were conducted to obtain
information about the mechanisms
of uptake of this herbicide.
In other studies, technical
alachlor as well as the emulsifiable
concentrate formulation of the
chemical were used to investigate the
effect of several factors on the...
This study had three objectives: (1) to teat the hypothesis that multiple flushing of the terminal shoot (intermittent growth pattern) in Douglas-fir seedlings (Pseudotsuca menziesii var. menziesii) has an adaptive significance, especially in inland populations from the drier regions in southwest Oregon; (2) to evaluate the genetic and adaptive consequences...
The effects of post-harvest burning of red fescue on production of shoots, roots and inflorescences as well as seed yield were determined at the clonal and community level by comparing fescue plants in a burned area with those in unburned plots within the same field. Studies were also conducted to...
Glutathione (GSH) is the predominant low molecular weight thiol antioxidant
in liver tissue. GSH plays an important role in maintaining the intracellular thiol redox
ratio as well as detoxification of electrophiles and xenobiotics. Aging leads to a significant decline (35%; P ≤ 0.05) in hepatocellular GSH levels. Using young (2-4...