Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta) are widely considered to be among the most ancient groups of land plants (embryophytes) and they are the second most speciose embryophyte phylum with ~13,000 extant species. Despite their diversity and antiquity, mosses have a limited fossil record, which primarily consists of gametophytes entombed in Cenozoic amber....
Gene regulation is a complex mechanism that controls the spatial and temporal expression of genes in a living cell. My dissertation studies focus on two problems. First, tissue-specific gene expression prediction from DNA sequence and chromatin state, and second, the accurate discovery of small over-represented regulatory circuits in gene regulatory...
Chemistry of preparing dense film from solution deposition is explored with several cases in this thesis. Surface dense structure, conversion at melting point, and ion exchange in aqueous solution are the main topics covered here for the thin films of aluminum oxide phosphate and tin dioxide. Thin film density, optical...
Research relying on remotely sensed data on land use and deforestation has exploded in recent years. While satellite-based measures have clear advantages in terms of coverage, the presence of measurement error within these products is often overlooked. Here, we detail the econometric implications of these errors when analyzing the determinants...
How do fishing guides of the Cascade and Coast Range rivers negotiate the conflicting tensions between their client’s desire to experience the wild and the extractive nature based tourism of their role as fishing guides? How do they position their services relative to the environment and an imagined landscape that...
Few remote health monitoring (RHM) studies have included Mexican-origin Latinos, and even fewer have explored RHM acceptance and utility, reasons for RHM uptake success or failure, or how cultural values influence RHM use among this population. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the remote health monitoring (RHM)...
Wine is particularly vulnerable to infection by Brettanomyces bruxellensis during or shortly after malolactic fermentation (MLF). While different methods and techniques enable winemakers to prevent wine spoilage due to this organism, no single intervention is universally sufficient. Moreover application of sulfur dioxide, the most commonly used of these methods, is...
Characterization of the determinants of economically important phenotypes
showing complex inheritance should lead to more effective use of genetic
resources. This study was conducted to determine the number, genome location and
effects of QTLs determining malting quality and agronomic traits in the two North
American barley quality standards. Using a...
Woody biomass transportation costs and market values/costs are strongly correlated with the woody biomass moisture content. Properly managing moisture content can potentially lead to economic and environmental advantages in biomass energy markets. Good management requires accurate moisture content measurements. Therefore, availability of accurate, precise, reliable, and efficient tools to assess...
For the last 30 years, the population of Mexico has grappled with overweight, obesity, and associated chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes and hypertension. To standardize care among healthcare providers and dietitians, an official nutritional guideline was published in the early 2000s, which included a non-modifiable food-based dietary guideline in...