Ian Angell, in the New Barbarian Manifesto, said “A ‘brave new world’ is being forced upon unsuspecting societies by advances in information technology.” It would seem then, that technological advances happen automatically and have a life of their own. There is a logic to technological advancements that is outside human...
The atomic age was enacted by many scientists as a way to realize health and human rights. Human rights were conceived in this context as rights to economic development, science education, and nuclear medicine. The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) acted hand in hand with UN agencies and educators...
This paper explores the connection between the agricultural use of neonicotinoid pesticides and the decline of wild bumblebee populations across the United States.
Evapotranspiration (ET) is the process by which water is transferred from land to the atmosphere. ET is the second most important component of a hydrologic budget and remains difficult to estimate. The primary objective of this project was to determine the limitations of estimating ET from water table elevation fluctuations...
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a Knowledge-belief-practice system acquired through intergenerational direct and indirect observations representing past and current understandings of environments and integrates Indigenous value systems. TEK has become a popular topic recently as Indigenous stewarded lands contain more biodiversity and are more adaptable. It is critical for Indigenous...
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Lara Jacobs, Committee Member, representing Michigan State University Office of the
Provost
Ovulation requires preovulatory surges of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from preoptic hypothalamic neurons, initiated by elevated ovarian estradiol (E₂). Rising estradiol activates a subset of sexually dimorphic kisspeptin (Kiss-1) neurons in the female, located in the anteroventral periventricular nuclei (AVPV). Conversely, estradiol negative feedback on GnRH secretion is mediated by a...
Microfluidic devices have enabled lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems that allow for complex sample analysis and preparation in a compact form factor. One technology that may benefit from a microfluidic approach and further miniaturization is flow cytometry. Flow cytometry is an analysis technique for enumerating and characterizing populations of cells; this is...
Meditation research in recent decades has disproportionately focused on the Buddhist derived practice of “mindfulness” meditation while leaving most other Buddhist meditation practices unstudied. The current study seeks to remedy this homogeneity through the adaptation of a novel meditation practice used in Tibetan Buddhism to affect motivation. We explored traditional...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging chemical class of concern. Recently in the United States, Health Advisory Limits for two PFAS in drinking water were established for perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in drinking water (set to 70 ng/L combine concentration) by the EPA. Because of PFAS mobility, persistence,...
To determine the impact of emerging environmental contaminants on human and environmental health, quantitative analytical methods are required. Analysis of emerging contaminants is hampered by their widely varying physical-chemical properties. Therefore quantitative analytical methods must be developed to determine the behavior of emerging contaminants in environmental systems.
A quantitative analytical...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic surfactants that have recently been identified as persistent organic pollutants. These so called “Forever Chemicals” have been detected in drinking waters, ground waters, soils, and consumer and industrial products globally; with environmental impacts stretching into the artic, far from known PFAS sources. The...
Douglas-fir (Psudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings were outplanted on eight dates (every three weeks from mid-August 2005 through mid-January 2006). On each plant date, seedlings from a conventional dormancy (CONV) induction treatment, including moisture and nutrient stress, and a shortened daylength (SD) treatment were outplanted on three western Oregon sites...
The War Production Board issued limitation order 85 in April 1942 in order to conserve fabric and manpower needed for the war effort. The L-85 order froze the silhouette so no major style changes in women's wear would occur during the war. It is clear that on the one hand...
Riparian ecosystems, through their unique positions in the agricultural landscape, have the potential to mitigate nutrient loading to streams. This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of N cycling in a poorly drained Grass Riparian Zone (GRZ) and adjacent Perennial Ryegrass seed Field (PRF) in the Willamette Valley,...
Human development researchers consider adolescence a rich time for interest development and identity exploration. A relatively new movement in the Free-Choice Learning (FCL) arena, the Maker movement, offers learners interest-driven, experiential, often collaborative, and process-oriented activities ranging from game design (computer-based and otherwise) and robotics, to sewing LEDs into clothing...
The ability to establish and maintain balance is claimed to be an important prerequisite of movement tasks. However, despite this general belief, there is limited empirical evidence to support the contribution of balance in motor skill performance. Furthermore, psychometric properties of using a computerized force platform to assess balance ability...
A fundamental problem in computer vision is to partition an image into meaningful segments. While image segmentation is required by many applications, the thesis focuses on segmentation of computed tomography (CT) images for analysis and quality control of composite materials. The key research contribution of this thesis is a novel...
Rising energy costs coupled with the diminishing incomes associated with rural economic restructuring leave an increasing proportion of rural households faced with the heat or eat dilemma--where families must choose between meeting one basic need over another, such as putting food on the table or keeping the heat on. Effective...
Chronic hepatitis B disproportionately affects Asian Americans. Although Asians make up only 4.2% of the total United States (U.S.) population, they account for more than half of those infected with hepatitis B. If left untreated, chronic hepatitis B could lead to cirrhosis, liver damage, and liver cancer. Studies show that...
Large burrowing owl (Aihene cunicularia) populations exist in areas of intensive agriculture in California, and pesticide exposure has been identified as a potential threat to population persistence. I evaluated breeding season use of agricultural fields by adult male owls using radio telemetry, and examined egg contaminant residues to estimate population-level...
OmniGen-AF® (OG; Prince Agri Products, Inc., Quincy, IL) is a feed additive containing brewers dehydrated yeast and B-vitamins that supports immune function in ruminant livestock. Targeted profiling of immune-associated genes in whole blood is an effective platform for identification of a) novel molecular pathways and b) immune response markers to...
Use of the Internet for health information has been gaining popularity, and some studies suggest an increase in the use of online interactive peer-to-peer forums for seeking health information. Internet health information-seeking is especially popular among those with stigmatized conditions such as obesity, and negative healthcare experiences have been linked...
Childhood obesity and food insecurity are public health issues that often coexist, and both conditions are more prevalent among rural compared to non-rural populations. Social ecological prevention efforts are recommended, yet limited research has examined how rural family-home environments may influence obesity-preventing and -promoting behaviors. The purpose of this dissertation...
By means of a case study and historical analysis, this dissertation examines the past and present of avian influenza. By integrating disconnected histories of human and animal influenza, this dissertation links historical insights with the concerns of contemporary avian flu science. It is not only a natural history of avian...
It is current practice to transport juvenile anadromous salmonids in transplantation and to help them bypass dams. Essentially nothing is known about the effects that transportation could have on the ability of the fish to outmigrate and be fit for survival in the marine environment. Procedures involved in transporation subject...
Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an insect of global concern that causes serious damage to soft-skinned fruits. D. suzukii is widespread in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia and is listed as an invasive pest with strict quarantine protocols governing import and export. Given the damage caused by D....
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of anthropogenic compounds gaining notoriety as contaminants of emerging concern. With the frequent detection of PFAS in the environment, drinking water, and consumer products, awareness and concern from the public regarding PFAS is increasing. The two most notorious PFAS are perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)...
The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc. (CUAHSI) began the Hydrologic Measurement Facility (HMF) program in June 2005 to advance hydrologic measurement capability within the research community. To provide guidance for this effort, a recent survey assessed the level of need among the hydrological sciences community...
In order to assist WAC/WID practitioners and science writing faculty in incorporating translingual perspectives in disciplinary writing instruction, this study extends translingualism to language practice in the sciences by conducting a corpus study of Al-Awamia, a Moroccan agronomic journal. Mapping rhetorically significant changes across abstracts authored in English, French, and...
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are able to trigger the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone which control the maturation of oocytes and ovulation which is vital for reproduction. They are the most downstream neurons that project to the median eminence into the pituitary portal where they release GnRH. Modulation...
Estrogen (E2) is essential for multiple physiological effects in females, ensuring maximum reproductive fitness and maintaining skeletal homeostasis. E2 has been shown to stimulate cancellous bone formation via activation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), an effect widely accepted to be mediated directly at bone. A recent landmark study by Herber...
Common root rot is a major disease of commercially grown snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the irrigated sandy soils of central Wisconsin. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between soil properties and suppressiveness to common root rot of snap bean (causal agent Aphanomyces euteiches) in...
When we think of voices in the library, we have tended to think of them as disruptive, something to control and manage for the sake of the total library environment. The stereotype of the shushing librarian pervades public perception, creating expectations about the kinds of spaces libraries want to create....
Pediatricians and other physicians in the United States identify themselves with various religious or spiritual affiliations and use its practices and customary ways to influence their medical practice. Pediatricians and physicians affiliated in the pediatric medical field have an important role in monitoring the health of many children, teenagers, and...
Inclusive design is important in today's software industry, but there is little research about how to teach it. In collaboration with 9 teacher-researchers across 8 U.S. universities and more than 400 computer and information science students, we embarked upon an Action Research investigation to gather insights into the pedagogical content...
Fire-prone landscapes are not well studied as coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) and present many challenges
for understanding and promoting adaptive behaviors and institutions. Here, we explore how heterogeneity, feedbacks, and external
drivers in this type of natural hazard system can lead to complexity and can limit the development...
Lake water quality is affected by local and regional drivers, including lake physical characteristics, hydrology, landscape position, land cover, land use, geology, and climate. Here, we demonstrate the utility of hypothesis testing within the landscape limnology framework using a random forest algorithm on a national-scale, spatially explicit data set, the...
Controlling competing vegetation with the application of herbicides and increased seedling size at planting has been shown to increase seedling survival and growth. These two important reforestation tools have often been studied independently of each other, limiting comparisons that can be made between them. This study utilized a factorial treatment...
Urban agriculture (UA) is defined as the production of food crops or livestock within urban areas. Despite its popularity in the United States, research into UA systems suffers from a general underrepresentation of commercial urban systems. As a result, urban growers often have unique technological needs that are unmet by...
The population of dusky Canada geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis; hereafter, dusky geese) nesting on the western Copper River Delta (CRD) in south- central Alaska has been in decline since the late 1970s. In an effort to alleviate mammalian predation, increase nest success, and avoid a listing under the U.S. Endangered...
Honey bees are important pollinators for many agricultural systems throughout the world. However, recent honey bee declines have caused great alarm, drawing attention to the vulnerability of worldwide agriculture to pollinator loss. These declines are often attributed to a combination of pests, pathogens, viruses, chemicals, and a lack of proper...
Chronic disease is costly to treat and burdensome for those living with its impacts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017), 117 million Americans currently live with chronic disease, and one in four adults live with two or more chronic diseases. The burden placed on the U.S....
Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae (Xhc) is an epiphytic, plant pathogenic bacterium that causes the disease bacterial blight of carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus). Infection with Xhc can result in blighting of leaves and umbels and reduce quality and yield of carrot seed crops. Carrot production in the United States approaches...
Wetland restoration mitigates effects of agricultural development on water quality, flooding, and habitat loss. Multi-objective optimization for wetland locations and sizes has not included objective functions for water quality, hydrology, and habitat in unison, limiting analysis of trade-offs among these ecosystem services. This study establishes two methods to improve the...
The scientific way of knowing, which results in tremendous advancements in our society, heavily depends on the use of mathematics. Given that math touches nearly every aspect of peoples’ lives in different ways, it is critical that today’s students and tomorrow’s citizens have a solid understanding of math. Unfortunately, a...
Thesis summarizes interviews with growers residing within the Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) in the Southern Willamette Valley of Oregon. Informal and semi-structured interviews were used to identify perceived impediments and incentives perceived by local farmers in following best management practices related to water quality. Results from the interviews were coded...
Grief--the reaction to a significant loss--is a near-universal human experience, from which a subset of grievers (10%-15%) have difficulty recovering, placing them at high risk for negative health and mental health outcomes (Marks, Jun, & Song, 2007). For those showing substantial distress, counseling has been shown to be an effective...
This phenomenological study explores what it means to teach part-time in community colleges in the United States. The increasing use of part-time faculty in community colleges and the concomitant emergence of a two-tiered faculty are discussed.
The study examines the nature of part-time work in the United States, thus providing...
Nisin, an antibacterial peptide proven to be an effective inhibitor of Gram-positive bacteria, was incorporated into novel block copolymer constructs and tested for retained antibacterial activity. Covalent coupling was achieved by chemical modification of the N-terminal isoleucine to introduce a thiol group. Thiolated nisin derivatives were then linked to poly[ethylene...
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is a widely distributed, ecologically important, and commercially valuable tree species in North America. However, climate change is expected to adversely impact Douglas-fir trees, and assisted migration may become necessary to lessen the effects of climate change. Because drought stress is one of the projected effects of...
The predatory mite Typhlodromus pyri (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is the predominant species in cool climate Pacific Northwest vineyards and a principal predator of pest mites including the grapevine rust mite Calepitrimerus vitis (Acari: Eriophyidae). In recent years vineyards have been experiencing C. vitis population outbreaks leading to increased economic damage from...
California and Steller sea lions (Zalophus californianus, Eumetopias jubatus, respectively) are considered sentinel species because they have long life spans, are long-term coastal residents, feed at high trophic levels, and have large blubber stores that serve as depots for anthropogenic toxicants. There are few studies on sea lion health and...
How can software practitioners assess whether their software supports diverse users? Although there are empirical processes that can be used to find “inclusivity bugs” piecemeal, what is often needed is a systematic inspection method to assess software’s support for diverse populations. To help fill this gap, this thesis introduces InclusiveMag,...
The Southern Ocean plays an important role in the ocean’s uptake of heat and carbon yet the processes controlling this uptake are not well understood. To date, more than 100 biogeochemical profiling floats that measure water column pH, oxygen, nitrate, fluorescence, and backscattering at 10-day intervals have been deployed throughout...
In recent decades, there has been increased attention on human exposure to, and subsequently toxicity of, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are widespread organic pollutants and some have been shown to be toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic. This research was focused on understanding the link between global PAH emissions and lung...
The creation of autonomous decision makers to handle potentially hazardous or logistically complicated tasks is desirable for the purpose of reducing human labor and exposure to risk, and for increasing the general performance of autonomous systems in a wide variety of environments. However, traditional autonomous decision makers perform poorly when...
The adduction of proteins and other biomolecules by electrophilic lipid peroxidation products such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), 4-oxo-2-nonenal (ONE), malondialdehyde (MDA) or acrolein (ACR) is thought to be an initiating and/or propagating factor in the pathophysiology of several diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other age-related disorders. The identification...
Obesity and food insecurity rates are higher among rural compared to non-rural populations. Little is known, however, about how family-home environments influence childhood obesity-related behaviors, particularly in rural settings. This study examined associations between the family-home nutrition (FN) environment, food insecurity, and dietary intake (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, protein...
Fifty-seven species of wildlife rely on or frequently use snags for breeding, roosting, or denning in Oregon and Washington. Several publications offer information on use of snags by wildlife, influence of management activities on snags and snag users, and approaches to managing snags to benefit wildlife. Because of the diverse...
Disturbance regimes differ in type, magnitude, and frequency, but few field experiments have considered compounded effects of disturbance. In this study, we characterized gap recovery after complete removal of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA. In separate experiments, we imposed two disturbance types – shoot damage and shoot...
Against the backdrop of growing concern about dead zones, rare and endangered sea mammals, depletion of Oregon’s once‐abundant fish stocks, acidification threatening coastal molluscs, and proposals for marine reserves along Oregon’s coastline, a multidisciplinary group of scientists was called together in 2008 to discuss what is known about Oregon’s coastal...
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), transmitted by tsetse flies, has historically infected hundreds of thousands of individuals annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the last decade, concerted control efforts have reduced reported cases to below 10,000 annually, bringing complete elimination within reach. A potential technology to eliminate HAT involves rendering the flies...
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Jennifer A. Gilbert1,2*, Jan Medlock3, Jeffrey P. Townsend4,5,6, Serap Aksoy2,
Martial Ndeffo Mbah1,2
Climate change is a global phenomenon, but natural selection occurs within landscapes. A central tenet of landscape ecology is that mobile species depend on complementary habitats, which are insufficient in isolation, but combine to support animals through the full annual cycle. For coldwater fishes, it is widely assumed that maximum...
Graphium sp., a eukaryotic alkanotroph, is able to oxidize small-molecular weight gaseous n-alkanes, diethyl ether and the branched ether, methyl tert butyl ether
(MTBE). However, information regarding the biochemistry of fungal-mediated alkane and ether metabolism is limited, and questions regarding the identity of alkane oxidation catalysts and the genetic underpinnings...
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)...
The climate of the Pacific Northwest is in flux, and existing forest ecosystems are stressed and poised to shift in fundamental ways, with or without human intervention. This dissertation probes the nature of forest responses to environmental change through investigations of morphology and genetics of three species of alder co-occurring...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of anthropogenic chemicals characterized by highly stable carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds. PFAS are widely used in industrial and consumer products for their surface-active and stain-resistant properties and are ubiquitously detected in environmental media, biota, and human biomatrices. Although some PFAS are known...
Model–data comparisons of plant physiological processes provide an understanding of mechanisms underlying vegetation responses to climate. We simulated the physiology of a pi~non pine–juniper woodland (Pinus edulis–Juniperus monosperma) that experienced mortality during a 5 yr precipitation-reduction experiment, allowing a framework with which to examine our knowledge of drought-induced tree mortality....
During the summer of 1981, Oregon State University archaeologically tested three prehistoric sites on the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge. Among the sites tested were typical Willamette Valley floodplain and adjacent upland sites. Most settlement-subsistence pattern models proposed for the Willamette Valley have been generated with data from the...
This thesis explores the relationship between crime, transportation network connectivity, and engineered facilities built to increase walkability through a case study of twenty-five sites within the city of Spokane, Washington. Using data spanning between 2008 and 2010, the author developed a GIS model representing conditions of the built environment, social...
Archival information about fish and water in the Umpqua Basin can be found in reports housed in disparate locations (e.g., offices of various State and Federal agencies and local organizations). A comprehensive bibliography of grey literature, important or uncataloged reports, and published reports is one means of recording what research...
This thesis documents a period of ecological and cultural change on a Willamette Valley, Oregon landscape. In particular, this study examines the Peavy Arboretum area and the cultural changes that accompanied the transformation of the landscape from an oak savannah in the mid-nineteenth century to a dense Douglas-fir forest in...
Aquatic ecological investigation is expanding to encompass considerations of
multiple scales across large landscapes. Much of the analysis included in this work
focuses specifically on coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in multiple subbasins on
the Oregon coast. Coho salmon were chosen for an investigation of spatial scales,
network connections, and life...
A mid-20th century prisoners' rights revolution gave American prisoners unprecedented access to courts for exercising newly elaborated constitutional rights. The result was a tide of litigation brought by inmates and subsequent remedial court orders requiring corrections officials to improve conditions of confinement. It was in this context of aggressive judicial...
M. avium is an opportunistic pathogen that primarily infects macrophages. In order to survive within the macrophage, M. avium secretes proteins into the host cell cytoplasm to inhibit specific functions such as phagosome acidification, altering pathways as well as initiating apoptosis. However, little is known about how those secreted proteins...
Effective surface coatings for tissue-contacting medical devices should prevent both biofilm formation and infection. One method to achieve this aim is protein repellant polyethylene oxide (PEO) brush coatings loaded with antimicrobials. Previous research has demonstrated that the antimicrobial nisin adsorbs to PEO brush layers in multi-layer amounts and suggests that...
Oregon's estuaries are important ecosystems for scientific study. Consequently, knowledge of what research has been conducted helps us identify benchmarks and plan new projects. A comprehensive bibliography of published research, technical reports, local documents, and data sets is one means of recording this knowledge. For these reasons, the Guin Library...
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a 12-week nutrition and physical activity (PA) intervention program for middle-aged, pre-menopausal women at risk for Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) would reduce their risk factors. Ten overweight women (mean ± SD: age = 47 ± 3y; Body Mass Index = 31.0 ±...
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an emerging biological monitoring tool that can aid in assessing the effects of forestry and forest manufacturing activities on biota. Monitoring taxa across broad spatial and temporal scales is necessary to ensure forest management and forest manufacturing activities meet their environmental goals of maintaining biodiversity. Our...
The number of international inbound tourists to the United States has risen steadily. To serve these and other tourists best, traffic signs need to communicate information correctly across a potential language barrier. Of particular interest is the traffic sign intended to communicate directions to Tourist Information centers. While the general...
This dissertation consists of a set of three manuscripts exploring features of effective professional development (PD) for science teacher educators. Literature about context-specific PD for science teacher educators is sparse. The first manuscript, a literature review, outlines theoretical lenses through which PD can be understood, the features of effective PD,...
The importance of seagrasses (families Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae) to estuarine communities is widely accepted and this, combined with their continued decline throughout the world, have resulted in a need to better understand the factors affecting their growth and reproduction. Conservation and restoration of seagrasses will require an understanding...
This dissertation aims to provide a comprehensive portrayal of doula care in the lives of pregnant and parenting adolescent mothers. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between psychosocial stress, social support, institutionalized constraints, and their impacts on health and well-being among adolescent mothers in the Northwestern...
A plethora of land use policies are implemented at the local, state, and federal levels to influence the manner in which land is utilized. The distribution of the costs and benefits associated with implementing such land use policies always has been, and will continue to be, a source of contention....
Understanding the impact of humans on the environment has long been a topic of scholarly interest and debate. As environmental problems mount, accounts of historic ecological conditions and the factors of change become increasingly useful. This study considers competing schools of interpretation about human impacts on ecological landscapes and develops...
This study explores how multispecies social networks influence small farmers' perceptions of and responses to climate change across Oregon. Local food sovereignty and food system resilience depend on a robust local food system in which small farms play a critical role. To maintain their viability, small farmers must adapt to...
The Lakes Basin Bibliography consists of over 600 references relating to the natural resources of Oregon’s Lakes Basin. Forty percent of the items listed are available to anyone online though not all links are persistent. The remaining sixty percent are held in at least one library either in print or...
Most studies suggest that LGBTQ+ young adults make up between 20 and 40 percent of the houseless young adult population (Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, and Karnik 2011; Nolan 2006). However, LGBTQ+ young adults compose only 1.3–3.8% of the general young adult population (Rosario, Schrimshaw, and Hunter 2012). Thus LGBTQ+ young adults...