This thesis presents my research on the hardware and software for
control of a novel robot based on the Stewart Platform. The robot has
six actuators which must be adjusted to arrive at the desired position
of the platform. This position must be specified by six position
parameters; namely the...
Water temperature in rivers and streams is an important factor for aquatic ecosystem health. Measurement of stream temperature has traditionally been accomplished by point temperature measurements, continuous point temperature loggers, and more recently, airborne remote sensing techniques such as Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) or Thermal Infrared Radiometry. While each of...
Previous studies of bird communities in the mid-Willamette Valley, Oregon, indicated that Oregon white oak (Ouercus garryana) stands supported more cavity-using bird
species than sympatric stands of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Mature Oregon oak stands are being harvested and few are regenerating. I compared cavity availability for hole-using fauna among 10...
Triticale, a newly man-made cereal from a wheat-rye cross offers a
unique food and feed potential because of its higher protein content
with nutritionally balanced amino acid composition as compared to other
cereal grains. However, some cereal proteins such as trypsin inhibitors,
present in triticale and rye, can affect the...
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...
Snags provide critical habitat for nearly one-third of wildlife species in forests of the Pacific Northwest, so historic declines in snags are thought to have had a strong impact on biodiversity. Resource managers often create snags to mitigate the scarcity of snags within managed forests, but information regarding the function...
Thirty-three genotypes of red fescue were selected on the
basis of diverse origin, anthesis date, and type of spreading from a
space-planted introduction nursery.
Open-pollinated, single-cross, and top-cross progeny
nurseries were established into a randomized block with four replications,
20, 9, 8 entries, respectively, with nine plants per entry
on...
Paleozoic limestones, dolomites, quartz arenites, and other
clastic rocks were mapped in the vicinity of Dobbin Summit and
Clear Creek in the central Monitor Range. Sedimentary rock units
present in this area represent the shallow-shelf eastern assemblage
and basin and also the basin-slope facies of the traditional limestoneclastic
assemblage.
The...
Soil erosion by mass wasting is the major problem on forest
lands of the Pacific Northwest, The clay fractions of soils from a
large number of sites in Oregon's Western Cascades were characterized
in order to determine the relationships of various clay materials to
mass movements. Each site was either...
The study involved three separate research efforts
in which 10 Holstein calves and 85 purebred Hampshire and
Suffolk ewe and ram lambs were employed. The objectives of
the experiments were to characterize appetite, describe its
inheritance and evaluate its associations with animal
performance.
In the calf experiment, appetite was determined...
The effects of different fallow moisture levels and tillage
systems on the amount of nitrate-nitrogen accumulation in the 0-30 cm
soil profile were studied.
Fallow moisture treatments simulating typical dry, normal and
wet precipitation cycles were established on trial plots.
Data were obtained for nitrate-nitrogen, soil moisture and
nitrogen mineralization...
Copper and zinc are heavy metals commonly present in highway stormwater runoff. Discharge of these metals to surface waters inhabited by sensitive aquatic species including threatened and endangered salmonids has necessitated the need for improved treatment techniques. Although copper is of the greater toxicological concern, zinc is often present at...
Lime was applied at different rates to filbert trees grown in
containers in an acid soil. As lime application rate increased, the
leaf Mn and extractable soil Mn were significantly reduced. In
control trees leaf Mn was over 1300 ppm, but no growth reduction or
Mn toxicity symptoms were found....
In the past decade considerable research in several disciplines has
been oriented toward the design of optimal capacity expansion plans for
water resource systems. The emphasis of most of these efforts has been
directed toward minimization total cost outlays in project planning.
This focus somewhat limits the full applicability of...
The behavior and stream habitat utilization of juvenile hatchery-reared coho salmon (Ovicozihynchus kisutch) and wild cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki) were examined to assess the nature of interactions between the species potentially resulting from introductions of hatchery coho salmon in streams. Habitat utilization was monitored in Mill Creek, Polk Co., Oregon...
Studies of avian movement ecology afford essential insights regarding species' life histories, population dynamics, habitat and resource requirements, and other ecological relationships. While it is widely recognized that events in different stages of the annual cycle have important implications for processes in avian ecology, evolution, and conservation, challenges associated with...
I studied developmental rates in a suite of temperate and tropical passerine bird species from the New World to test the hypothesis that tropical passerines exhibit slower patterns of growth and development than temperate birds. I also investigated how the expression of several developmental rates varied with life history traits...
Investigations of the Pleistocene peopling of the New World require archaeologists to establish an understanding of the paleoenvironmental conditions that would have affected early foraging peoples. Other studies have focused on the timing and route of migration and the peopling of the Americas. This project contributes to the body of...
The purposes of this study were:1) to review the land use history of Oak Creek watershed since European settlement. And 2) to consider the human-caused impacts and their effects associated with different land uses. The study area was classified into three land use patterns: residential,agricultural, and forested areas.Since the European...
The effectiveness of early generation selection for yield and
yield stability and the possible identification of superior parental
combinations were studied in winter wheat populations representing
different levels of genetic diversity. Experimental material for
evaluating yield stability consisted of nine bulk and seven modified
bulk populations derived from nine parental...
Climate exerts considerable control on wildfire regimes, and climate and wildfire are both major drivers of forest growth and succession in interior Northwest forests. Estimating potential response of these landscapes to anticipated changes in climate helps researchers and land managers understand and mitigate impacts of climate change on important ecological...
Thermo-hygro-rheology of wood-adhesive systems plays an important role during the hot pressing process of wood based composites. The principal objective of this research is to quantitatively study the thermo-hygro rheological characteristics of wood-adhesive systems used in such composites. This is with a view to providing material characteristics which may be...
Two case studies of 5 ecosystems were used to examine the nitrogen fixation rate of red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), varnishleaf (Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus (Hook.) T. & G.), deerbrush (C. i ntegerrimus H. & A.), and snowbrush (C. velutinus var. velutinus Dougl. Ex Hook). The first case study assayed...
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of
moisture stress on physiological changes that occur during the vegetative
and reproductive stages of the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
plant, and to relate these effects to seed yield, quality and performance.
In a field experiment, different levels of moisture stress were...
In recent years, unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) have become increasingly affordable and straightforward to incorporate in monitoring applications of forested ecosystems. This shift has facilitated interest in using these tools to monitor aspects of forest ecosystems including vegetation health, forest structure and composition, and potential habitat provided by these systems....
Classic biological control can be a powerful option for those tasked with managing biological invasions; however, some biocontrol releases lead to non-target attack – feeding, damage or development on species other than the target species. The cinnabar moth, Tyria jacobaeae L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) was introduced to Western Oregon as a...
Though numerous drought metrics have been developed by the research community, adoption of these metrics by water managers has been limited. The reasons for this vary, but some include mismatches in time scales and spatial scales between the metric supplied and the operational decisions (e.g. water managers often work within...
Native America tribes and community members throughout Oregon have asserted a strong opposition to the fossil fuel industry’s attempt to expand railways, build pipelines, and construct refineries, holding facilities, and export terminals. Despite the limited presence of fossil fuel infrastructure in the state, however, the industry is actively pursuing permits...
1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen at low (< 1ppb) concentrations, has emerged as a groundwater contaminant due to its historical use as a stabilizer for the chlorinated solvent 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Aerobic cometabolism, the use of a primary substrate to induce the production of microbial enzymes that fortuitously degrade other compounds, is...
Carbon tetrachloride (CT) and chloroform (CF) were transformed in batch reactor experiments conducted with anaerobic dechlorinating cultures and supernatant (ADC+S) harvested from continuous flow reactors. The Evanite (EV-5L) and Victoria/Stanford (VS-5L) cultures capable of respiring trichloroethene (TCE), 1,2-cis-dichloroethene (cDCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) to ethene (ETH) were grown in continuous...
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Paraguay and used traditionally by the native Guarani peoples for centuries to sweeten medicinal teas. Stevia has only been commercially cultivated over the past 50 years and cultural practice information suitable for implementation by growers is limited. Currently stevia’s commercial...
Low concentrations of dissolved copper have proven to be harmful to a number of aquatic organisms, with recent research highlighting detrimental effects to endangered salmonid species. Stormwater runoff can represent a significant source of copper to surface waters, necessitating cost-effective alternatives to current stormwater best management practices (BMPs). This study...
Much research has been conducted to determine the difference between running barefoot verse the traditional heel strike running style. Each style of running requires parts of the foot to strike the ground differently. Shoe companies have addressed these differences by designing different styles of shoes for each running style. This...
Five breeds of sheep (Columbia, Targhee, Rambouillet, Lincoln,
and Suffolk) were found to possess two hemoglobin types (Hb. A
and Hb. B) when their hemoglobins were examined by disc gel electrophoresis.
The hemoglobin alleles proved to be co-dominant.
Three of the breeds (Columbia, Targhee, and Rambouillet)
were maintained at altitudes...
Elodea densa Planch. was exposed to diquat (6, 7 dihydrodipyrido [1,2-a: 2', 1'-c] pyrazinediium dibromide), alone and in combination
with disodium endothall (disodium salt of 7-oxabicyclo [2.2.1]
heptane-2, 3-dicarboxyclic acid), and copper sulfate pentahydrate.
Studies were conducted in coastal lakes of Oregon infested with E.
densa. Dichlobenil (2, 6 dichlorobenzonitrile)...
A two-part study was conducted to investigate some of the nutritional
relationships between dietary tri-o-cresylphosphate (TOCP), a
toxic stress material, and dietary vitamin E and selenium. In part
one, growth rate of male weanling Long-Evans rats and day-old
Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) was used to determine the
protective action...
A study was undertaken in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, to document
1971 land use patterns as well as land use change in a smaller study
area in the 16 years prior, and to relate these to soil characteristics.
Quantification of these inter-relationships was aided by use of computer
tabulation and...
Oregon College of Education (OCE) is a small, liberal arts college with a special emphasis on the preparation of teachers. Its student population is predominantly from Oregon's Willamette Valley area. OCE developed specific objectives for its teacher education program and the purpose of this study was to determine whether the...
Two management systems were evaluated in terms of the effects on
calf growth, on calf weight produced per cow per year, and on reproductive
performance of fall calving cows. The alternative management
systems tested were twin foster calf production and, delayed weaning,
production of single suckled calves weaned at the...
Part 1
The concentration of seventeen elements in two species of fungus
which cause wheat bunt disease, Tilletia caries (DC.)Tul. (TS) and
Tilletia controversa Kiihn (DS), were determined by instrumental neutron
activation analysis in 37 TS spore samples, and 31 DS spore samples.
Aluminum was chosen as a soil contamination...
A study was conducted to determine the effects or
temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, and saturated flow
on fecal coliform numbers in sewage sludge-amended soils.
To determine this, four 4.6 X 13.7 m field plots were each
amended in summer and in winter with 800 liters of
anaerobically-digested sewage sludge, and...
Biorhythm theory proponents believe that humans have
a 23-day physical cycle, a 28-day emotional cycle, and a
33-day intellectual cycle. According to biorhythm theories
a person in the positive portion of any single cycle, the performance potential is enhanced for those tasks related to
that particular rhythm. When each cycle...
Germinating seeds often encounter stress conditions
of temperature, moisture and oxygen in the field.
Germination tests conducted under these stress conditions
in the laboratory might be methods of differentiating high
and low vigor seeds.
The objectives of this study were to (1) determine
if these stress conditions reduce germination performance...
Current best management practices (BMPs) for stormwater treatment are not able to adequately remove heavy metals to levels which do not adversely affect aquatic life. Copper is commonly found in highway stormwater runoff, with the primary source being brake pad wear. Copper is of particular concern due to inhibitory effects...
Knowledge of a compound's degradation pathway is crucial to the assessment of risk at contaminated sites. Pentachlorophenol and its metabolic products can serve as model compounds to study the fate and transport of halogenated aromatic compounds in the environment. Acclimation of anaerobic sewage sludge to pentachlorophenol produced a microbial consortium...
Lack of stability of soil aggregates for water
movement is a major problem in arid soils due to low
organic matter and higher sodium contents. Soil
amendments for improving stability of structure and
increasing infiltration of water are essential to solve
water management problems in these areas.
Different rates of...
When Biosand filters cannot be constructed with crushed quarry rock due to resource limitations, a suitable alternative filter media is needed. In this research, two crushed quarry rock alternatives were examined. Three bench-scale Biosand filters with crushed rock, beach sand, and heat-treated beach sand media were simultaneously dosed with Willamette...
When sulfur dioxide is used in commercial drying of fruits in
combination with low storage temperatures, browning and microbial spoilage
can be inhibited. However, the relationship between moisture level,
storage temperature, and sulfur dioxide content on the color of dried
fruit is not known; therefore the purpose of this research...
Forest management is typically associated with a high degree of uncertainty, since it relies on predictions of natural growth processes over long periods of time. A number of methods exist for mitigating the risk associated with this uncertainty, but few have the ability to explicitly minimize risk. This study will...
Brooks Island, located in central San Francisco Bay, California, currently supports the largest breeding colony of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia) in the Bay Area, and is one of several proposed relocation sites for some Caspian terns from the world's largest colony in the Columbia River estuary of Oregon. Juvenile salmonids...
Tuberculoѕiѕ (TB) iѕ a number one killer among treatable infectious diseases. It is caused by the pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculoѕiѕ that primarily affects the lungѕ. It infects one third of the world population and kills approximately 2 million people each year (based on WHO report). Drug-reѕiѕtant TB haѕ become a...
The purpose of this research project was to provide a resource for
individuals doing historic restoration and preservation of buildings
built between 1850 and 1900 in Oregon. The research attempted to determine
the styles, patterns, and colors of wallpaper that were used, who
applied the wallpaper, the methods of application,...
Litter nutrient dynamics contribute significantly to biogeochemical cycling in
forest ecosystems. These dynamics may be influenced by site attributes, litter nutrient concentrations, and soil nutrient availability either independently or synergistically. Litter nutrient dynamics were examined in two decomposition studies in temperate coniferous forests of Oregon. I used ¹⁵N-labelled litter of...
This research focused on anaerobic transformation of trichloroethene (TCE), a
groundwater contaminant. The mixed anaerobic Evanite culture (EV) was studied to determine community behavior and composition responses to different electron donors and chloroethene electron acceptors. The potential toxicity from high concentrations of TCE and its daughter product cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) was...
Predictive Soil Mapping (PSM) has recently become an attractive method for soil scientists wishing to develop a more objective and efficient approach to mapping soils. Due to the potential PSM has for reducing the effort to produce soil maps, as well as its ability to improve the classification accuracy of...
Tree species directly and indirectly affect soil nutrient cycles. I sought to characterize soils and foliage associated with four common canopy tree species (Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and bigleaf maple) in mixed-species old-growth forests of the Oregon Coast Range and to determine whether and how soils differ among the...
This dissertation presents the findings of a literature review and information
regarding selection, implementation and development of a chemical composition
procedure for asphalt cements. The chemical composition analysis selected was
the Corbett-Swarbrick procedure standarized as ASTM D4124. The procedure is
a selective adsorption / desorption (solid / liquid) chromatography which...
The reproductive performance of four strains of broiler breeder
males (BBM) were compared when housed in individual cages from 22 to
56 weeks of age (WOA), and fed Asi libitum 7% crude protein (CP) diets
with 1985, 2424, 2868 kilocalories (kcal) metabolizable (M) energy (E) per
kg of feed and...
Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and/or selenium (Se) on the humoral immune response of weaned steers fed diets deficient in these minerals. Steers were bled weekly for eight weeks to measure plasma mineral levels. Humoral immune response was measured as antibody response...
Experiments were conducted to study the effect of pore size
distribution on the diffusion of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (carbon-
14) through water saturated porous media. Eight size fractions of
glass beads were used representing the porous media. It was found
that as the average particle radius, and hence pore radius,...
The metabolism of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson)
was investigated at several levels of urchin organization. Some experiments
were performed with tissues from recently collected
(acclimatized) urchins, Other experiments were performed with tissues
from urchins held at one of two temperatures (acclimated) for
30 days.
Body-component oxygen consumption was measured for bodywall,...
A group of trout that reside in streams of the desiccating lake
basins of southeastern Oregon differ markedly from other known
Salmo. Known commonly as the red-band trout, this fish was subjected
to chromosome analysis for comparison with other species of
western North American Salmo. The karyotype of the red-banded...
Five winter wheat cultivars and their diallel crosses were evaluated for plant height, harvest index, deading-maturity duration, the components of yield, (spikes per plant, spikelets per spike, kernel weight and kernels per spikelet)and total plant yield. Two diverse locations, Moro, a dryland site (250 mm annually) located in central Oregon...
Studies were conducted over a two year period to evaluate alternative
finishing methods for spring and fall-born beef cattle. Management
alternatives from birth to slaughter included season of calving, lactating
cow nutrition, preweaning calf nutrition, weaning age, calf and
yearling winter nutrition, range and irrigated pasture supplementation,
grazing practice, range...
Genetic differences, extent of hybrid vigor, nature of gene
action, heritability estimates, and associations among characteristics,
and between progenies and their respective mid-parents were determined
for seed and plant characteristics in white clover (Trifolium
repens L.).
Ten seed and seedling vigor characteristics, including seed
weight, ATP content in seed, seed...
The major purpose of this research was to characterize partially degraded proteins
appearing in the ocular lens during aging and cataract, and to identify the responsible
proteolytic activities. This research is significant, because increased protein
degradation is associated with lens opacification and cataract. Determining the sites
where lens proteins become...
Hydrologic processes within mineral flat wetlands, along with their
connections to groundwater and downstream surface water in lowland agricultural
catchments are poorly understood, particularly under different land uses. In the three
field studies included in this thesis, we examined infiltration, wetland hydroperiod,
groundwater recharge dynamics, surface runoff generation, and water...
The genus Lichnanthe Burmeister contains eight extant and one
fossil species which are strictly nearctic in distribution. The
subfamily Glaphyrinae, however, is distributed nearly world-wide.
Five species were previously described and three are described as
new herein. All eight extant species are described in detail herein,
synonomies are made current,...
The economic status of the Black Americans has lagged far behind that of non-Black Americans in the last four centuries. The major reasons are manifested in (1) discrimination in employment
practices by: employers, public and private employment agencies, labor organizations, and apprenticeship agencies; and (2) discrimination in distribution of factor...
Lesser quadriceps explosive strength following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) may result in the use of altered landing mechanics that increase the risk for a second ACL injury. Reduced capacity to produce explosive strength in the quadriceps is potentially driven, at least in part, by quadriceps arthrogenic muscle inhibition...
Numerical results are presented using a higher-order pseudo-spectral method in order to solve the Zakharov-Craig-Sulem formulation of the Euler model. We study the effects of variable bathymetry on weakly-dispersive, weakly-nonlinear, shallow water waves. Improved predictions on wave amplitude and shoaling behavior are developed by analytical means in the context of...
Silicone wristbands are easy-to-wear passive samplers that have been readily adapted into environmental health studies since first reported in 2014. Wristbands can be worn during normal daily activities and sequester a wide range of bioavailable organic chemicals. This dissertation includes a thorough review of silicone wristband technology, as well as...
The research conducted here originated with the question of what caused the massive build-up of nuclear arsenals, which included ever larger and more powerful bombs and delivery systems from them, in the United States and the Soviet Union, even though the consensus beforehand was that nuclear energy should be prohibited...
The sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium and obligate human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae, remains a significant health and economic burden worldwide. In the absence of a protective vaccine, antimicrobial agents are the only pharmacological intervention for patients with gonorrhea. However, due to the remarkable ability of gonococcus...
Research has established that poor outcomes are the future for those without a
high school diploma--yet students continue to drop out and become members of
that population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the
experiences and perceptions of individuals who did not complete high school
within the...
Unpaved roads are a critical form of infrastructure in forested landscapes but also a potential source of fine sediment that can degrade sensitive ecosystems nearby. Improved management of aggregate road surfacing can reduce sediment generation, lengthen its useful life span, reduce maintenance costs, and more importantly, mitigate the impacts of...
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a required
mathematics content course upon prospective elementary school
teachers at Brigham Young University. The investigation consisted of
three major areas: (1) attitudes toward mathematics, (2) basic mathematical
understanding, and (3) the relationship between certain selected
variables.
Procedure...
An investigation of Mn uptake by five-day-old excised barley
roots revealed that a metabolically-mediated process was involved.
In short-term experiments, the rate of Mn absorption was comparable
to that of the macronutrient cations. Like other metabolically
absorbed cations, the Mn absorption rate was a direct function of
the ambient concentration...
Research was conducted in a mixed-coniferous forest stand
that was clearcut, burned, and seeded in order to study early plant
succession, grazing influences on native and introduced species, big
game use, and environmental relationships vegetation, animal,
and environmental research was carried out from 1965 to 1967 in
three, five-acre exclosures...
Experiments are reported which demonstrate that a cobalt deficiency
in R. meliloti results in a decreased cytochrome content of
bacterial cells. It is concluded that the effect of cobalt deficiency
on cytochrome content of Rhizobium cells and on the leghemoglobin
content of nodules possibly may be explained by an effect...
The purpose of the study was to determine the current status
of provisions being made to provide for appropriate utilization of
the increasing quantities of audiovisual equipment and materials
available in the public schools of Oregon. The ultimate objective of
the study was to identify activities and programs essential to...
SAR11 Alphaproteobacteria are the most abundant aerobic chemoheterotrophs in ocean surface waters. Previous studies have indicated SAR11 cells play an important role in marine carbon cycling and consume up to half of some common dissolved organic compounds, such as amino acids. During sequencing of the first SAR11 genome, genes for...
Maturation rates of monogerm sugar beet seed grown in Western
Oregon were measured quantitatively to determine attainment of maximum
seed development and germination. Seed was collected at various
intervals after anthesis from two hybrid varieties representing the
extremes in resistance (hard bolting) and susceptibility (easy bolting)
to seedstalk development. The...
Seven in vitro trials were conducted to compare the effects of
soaking annual ryegrass straw in solutions of sodium hydroxide (Na₄OH),
potassium hydroxide (KOH), ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH), or sodium
formate (NaCHO₂) at varying levels. Dry matter digestibility (DDM)
was the criterion used to measure treatment response. A 3 x 3...