COUP-TF interacting protein 1 (CTIP1) is a novel C2H2 zinc finger protein that mediates transcriptional repression of ARP1, a member of the COUP-TF subfamily of orphan nuclear receptors [1]. Here we show that CTIP1 interacts with heterochromatin-associated protein 1 (HP1) in vitro and in cells. This
interaction suggests the existence...
Celiac disease, an autoimmune response triggered by the consumption of seed storage proteins of cereals, affects an estimated 1% of the human population. In the case of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), one of the world’s most consumed cereals, alcohol-soluble proteins, the gliadins, have been identified as the allergy-eliciting agents. Previous...
Bird and bat mortalities caused by interactions with wind turbines is a critical concern that requires addressing for conservation purposes. Deploying a low cost sensor array will be instrumental during site permitting, conducting impact assessments of existing wind farms, and assessing efficacy of wildlife mortality mitigation or wildlife deterrent technologies....
A lexicon to define the sensory properties of melted Cheddar cheese was created
using a trained descriptive panel. The lexicon characterized appearance (surface rupture,
meltedness, oiliness, and edge browning) and texture (stringiness, stretchiness,
springiness, firmness, toothpull, smoothness, cohesiveness, denseness, and chewiness).
Three brands of commercially available shredded Cheddar cheese were...
Part 1:
White muscle disease (WMD), a degenerative muscle disease brought on by a deficiency of the essential trace nutrient selenium, is thought to be mediated by the protein Selenoprotein W (SeW). In its relationship with WMD, SeW, like many selenoproteins, binds to glutathione, serving some purpose in redox mechanisms...
The AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the potent immunosuppressive effects of TCDD. AhR-dependent changes in gene expression appear to alter the differentiation of CD4+ T cells to induce a population of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) that suppress the immune response. Ascertaining if and how the AhR...
Research was conducted in the field and greenhouse to determine if a
kaolinite-based particle film, Surround®, would reduce colonization and early season
feeding damage in cucurbits by the Western Striped Cucumber Beetle, Acalymma
trivitattum (Mannerheim). Greenhouse studies were designed to determine effect of
particle film on cucumber dry weight production...
A fruit color descriptive study was conducted on 'Max' and 'Sensation' Red Bartlett, 'Columbia' and 'Gebhard' Red Anjou, 'Rogue Red', 'Rosired', 'Red Clapp' and 'Cascade' red pear varieties. A parallel comparative study was done to test differences between related red strains. 'Max' was compared with 'Sensation' in three different growing...
We are developing a flavin-containing (Fmo) knock-out mouse for Fmo2 that will be utilized to elucidate the role of active human FMO isoform 2 (FMO2.1) in xenobiotic metabolism and toxicity. Since FMO2 is primarily expressed in lung this will provide information on how 27% of African-Americans and 5% of Hispanics...
Dense hyphal mats formed by ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi are prominent features in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forest soils and have been estimated to cover up to 40% of the forest floor in some stands. Although previous studies have examined various aspects of EcM fungi, little is known about their associated microbial...
This thesis investigates the success of and challenges facing small farmers operating direct marketing farm businesses in Oregon's Willamette Valley. This qualitative study utilizes participatory methods to gain the unique perspectives of small farmers regarding their success and challenges. Small farms are important players in local food systems and ensuring...
Hazelnuts are commonly consumed raw and are valued for their numerous health benefits and antioxidant properties. Increased foodborne illness outbreaks associated with Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination of tree nuts and peanuts generate a need for improving agricultural sanitation procedures. Food-safe chemical sanitizers have shown promise for reducing pathogenic...
Sequence-specific PCR markers were derived from one new and eight previously identified random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers for the purpose of identifying grape (Vitis) rootstocks. The markers were developed because the RAPD assay was found to be inconsistent and the original RAPD markers unreliable. Southern hybridization analysis of the...
The objective of this dissertation is to introduce low-cost processing methods for the fabrication of ZnO transparent thin-film transistors (TTFTs). A novel method for depositing ZnO body layers via spin-coating of a zinc nitrate-based spin solution is presented. The processing conditions of spin-coated ZnO are optimized to produce continuous and...
Five field experiments were conducted to evaluate the relative attractiveness of potential beneficial insectary plants to aphidophagous hover flies and parasitic Hymenoptera and the effectiveness of interplanting selected flowering plants in a broccoli field to enhance biocontrol of the cabbage aphid and green peach aphid. In 1996 we established a...
The availability of new pear rootstocks could be increased by development of an efficient micropropagation system. Many P. calleryana, P. betulifolia and P. communis rootstocks are resistant to many pear diseases and are graft compatible with leading cultivars. Explains of three potentially useful rootstock selections P. calleryana Decne 'OPR 157',...
To identify novel host genetic resistance to eastern filbert blight, caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Muller, ninety European hazelnut {Corylus avellana L.) varieties and interspecific hybrids (with C. americana Marsh, or C. colurna L.) were screened for response to the eastern filbert blight pathogen after inoculation in...
The goal of this project was to develop and test non-herbicidal techniques that remove nonnative plant or weed seeds from the top 2 inches of the soil. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is currently restoring prairies in the Willamette Valley. Some areas of the Pacific Northwest have already seen loss of...
Biological control is the action of predators, parasitoids, or pathogens to maintain
a pest organism's population at lower numbers than would occur in the absence of the
agent. Entomopathogenic nematodes can be used as biological control agents for insect
pests. These nematodes infect insects and release a toxic bacterium that...
Winter hardiness in barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a trait targeted by breeding programs in order to expand the potential area of adaptation of fall-sown cereals. Vernalization requirement is an important factor in winter hardiness. A vernalization requirement is an extended period of low temperature required for transition from the vegetative...
Temperate evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest support big huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum) despite their nutrient impoverished soils. Acquisition of nitrogen and phosphorous are the major nutrients limiting V. membranaceum. The plant’s access to these resources is linked to their mycorrhizal symbiosis. To learn more about the symbionts of eriaceous plants...
Urban landscape water use is increasingly a focus of water conservation efforts. This is especially true in the arid and semi-arid regions of the western United States where increased demand, environmental concerns, and extended periods of drought have created chronic water shortages. However, until recently, little attention has been paid...
The human health effects of exposure to numerous single environmental contaminants have been well characterized. Yet, biomonitoring studies have detected multiple environmental chemicals in humans, highlighting the need to investigate the health effects of exposure to multiple environmental chemicals. Environmental data is highly complex, therefore current methods of defining environmental...
An enabling technology for long duration, deep space missions is the availability of a high power, long-lived power supply. The goal of this work is the design of a self-regulating deep space nuclear reactor. The design objectives are to produce 250 kWth for a 25-year period using the presence of...
Blackberry (Rubus sp.) fruit are a good source of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, and are consumed in fresh and processed forms. Though organic products become more popular, limited information is available about how different organic production methods affect the post-harvest quality of blackberry fruit. The objective of this project was...
School garden programs have become increasingly popular for their diverse, positive benefits. School gardens are often promoted as a relatively low cost means to offer hands-on learning opportunities that may foster academic achievement, particularly in the sciences, however only six studies have been published on the impact of garden education...
Calls for increased farmer involvement in research and extension programs
have been numerous and well supported. One approach to integrate the collective
knowledge and experience of agricultural scientists and farmers is through whole
farm case studies (WFCS). An interdisciplinary team of 34 research and extension
personnel at Oregon and Washington...
Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, causal agent of tan spot of wheat, produces multiple
host-selective toxins (HSTs), including Ptr ToxA, encoded for by ToxA, Ptr ToxB,
encoded for by ToxB, and Ptr ToxC. Variable distribution of these three HSTs among
different isolates of P. tritici-repentis, both singularly and in all possible combinations,
defines...
The seasonal biology of the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), was studied to improve its management in Mid-Columbia area sweet cherry orchards. Overwintering OBLR larvae began to emerge from hibernacula at bud stage 2 (side green). Most overwintering larvae emerged from hibernacula within three weeks of first bud swell and...
Plant growth, development, and environmental responsiveness are
dependent on hormone-induced gene expression. This dissertation reports
multiple interactions between the plant hormones auxin and ethylene and
investigates their contribution to the gravitropic response, elongation
growth, adventitious root formation, callus and tracheary element initiation
and growth, and flower development.
Four mutants of...
Greenhouse and field grown coffee plants were used to
study the synchronization of flowering and fruiting. The
purpose of these studies was to develop methods of
improving the selective harvesting of mature coffee fruits
by machine. The studies were divided into 4 parts: 1)
Synchronization of flowering, 2) Synchronization of...
Volatile compounds of eight pear varieties were isolated and identified by
GC/MS. A total of 112 components were identified from headspace of intact fruits,
including 47 compounds reported for the first time in pear. The volatile profiles of
these pear varieties were characterized by esters, alcohols, hydrocarbons, aldehydes
and ketones....
Plant hormones regulate progression through the different phases of plant development in response to endogenous and environmental cues. Gene expression studies, as well as genetic and molecular analysis of mutants with altered hormonal responses, are two common approaches to elucidate hormone response pathways. This dissertation compares ovary and fruit development...
Annual applications of fresh or composted dairy manure were assessed for their effects on root rots of sweet corn and snap bean and damping-off of cucumber in a field soil. Soil biological and physical properties were measured as possible indicators of root rot suppressive potential. Regardless of amendment type or...
My dissertation concerns two separate issues. The first issue is examined in Essay One, and the second issue is examined in Essays Two and Three.
The first essay develops an economic model of the determination of the rental rate of leased farmland in the United States. Particular attention is placed...
Penetration of ¹⁴C-labeled plant growth regulators into the surface of apple
(Malus pumila M.) leaves pre-soaked in 10 ml I⁻¹ solutions of surfactant was
measured by detecting changes in radioactivity of the solution in glass cylinders
sealed to the astomatal, adaxial surface of the leaf discs. Penetration of 2,4-D
[(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic...
Dormancy of 'Pinot Noir' grapevines was characterized. Primary buds
required ca 300 cumulative chilling hours (CCH) to initiate the transition from
endodormancy to ecodormancy, which occurred in mid November. Additional
chilling, up to 1000 CCH, improved budbreak. Changes in bud water content
were estimated by gravimetric and spectroscopic methods. Total,...
Heritability in the narrow sense and in the broad sense, variance components and
correlation coefficients are important genetic parameters in a breeding program. The
estimates of these parameters can provide important information for a breeder in the
selection of parents, the most efficient design for evaluation of seedlings and advanced...
The objectives of this thesis were to evaluate the responses of soil microbial communities to physical and chemical disturbances, and associate these responses with soil functional stability and changes in soil quality. The first study consisted of application of heat shocks (HS) to soils with contrasting land use history to...
A number of researchers view farmers’ markets as an appropriate vehicle for
re-embedding food markets into communities (O’Hara & Stagl, 2001, Feenstra, 2002,
Lyson, 2005). Amidst astounding growth in the number of farmers’ markets in the
United States in recent decades, many markets struggle and fail. Recent research
suggests that...