The purpose of this meta-synthesis was to investigate why students from the U.S. receive the scores they do on the international TIMSS and PISA science exams. This work sought to shed light on the perceived disparity between science performance of U.S. students and students from other countries. To do so,...
A decline in the oxygen cost of exercise enhances exercise tolerance and performance. Substantial research has shown that dietary nitrate lowers the oxygen cost of exercise in sedentary humans; however, the metabolic determinants regarding how dietary nitrate influences oxygen consumption in skeletal muscle is not known. We addressed this gap...
Global recognition of the need for ecosystem restoration and revegetation following natural and anthropogenic disturbances has been growing in recent years. Successful programs often depend on the use of nursery-grown seedlings and appropriate mitigation of limiting factors on outplanting sites. Nursery production of high-quality native plants for restoration can be...
The fungus Fusarium fujikuroi causes "bakanae" disease of rice due to its ability to produce gibberellins (GAs), but it is also known for producing harmful mycotoxins. However, the genetic capacity for the whole arsenal of natural compounds and their role in the fungus' interaction with rice remained unknown. Here, we...
Chlorella is a genus of unicellular, enkaryotic green algae. Chlorella-like algae
are found as endocellular symbionts within a number of animal species. Two chloroplast
genes were sequenced from the exsymbiotic strain Chlorella N la, originally isolated
from Paramecium bursaria. The genes for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate
carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) and...
The choice of what to eat is political, and food systems shape and are shaped by political and economic power. During the last several hundred years, agricultural and food power has been consolidated to an unprecedented degree, and this consolidation continues today. This paper will describe this process as “Governing...
An important segment of outdoor recreational activity in
eastern Oregon is based on the harvest of deer. The deer population
can be altered in two ways. Rangeland, which provides feed and
cover for deer, can be improved through public or private investments
or hunting regulations can be changed. This study...
Temperate coniferous forests, such as those that cover vast areas of the western US and Canada, have evolved to depend on cycles of disturbance for succession of species and overall ecosystem maintenance. Many of these forest systems are managed, often for timber production, where disturbances are of anthropogenic origin and...
The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT), an activity of the international marine carbon research community, provides access to synthesis and gridded fCO2 (fugacity of carbon dioxide) products for the surface oceans. Version 2 of SOCAT is an update of the previous release (version 1) with more data (increased from 6.3...
The characteristics of Northern squawfish
(Ptychocheilus oregonensis) and the feasibility of utilization
of this species for human consumption were investigated. In
the first experimental phase, the iced storage characteristics
of squawfish were determined. Quality changes were monitored
over 24 days of storage by chemical, physical, microbiological
and sensorial methods of...
Despite the importance of tropical forest ecosystems in the global carbon cycle, there have been few studies of carbon dynamics in this biome. The magnitude of carbon stocks in the tropics and their changes over time are poorly known since ground-based observations are lacking. In this study, total carbon stocks...
Biological organisms, phenomena and strategies, herein referred to as biological systems, provide a rich set of analogies that can be used to inspire engineering innovation. Biologically-inspired, or biomimetic, designs are publicly viewed as creative and novel solutions to human problems. Moreover, some biomimetic designs have become so commonplace that it...
This dissertation is separated into two parts according to the two major distinct research projects. In Part I, the full account of synthetic studies toward C10-functionalized lycopodium alkaloids is described. In Part II, the detailed discussion on the exploration of the Pummerer cyclization methodology and its application to the total...
Background: Supernumerary chromosomes have been found in many organisms. In fungi, these “accessory” or “dispensable” chromosomes are present at different frequencies in populations and are usually characterized by higher repetitive DNA content and lower gene density when compared to the core chromosomes. In the reference strain of the wheat pathogen,...
Gadoid fish, like Alaska pollock and Pacific whiting, have a high level of trimethylamine-N-oxide demethylase (TMAOase) that catalyzes the breakdown of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) to formaldehyde (FA) and dimethylamine (DMA) even during frozen storage. FA reacts with amino acid residues to promote covalent cross-links in the formation of inter- and intramolecular...
Consumption of seafood products continues to grow each year, but post-harvest losses and inedible seafood waste remain as high as 25%. Ice-based systems are the most common form of preservation to increase shelf life, preserve product quality, and enhance product safety. Slurry ice is a type of chilling media, consisting...
Oysters are filter-feeding bivalves, which filter water for nutrients and often accumulate contaminants and human pathogens such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus naturally occurring in the marine environment. These naturally occurring pathogens have been frequently isolated from raw shellfish, particularly oyster, in the United States and are recognized as...
Bacterial histamine formation in mackerel and albacore was studied by inducing histamine in the muscles under controlled storage conditions. The optimum temperature for histamine formation was 25°C. The highest level of histamine detected was 283 mg/100 g in the 2-day stored mackerel; and 67.1 mg/100 g in the 6-day stored...
Scombroid poisoning, caused by histamine intoxication, is one of the most prevalent illnesses associated with seafood consumption in the United States. The illness is usually accompanied with a variety of symptoms, such as rash, nausea, diarrhea, flushing, sweating, and headache. Incidence of scombroid poisoning has been consistently reported in the...
Articular cartilage damage is the primary cause of osteoarthritis. Very little literature work focuses on the microstructural damage mechanism of articular cartilage. In this article, a new numerical method that characterizes fluid coupling in particle model is proposed to study the damage mechanism of articular cartilage. Numerical results show that...
Potentially carcinogenic compounds may cause cancer through direct DNA damage or through indirect cellular or physiological effects. To study possible carcinogens, the fields of endocrinology, genetics, epigenetics, medicine, environmental health, toxicology, pharmacology and oncology must be considered. Disruptive chemicals may also contribute to multiple stages of tumor development through effects...
The effects of bicycle exercise on specific anthropometric and
physiological measures were observed in two test subjects (S1 and S2)
over a twelve week exercise period. The two subjects, one male (S1)
and one female (S2) participated in a graduated bicycle exercise program.
Body weight, body measurements, circulatory function tests,...
Research in warm-climate biomes has shown
that invasion by symbiotic dinitrogen (N₂)-fixing plants can
transform ecosystems in ways analogous to the transformations
observed as a consequence of anthropogenic, atmospheric
nitrogen (N) deposition: declines in biodiversity, soil
acidification, and alterations to carbon and nutrient cycling,
including increased N losses through nitrate...
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biomes
Hiltbrunner, E., Aerts, R., Bühlmann, T., Huss-Danell, K., Magnusson, B., Myrold,
D. D
Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus) is one of the most abundant fisheries on the American west coast. However, these fish are historically underutilized due to quality issues resulting from fillet softening that occurs as a result of both endogenous and exogenous (Myxosporidian parasite infection) cathepsin protease action during either storage (cathepsin...
The glaciated coastal mountain watersheds that drain into the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) provide a model laboratory to explore the challenges of hydrological modeling and study the impact of climate and glacier cover change on regional hydrology. The region is data-sparse and contains a complex assemblage of topography and land...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the state of development of
adult education in Nigeria.
The major objectives were to review the state of development of
Nigerian adult education programs, assess the overall effectiveness of
these programs, and utilize the findings to suggest action for future
program improvement....
Inoculation trials were set up in fumigated nursery beds for red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) seedling production. Frankia inoculum was applied in eight treatments: control, nodule suspension, and three levels of cell suspension (strain ArI5) applied with and without a peat carrier. Seedlings were evaluated at midseason and lifting. The...
This investigation explored the use of microcosms as a tool for
studying the dynamics of tropical aquaculture ponds. The potential use
of rabbit excreta as a pond fertilizer in integrated farming systems was
also investigated.
Twelve insulated fiber glass tanks were utilized as microcosms to
simulate earthen ponds. Seven hand-sexed...
In many partially glacierized watersheds glacier recession driven by a warming climate could lead to complex patterns of streamflow response over time, often marked with rapid increases followed by sharp declines, depending on initial glacier ice cover and rate of climate change. Capturing such “phases” of hydrologic response is critical...
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runoff will decline thereafter [e.g., Huss et al., 2008; Lambrecht and Mayer, 2009; Moore
et al., 2009
In the highly competitive animal protein market, seafood faces increasing pressure to improve and standardize product quality. While there is general consensus that quality can be improved for many seafood products, there is little agreement on the types and levels of characteristics that should define "quality." This is a fundamental...
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in American men. Epidemiologic studies suggest that cruciferous vegetable intake may lower the risk for many cancers, including prostate and colon. Isothiocyanates (ITC) are phytochemicals derived from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage that may...
The evolutionary relationship between Frankia and actinorhizal plants was evaluated
by reconstructing molecular phylogenetic trees from nifH, 16S rDNA, and rbcL
nucleotide sequences. Subgroupings in Frankia phylogenetic trees reconstructed from
nifH and from 16S rDNA sequences were consistent in terms of plant origins of Frankia
strains. Although the branching order...
We isolated a methanogen from deep in the sediments of the Nankai Trough off the eastern coast of Japan.
At the sampling site, the water was 950 m deep and the sediment core was collected at 247 m below the sediment
surface. The isolated methanogen was named Nankai-1. Cells of...
Nitrogen incorporation from red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) into an Oregon upland mesic forest soil was studied by tracing the fate of 15N added as 15N-labeled alder leaf litter. The recovery of 15N in vegetation, litter, light- and heavy-fractions of the soil, the chloroform-labile (microbial biomass) pool, and the whole...
In this study we apply Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to examine the similarities and differences of the
quality perceptions of different fish market sectors. In order to make this analyse, a hierarchic model of the total quality of
fresh rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) fillets was created. The model had seven...
We describe an integrated spatially distributed hydrologic
and glacier dynamic model, and use it to investigate
the effect of glacier recession on streamflow variations
for the upper Bow River basin, a tributary of the South
Saskatchewan River, Alberta, Canada. Several recent studies
have suggested that observed decreases in summer flows...
The stability of dopamine in dextrose 5% water
subjected phototherapy was assessed.
Solutions of dopamine (1000 mcg/ml) were prepared
and triplicate samples were subjected to one of three
light (normal, dark, phototherapy) and two flow
(2ml/hr. and no flow) conditions at ambient room
temperature. Photo-irradiance was maintained between 5.1
and...
Despite recognition in the literature that adolescence
represents a relatively high-risk developmental period for
health-risk behaviors, only limited attention has been given
to the subjective meanings adolescents assign to such
behaviors. One potentially fruitful avenue to explore in
understanding the adolescent perspective on health-risk
behaviors is the use of word...
A comprehensive study of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) drainage basin was carried out to improve understanding of the coastal freshwater discharge (FWD) and glacier volume loss (GVL). Hydrologic processes during the period 1980–2014 were modeled using a suite of physically based, spatially distributed weather, energy-balance snow/ice melt, soil water...
Frankia strains symbiotic with Ceanothus present an interesting opportunity to study the patterns and causes of Frankia diversity and distribution within a particular host infectivity group. We intensively sampled Frankia from nodules on Ceanothus plants along an elevational gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada of California, and we also collected...
Anaerobic digestion of lipid-extracted algal biomass has been proposed as a method to
recover and recycle nutrients in algal biofuel systems. The purpose of this study was to quantify recoverable nitrogen and phosphorus from anaerobically digested C. vulgaris. Recoverable nutrients were deemed those present in the liquid phase of anaerobic...
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main recalcitrant
polymer in Chlorella sp. being chitinous glucosamine derivatives (Huss et al., 1999
In surimi manufacturing, less than 25% of the total weight of the fish is utilized. This research focused on meat recovery from fish frames, the residual portion of the fish after filleting headed and gutted fish. A new technology, the water jet deboning (WJD) system, was tested. The WJD system...
Conflicts and disasters displace millions of populations worldwide. There is a need for rapid and affordable housing to cater to the needs of the displaced and unhoused population. Experience from previous post-disaster responses shows that temporary housing should be rapidly deployable, planned for months to years, and should be environmentally...
The purpose of this thesis is to understand the experiences that Nahua children, in rural Mexico, have as they attend schools that are primarily influenced by formal Western education in relation to their own ways of learning and knowing. This research took place over the course of three months within...
The consumption of seafood in the United States has increased rapidly in recent years due to high quality protein and health benefits of seafood. Seafood can be a carrier for bacteria normally distributed in the marine environment and, in some cases, can be contaminated by human pathogens. Therefore, there is...
The effect of high pressure processing (HPP) pre-treatments at three pressure levels (150, 300 and 450 MPa) and holding times (0, 2.5 and 5 min) on the activity of key enzymes in Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) muscle was studied after HPP treatments and during frozen storage. Acid phosphatase, cathepsins (B...
When Charles Guiteau killed U.S. President James Garfield, he claimed that God had ordered him to do so. During his trial, Guiteau’s lawyers plead not guilty by reason of insanity, and the question of Guiteau’s innocence or guilt quickly became a question about the very nature of insanity itself. In...