Functional programming is concerned with referential transparency, that is, given a certain function and its parameter, that the result will always be the same. However, it seems that this is violated in applications involving uncertainty, such as rolling a dice. This thesis defines the background of probabilistic programming and domain-specific...
To protect and restore environmental quality, efficient and effective conservation policies are needed. Designing policies require a sound understanding of the contributions of natural endowments to economic vitality, and the performance and impacts of conservation programs. This dissertation consists of three essays, and addresses several issues relevant to these two...
Two-phase flow in helical conduits is important in many industries where reaction between components, heat transfer, and mass transport are utilized as processes. The helical design is chosen for the effects of secondary flow patterns that reduce axial dispersion, increased heat transfer, and also their compact design. The first is...
This report is an economic and policy assessment of the biological effectiveness and economic efficiency of incentive mechanisms for private landowners to conserve U.S. biodiversity. Its focus is on rural lands that tend to be used for forestry, agriculture and residential purposes.
Although thousands of volunteers from the United States go abroad each year to teach English, many are unprepared for their experiences. Undergraduate students teaching in a foreign country seem to lack training in educational methodology or foreign relations that would prepare them for teaching and living abroad. This project was...
This study examines the ways in which land-use regulations in general and Oregon’s land-use planning system in particular may affect property values. The study is focused on Oregon, but it is framed within the broader context of research in economics. Our analysis of Oregon land value data finds no evidence...
Oregon’s gasoline tax no longer serves as an economically efficient revenue source due to increasing fuel efficiency and the emergence of alternative fuels. In response to this problem, the Oregon Department of Transportation is exploring alternatives to the gasoline tax. Among the most promising alternatives is a flat-rate vehicle mile...
Many climatic factors influence grape berry composition including nutrient status, water availability, biotic stress, sun exposure and temperature. Previous research examined the effects of many factors listed above and much progress has been made. It is often difficult, however, to separate effects that typically confound each other, such as sun...
The Gd3+ ion has been used to induce quantum splitting in luminescent
materials by using cross-relaxation energy transfer (CRET). In Nd:LiGdF4, quantum
splitting results from a two-step CRET between Gd3+ and Nd3+, first involving a
transition 6G→6I on Gd3+ and an excitation within the 4f3 configuration of Nd3+
followed by...
The chemolithoautotrophic nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) participate in the
biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen by catalyzing and conserving energy from the
oxidation of nitrite (NO₂-) to nitrate (NO₃-) via a nitrite oxidoreductase (NXR). The
main objective of this work was to comparatively annotate and analyze the genome
sequences of Nitrobacter winogradskyi...