The dissertation uses state-of-the-art structural engineering theories, in parallel with the modern and still-developing control theory of electrical engineering to mitigate the vibratory responses of a double-stayed bridge subjected to strong earthquake ground motions.
First, a nonlinear finite element model of the double-stayed bridge subjected to non-uniform (multi-support) earthquake excitations...
The importance of hormone reservoirs in mature teleost eggs is
unknown. To elucidate the effects of hormones on embryonic development,
steelhead trout eggs, Oncorhynchus mykiss, were immersed in either cortisol,
testosterone, or thyroxine at two different stages of development. Elevated
concentrations of cortisol were detectable in the trout eggs or...
The thesis focuses on activity recognition from sensor data, which has spurred a great deal of interest due to its impact on health care and security. Previous work on activity recognition from multivariate time series data has mainly applied supervised learning techniques which require a high degree of annotation effort...
Interannual variation in precipitation totals is a critical factor governing the year-to-year availability of water resources, yet the connection between interannual precipitation variability and underlying event- and season-scale precipitation variability remains unclear. In this study, tropical and midlatitude precipitation characteristics derived from extensive station records and high-frequency satellite observations were...
Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁,) is a potent liver carcinogen to a number
of animal species including rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri).
Microsomal activation is required for the in vitro conversion of
AFB, to a reactive metabolite, thought to be the AFB₁,-2,3-oxide,
which will bind nucleic acids, produce toxicity, and cause mutagenesis.
Nucleic...
Contemporary stream restoration efforts increasingly prioritize restoring natural stream processes to regain lost ecosystem functions. Stage 0 stream restoration resets disturbed, channelized streams to a theoretical pre-disturbance state (“stage zero”). It is assumed that this valley-scale restoration/disturbance will restore natural abiotic and biotic processes, leading to greater primary and secondary...
Mangrove forests store more organic carbon across ecosystem carbon pools than most other coastal and forested ecosystems, and are subject to high global rates of deforestation. For these reasons, they are recognized as prime candidates for inclusion in climate change mitigation strategies. However, the ecological drivers of regional and micro-scale...
Sex steroids, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),
luteinizing hormone (LH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone
(GnRH) were measured in monosex and mixed sex populations of
rainbow trout during early development. Steroids declined
following fertilization, increased at hatch, then fell and
remained constant thereafter. Trends toward differences in
steroids between males and females...
Genomic instability underlies diseases of unregulated cell growth that result in
cancers and developmental abnormalities in humans. Similar genome destabilizing
mechanisms are used to create genetic variety in crops for use in breeding and trait
development. Errors that occur during DNA replication may cause mutations if
they are not corrected...
Polyphenolic compounds found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains, are an integral part of the human diet. Within polyphenols, proanthocyanidins are referred to as condensed tannins and encompass procyanidins, propelargonidins and prodelphinidins. Among these, procyanidins are the largest group. Recent interest in these compounds is related...