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...
In order to mitigate climate change and increase sustainability, many states and nations have introduced policies intended to support the growth of renewable energy sources. Among these sources, wind energy has risen most prominently in the 21st century. However, its rise has been accompanied by various constraints and by local...
On April 28, 1981, President Reagan delivered his address on the Program for Economic Recovery before a joint session of Congress and the nation. It was the first major public appearance and speech of Reagan following his survival of the assassination attempt on March 30, 1981. The administration sought to...
The Hanford Nuclear Reservation drew public ire during the 1980s and 1990s when activist groups forced the declassification of 19,000 documents and discovered proof of accidental and intentional releases of radioactive materials into the environment. These releases had been kept from the public. Although many locals had for decades wondered...
With the rapid advancement of educational technology and the need for personalized, engaging content to accommodate diverse learning needs, Virtual Reality (VR) holds promises for the present and future. However, VR applications suffer from challenges, including usability concerns, lack of pedagogical value, and evaluation standards. This thesis focuses on two...
With robots becoming increasingly commonplace in today’s society, we need to find ways to help robots to become better accepted. One common method used to gain acceptance and build rapport is through the use of humor. Currently, research in robot comedy exists, albeit it is fairly limited. Our goal with...
Podosphaera macularis, causal agent of hop powdery mildew, is known to produce cleistothecia (syn. chasmothecia) in eastern North America and Europe, but ascocarps are not reported from the Pacific Northwestern region of North America. Reasons for the apparent absence of cleistothecia in the Pacific Northwest are unknown. We established that...
Starch is a significant component of the human diet and the glucose produced through its digestion provides a critical source of energy. When starch enters the mouth, salivary α-amylase hydrolyzes it into maltooligosaccharides (MOS, degree of polymerization [DP] 3-20) and maltopolysaccharides (MPS, DP >20). Previous studies have found that humans...
In computer science, learning abstract fundamental programming concepts requiring students to understand memory management can be very difficult and lead to misunderstandings that carry on into advanced topics. This is especially true in data structures with abstract data types. Understanding how novice students think and reason about data structures is...
The rapid pace of climate change is increasing tree mortality and highlighting the need to improve the mechanistic understanding of plant function under increased water stress. However, the processes that control soil moisture availability in steep mountainous terrain are poorly understood, as are the relative effects of atmospheric and soil...