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Differences In Sexual Dimorphism And Influences Of Sexual Dichromatism On Crypsis Among Populations Of The Jumping Spider Habronattus Oregonensis, Jason Bazzano

Dissertations and Theses

Crypsis can be an important mechanism of predator avoidance for organisms. However, many species exhibit sexual dichromatism, in which the males possess a suite of colorations in order to attract female attention. The resulting differences in crypsis between the males and females can provide insight into the relative strengths of the sexually and naturally selective forces shaping the coloration of the organism, as well as clues regarding potential sensory biases of the selecting sex. In this study, I examine variation in the coloration of four Pacific Northwest populations of the sexually dimorphic and dichromatic polygynous species of jumping spider Habronattus …

Scaffolding The Development Of Early Self-Regulation: The Role Of Structure And Routine In Children's Daily Activities, Cynthia Lynn Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

Learning to self-regulate one's behavior is a core developmental task in early childhood. Regulation of behavior is a challenge for young children largely due to cognitive constraints, specifically in the areas of attention and memory. As such, it has been theorized that both caregivers and a child's environment can support the development of behavioral self-regulation by providing cues as to what constitutes acceptable behavior in any given context. Although much research has been conducted on the role caregivers play in this regard, little is known about how a child's environment may also serve to support emerging self-regulation of behavior. The …

Designing And Using Virtual Field Environments To Enhance And Extend Field Experience In Professional Development Programs In Geology For K-12 Teachers, Frank Douglas Granshaw

Dissertations and Theses

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used to acquaint geoscience novices with some of the observation, data gathering, and problem solving done in actual field situations by geoscientists. VR environments in a variety of forms are used to prepare students for doing geologic fieldwork, as well as to provide proxies for such experience when venturing into the field is not possible. However, despite increased use of VR for these purposes, there is little research on how students learn using these environments, how using them impacts student field experience, or what constitutes effective design in light of emerging theories of geocognition.

To …

Youth Voices Of Bounty And Opportunity: High School Students' Experiences With Food And Community, Kara Marie Gilbert

Dissertations and Theses

Currently, garden-based research does not include input from young adults about their experiences and perspectives as individuals in garden-based programs, specifically those that address issues of food and community. To address this void, this qualitative research examines youth perspectives and engagement in garden-based community projects in Olympia, Washington, and Medford, Oregon. The sample of 11 students was chosen from these projects that use food as a means to engage the community and educate underprivileged young adults about local food systems. The main question that the research addresses is: Why, and in what ways, are young adults appropriate agents for community …

Perceptions Of Peacebuilding And Multi-Track Collaboration In Divided Societies For A Sustainable Peace Agreement At The Political Level: A Case Study Of Cyprus, Brooke Patricia Galloway

Dissertations and Theses

It is the purpose of this study to propose that perceptions of peacebuilding activities in all tracks of divided societies (political, civil society leaders, and grassroots), and the perceptions of the collaboration between the tracks are essential processes to a sustainable peace agreement at the political level. This study will examine multi-track peacebuilding and the collaboration (or lack of it) between tracks in Cyprus. Additionally, it will analyze the perceptions of the necessity of collaboration across tracks. The analysis of this study is conducted in two phases: (1) analyzing interviews with Track One diplomats and examining previous and existing peacebuilding …

Genetic Substructure Of Pacific Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina Richardsi) Populations Along The Coasts Of Oregon And Washington, Diana Lynn Dishman

Dissertations and Theses

It has been assumed that the considerable dispersal ability of many marine species would prevent genetic divergence in the absence of geographic isolation. However, recent work has shown that many marine species often develop differentiation among areas within their known dispersal range. This 'paradox' of marine divergence is particularly important among marine mammal species where behavior can restrict gene flow. To investigate genetic substructure within such a species, I used tissue samples collected from 63 stranded Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in Washington and Oregon between 2006 and 2010 for population stock analysis. DNA was extracted from frozen tissues, …

Postfledging Survival And Habitat Use Of Spotted Towhees (Pipilo Maculatus) In An Urban Park, Amy Ann Shipley

Dissertations and Theses

Habitat fragmentation, and the resulting increase in edge habitat, has important effects on birds, including the increased probability of nest predation, changes in habitat structure, and the increased presence of non-native plant species. It is critical to understand the effects of fragmentation at all stages of the avian life cycle, including the often overlooked postfledging period. Because much of juvenile mortality occurs during the immediate postfledging period, and juvenile mortality contributes substantially to population dynamics, it is necessary to understand if fledgling survival is reduced in edge habitats and if fledglings' survival is influenced by their habitat use. During 2008 …

Propagule Pressure And Disturbance Drive The Spread Of An Invasive Grass, Brachypodium Sylvaticum, Laura Alayna Vician Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The invasibility, or susceptibility of an ecosystem to biological invasion is influenced by changes in biotic and abiotic resistance often due to shifts in disturbance regime. The magnitude of invasive propagule pressure interacts with an ecosystem's invasibility to determine the extent of a biological invasion. I examined how propagule pressure, forest community structure and disturbance interact to influence the invasibility of temperate Pacific Northwest forests by the newly-invasive grass, Brachypodium sylvaticum. My goal was to identify which of these factors is most instrumental in enabling the shift from establishment to population growth in B. sylvaticum at the edge of …

Exploring Traffic Safety And Urban Form In Portland, Oregon, Kristie Werner Gladhill

Dissertations and Theses

Street layout and design, once established, are then not easily changed. Urban form affects community development, livability, sustainability, and traffic safety. There has been an assumed relationship between urban form and traffic safety that favors designs with less through streets to improve safety. An empirical study to test this assumed relationship was carried out for crash data for Portland, Oregon. This thesis presents an empirical methodology for analyzing the relationship between urban form and traffic safety utilizing a uniform grid for the spatial unit. Crashes in the Portland, Oregon city limits from 2005-2007 were analyzed and modeled using negative binomial …

Property Rights In Land, Agricultural Capitalism, And The Relative Decline Of Pre-Industrial China, Taisu Zhang

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Proposition 26: The Cost To All Women, Emma S. Ketteringham, Allison Korn, Lynn M. Paltrow

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Who Let The Dog Out? Implementing A Successful Therapy Dog Program In An Academic Law Library, Julian Aiken, Femi Cadmus

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Apobec-1 Complementation Factor (Acf) Binds And Regulates Multiple Rnas, Kimberly Delaney

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

AU-Rich Elements: ARE) are cis-acting RNA sequences in the 3'UTRs of a wide range of transcripts that function to regulate mRNA stability, localization, and/or translation through interaction with ARE-Binding Proteins. Apobec-1 Complementation Factor: ACF) was originally identified as a co-factor in ApoB mRNA C to U editing, but has recently been implicated in regulation of mRNA stability as an ARE-Binding Protein. Here we have used tissue culture models with RNA turnover assays to show that the stability of reporters cloned upstream of the Interleukin-6: IL-6) 3'UTR or portions of the Cox-2 3'UTR is regulated by levels of ACF expression. Surprisingly, …

Homoglutathione Synthetase And The Plant Thiol-Redox Proteome, Ashley Galant

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Homoglutathione Synthetase and the Plant Thiol-Redox Proteome by Ashley Galant Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical Science: Plant Biology) Washington University in St. Louis, 2011 Professor Joseph M. Jez, Chairperson In the plant cell, redox regulation and redox responsiveness are governed by a series of mechanisms that hinge upon the use of small molecule redox-couples and reversible, thioredoxin- or glutaredoxin-mediated protein disulfides. This work examines first the structural basis for synthesis of these small molecules and second how plants are able to adapt and respond to changes in environmental redox state. Among the major redox-couples, …

Processing Speed And Executive Abilities In Children With Phenylketonuria, Alicia Janos

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Objective: Phenylketonuria: PKU) is a hereditary metabolic disorder that often results in neuropsychological impairment, even in individuals treated early and continuously. This study was conducted to examine processing speed, variability in processing speed, and the relationship between processing speed variables and executive abilities in children with early- and continuously-treated PKU. Method: Participants were 42 children with PKU and 81 typically-developing children ranging from 7 to 18 years of age. Children completed three computerized reaction time: RT) tasks: simple reaction time, go/no-go, stimulus-response compatibility) and seven tasks assessing various aspects of executive abilities: working memory, inhibitory control, strategic processing). Results: The …

Cortical Cartography: Mapping Functional Areas Across The Human Brain With Resting State Functional Connectivity Mri, Alexander Cohen

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Human behavior and cognition are largely supported by the cerebral cortex, a structure organized at many physical scales ranging from individual neurons up to distributed systems of multiple interconnected “functional areas”. Each functional area possesses a unique combination of inputs, outputs, and internal structure, and is thought to make a distinct contribution to information processing. Thus, the study of each area's normal function, developmental trajectory, and modified responses following loss or injury may greatly enhance our understanding of cognition. Indeed, one of the: often unsaid) overarching goals of functional neuroimaging is to use differential activity between conditions to identify specific …

Often Wrong But Never In Doubt: Categorized Lists Produce Confident False Memories, Kurt Desoto

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In the categorized list procedure, subjects study words from semantic categories, then take a recognition test on those items. Subjects are likely to recognize common: high output dominance) category members even when they are not studied. Across three experiments, we sought to extend the categorized list procedure, further develop an explanation of why false recognition of category members occurs in this procedure, and modulate false recognition of category members by manipulating encoding and retrieval phases. Experiment 1 extended previous categorized list research, showing that subjects are likely to false alarm with high confidence to high output dominance category members that …

Mechanisms Of Brain Region-Specific Amyloid-Beta Deposition, Adam Bero

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Alzheimer's disease: AD) is the most common cause of dementia. A fundamental feature of AD is brain region-specific deposition of extracellular amyloid plaques principally comprised of the amyloid-β: Aβ) peptide. Using mouse models of cerebral Aβ deposition, we examined molecular, cellular and systems-level mechanisms that regulate brain region-specific Aβ accumulation and aggregation. Parallel studies using in vivo multiphoton microscopy and in vivo microdialysis revealed that modest pharmacological reduction of soluble interstitial fluid: ISF) Aβ levels was associated with a dramatic reduction in amyloid plaque formation and growth. We found that ISF Aβ concentrations in several brain regions of APP transgenic …

Sleep, Memory, And Aging: Effects Of Pre- And Post-Sleep Delays And Interference On Memory In Younger And Older Adults, Michael Scullin

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The present research investigated the relationship between sleep and memory in younger and older adults. Previous research has demonstrated that during the deep sleep stage: i.e., slow wave sleep), recently learned memories are reactivated and consolidated in younger adults. However, little research has examined whether memory consolidation occurs during deep sleep in older adults. Younger adults and older adults encoded word pairs: e.g., channel - result) in the morning or evening and then returned 12 hours or 24 hours later for a final test: three groups: 12-hr wake, 12-hr sleep, 24-hr PM-PM sleep). Sleep stage scoring was obtained by having …

Suprachiasmatic Nuclei Development: A Characterization Of Transcription Factors And The Influence Of Retinal Innervation And Vip Signaling, Cassandra Vandunk

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The suprachiasmatic nuclei: SCN) are highly specialized neural structures with an essential behavioral function; creating the rhythm of the mammalian central clock and entraining that internal clock to the external world. The nuclei each consist of approximately 10,000 neurons, each capable of creating near 24 h rhythms, organized into a highly structured network. While the molecular clockwork underlying the rhythm within neurons and network properties have been well studied, how the nuclei are initially specified and how the network develops is poorly understood. Herein, we seek to elucidate the genes and mechanisms involved in the specification and development of SCN …

Single Chain Mhc Trimer-Based Dna Vaccines For Pathogen Protection, Sojung Kim

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

CD8+ T cells play a major role in controlling infection and disease progression in many infectious diseases. Upon infection, antigen-specific CD8+ T cells are generated and mainly through their cytotoxic activity remove infected cells, therefore, pathogens. Ongoing research has identified antigenic epitopes in a vast number of pathogens and, using the identified epitopes, the induction of CD8+ T cell immune responses has been an important strategy for successful vaccines. However, most immunization approaches with class I binding peptides have failed to induce CD8+ T cell responses strong enough to prevent disease. This failure has been attributed to the lack of …

Joachim Du Bellay's Occasional Poetry: The Poetics Of Female Patronage, Elizabeth Landers

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This study seeks to demonstrate that female patrons at the Valois court--particularly Marguerite de France, and, to a lesser extent Diane de Poitiers--had a defining influence on both the career and the aesthetic choices of the sixteenth-century French poet Joachim Du Bellay. Although it has often been acknowledged that Du Bellay and Marguerite enjoyed a special relationship, the current study reveals the extent to which Marguerite served as an organizing principal for Du Bellay's entire writing life. As an admired patron, she provided moral support and networking opportunities that encouraged and rewarded Du Bellay's poetic production; her erudition and literary …

Dietary Shifts, Niche Relationships And Interspecific Competition In Sympatric Grey Langur (Semnopithecus Entellus) And Purple-Faced Langur (Trachypithecus Vetulus) In Sri Lanka, Rajnish Vandercone

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Understanding how niche differences evolve in ecologically similar species and how these differences are maintained ecologically is a fundamental question in ecology. Interspecific competition has been shown to influence the behavior and ecology of organisms in a wide range of ecological communities. However, the broader role of interspecific competition in primate communities is unclear as relatively few studies have explored this question. This is especially true for folivorous primate communities, such as those of colobine monkeys, in which the influence of interspecific competition on aspects of the ecology of these monkeys is yet to be determined. In this dissertation, I …

The Role Of The Membrane Proximal Region Of The M2 Cytoplasmic Tail In Virus Replication, Shaun Stewart

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Influenza A virus encodes M2, a proton channel that has been shown to be important during virus entry and assembly. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of the membrane proximal region, residues 46-69, of the M2 cytoplasmic tail during virus replication. A cholesterol recognition/interaction amino consensus: CRAC) motif, previously identified in the membrane proximal region of M2 in some influenza A virus strains, was suggested to play a role in virus replication by mediating incorporation of M2 into budding virus particles. Alteration or completion of the M2 CRAC motif in two different recombinant virus strains …

Pottery Production, Mortuary Practice, And Social Complexity In The Majiayao Culture, Nw China (Ca. 5300-4000 Bp), Ling-Yu Hung

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The Majiayao Culture: ca. 5300-4000 BP) is famous for its stunning painted pottery vessels. First discovered in the 1920s in northwestern China, these Neolithic painted pottery vessels have become one of the most popular icons used to depict the rich material culture of ancient China. Today, many museums throughout the world hold Majiayao painted pottery vessels in their collections. We know much about the pottery, but research on the associated Majiayao Culture has been limited to cultural histories that emphasize chronology and trait-list classification. These approaches present the Majiayao Culture as static and simplify the social and economic complexity of …

The Role Of Fas With Fas Ligand Interaction In Herpetci Stromal Keratitis (Hsk), Hamideh Zakeri

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

The Gut Microbiome In Healthy And Severely Malnourished Humans, Tanya Yatsunenko

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Human large intestine is home to tens of trillions of microbes belonging to all three do- mains of life. The functions encoded by the genes in this community: microbiome) include processing and production of macro- and micronutrients. Much remains unknown about the factors that determine the assembly of the gut microbial community starting at birth, and if disruptions in the assembly of this `microbial metabolic organ' early in life result in physiologic and metabolic deficits later in life. The central goal of my thesis was to char- acterize development of the gut microbiome early in life, with a focus on …

Towards A Firm-Based Theory Of Consumption, David Yosifon

Faculty Publications

Corporate theory typically construes consumption activity as involving a series of arms-length, atomistic transactions in which consumers exchange money for discrete corporate goods or services. Canonical accounts expect satisfied consumers to engage in repeat transactions, but the transactions themselves are (implicitly or explicitly) assumed to be isolated, fully contained dealings with the firm. Such a view of consumption supports the inference that consumers can readily manage their own interests in corporate operations through serial decisions to “take it,” “leave it,” repeat, or refuse to repeat patronization of a firm. This assessment plays an important part in justifying American corporate governance …

Reasoning About The Irrational: The Roberts Court And The Future Of Constitutional Law, H. Jefferson Powell

Faculty Scholarship

Commentary on the future direction of the Roberts Court generally falls along lines that correlate with the commentators' political views on the desirability of the Court's recent decisions. A more informative approach is to look for opinions suggesting changes in the presuppositions with which the Justices approach constitutional decision making. In footnote 27 in his opinion for the Court in the District of Columbia v. Heller Second Amendment decision, Justice Scalia suggested a fundamental revision of the Court's assumptions about the role of judicial doctrine, and the concept of rationality, in constitutional law. Justice Scalia would eliminate the normative aspects …

A Foxy Hedgehog: The Consistent Perceptions Of Carol Rose, Jedediah Purdy

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.