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In the face of rising population, erratic climate, resource depletion, and increased exposure to natural hazards, environmental monitoring is increasingly important. Satellite data form most of our observations of Earth. On-the-ground observations based on in situ sensor systems are crucial for these remote measurements to be dependable. Providing open-source options to rapidly prototype environmental datalogging systems allows quick advancement of research and monitoring programs. This paper introduces Loom, a development environment for low-power Arduino-programmable microcontrollers. Loom accommodates a range of integrated components including sensors, various datalogging formats, internet connectivity (including Wi-Fi and 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE)), radio telemetry, timing mechanisms, debugging information, and power conservation functions. Additionally, Loom includes unique applications for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. By establishing modular, reconfigurable, and extensible functionality across components, Loom reduces development time for prototyping new systems. Bug fixes and optimizations achieved in one project benefit all projects that use Loom, enhancing efficiency. Although not a one-size-fits-all solution, this approach has empowered a small group of developers to support larger multidisciplinary teams designing diverse environmental sensing applications for water, soil, atmosphere, agriculture, environmental hazards, scientific monitoring, and education. This paper not only outlines the system design but also discusses alternative approaches explored and key decision points in Loom's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is an important tree nut crop. Hazelnut production in North America is currently limited in scalability due to Anisogramma anomala , a fungal pathogen that causes Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB) disease in hazelnut. Successful deployment of EFB resistant cultivars has been limited to the state of Oregon, where the breeding program at Oregon State University (OSU) has released cultivars with a dominant allele at a single resistance locus identified by classical breeding, linkage mapping, and molecular markers. C. avellana cultivar "Jefferson" is resistant to the predominant EFB biotype in Oregon and has been selected by the OSU breeding program as a model for hazelnut genetic and genomic research. Here, we present a near complete, haplotype-resolved chromosome-level hazelnut genome assembly for " Jefferson". This new assembly is a significant improvement over a previously published genome draft. Analysis of genomic regions linked to EFB resistance and self-incompatibility confirmed haplotype splitting and identified new gene candidates that are essential for downstream molecular marker development, thereby facilitating breeding efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities need skilled innovators who engage as community members, support economic opportunities, and develop novel ways to solve local problems. Through innovation, Invention Education (IvE) is one way to promote the creativity and problem-solving needed to restore economic vitality to regions of the rural US. IvE pathways support a skilled workforce that communities can draw upon to solve complex problems. Introductory IvE experiences can begin to bolster rural recovery and open prime grounds for innovative solutions. The Office of Precollege Programs at Oregon State University established the iINVENT Program for upper elementary, middle, and high school learners to engage in IvE and act as inventors. In this study, we describe the iINVENT pathways resulting from 8 years of curriculum design and iteration guided by engaged scholarship practices and robust evaluation. Program data from 2019-2023 was collected via learner, educator, community partner, and parent surveys, as well as through observations conducted by program staff and partner instructors. Results from qualitative content and thematic analysis demonstrate the value of introducing learners to IvE and how iINVENT practices support invention educators in impacting youth learners. The findings demonstrate essential practices, successes, and challenges that have shaped the iINVENT pathways and IvE curriculum delivered. Based on these findings and current discourse unfolding throughout the IvE professional community, the authors suggest that a process-oriented invention framework focused on inventiveness and the ways learners can act as inventors is pivotal to broaden access and participation in IvE, providing learners with a more applicable and relatable learning experience to cultivate inventiveness mindsets and skills transferable to all parts of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection for resistance to plant diseases is a continuous effort on the part of plant breeders. Sources of genetic resistance are often limited, despite considerable discovery efforts. Stem rust and stripe rust are two diseases of particular importance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production. The present work aims to develop and deploy genotypes with resistance to these diseases that can be used in future breeding efforts. The Woodies, Woody‐1 (DH160733; Reg. no. GP‐218, PI 704479) and Woody‐2 (DH160754; Reg. no. GP‐219, PI 704480), are two doubled‐haploid genotypes produced via F1 anther culture named in honor of the late Lynn "Woody" Gallagher. These two‐row spring habit barley germplasm accessions were released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in 2023. These genotypes have demonstrated resistance to both stem and stripe rust at the seedling and adult plant stage in trials conducted between 2018 and 2023. The genetic basis of this resistance appears to be a novel quantitative trait locus conferring resistance to both diseases on chromosome 5H that is different from the known rpg4/Rpg5 complex for stem rust resistance found on the same chromosome. Seed can be requested from the Oregon State University Barley Breeding Program or from the NLGRP Germplasm repository. Core Ideas: The Woody‐1 and Woody‐2 germplasms are novel barley genotypes released by Oregon State University.The Woodies are doubled haploid genotypes developed via F1 anther culture.The Woodies are a source of both stem and stripe rust resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control rod calibration experiment results for the Oregon State TRIGA® Reactor (OSTR) immediately following LEU conversion in 2008, and MCNP® 5 predicted rod worths from the 2008 LEU Conversion Safety Analysis Report (CSAR) are discussed. The reactivity worth of the four OSTR control rods is measured using the rod-pull method. Reactor power and period measurements in this method rely on the fission chamber power detector on the north side of the reflector. It is proposed that the location of the fission chamber and the neutron flux distribution in the core may result in an inaccurate reactor period measurement due to the asymmetry of the neutron flux distribution in the OSTR core. The asymmetry of the flux is believed to be more pronounced during super-criticality, resulting in errors in the time-of-power-rise measurements. As a result, control rod calibration experiments may under-predict or over-predict the reactivity worth of certain control rods. A time-independent Monte–Carlo method for the quantification of these effects is presented. Thermal flux maps at the core axial mid-plane are obtained from the model to inform discrepancies between predicted and observed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German program at Oregon State University has introduced microcredentials as an additional option for students interested in learning German. These microcredentials offer a range of credential options for different proficiency levels, allowing students to learn German without committing to a full degree program. Initial data shows positive enrollment growth, with over 170 students signing up for at least one microcredential. The German program at Oregon State University has faced challenges in the past, but the introduction of microcredentials has helped increase visibility and attract new students. [Extracted from the article]

Bridges have recently been exposed to an increasing number of natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. These extreme events have resulted in transverse offsets, overturning moments, and even dropping-off of superstructures due to their weak connection to substructures. These outcomes are potentially prevented or mitigated by developing and deploying sliding, modular, adaptive, replaceable, and two-dimensional (SMART) shear keys as fuse elements between superstructures and substructures. The novelty of SMART shear keys is to enable an adaptive control of both the force and displacement of bridges under different types of loads. In this study, the performance of SMART shear keys under tsunami loading was investigated through a 1/5-scale six-girder concrete bridge model. Four levels of tsunami-like solitary waves 0.27, 0.42, 0.57, and 0.72 m in height were generated in the large wave flume at Oregon State University and applied on the reinforced concrete bridge. To evaluate the performance of the shear keys, the dynamic responses of the bridge model were measured from accelerometers, load cells, and displacement sensors. The shear keys were prestressed to 0, 100, and 200 MPa to represent flexible, medium, and fixed superstructure-substructure connections, respectively. The test results indicated that the residual displacements of the SMART shear keys were less than 1 mm in the vertical direction and zero in the horizontal direction. The energy dissipated by the SMART shear keys was up to 32.5% of the input energy that the bridge received from the tsunami loading. The natural frequency and energy dissipation of the bridge were respectively modified up to 18% and 14.2% by changing the prestress level of the SMART shear keys from 0 to 200 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 200 million X-ray images are taken annually in the United States of America using several medical imaging procedures like conventional X-ray radiography, computed tomography (CT), fluoroscopy, and mammography. About 12% of mammograms result in false positives due to poor image resolution between dense breast tissues and cancerous tissues. False positive results lead to additional follow-up screening that cost billion s of dollars each year. This work aims to improve image resolution utilizing a novel direct conversion perovskite–graphene imaging detector that will enhance the X-ray detection sensitivity, which will improve the overall image quality compared to existing a-Se sensors installed in tomosynthesis and mammography units. A graphene field effect transistor perovskite sensor prototype made with metal halide perovskites was built and tested at Oregon State University. The sensor that was exposed to a micro-CT X-ray beam with 35 kVp, registered a sensitivity of 870 uC/cm2/R. The Planar design of the perovskite–graphene sensor was exposed to a 35 kVp and 50 kVp energy beams and registered a 500 uC/cm2/R and 350 uC/cm2/R sensitivity, respectively. The sensor sensitivity was found to be 3–4 orders of magnitude greater than current a-Se sensors used in mammography systems. Improvements in sensitivity should lead to better image quality, and thus reduce the percentage of false positive results, which will decrease the need for secondary screenings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malting barley is an economically important crop, with strict quality standards. In some sectors of the industry, there is a bias against malting barley with blue aleurone. The rationale behind this bias is not clear. We therefore investigated the relationships between barley color and malting quality using a panel of fall-planted doubled haploid lines from the Oregon State University barley breeding program. The panel was assessed for malting and aleurone color traits using grain from the 2021 harvest and for aleurone color with grain from the 2022 harvest. The white and blue aleurone groups were found to be different for some malting traits across the entire panel of lines, but this was a result of selection history. When a biparental subset of the panel segregating for aleurone color was considered, differences between the color groups were minimal. A genome wide association study showed that the major QTL contributing to aleurone color (on the long arm of chromosome 4H) was independent of the malt quality QTL. It is concluded that there is no basis for a bias against blue aleurone: identifying new malting barley varieties should be based on their malting performance, not their color. The blues are all right – aleurone color and malting quality are controlled by different genes. Observed relationships between aleurone color and specific malting quality traits are due to breeding history. Barley varieties with specific malting quality profiles can be developed irrespective of aleurone color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors distributed a survey to faculty in all academic ranks and in all Colleges of Oregon State University (OSU) to learn the extent to which they currently make their research openly available, ascertain their awareness of Open Access (OA), their support for OA and their preferences for achieving it. In total, 261 surveys were completed for a response rate of 10.3%. Most faculty demonstrated at least an introductory awareness of OA, so our subsequent outreach focused on more nuanced issues such as the monopolistic nature of key academic publishers and how rising publishing costs interacted with our institutional goals of sustainability and public good. Additionally, faculty members tended to have a strong grounding in the potential values of OA, but few had a strong sense of our libraries' budget or how much was devoted to subscription costs. Future outreach will address this knowledge gap with a more explicit explanation of our operational reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) at Oregon State University is an integral system test facility to simulate postulated reactor transients of prismatic high-temperature gas-cooled reactors(HTGRs). A series of test campaigns was launched, providing abundant test data that could be used to benchmark reactor system analysis codes like the System Analysis Module (SAM). In this study, a SAM model of the facility is developed based on the two-dimensional (2D) ring model approach. All components including the ceramic matrix, graphite heaters, helium coolant channels, core barrel, upcomer, pressure vessel, and reactor cavity cooling system are modeled as concentric cylindrical rings. The model is used to simulate one of the benchmark problems—Pressurized Conduction Cooldown (PCC)—within the scope of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency International HTTF Benchmark. The simulations consist of two parts. In the first part, operating and boundary conditions as well as thermophysical properties of materials are specified for the benchmark problem. Results from the first part will be used in code-to-code comparison. In the second part, the SAM model is used to simulate Test PG-27, which is the first PCC test carried out in the HTTF, with only two of the ten heater banks activated. The results in the second part are used for code-to-data comparison. Because the helium coolant flow rate is not measured in this facility, it is estimated using the input power and inlet/outlet coolant temperatures. Additionally, radial heat flow in the ceramic blocks is complicated by hundreds of cylindrical coolant channels and heater rods embedded in them. As such, it is necessary to deduce an effective thermal conductivity for the ceramic to analyze the core thermal behavior. SAM predictions of the helium coolant and ceramic temperatures are compared with test data measured in three equivalent sectors. Overall, the SAM results agree reasonably well with test data within the variation of data among the three sectors, which demonstrates SAM's capability in capturing transient effects in HTGR using the simplified 2D ring model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors distributed a survey to faculty in all academic ranks and in all Colleges of Oregon State University (OSU) to learn the extent to which they currently make their research openly available, ascertain their awareness of Open Access (OA), their support for OA and their preferences for achieving it. In total, 261 surveys were completed for a response rate of 10.3%. Most faculty demonstrated at least an introductory awareness of OA, so our subsequent outreach focused on more nuanced issues such as the monopolistic nature of key academic publishers and how rising publishing costs interacted with our institutional goals of sustainability and public good. Additionally, faculty members tended to have a strong grounding in the potential values of OA, but few had a strong sense of our libraries' budget or how much was devoted to subscription costs. Future outreach will address this knowledge gap with a more explicit explanation of our operational reality.

The authors distributed a survey to faculty in all academic ranks and in all Colleges of Oregon State University (OSU) to learn the extent to which they currently make their research openly available, ascertain their awareness of Open Access (OA), their support for OA and their preferences for achieving it. In total, 261 surveys were completed for a response rate of 10.3%. Most faculty demonstrated at least an introductory awareness of OA, so our subsequent outreach focused on more nuanced issues such as the monopolistic nature of key academic publishers and how rising publishing costs interacted with our institutional goals of sustainability and public good. Additionally, faculty members tended to have a strong grounding in the potential values of OA, but few had a strong sense of our libraries' budget or how much was devoted to subscription costs. Future outreach will address this knowledge gap with a more explicit explanation of our operational reality.

Obtaining high spatiotemporal resolution surface currents with wide coverage is of great importance for understanding marine physical and biogeochemical processes, as well as practical applications. This study utilizes the sequential hourly images from the Himawari‐8 geostationary satellite to map the semidiurnal M2 surface tidal current pattern over the shallow shelf (<100 m) of the northern South China Sea. The comparison between the satellite‐derived tidal currents and the High‐Frequency Radar observations shows good agreement. The satellite‐derived tidal currents are also fairly comparable to the prediction of the regional tidal model from Oregon State University. The detided daily mean surface flows provide an apparent representation of the spatial pattern of the Guangdong Coastal Current (GCC) and its synoptic variability, well consistent with the simultaneous sea surface temperature and salinity satellite observations. The observed surface flows are compared to the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service daily model currents, and the model findings are in good agreement with the observations, indicating the sensitivity of the GCC to rapid changes of northeasterly winds. This study highlights the potential of the Himawari‐8 geostationary satellite in measuring sea surface currents over a broad, shallow continental shelf. Plain Language Summary: This study used hourly images from the Himawari‐8 geostationary satellite to map the semidiurnal M2 surface tidal current pattern in the shallow shelf (<100 m) of the Northern South China Sea. The satellite‐derived results are compared to high‐frequency radar observations and a regional tidal model from Oregon State University and are found to be in good agreement. The satellite observations also provide a representation of the spatial pattern of the Guangdong Coastal Current (GCC) and its synoptic variability, which are well consistent with sea surface temperature and salinity observations. The observed surface flows are also in good agreement with the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service daily model currents, showing the sensitivity of the GCC to rapid changes of northeasterly winds. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the Himawari‐8 geostationary satellite in measuring surface currents over a broad, shallow continental shelf. Key Points: Semidiurnal M2 tidal currents are derived from the Himawari‐8 geostationary imageryThe satellite‐derived mean flows reveal the spatial pattern of a strong, broad Guangdong Coastal Current and its synoptic scale variabilitySatellite‐derived tidal and mean currents are used for evaluating the model outputs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article replicates a prior study of student perceptions of captions in a specialized learning context to understand the extent to which captions are useful for students learning specialized vocabulary. It describes the results of a conceptual replication (Christensen et al., Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 2021) of a nationwide study by Linder (2016) that surveyed undergraduate students regarding their use and perceptions of closed captions and transcripts. In Linder (2016). Student Uses and Perceptions of Closed Captions and Transcripts: Results from a national study. Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit.) study, a broad range of undergraduate student populations reported that they used closed captions and transcripts as a learning aid to help with accuracy, comprehension, retention, and engagement. This study surveys a smaller group of graduate students in legal education whose academic challenges include mastering a highly specific terminology. Experimental studies have provided evidence that closed captions can help students learn challenging new vocabulary in areas such as foreign language Winke et al. Language Learning & Technology, 14(1), 65–86 (2010) and science (Marino et al., Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching 29:31–49, 2010). This article reports on student perceptions of the helpfulness of captions and transcripts, why they found them helpful or not, and how they used them to support their learning. Results indicate that provided captions and transcripts were accurate, students found them helpful with understanding instructors, concentrating, comprehending lectures, learning new vocabulary, and note-taking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the quality of simulated historical precipitation across the contiguous United States (CONUS) in a 12 km Weather Research and Forecasting model version 4.2.1 (WRF v 4.2.1)-based dynamical downscaling of the fifth-generation ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis (ERA5). This work addresses the following questions. First, how well are the 3 and 24 h precipitation characteristics (diurnal and annual cycles, precipitation frequency, annual and seasonal mean and maximum precipitation, and distribution of seasonal maximum precipitation) represented in the downscaled simulation, compared to ERA5? And second, how does the performance of the simulated WRF precipitation vary across seasons, regions, and timescales? Performance is measured against the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/Environmental Modeling Center (NCEP/EMC) 4 km Stage IV and Oregon State University Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) data on 3 and 24 h timescales, respectively. Our analysis suggests that the 12 km WRF exhibits biases typically found in other WRF simulations, including those at convection-permitting scales. In particular, WRF simulates both the timing and magnitude of the summer diurnal precipitation peak as well as ERA5 over most of the CONUS, except for a delayed diurnal peak over the Great Plains. As compared to ERA5, both the month and the magnitude of the precipitation peak annual cycle are remarkably improved in the downscaled WRF simulation. WRF slightly overestimates 3 and 24 h precipitation maximum over the CONUS, in contrast to ERA5, which generally underestimates these quantities mainly over the eastern half of the CONUS. Notably, WRF better captures the probability density distribution (PDF) of 3 and 24 h annual and seasonal maximum precipitation. WRF exhibits seasonally dependent precipitation biases across the CONUS, while ERA5's biases are relatively consistent year round over most of the CONUS. These results suggest that dynamical downscaling to a higher resolution improves upon some precipitation metrics but is susceptible to common regional climate model biases. Consequently, if used as input data for domain-specific models, we suggest moderate bias correction be applied to the dynamically downscaled product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]