The purpose of this study was to examine how students from different backgrounds and ethnic groups experience UW-River Falls. Previous studies, including the Campus Climate Survey (surveying all faculty, staff, and students in 2009), have shown that white students may experience fewer incidents of discrimination or bias as compared to students of color. While the Campus Climate survey gave us a broad understanding of differential experiences on campus, we felt it was important to dig deeper into students’ beliefs and experiences. In addition to asking about experiences of discrimination on campus more generally and with professors, we also asked about a variety of other issues: GPA and time spent studying, perceptions of their own intelligence, levels of self esteem and ethnic identification, and background experiences (among many other questions). Our survey was based on a much larger survey of UCLA students (Sidanius, Levin, van Laar, & Sears, 2008) that was modified to fit UW-River Falls. The survey was administered to over 293 students from across campus in classes, student organization meetings, and special sessions set up to collect data (General Psychology Participant Pool). Our results indicated that students of color had lower GPA’s and felt less smart than white students but they also reported studying more on average. Students of color reported lower Self Esteem but higher ethnic identification than whites and they perceived UW-River Falls as less diverse than whites. Students of color reported more experiences of discrimination on campus as well as more biased professors. Finally, among students of color it seems that ethnic identification may have a somewhat protective effect. Higher levels of ethnic identification were correlated with higher self esteem, but also with greater perceptions of campus and professor bias.

Plastic pollution in marine environments has received considerable attention from scientists, policy makers and the media. Only recently, however, has much consideration been given to the unique problems microplastics (0.3 mm - 5.0 mm) present to aquatic systems. The small size of these plastic particulates makes them difficult to study and potentially more hazardous to marine and freshwater environments. While most efforts to quantify microplastic pollution have focused on marine environments, this study investigates microplastic load in a large freshwater body (Lake Washington) and the possible link between rain events and microplastic concentration. Water samples were obtained with flow meter-equipped plankton nets modified for accurate surface collection, and then processed using an oxidation reaction and visual inspection method developed by UW Tacoma. Results suggest freshwater microplastic pollution reflects average mass found in marine environments, and that there may be a correlation between rain events and higher microplastic concentrations.

Where plankton reside in the water column is affected, among other things, by haloclines. Therefore the salinity stratification of the water can have major effects on the levels of plankton present. Our study focused on Possession Sound zooplanktons’ response to varying levels of salinity in a vertically stratified column. We questioned the preferred salinity level of various zooplankton found in a sample of Possession Sound water. We hypothesized that most zooplankton will prefer waters approximately 24 ppt since that is the average salinity of Possession Sound. We have so far looked at literature surrounding the subject and constructed the necessary apparatuses for the experiment. As part of our spring thesis research, we plan on observing the plankton’s response to the introduction to this environment.

In this study, the incompressible viscous flow over a circular cylinder is studied numerically. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved numerically in 2D with the pressure-correction method and second-order finite difference scheme on a uniform Cartesian mesh. The circular cylinder is treated numerically by using the immersed boundary method originally developed by Peskin (1972). The simulations were performed at three different Reynolds numbers, ReD, based on the cylinder diameter ranging between 55 and 100. The numerical results such as the mean drag coefficient are compared at three different Reynolds numbers with experimental results.

This research uses multi-agent simulation to explore the sustainability of different types of water supply networks. Sourcing, collection and storage, treatment, and distribution are all defining components of water supply chains. A functional water supply chain is one that supplies water to the end user in sufficient quantity and of sufficient quality. Factors such as pressure-driven leakage, fluctuating water supply, and seasonal water quality issues all affect water availability and delivery. To explore how water supply networks compare on a systems level, each supply chain type is modeled using a stochastic, multi-agent simulation platform. This platform allows statistical analysis of water supply systems under varied internal and external system conditions to gain insight into the strengths, weaknesses, and potential sustainability of each type of network. This research enables side-by-side water supply network comparisons that are unavailable in the real world, and is applicable to water supply network design and re-design.

Imidacloprid (IMI) may be a viable alternative to carbaryl for controlling burrowing shrimp that destabilize sediments, resulting in poor survival and low yields of Pacific oysters. However, efficacy varies among substrates and laboratory tests indicate the shrimp are relatively insensitive to IMI (24-h LC50's > 12,000 ppb active ingredient [ai]) and 10x greater than those in sediment pore water following application of 4x the desired application rate. These results contrast sharply with observed efficacy in the field, with significant mortality occurring 72-96 h post application in sandy substrate at 0.5 lbs ai/ac. Reasons are not known, but an understanding of the factors governing efficacy in the field may improve control within muddy substrates and those with eelgrass. We exposed adult N. californiensis in seawater to IMI (Nuprid® 2F) simulating concentrations reported in sandy substrate following application of 0.5 lbs ai per acre. Concentrations were the means from a pore-water fate curve: 0-6 h = 150 ppb ai, 6-24 h (24), 24-48 h (10), 48-72 h (6), and 72-96 h (4.3) plus negative controls with 10 shrimp at each time interval (5 IMI, 5 controls), a loading of 0.31 L/g, and water exchanges at the end of each time period. Water quality and overt effects were monitored. At the end of each exposure, the ability of shrimp to burrow in sandy substrate was evaluated. All IMI-exposed shrimp survived, were overtly affected, and none burrowed. In contrast, all controls appeared normal and 96% exhibited burrowing behavior. Results suggest applications of IMI (0.5 lbs ai/ac) will not directly kill shrimp, exposed shrimp may not be able to maintain their burrows, and death may result from burrow collapse. Factors that maintain burrow integrity (mud/organic matter, eelgrass roots) may explain differences in observed efficacy. Laboratory tests with shrimp exposed to IMI within burrows are needed.

People always say ‘never talk about religion at a party,’ this is true even for college students. But if you’re a female in college, talking about religion is not only taboo, it’s unheard of. After being brought up by parents with two different ideologies, Christianity and Islam, I set out with this research project to better understand what role religion plays for my other female peers. Analyzing predominantly what their chosen theology means to their identity, how they advocate for their faith, how their ideology intersects with dating and what they perceive to be the biggest misconception about them for being religiously affiliated. I chose women who were students at UW from a variety of majors who identified with either Christian or Islamic based faiths, since this is where the majority of my previous research and experience has been. My primary methods were through long-form interviews, ethnographic observations and interacting with them on a daily basis as they moved their lives and their faith. Hearing about the challenges these women overcome on a daily basis just for identifying with a particular religion has solidified my hypothesis that ideology plays a pivotal role in their undergraduate career. Based on my research thus far, it has proven that it affects them in regards to their academics, involvement on campus and their interactions with their peers on campus. Further research will yield more information about the depth that these affects have taken. Overall, the outcomes have also been both surprising and inspirational to see how these women embrace, advocate and represent their faith. This work aims to open up and spark some dialogue about what religion means to college students and how societal framework does not always accurately represent these identities.

The Brome Mosaic Virus (BMV) is an RNA virus that infects granary plants. It consists of three distinct viral particles which consists of each of three distinct BMV RNA molecules wrapped by many copies of the Coat Protein (CP). CP's regulatory roles in the replication processes of BMV are conducted through controlling the efficiency of both RNA replication and protein translation. Previous studies have shown that a 22-residue peptide (CPNT) derived from the N terminal region of CP can penetrate the host cell membrane and deliver the BMV genomic RNA into the host cell. The long-term goal of this project is to investigate the conformational characteristics of CPNT and to explore its binding characteristics on the different parts of BMV genomic RNA. As a first step, a 29 residue-long peptide mimicking the N-terminal region of CP (CPNT-1) was chemically synthesized and its overall conformation was investigated using Circular Dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The CD spectra showed that it has only 12% of a-helix structure and 50% of random coil, implicating high conformational flexibility. Given that these Cys residues are not a part of the functionally crucial region of CPNT, we designed a new CPNT construct without any Cys residues (CPNT-2). Our preliminary results showed that the 1 dimensional NMR spectra showed that CPNT forms appreciable amount of secondary and/or tertiary structures in native sequence (27 amino acid residues on N’ end: CPNT-2). When the end of CPNT was replaced by multiple Cys residues (CPNT-1), it is either aggregated or becomes a random, flexible conformation. CD as well as nuclear magnetic resonance analyses have been performed on CPNT-2 and the preliminary data showed that the peptide forms secondary structure. Currently we are investigating the detailed structural characteristics of CPNT-2 using CD and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis.

Most American universities provide academic support for multilingual students. These supports tend to fall into the realms of one-on-one tutoring, study groups, or specialized classes. Less common, however, are institutionally provided social supports – that is, support settings not focused on classroom specific education or academic learning, but instead provide an environment where students can develop a sense of community, form relationships with their peers, and ultimately gain a better understanding of U.S. culture. To assess the impact that institutional social supports can provide, we will conduct a case study of two students participating in Thursday English Afternoons (T.E.A. Time) at the Boise State University Writing Center while taking regular college courses during the summer intersession. We will consider the role that T.E.A. Time fills among students’ other social and academic activities, whether it fills a need that is otherwise absent, and we will assess it for positive impacts on students’ academic work. To conduct this case study, two participants will fill out pre and post surveys, and they will be interviewed three times over the course of this study. The surveys will assess students’ perceptions on the T.E.A. Time program, and how it relates to their lives in the United States. The interviews will focus on students’ lives, both in the classroom and in social situations outside of T.E.A. Time, and will be analyzed to determine common themes that suggest social or academic needs that are not otherwise being met. We hypothesize that this study will show participants self-reporting a significant increase in confidence with spoken English and will show strong support for the T.E.A. Time program among participants. Additionally, we will explore possible links among T.E.A. Time, students’ social lives, and their academic performance.

The purpose of this research is to increase compliance among undocumented workers and propose an incentive package that will benefit both the U.S. economy and provide a new way of obtaining citizenship for immigrants. This research focuses on the growing “tax gap” in the United States: “What are the effects of undocumented workers and their income on the national and local economies in the United States? What can be done to increase the number of undocumented workers to report their income?” By thoroughly examining various policies and practices related to these matter(s), this study synthesizes wide range finding(s) and outcome(s) of various policies and its output to introduce multiple alternative resolutions to better both parties (Literature Review). This study also further explores the future implication and outcome of the current and alternative policy recommendations related to the “tax gap” and undocumented workers. By examining the report Reducing the Federal Tax Gap: A Report on Improving Voluntary Compliance by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the startling estimates of unreported incomes in the U.S will be presented. As New Mexico and Utah propose state guest worker programs, I will examine the benefits and disadvantages of their proposed solutions. By shedding light on the tax gap for the past three years and its relationship to undocumented workers income, the anticipated findings will reveal an increase in the tax gap and demonstrate that the currently policy is not effect.

The problem of real-time gesture from videos is explored, using techniques of dimension reduction to approach this by using methods analogous to those developed for detecting objects in images and voices in sound data. A variety of innovative pre-processing techniques significantly downsize the total video data. This makes the use of the relatively computationally expensive Higher-Order Singular Value Decomposition (HOSVD) for the classification process feasible. The HOSVD transforms the data into a mathematical space where the classification process becomes much simpler. Once the input video of a gesture is transformed, it is tested against a training set that was created a priori and specially indexed to optimize the search. This process is a refined extension of the ‘eigenfaces’ technique developed for face recognition. The performance is compared to other contemporary methods and its feasibility for larger gesture databases discussed. It is our pre-processing which makes SVD feature selection possible and makes our method robust to variations in translation, rotation, and scale of the gesture in the video. The primary difficulties with scale include both temporal and spatial variations, specifically the rate of the gesture over the video length and the size of the hands performing the gesture. It is shown that our pre-processing steps sufficiently handle the aforementioned challenges except for the variations in time. Comparisons are made between various methods and a balance between computational load and accuracy is discussed. Minimizing the computations is essential for real-time recognition and we intend to release our core code to be incorporated into other computer vision projects.

Many species have been driven, or nearly driven, to extinction by overexploitation. Without a proper understanding of their complexity, we will continue disrupting ecosystems with unsustainable harvesting. For example, the concept of maximum sustainable yield places priority on maximizing harvests by ignoring most of the consequences. Resource populations are reduced to stimulate productivity without fully accounting for the effects of doing so. To what extent we can sustainably reduce resource populations. Empirical patterns in the reduction of prey populations by natural predators fully account for ecosystem complexity to inform us. We analyzed data from numerous published studies in which the population size of various prey species (marine, fresh-water and terrestrial) had been monitored before and after a predator species was either introduced or removed. The population size was compared with and without predators, to determine the extent to which resource populations are reduced by nonhuman predators. The effects of natural predation is a variable that is currently being ignored as a source of guidance in regard to population reduction, and hope that this work can contribute to more holistic decision-making in this regard. The overall objective is that of maintaining sustainable populations, ecosystems, and fisheries.

When water is placed in contact with a hydrophilic surface and light, a zone clear of all solutes measuring several micrometers long forms at the area of contact. The water in this exclusion zone (EZ) differs from bulk water in that EZ water is negatively charged, more viscous, and highly stabilized with the water molecules being further aligned and constrained. The energy required to generate this zone comes from ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths of light, and while the specific mechanism for their production is unknown, it is hypothesized that light increases hydrogen bonding from the hydrophilic surface into the water, producing the EZ. Metals also contain the necessary properties for generating EZs, and have the potential of producing exclusion zones on a large scale. Current results show that EZs form only when the interface between copper and water is exposed to sunlight, suggesting that exposure to light specifically at the interface might be responsible for producing a photoelectric effect involved with separating the interfacial water into EZ water. Repetitions will be needed to confirm the trend that sunlight light is responsible for producing EZs along copper. A positive result will have significant influence on developing water filtration technologies using just sunlight and copper by harvesting the pure EZ water, fit for drinking. The potential also exists to engineer solar panels using copper and sunlight, and harvesting the stored negative charge in the EZ as a source of energy.

In the failed state of Somalia, piracy is increasing exponentially, impacting all nations that engage in trade or travel in the region. The economic and human cost of piracy is sure to rise as the situation devolves into maritime terrorism. Although current anti-piracy efforts are moderately successful, there is room for improvement. This report has thoroughly researched the situation to create one comprehensive source for understanding piracy in the Horn of Africa. Research methods included reviewing secondary source material, in addition to interviews with professionals working in counter-piracy efforts and with Somalis in the United States. The coordinator of the U.S. Office of Counter-Piracy and Maritime Security, Donna Hopkins, and her team provided assistance through interviews, contacts with people working in Somalia and around the world, and other valuable sources. The research was compiled into a task force report that provides recommendations for the U.S. State Department, and for other organizations involved in counter-piracy efforts. The following recommendations provide alternative courses of action to address current imperfections in the international architecture’s counter-piracy campaign. Social media should be utilized to launch an anti-piracy information campaign that engages the vast Somali Diaspora. Because piracy is a land-based problem with a maritime manifestation, a grassroots approach to address the land-based causes of poverty and political instability must be instated. National prosecutions and detentions should be supported and facilitated through new international legal frameworks. Passive defensive measures must be expanded on commercial vessels and armed guards should be utilized. The three parallel naval forces patrolling the area are insufficient protection against pirates and must be consolidated into one international force. Finally, the U.S. must expand its diplomatic engagement with regional governments in Somalia through imams and clan elders if the fight against piracy is to succeed.

Mesanchymal stem cells (MSC) can differentiate into a variety of cell lineages, including adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts. This gives them great potential for use in regenerative medicine. To harness this potential, we must understand the effects of the various stimuli that can be applied to cells in in vitro culture. We produced an ECM mimetic nano-grooved cell culture substrate via capillary force lithography. An agarose diffusive microfluidic device was used to establish an SDF-1 α gradient across the nanogrooved substrate. Bone marrow derived mesanchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) were seeded on the substrate, and live cell imaging was carried out over a few days’ time. Using the time-lapse images, the differentiation, proliferation, motility, and elongation of the BM-MSC were analyzed and quantified. Understanding the synergistic effects of topography and bio molecular gradients will prove helpful in future efforts to create MSC regenerative medicines.

In a population of organisms, traits that increase fitness, or the ability to survive and reproduce, are passed on to progeny and become more prominent in the gene pool. It has been similarly shown that E. coli with a phenotype that increases or decreases fitness given an environmental pressure can be tuned to correspondingly decrease or increase fitness through random mutagenesis and selection of desired mutants. However, this process does not focus mutations and does not confer the maximum fitness benefit or cost per mutation. In order to isolate mutation location and effect, and increase the rate at which evolution occurs, I am applying a tool called Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs). SSRs are repeats of short nucleotide sequences (AAA…, ATATAT…, etc.) that have been shown to mutate primarily in the form of insertions or deletions of an SSR and have a rate of mutation four to five orders of magnitude higher than non-repeat sequences. Most importantly, it has been shown that when SSRs are inserted between the ribosome binding site (RBS) and start of a gene, every insertion or deletion has a discrete, predictable effect on the level of expression for that gene. We have inserted SSR spacers in front of lacZ, lacY, and lacI in the lac system, and will show that we can rapidly optimize the expression of the genes. This could serve as a significant tool for tuning other, novel behaviors in bacteria.

Adults can hear a target sound better if competing sound is modulated, or changing in amplitude over time, because they can focus on times when the competing sound level is low. Infants can do this too. However, one highly modulated sound, infant- directed speech is very attractive to infants, and it is possible that this sort of sound would distract, rather than help, them to hear a target sound. In this experiment, infants discriminate between the vowels /a/ and /i/ in the presence of either a modulated speech spectrum noise or an unmodulated speech spectrum noise. In both conditions, the speech-spectrum noise is presented at 70 dB Sound Pressure Level (SPL). The modulation of the noise is based on the modulation in samples of infant-directed speech. Seven-to-nine-month-old infants are tested using an observer-based, or conditioned response, procedure in a sound attenuated booth while seated on the caregiver’s lap. One vowel is presented repeatedly throughout the experiment. Half of the infants learn to respond when they hear the vowel change from /a/ to /i/; half learn to respond when the vowel changes from /i/ to /a/. Only the infant can hear the vowels. After training to an 80% correct criterion at an easy amplitude, infants complete 36 trials at an amplitude of 44 dB SPL, previously shown to allow infants to discriminate the vowels correctly about 70% of the time. The vowel changes on half the trials, but does not change on the other trials. An observer, blind to trial type, decides on each trial whether a change occurred or not, based on the infant’s response. The dependent variable is an unbiased measure of accuracy, d'. In theory, if infants can make use of the modulation in infant-directed speech, then their auditory sensitivity to speech would improve in the modulated noise compared to the unmodulated noise.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and some types have been linked to cervical cancer. Approximately twenty million Americans are currently infected with HPV, and an additional six million will become infected next year. In 2006 a vaccine was approved to protect against certain types of HPV. This research seeks to understand the attitudes and beliefs surrounding the decision to be vaccinated. Specifically, the research will examine how perceived risk of infection by HPV has affected the vaccination decisions in the unique cohort of women who were above the recommended vaccination age when it was first released. Through focus groups and anonymous, online questionnaires involving undergraduate women in Seattle, this research examines factors, especially sexual contact, that affect perceived risk. This investigation is repeated with a cohort of undergraduate men of the same age in Seattle in an effort to explore any possible differences in perceptions that seem to be polarized by gender. By uncovering young adult perceptions of HPV vulnerability, this project can provide insight to future public health work related to HPV vaccines and other sexually transmitted infections.

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a proposed motor speech disorder. At present, there is no universally accepted catalogue of diagnostic criteria for CAS. Peter & Raskind described a motor-based familial speech disorder in two multigenerational families where one or more children had a diagnosis of CAS. The current study attempted a qualitative analysis of errors made by adult members of five multigenerational families (N = 22), including the two families with the previously described motor-based speech disorder subtype, on real word and nonword repetition tasks, rapid automatic naming tasks, and measures of reading. In one family, three biologically related individuals showed slowed alternating, but not repetitive, oral movements and deficits in sequencing during multisyllabic word and nonword repetition and reading, but unimpaired naming speeds. Results are consistent with a familial CAS subtype characterized by multimodal sequencing deficits, which has implications for future diagnosis and treatment of CAS.

Chronic social-stress is known to lead to a number of aberrant behaviors, including anxiety and depression. Using a mouse model of social-defeat stress, this project aims to better understand the relationship between the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR), a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) previously shown to be activated by multiple forms of stress, and its role in generating anxiety-like and aversion behaviors in mice. Different forms of stress lead to the release of the endogenous KOR agonist, dynorphin, which activates an intracellular signal transduction cascade resulting in anxiety-like and aversion behaviors. Prior studies have demonstrated that the long-acting KOR antagonist, norbinaltorphimine (norBNI), is able to reduce social-defeat induced social avoidance behaviors when administered prior to social defeat stress exposure. Although these studies have implicated the KOR system in social-defeat induced behaviors, pretreatment of pharmacotherapies prior to a stress event is limited in therapeutic benefit.  In this research, the ability of norBNI to reverse repeated social-defeat induced changes in social behaviors was tested by administering norBNI following exposure to the social-defeat stress. The results have so far shown that post treatment with norBNI is able to effectively counter the altered social interaction behaviors caused by a repeated social-defeat stress; moreover, the reversal of the stress-induced social interaction deficits also correlates with a reduction in anxiety-like behaviors. These data suggest that social interaction deficits are due to increased anxiety in previously benign social settings, and norBNI has the therapeutic potential to reverse these social-stress induced behavior alterations.

The human body is roughly two-thirds water, much of which interacts with intracellular hydrophilic surfaces, materials that exhibit water-attracting properties. Near any hydrophilic surface such as biological tissue, a zone of water extending a few hundred micrometers from the surface called the “exclusion zone (EZ)” exhibits exclusive and stunning properties far different from those in normal, bulk water. For instance, EZ water does not exist as a solid, liquid, or gas but instead forms a unique, ordered liquid crystalline state that is solute-free, highly organized, and electrically polarized. When EZs are exposed to light, their sizes increase as they absorb and store energy. Cells could utilize this potential energy through growth or other cellular activities. However, it is hypothesized that EZs absorb not only light energy, but also other energy sources such as acoustic energy. To measure the effects of sound on EZs, sheets of hydrated Nafion, a hydrophilic polymer that generates EZs, were submerged in water and exposed to various frequencies and intensities of audible sound produced from an underwater speaker. Microspheres, small spherical particles made from synthetic material, were used to visualize the EZs. Because EZs exclude solutes, the EZs were represented by the areas void of microspheres. During and after exposure to sound, the EZ sizes were monitored over time. Recent results showed that during exposure to multiple audible frequencies (1-8 kHz), the sizes of the EZs decreased transiently. After the sound was removed, in some cases, the size recovered to its original value. These results may suggest enormous biological implications. Everyday sounds produced in our environment could have a large impact on cellular behavior.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of the most common types of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma with a 50.4% five-year survival rate.  Previous work has shown that some patients with aggressive DLBCL have increased expression of the transcription factor NF-kß, which can alter normal growth and function of B-lymphocytes.  Interestingly, a protein upstream of NF-kß in the B-Cell Receptor Pathway called PKCß is found to be highly activated in many DLBCL cases, suggesting that PKCß overexpression may be altering the lifecycle of those with DLBCL.  Therefore, PKCß may be a significant new target for therapy.  We designed a transgenic mouse expressing a dominant active form of PKCß expressed only in B-cells (Rosa26 DAPKCß XCD19-Cre).  With this model, we measured differences in B-cell  germinal center development and in antibody responses between WT and DA PKCß-Cre mice immunized with T-dependent antigen NP-CGG.  We hypothesized that DA PKCß-Cre mice may have an increased response compared to WT because of its dominant active form of PKCß, which leads to increased NF-kß and hyper-activation of the responding B-cells.  Thus, we used ELISA and ELISPOT assays to quantify the expressed antibodies and immunohistochemistry to analyze the architecture of the spleen.  Immunohistochemistry has shown that the immunized DA PKCß-Cre mice have slightly larger germinal centers than WT mice, although not statistically significant.  Immunized DA PKCß-Cre mice show no difference in serum antibody levels by ELISA, but have slightly increased numbers of anitbody producing cells by ELISPOT.  Overall, the data suggests that over expression of PKCß in B-cells results in a hyper-proliferative phenotype, but does not strongly alter the antibody response to the T-dependent antigen NP-CGG.  Since we saw a difference in mice immunized with Pertussis, which stimulates the Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Pathway, we will look at different responses of TLR ligands in vivo and in vitro.

Dugesia tigrina, commonly known as planaria, have a primitive, yet bilaterally symmetrical centralized nervous system and utilize many of the same neurotransmitters as humans. This allows us to use planaria to study the mechanisms of drug action and the effect of compounds on behavior in a relatively inexpensive in vivo model. Our lab explored the effects of over-the-counter commonly abused drugs on planaria activity, including seizure-like behavior, signs of withdrawal or habituation, or place conditioning. We have found that dextromethorphan (DXM), a cough suppressant contained in most over-the-counter cough medicines, increases seizure-like behaviors and reduces motility in a dose dependent manner.  DXM also has effects on place conditioning and withdrawal. DXM is thought as a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, so it can also be compared to the behavioral effects of DXM to that of NMDA stimulation. 

Given a very fast calculator and a digital camera, is it possible to relate what the camera “sees” to everyday life as we know it? Impossibly fast electronic signals pass from our optic nerves to our brains to our muscles to give us the power of object recognition and the ability to articulate that recognition. Algorithmically, this project attempts to take the wizardry of that recognition and “dumb it down” for computer consumption. Using the Python coding language, through a mathematical approach, an attempt is made to add rudimentary letter and word recognition to a Scribbler robot. The input to be analyzed is gathered by a hardware add-on, which provides a 220 x 220 pixel still-image camera to the Scribbler robot. Through an established letter recognition scheme, the Python code scans for matching values and assigns letters accordingly. The letters are then stored into string values and fed to the Scribbler's built-in text-to-speech command. Through this experiment, the bridge between human and computer understanding will be linked, if only for a crude, brief second.

Geoarchaeological analysis of sediments collected during recent excavations of Khao Toh Chong, (KTC), rockshelter in Southwestern Thailand has provided detailed results describing the natural and cultural processes influencing site formation and occupation. This region has a complex history of sea level change during the Holocene but the prehistoric human responses to these changes are not well understood. Palaeoclimate records are sparse because of the lack of typical proxies such as pollen cores. To better understand the human-environment relationship in prehistory, this study characterized the sediment profile and utilized changes in stable carbon isotope ratios of soil organic matter (SOM)  to identify and interpret shifts between ancient C3 and C4 vegetation communities. These two types of plant communities may indicate palaeoclimatic conditions with periods dominated by C3 plants representing cool, wet, and cloudy climates and periods dominated by C4 plants representing hot, dry environments. The stable isotope data are interpreted in context of other geoarchaeological analysis and the material culture recovered from the site. This is the first study of stable carbon isotopes in SOM at an archaeological site in mainland Southeast Asia. These palaeoclimate and archaeological data, in combination with sea level data, give us a more detailed understanding of the human-environment dynamics in this region.

Repairing spinal injuries is an important yet elusive goal of modern medicine. Our group has recently demonstrated that intraspinal stimulation may lead to some level of plasticity and recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury. One challenge in complete regeneration of the brain and spinal cord is that the presence of peri-neuronal nets limits plasticity at synapses in the adult central nervous system. Chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) is an enzyme known to dissolve chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans in these plasticity-inhibiting peri-neuronal nets. When delivered near a spinal cord injury, ChABC can lead to significant levels of recovery. Our goal is to determine whether the combination of intraspinal stimulation and ChABC augments recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury. Our experimental paradigm involves training rats in a forelimb reaching task before performing incomplete contusion injuries at the C4 vertebral level. Spinal stimulating wires are then implanted below the injury, and animals are randomly assigned to one of two groups that receive ChABC or ChABC + spinal stimulation. Animals are then given daily spinal stimulation treatments and are tested at the forelimb reaching task for several months to assess their level of recovery. We expect to see rats that receiving the ChABC treatment succeed at the reaching task with greater frequency than those that only receive spinal stimulation. In addition, these ChABC-treated rats should, over time, regain a greater degree of skilled motor-function than their stimulation-only counterparts. In related experiments, spinal stimulation triggered from brain activity may be an even more powerful and specific cue for plasticity. Additional experiments may test the combined effects of ChABC with brain-triggered stimulation, even in the uninjured adult spinal cord. If this is indeed the case, our work could lead to an effective combination therapy for repairing human spinal injuries.

Statistical learning is the process of identifying a language’s structure by tracking patterns of regularities within the language. Recent studies indicate that infants can use the statistical regularities of syllable patterns to find words in fluent speech, which enables them to associate meanings to words. We do not know, however, if statistical learning can also help adults learn words. In the present study, 40 adults ages 18-30 will participate in a segmentation phase in which they listen to 5 minutes of an artificial speech stream consisting of nonsense words. The artificial language will ensure that adults are being exposed to a language that is unfamiliar to them. To teach the labels, adults will be presented with novel objects matching each label. They will hear four words they heard previously in the segmentation phase and four new words. The method of teaching and testing labels will be the same as used with infants. However, the task for adults will be more complex because they will be presented with more labels. To test participants’ knowledge of the two types of labels, we will examine their ability to look at the correct object when they hear the specific label. Our expectations are that, similar to infants, the segmentation phase will help adults link the labels to the correct objects. Without the previous segmentation experience learning the labels is expected to be more difficult. This study will reveal how the learning processes of adults relate to the learning processes of infants.

Pain is a complicated sensory experience involving several neural circuits and structures. Previous research has examined the neural activity associated with processing and perceiving pain. One study examined the relationship between the average self-reported pain ratings and the average electrophysiological brain activity of Spinal Cord Injury Participants with chronic pain, as measured by electroencephalography (EEG). Significant relationships between pain perception and alpha wave activity around the sensory integration areas of the brain (electrode sites T3 and T4) were found. This study aims to further explore the relationship between expression and perception of pain and corresponding EEG measurements. Waveform analysis of the raw EEG data recorded just before and after the reporting of each pain rating will allow us to examine pain-related neural activity in more detail surrounding the time the participant consciously perceived and rated their pain.  Independent Component Analysis (ICA) allows us to isolate and examine the specific contribution of each frequency at each electrode.  Main effects of each wavelength and how they may interact will also be explored. Analysis software will help us graphically visualize and model the data, creating a preliminary visual representation of the neural activity measured. Further use of neuroimaging analysis software will help to better understand neural pain pathways. With further analysis, it may be possible to utilize computer programs to create a model that can imitate and test these indicated circuits. This analysis will provide us with a more dynamic understanding of the “chronic pain brain” and  will provide a baseline against which to compare brain activity after treatments.

Cognitive theorists argue that mental states, including disorders, are generated and maintained by personal, subjective beliefs, and that events can only be appropriately labeled by the individual experiencing them. Additionally, pervasive negative thoughts are a part of both depression and anxiety. Whereas with depression a person is likely to believe they are incompetent, or that life is hopeless, with anxiety a person is likely to have negative thoughts about what might happen or about threats in the future. Additionally, high levels of self-hate are associated with bulimia and high levels of self-control are associated with anorexia. Current research indicates a connection between depression, anxiety, and self-talk (ST). However, studies have yet to examine whether ST in men suffering from depression, anxiety, or disordered eating (DE) differs from that of women. The purpose of this study is to explore potential gender differences in ST (as measured by the automatic thoughts questionnaire-revised and the anxious self-statements questionnaire) with student’s scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Eating Disorders Inventory. These differences, if found, may help to explain the disparity between the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and DE between genders. Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety and ten times as likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. We hypothesize that there will be differences in ST between men and women, and that these differences in ST will mediate the relation between gender and depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.

As young people between the ages of 16 and 24 become more engaged in their communities, they begin to seek out ways to contribute to volunteer activities. As this occurs, young people often need to track their service efforts, and organizations need to regularly reach out to volunteers and validate their participation. Despite advancements in web technology, paper logs that are prone to becoming unorganized or misplaced are still used by people and organizations as the primary method for keeping track of volunteering records. Such was the case for our nonprofit client, the University of Washington Foundation. To improve this situation, we first conducted a literature review on attitudes and behavior around volunteering. We then designed an online survey that was filled out by 64 qualifying respondents, and conducted 20 in-person interviews with students from local Seattle Public Schools and the University of Washington. Results suggested that young people consider (1) organization, (2) history tracking, and (3) event coordination as important qualities in helping to better manage their volunteering efforts. Building on those findings, we sought to create a web application called vTracker that allows volunteers to centralize their records in an online database for better safekeeping, verification, and retrieval. vTracker’s design and implementation process included the creation of wireframe diagrams, user interface design specifications, and a functional prototype. According to feedback from students and our client organization that tested our prototype, vTracker provides a convenient way for volunteers to set personal service goals and have their volunteer hours validated by participating organizations; similarly, organizations can share volunteer opportunities, confirm volunteer profile records, and recommend the work of their volunteers. Eventually, the Student Philanthropy Education Program of the University of Washington Foundation will adopt the web application as an active record-keeping tool because vTracker effectively streamlines their volunteer management process.

According to the World Health Organization, every year about 3.3 million babies are stillborn and more than 4 million die within 28 days of birth. Yet the death of a baby remains a very difficult subject in contemporary American society and bereavement interventions in perinatal medicine are still quite limited. This research will expand our understanding of the role photography plays in assisting parents with the process of mourning neonatal, perinatal, and infant death. By examining the perspectives of healthcare professionals, photographers, and parents in regard to the practice of bereavement photography, the research will investigate the ways in which photographs are used and transmitted, in both the private realm of bereaved families and the public domain of cyberspace. This study aims to understand how photography is used in the process of memory making and consequently, how the act of creating memories enables emotional healing. Finally, it will explore how bereavement photography exists at the junction of two shifts simultaneously occurring in cultural practices and social attitudes: the renegotiation of the boundaries between public and private, and the development of newer, characteristically modern, expressions of grief. This work has the potential to raise awareness about this developing mourning practice and increase the efficacy of bereavement interventions in neonatal and perinatal care, with the ultimate goal of providing a more widely available framework for helping parents cope with this hitherto often unspoken of, and invisible, loss.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the use of electromagnetic induction to generate an electrical current beneath a conductive coil, has proven to be a non-invasive technique that can be applied to cortical areas in the brain to produce evoked action potentials. The behavioral effects of TMS are subject to the frequency, duration, and intensity of the magnetic stimulus being applied, and either long-term potentiation or long-term depression of neurons can be produced. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) employs the use of repeated stimulation at 1 Hz, and has been shown to cause a short-term depression of cells. A newly developed protocol, continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), applies three pulses (50Hz) in bursts of triplets, and has been reported to produce stronger long-term depressive effects than low-frequency rTMS. While the effects of both low-frequency rTMS and cTBS have been extensively studied in regards to their effect on motor cortex function, few analyses have been conducted on their effect on language. In the current experiment, we compare the effects of cTBS and low-frequency rTMS on two tests of language comprehension abilities including a sentence comprehension task and a naming task. If language processing can be modified using TMS, one would predict that the response times for the tests of language comprehension would increase, with greater response time increases following cTBS than following low-frequency rTMS. Initial results from this experiment show that pre-post TMS response times for a sentence-comprehension task after low-frequency rTMS is applied to their left hemisphere is decreased, but is increased after cTBS is administered. Opposite results are produced when applied to the right hemisphere, with rTMS increasing response time, and cTBS decreasing it, respectively. Although data collection is still under way, our goal is to determine whether rTMS and cTBS produce significantly different effects on sentence reading and word naming paradigms.

Today there exists a plethora of nutritional information as Americans are increasingly becoming health-conscious consumers seeking to manage their exposure to disease risk-factors through diet and lifestyle changes. The ever-expanding scope of the media and internet, especially through the increased use of popular health blogs and forums has "democratized" nutritional science--making nutritional information more easily accessible. Yet, despite the growing body of research in nutrition made available to the general public, the history of nutritional advice has been notoriously unstable, inconsistent and inaccurate as science, food industries, and various ideologies contend for validation. For example, from the consumption of saturated fats and carbohydrates to raw cow’s milk (which is supposedly "nature's most nearly perfect food" Americans are left confused when making decisions and establishing “truths” regarding the nutritional health benefits of other foods. Because the science of diet and nutrition are highly contested areas of knowledge, the purpose of this study was to delve into the social, cultural, and political aspects of food to better understand how we make sense of nutritional advice. To that end, this research project acquired and synthesized past and current scientific research literature to explore what it means for foods to be "healthy" how one may navigate the massive array of contending knowledge and different dietary models to obtain information on "healthy food" and additionally, how competing corporate interests, scientific findings or interpretations, and anecdotal evidence of the lay consumer may influence nutritional data made available to the public. So far the general trend shows corporate influence supersedes that of medical and scientific advocates; however, more research is required to determine how health consumers navigate the wealth of information. Recommendations for a potential solution at a policy, educational and, or mass media level will also be discussed in further detail.

Tuning the gene expression of biomolecular pathways is an area of intense interest and value to synthetic biologists. Through the use of a mixture controlled turbidostat (MCT), we have been able to streamline, and in many cases enable the processes involved in this area of study. A turbidostat is a continuous culture bioreactor that maintains constant culture volume and cell density while diluting with fresh media to keep cells in an exponential growth phase. With the addition of mixture control, the turbidostat can vary the chemical environment within the culture vessel without altering cell density levels. Tuning gene expression in Escherichia coli is a simple matter when using a MCT. Currently, an area of global interest is the industrial production of butanol with E. coli. The first step towards this is enabling E. coli to live in rich butanol environments. Because butanol is naturally toxic to E. coli, an increase in gene expressions of the biomolecular pathways responsible for detoxification of butanol is required. By placing laboratory grade E. coli into our MCT, the concentration of butanol can be increased over time while the cell density remains constant. This will allow fitness increasing mutations within the biomolecular pathways responsible for detoxification of butanol to prevail over many generations, with the hope of eventually converging to a final population of E. coli that subsists in highly concentrated butanol environments. Through increasing E. coli’s resistance to butanol, we hope to illustrate the usefulness of MCTs in tuning gene expression of biomolecular pathways.

Neural networks are often employed to model the brain. One such model developed by Numenta’s research group is the hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) model. A comparison of the HTM model and more conventional neural networks such as the network architectures available in the Stuttgart Neural Network Simulator (SNNS) is missing from the literature. This study aims to report on the performance on machine learning problems of HTM neural networks as compared to the performance of other common network architectures. The HTM neural network will either be built on the JAVA platform using the descriptions in Numenta’s publications or be used as provided by Numenta for public use. The SNNS network architectures will be used as provided by the University of Stuttgart. Possible learning problems considered will include: motion detection, character recognition, recognition and tracking of humanoid forms, object identification, and general pattern recognition. Possible SNNS network architectures include: backpropagation through time (for recurrent networks), quickprop through time (for recurrent networks), self-organizing maps (Kohonen maps), TDNN (time-delay networks) with backpropagation, Elman networks and extended hierarchical Elman networks. Evaluation of a network’s performance on each problem will be based on accuracy of identification, and time required for computation, while holding learning resources constant (same time exposure and same number of examples during learning stage). A qualitative comparison of the similarities of the learning problems to cortical learning algorithms and brain architectures may be attempted depending on time constraints. These results will be useful for evaluating both the usefulness of HTM neural networks and their connection to the cortical learning algorithm.

Ultrasound (US) and microbubbles (MBs), as tools for gene transfection, have promising implications for gene therapy. Through permeation, US facilitates the diffusion of a gene or drug from the capillaries into the cell. Binding of the gene or drug to the MBs can further enhance the delivery efficiency, and when exposed to US, the MBs are ultimately cavitated once they have reached their target. Our goal is to create MBs that will enhance US-mediated transfection. Concerning MB production, we have shown that our prepared MBs are more concentrated, stable, and consistent than those of the leading manufacturers, via flow cytometry and Coulter Counter analysis. In in vitro experiments, we have shown that US, by itself, increases transfection efficiency (plasmid concentration in cells) of pGL3 and pGFP in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. 293 cells are transfected very readily and consistently and are therefore useful as a way to accurately quantify gene expression from transfection. Combined with MBs, transfection efficiency is further improved upon. US parameters (intensity, exposure time, frequency) and MB characteristics (concentration, size, distribution, stability) are interdependent, and thus the optimization of each parameter is important. With regards to US parameters, exposure times have been varied from 1 to 5 minutes, at intensities ranging from 0.5 to 2 watts, and the optimal condition (cells transfected minus cells killed) has been found to be 2 watts per square centimeter for 3 minutes. These conditions have been combined to quantify 293 cell gene expression. It has been shown that MBs enhance transfection rates by up to 25 times when compared to those with just US. These results have important implications in gene therapy as a means of non-invasive, localized, and efficient gene delivery.

Augmenting course material to be relevant and accessible to students is a ubiquitous challenge throughout academia. We aimed to design, develop, and evaluate the effectiveness of activities meant to promote the learning of difficult concepts in Anatomy and Physiology. More specifically, we focused on the neurophysiology chapter of an open access Anatomy and Physiology course sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI). This course is being created for pre-nursing students attending community colleges. We used the six-level schema of Bloom’s Taxonomy, a module addressing the knowledge and development of intellectual skills, to design learning activities that encouraged students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate concepts rather than simply recall, explain, and define them. By compelling students to work at higher cognitive levels during the learning process, we hypothesized that there would be a corresponding elevation in critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the material. Our curriculum design strategy was informed by cognitive science research that shows increases in learning efficacy when students are motivated to work at higher cognitive levels. Assessments were designed to align with these higher cognitive level learning activities. Our learning activities were tested by Anatomy and Physiology students using Carnegie Mellon’s OLI course. The Carnegie Mellon course uses an innovative digital dashboard platform which allowed us to track individual student’s understanding of concepts before, during, and after using our materials so that we were able to analyze their success and effectiveness. We revised our learning activities based on these results.

What the media has termed as Mad Cow disease is a form of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE). It is also known as a prion disease and occurs when the normal prion protein in the brain misfolds. This is thought to induce other prion proteins around it to misfold, leading to brain degeneration. Scrapie is a form of TSE in sheep; primarily infecting the central nervous and lymphoreticular systems. There is currently little explanation for why the process occurs, although, studies show that cytokines may be involved. Scrapie will not readily cause disease in normal mice. However, transgenic mice can be infected. These transgenic mice have a prion gene knockout with an insertion of the sheep version of the prion gene, which makes them susceptible when directly infected with scrapie prions. To further our understanding of prion diseases, we aimed to learn more about its source material, transmission, host genetic markers, and immune response with the help of a transgenic mouse model. We challenged transgenic mice with scrapie via the intracerebral route and observed them for signs of disease. Certain tissues were collected and analyzed at multiple points of infection for infectivity, potential co-localized proteins, cytokine dynamics, and growth factors. Various cytokine levels could increase, decrease, or stay the same throughout the infection period. This will enable a better characterization of immune response to prion disease and potentially provide a measure of disease progression using blood cytokine levels.

Organic matter (OM) production and decomposition is important to wetland health as it serves to cycle nutrients throughout the ecosystem. Current wetland monitoring programs in the Laurentian Great Lakes focus on structural indicators, such as fish, bird, and vegetation communities but lack the use of functional metrics such as organic matter processing. In this study we aim to create a new suite of functional indicators that focus on OM production and decomposition. Decomposition rates were measured using mesh litter bags containing dried bulrush tissue (Schoenoplectus acutus) as well as by the use of cotton strips incubated for 8 weeks at 20 coastal wetlands of Lakes Michigan and Huron. Nutrient limitation of decomposition was also measured using nutrient diffusing bags containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and a combination of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. OM production rates were measured by periphyton biomass accrual on acrylic rods over an 8-week period. In addition, nutrient diffusing substrates were deployed to test the effects of nutrient limitation on algae growth. We predicted that decomposition rates would be positively associated with higher nutrient concentrations. We also predicted that algae growth rates would be greatest on substrates containing high nutrient concentrations. When developed, functional indicators could be used alongside current structural indicators to provide a better overall assessment of wetland health.

This research explores music education as a potential vehicle for enhancing socially desirable behaviours in young people and teaching inhibition of socially undesirable behaviours as well as increasing proficiency in language, math and science. There will be special focus on methods of teaching that are noncompetitive such as Suzuki’s Talent Education Method. It involves literary review synthesizing neurobehavioural research and music education research to correlate music education with positive behavioural outcomes for at-risk youth and a reduction in juvenile criminal offense rates as well as recidivism at later ages. I predict that the research will support that the earlier and more consistently the individual receives music education, the stronger the correlation with improved performance in school and social situation and lower negative outcomes. In the past few decades, the United States has slipped farther down the list in world rating of education. Music Education programs in public school would benefit all students and lead to higher rates of graduation. To implement this in practice necessitates that music programs be reinstated and expanded in public schools and potentially be available to children as young as three years old in tandem with programs like Jump Start.

Past studies have documented that musical tones separated by an octave interval are perceived as highly similar (“octave equivalence”). A recent study of children showed that they downshifted their fundamental frequency (F0) during a nonword imitation task to match the target, which was below their vocal ranges, at an octave above the target. This was the case for stressed syllables in all children and for unstressed syllables as well in the children without speech sound disorder (SSD). This finding was interpreted as implying that children utilize the octave equivalence effect to enhance their imitations when the target is below their vocal ranges. Here, we expand on this finding by investigating the hypothesis that octave-shifted pitch matching can also be observed in adults. Specifically, we ask whether men match a target spoken by a female adult at an octave below the target, and whether women and children match targets spoken by a male adult an octave above the target. Participants were not asked to match the pitch of the target; they were simply instructed to imitate the nonwords as they heard them. For each participant, imitation/target ratios were calculated and averaged. As in the 2008 study, the role of lexical stress and speech sound disorder (SSD) is addressed as well. Initial results show octave shifting occurred most often with the adult male participants. One woman directly pitch-matched the male target. During the remainder of this project, we will evaluate the role of lexical stress in each participant group and the role of an SSD history in the adults. We will also compare conversational F0 for each participant, drawing on the results from a companion study. Evidence of pitch matching at an octave interval implies the presence of octave based perceptual similarity in speech sounds.

This study looked at whether multicultural students, specifically Latinos and Asian Americans, perceived discrimination in their classrooms, workplace, or on campus in general.  Participants consisted of Latino and Asian American students who filled out an online survey with questions on these areas. Four hypotheses were created and tested which were 1) Latinos would perceive discrimination more than Asian Americans, 2) males would perceive discrimination more than females, 3) multicultural Greek members would perceive discrimination more than non-Greeks, and 4) upper classmen would perceive discrimination more than lower classmen.  The results from the survey responses supported only one of the four hypotheses where multicultural Greeks perceived discrimination more than non-Greeks. This area of perceived discrimination among multicultural students is something that should have more research conducted on.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals due to river runoff is a pressing issue. Through the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), I will conduct research during the spring term analyzing the presence of heavy metals in the Puget Sound and the possible bioaccumulation in harbor seals. Sediment is collected using a Van Veen Grab from set sites around the Puget Sound once a month for the span of a year. Sediment samples will also be taken from various sites along the Snohomish River during the month of April. These samples will be sent to the Everett Environmental Laboratory to be tested for levels of mercury, arsenic, lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper. We will then attempt to obtain harbor seal excrement from the Everett Marina and send to the lab to be tested for the heavy metals listed above by the beginning of May. The data will be used to compare the amount of heavy metals found in the sediment of the Puget Sound to the amount of heavy metals found in secondary consumers (in this study harbor seals).

Immigration law is developed and enforced through cooperation between the state and federal government. There are times when the state legislature creates laws that supplement federal policies in order to conduct immigration enforcement unique to their situation. A state’s public perception regarding immigrants can result in the legislature drafting pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant policies. Previous research by Merkowitz and Yoder (2009) discusses how the U.S. national legislature responds to public opinion about immigrants. They find legislatures are influenced by demographics of their districts. This research will examine the state legislature of Idaho and its response to public perceptions about immigrants. I will be testing to see if immigration policy is a function of the following variables: party affiliation, state demographics, and regional industries. Each variable will be tested independently while controlling for other potential explanatory factors. I will get data for this analysis this summer by conducting a survey using a sample of Idaho state legislators, advocacy groups, and special interests that represent the state’s participants on immigration policy making. In addition to the survey, I will make an analysis on how legislators vote on immigration related legislation from the years 2000 to 2010. Finally, I will create an index that will determine if the responses from the survey and a legislator’s votes are pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant. I will define if a legislators pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant by how far their proposals deviates from current federal immigration policy. I expect the results will show that the state legislature responds more to the state’s demography and economy than the legislator’s party affiliation. The results from this research will reveal who are the primary actors in Idaho’s immigration legislation process. The results will show if there is a difference between the national legislature’s reaction to public pressure and how Idaho’s state legislature reacts.

Gluten intolerance disorders such as Celiac sprue elicit a painful immunological response in the intestines of patients who consume gluten. Gluten is a polypeptide found in wheat, barley, and rye, and contains repeating Pro-Gln-Leu-Pro (PQLP) motifs. Currently the only treatment for gluten intolerance is elimination of gluten from the diet. Our goal is to design an enzyme therapeutic that can be taken as a drug therapeutic in pill form. The engineered enzyme will break down the immunogenic PQLP motifs before gluten reaches the small intestine and can elicit an inflammatory response. Kumamolisin-As, a protein isolated from Alicyclobacillus sendaiensis, demonstrates promising proteolysis on PQ residues, and works in the low pH of the stomach. Using the protein-engineering program “FoldIt,” we designed novel mutations to Kumamolisin to improve its activity on PQLP. Our best version of the enzyme, dubbed KumaMax, degrades gluten over 700 times faster at pH 4 than SC-PEP, an enzyme currently in clinical trials. After further protein characterization, we hope to start clinical trials on KumaMax with the future goal of creating an effective treatment for gluten intolerance.

Learning and memory require that neural activity be flexibly organized. Neurons must sometimes fire together in ensembles so that important signals are not lost in the complex activity of the brain, but these ensembles must also be capable of forming, breaking apart, or reforming at a moment’s notice. Such transient synchrony of neural activity may be achieved by means of oscillatory firing. Oscillatory firing at various frequencies is commonly found in electrophysiological recordings from the brain and may underlie the dynamic organization of neural activity. We investigated oscillatory activity in a brain region critical to learning and memory, the hippocampus. The power of oscillatory activity in the hippocampus at several frequency bands including gamma (30-80 hz) has been linked to successful encoding and recall in hippocampus-dependent memory tasks. Prior work has also shown that inputs from the ventral tegmental area are necessary for normal hippocampal function and for spatial learning and memory. These inputs occur in two forms: tonic baseline firing and intermittent phasic bursts. We tested genetic knockout mice that lack phasic but not tonic inputs from the ventral tegmental area while animals foraged for food on a spatial navigation task. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials in the hippocampus, which represent the net inputs to a region of the brain and allow us to assess the power of oscillatory activity. In the preliminary data, knockout mice demonstrated more rapid learning in response to successive manipulations of the reward location compared to controls. Knockouts also showed higher gamma-frequency but not theta-frequency (4-10 hz) power. These results suggest that phasic inputs from the ventral tegmental area selectively inhibit gamma-frequency oscillations in the hippocampus. This role may be behaviorally relevant, reflecting the possibility that these oscillations play a role in organizing learning and memory.

Relationships can be beneficial in many aspects of one’s life. For example, intimate relationships may provide individuals with the ability to cope in stressful circumstances. On the other hand, it may cause an individual to experience more stress during different situations. Bergman and Surrey (2009) found couples may experience as many as 3 or 4 stressful situations in a given day. According to previous research, couples faced with certain stressful situations will often look to their significant other for support (Neff, 2009). I will be looking at intimate romantic couples for this study. I will examine if couples help or hinder their partners during a stressful situation. By using math problems as a stressor, I will examine how couples cope with stress with their partner and if their significant other increases or decreases their stress during and after the process of solving a math problem. Having each one take the survey, I will be assessing the stress levels of both partners. In this study, I will use the Math Self-Concept Scale (MSCS), the Statistics Test Anxiety-Emotionality (STAE), Cooperative Problem-Solving Measure (CPSM), Subjective Units of Distress Level (SUDS), and math equations for the survey they will be taking. These measures will examine each individual’s level of stress before, during, and after the survey questions are completed.  I anticipate, during the process of solving math equations, the involvement of an individual’s partner will either increase or decrease their stress levels associated with the activity. I hypothesize that the individuals who are assisting their partners who are taking the survey will find themselves more stressed during the problem solving process and less stressed after the activity ends. This study could provide professionals and counselors with some valuable information that could perhaps teach couples more successful methods of support and communication.

The purpose of this study is to determine how contemporary American society and its military view the concept of dying and how one is able to have “a good death.” For primary sources, I use Medal of Honor citations, letters home, newspaper obituaries and articles. Preliminary results have shown that the best way one could die was in the action of saving another’s life. Medal of Honor citations alone have indicated this. Of the 258 Medals of Honor, which have been awarded, often posthumously, since the start of the Vietnam War, 56% have been awarded for actions that demonstrated self-sacrifice for others. In the conflicts after Vietnam the proportion of Medal of Honor citations in regard to self-sacrifice have risen: of the 12 Medals of Honor that have been awarded, self-sacrifice made up 75% of the citations. I expect to find more corroborating evidence as I continue my research. It is hoped that information gleaned from this research will help mental health professionals better treat veterans by assuaging any potential survivor’s guilt that military personnel may possess.

The purpose of this study is to address the question of whether graduate students, who have finished their undergraduate study at Boise State University (BSU), feel they were adequately prepared by their undergraduate education to meet writing challenges at the graduate level. Professors have also raised questions as to what level of preparedness incoming graduate students should have. With BSU set to implement a new approach to learning writing across the curriculum, this study may aid in defining at-risk areas in writing; identified by both graduate students and faculty. Surveys will be given to graduate students who have completed their undergraduate degree from Boise State University as well as to the faculty teaching graduate courses. The purpose of the survey is to get students to self-assess the level of their preparedness and identify specific areas of deficiency. The survey given to the faculty will be much the same but with an emphasis on evaluation of the writing of incoming graduate students in general. Follow-up focus group discussions will enable more in-depth exploration of issues raised by the surveys. Data from these surveys will be analyzed and correlated with the outcomes of the new Communication in the Discipline (CID) courses to see if there are areas of writing need - and if the new CID courses will fill those needs. I hypothesize that there will be areas in which each group wants improvement, and that there will be a strong correlation between the two groups. I also propose that the CID course outcomes will specifically address some of the identified areas of need. This research project has the potential to identify areas of current need, as well as provide a base from which follow-up research may evaluate the ongoing success of the Boise State CID courses.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), or auxin, is a plant growth hormone that is vital to the regulation of growth and development in plants. Although auxin’s function in plants is to control growth, it potentially regulates any gene in other organisms, making it a powerful regulatory tool. By investigating the synthesis of auxin, it can be generated in organisms besides plants. The goal of this project is to take the first step towards that reality through the synthesis of auxin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). Due to the thorough characterization of S. cerevisiae, the organism is an optimal choice because the mechanisms involved with the manipulation of its gene networks are well understood. This project integrated the tryptophan-2-monooxyngenase (iaaM) and indole-3-acetamide hydrolase (iaaH) genes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens into the yeast genome. The enzymes produced from these genes convert tryptophan into auxin. In an attempt to reproduce this synthesis pathway, the two genes were amplified and integrated into the yeast genome through the use of the Gateway® cloning system and integrating vectors. Checking for successful auxin synthesis utilizes the auxin signaling pathway that was built in S. cerevisiae by the Klavins Lab. This system involves interactions between two proteins, an AFB (auxin signaling F-box) and an Aux/IAA (a transcriptional regulator of auxin responsive genes). The presence of auxin triggers the degradation of an Aux/IAA. By fluorescently tagging an Aux/IAA, the expression of the protein was observed. A decrease in fluorescence indicates the production of auxin. Successful auxin synthesis in yeast creates further possibilities for establishing regulatory systems based on the use of auxin in non-plant cells.

Is the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) successful in reaching its goal of supporting students through the completion of their first year at IHE (Institutions of Higher Education) schools? CAMP assists disadvantaged undergraduate students who are children of migrant/seasonal agricultural workers and who are usually migrant workers themselves. The program assists students by providing financial resources, tutors, personal academic advisors, and emotional support to students. Currently, CAMP measures its success by increasing the retention rates of its students and providing them with services that prepare them to enter their second year in good academic standing. Although these programs have been shown to have positive impacts on student retention rates, there is need for analysis of the extent of these successes and whether program methods could be improved to further increase graduation rates. This study examines, in depth, the current status of the program’s various factors ( i.e. funding, culture, academics, recruitting) that enhance and or deter students from continuing on to their second year and considers how improvements could be made. This study will be completed through literature reviews, policy analysis, and program evaluations of current CAMP programs. Ultimately this project aims to uncover the program’s strengths and weaknesses and to recommend at a grass roots practitioner level, as well as at the policy level; the expansion of financial resources, social capital and social support. This study will show that the successes of these types of programs are directly related with funding; the more resources CAMP obtains, the more effective it is as a whole. This research is important because the CAMP program serves as a model for future and current programs. Understanding the CAMP program can lead to creating more effective educational policies that cater to disadvantaged students.

This project’s goal is producing microporous scaffold for tissue growth. These scaffolds are made out of crosslinked 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), a hydrogel. They are formed by polymerizing the HEMA around polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) beads that are of a constrained and predetermined size. The PMMA is washed away and we are left with a porous scaffold of precise pore size. These scaffolds are used to encourage tissue growth and reduce inflammation and the foreign body reaction. The purpose of my research is to investigate blood vessel penetration into scaffolds by producing the largest sized scaffolds I can using novel techniques. We are currently limited to tissue scaffolds of a maximum thickness of 1 mm using our current techniques. With a larger thickness our scaffolds could be used for many more applications that are presently unavailable with a thin scaffold. Our methods are varied and include creating multiple mold designs, polymerizing techniques, and chemical washing techniques. Once I can create these larger scaffolds we will test them in vivo to evaluate the foreign body reaction as well as angiogenesis in the region. There is a large range of possible future applications for these scaffolds. They could be tuned to encourage many different types of tissue growth.

Measuring client adjustment throughout psychotherapy has been supported as a method to improve client outcome upon cessation of treatment. Weekly assessments inform the clinician how the client is responding to therapy and illuminate when adjustments to treatment may be necessary.  The Evidence-Based Assessment System for Clinicians (EAS-C) is a computerized outcome tracking system that allows psychotherapists to measure weekly progress and instantly view results with their clients in session. While there are excellent measures for tracking general psychological adjustment, many are too lengthy and arduous to facilitate completion on a weekly basis. Therefore, we created the seven-item Brief Adjustment Scale for EAS-C. We hypothesized a high correlation between the BASE-7 and the Outcome-Questionnaire 45.2, an established measure of psychological functioning. Furthermore, we hypothesized participants would report more willingness to complete the BASE-7 and would rate it as easier to complete than the OQ-45.2. Adult participants were recruited through the online survey website, Mechanical Turk, and completed the BASE-7, OQ-45.2, and an acceptability and utility questionnaire online. The BASE-7 correlated highly with the OQ-45.2, indicating high concurrent validity. Participants rated the BASE-7 significantly more acceptable than the OQ-45.2, suggesting participants would be more willing to complete the BASE-7 on a weekly basis. Participants’ ratings of the utility of the BASE-7 and the OQ-45.2 were not significantly different, indicating participants believed both measures would adequately communicate levels of psychological distress to a mental health provider. These findings demonstrate that the BASE-7 is a valid tool for measuring psychological distress that may be more suitable for weekly administration than lengthier measures. As a brief outcome measure, the BASE-7 is a promising new tool that may be used to inform both clinician and client of treatment progress over time.

Pelvic morphology varies between quadrupedal and bipedal primates due to locomotor behavior.  Flat, posteriorly oriented ilial blades and narrow bi-acetabular distances characterize terrerstrial quadrupeds, while bipeds have curved blades with wider acetabular distance.  While both groups exhibit an orthograde body plan, an ancestal characteristic for arboreality, humans as bipeds have modified this for a terrestrial environment.  Due to the constraints of parturition, human females have been shown to have wider bi-acetabular distances than males, but whether or not their interspinous distance or bi-iliac breadth is different remains to be determined.  The main objective of this study was to evaluate bi-iliac, interspinous, and bi-acetabular breadth in human males and females, using macaques, as the quadrupedal comparison group. Using Osirix imaging software, these pelvic dimensions were measured from the radiographs of 10 human males and females, and 11 adult macaques.  Since macaques only show sexual size dimorphism in the pelvis, we did not distinguish between sexes.  From the average dimensions, three ratios were calculated (bi-iliac breadth/interspinous distance (BI/IS), bi-iliac breadth/bi-acetabular distance (BI/BA), interspinous distance/bi-acetabular distance (IS/BA)). Sex and species differences were examined statistically using Stata (StataCorp, College Station, Texas).  As expected, the ratios in macaques were significantly different than humans (all p’s < 0.001). While human bi-iliac breadth and interspinous distance was greater than bi-acetabular distance (all p’s < 0.001), macaques showed nearly identical proportions in the three measurements.  These findings reflect different locomotor patterns morphologically shown by the transition between vertically oriented iliac blades to more anteriorly wrapped iliac blades.  Between males and females, females differed from men in bi-iliac/interspinous ratio (p = 0.038).  Unexpectedly, the sexes did not differ in the other two ratios.  Like macaques, humans did not show evident sexual dimorphism in relative pelvic proportions.  

The formation of amyloid ß (Aß) plaques, resulting from the inappropriate aggregation of the protein beta-amyloid, is a major pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). One potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease is to reduce cerebral Aß plaque deposition through stem cell therapies. We hypothesize that myeloablative therapy, using lethal irradiation, as well as non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation, using non-lethal irradiation, will result in a reduction in Aß plaque accumulation in the cerebrum. To test the therapeutic potential of myeloablative and non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation, we transplanted bone marrow into either lethally irradiated AD (APPswePSIdeltae9) mouse model recipients (myeloablative therapy) or non-lethally irradiated AD mouse model recipients (non-myeloablative therapy). The number of plaques present and the total plaque area are quantified using ImageJ software. Initial immunofluorescence quantification has shown that non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation reduces total Aß plaque area in the cortex by 33% when compared to non-treatment controls. To further assess the therapeutic potential of both myeloablative and non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation therapies, additional immunofluorescence, as well as immunohistochemistry, quantification of Aß plaque deposition will be performed. These preliminary results suggest non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation is a potentially effective stem cell therapy in treating an Alzheimer's related pathology.

Alcohol use continues to be a widespread and serious problem among college students. In recent years, the posting of alcohol-related content on social media such as Facebook has become an increasing concern. However, little research has evaluated the link between alcohol content on Facebook and students’ actual alcohol use. Recent findings suggest that the prevalence of alcohol-related content on an individual’s Facebook wall may be predictive of alcohol-related problems. We expected that the more students posted about alcohol, and the more their friends posted about alcohol, the more likely it was that students would report more actual drinking, more alcohol-related problems, and higher perceptions of how much others drink. A sample of 1148 undergraduate students (657 women, 403 men) completed a web-based survey that included measures of their Facebook use, their typical drinking behavior, their alcohol-related problems, and their perceptions of typical student drinking norms. Data were analyzed using generalized linear modeling. Results were consistent with hypotheses. After controlling for gender and number of Facebook friends, both participants’ postings about alcohol and their friends’ postings about alcohol were significantly associated with greater drinking, more alcohol-related problems, and higher drinking norms. Thus, the alcohol-related content that students post and that their friends post on Facebook is related to real-life drinking behavior and may be an important risk factor for predicting hazardous drinking. Future research should focus on the implications that students’ alcohol-related Facebook content may have on potential screening for treatment and research purposes, as well as on Facebook itself as a potential platform for treatment interventions.

Perception of natural hazards and risk among Pacific Northwest (PNW) residents is not well known. Familiarity with a given population's perception of natural hazards and the threats they present is vital for the development of effective education prior to and emergency management response after a natural event. While much work has been done in other active tectonic regions, little work has been completed in our region. The objective of this work is to assess the current perception of earthquake and volcanic hazards in the PNW, and to better understand the factors which drive the public's behavior concerning preparedness and response. We developed a survey to assess the participants' knowledge of natural hazards common to the region, perception of risk concerning these hazards, and level of preparedness should a natural hazard occur. The survey was distributed to the PNW public via a class project in 'Living with Volcanoes' (ESS 106) in March of 2011 and 2012, which returned more than 1000 responses. Here we highlight the responses from the UW student population because of their uniqueness as a large semi-transient population (typical residence of less than 5 years). Knowledge of natural hazards and proximity to hazard sources was found to be low/inaccurate, which corresponds to a low perception of risk. Understanding/awareness of evacuation/coping protocol for natural hazards was also found to be low, suggesting this large, semi-transient population lacks the understanding of proper preparation for and response to a natural hazard. Results from the survey indicate need for education of this population concerning the risks of natural hazards in this region and the steps for better preparedness. The ultimate goal of further education is to create a "culture of safety" rather than "moments of reaction" (USGS initiative).

In the United States, there are approximately 50,000 people newly infected with HIV each year. Fear of rejection and other factors related to stigma affect how and when people communicate their HIV status. Research has shown that HIV disclosure through non-face-to-face modes, for example with e-mail and chat, afford benefits that include helping both parties control and process emotions and lessening the chance of violence. To help facilitate the process of an HIV-positive person communicating her or his HIV status in an effective, informative, and non-face-to-face manner, we designed an e-disclosure service called PositiveMagnetism. PositiveMagnetism is a web-supported animated e-card service, allowing the sender to input personalized text and video to convey a message to the recipient. The personalized message is incorporated into an educational video of evidence-based facts and preventative tips regarding HIV - all conveyed in an animated info-graphic form. PositiveMagnetism consists of three parts: a website allowing a person to upload or webcam a personalized video message; an animated e-card video incorporating HIV facts and prevention strategies with the personalized video message; and an invitational e-mail welcoming the recipient of the e-card to view the e-card video. We assembled and collaborated with an advisory board consisting of HIV/AIDS researchers, people living with HIV, and other related professionals to help us throughout the design process. In addition, we conducted two surveys targeting participants who have experienced HIV disclosure. The contributions of this work are design artifacts consisting of a service website, an animated infographic of core supportive information, and a video prototype demonstrating two users (sender and receiver) interacting and utilizing the PositiveMagnetism service. This work contributes to increasing knowledge, awareness, and education regarding HIV to help facilitate HIV disclosure between potential serodiscordant partners.

Smokeless tobacco use, 90% of which occurs among males, typically begins in adolescence and significantly ceases by the end of young adulthood. This study tested the hypothesis that psychological factors consistent with the Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI) longitudinally predict male SLT acquisition and cessation. This is the first known study to test these predictions. TTI psychological risk factors (parental noncompliance, friend compliance, rebelliousness, and thrill-seeking) were assessed in a cohort of Washington State males participating in a 40 school district tobacco study. To predict acquisition of daily use, never SLT users had their risk factors assessed at age 12. Their SLT use was assessed at age 18 (N = 2,468; 94.8% 5-year retention). To predict cessation, all daily SLT users had their risk factors assessed at age 18. Their SLT cessation status was assessed at ages 20 and 28 (N = 182; 86.9% 10-year retention). All models were tested with logistic regressions adjusting for experimental condition, team sport participation, parental education, and clustering among participants in the same school district. Scoring high on the following psychological factors at age 12 increased the odds of daily SLT use at age 18: 156% increased odds for friend compliance (OR = 2.56; p <.001), 116% for rebelliousness (OR = 2.16; p <.001), and 133% for thrill seeking (OR = 2.33; p <.001). Parent noncompliance was not a significant predictor (p =.33) of SLT acquisition. None of the psychological factors at age 18 predicted SLT cessation at ages 20 or 28 (p value range: .13 to .94). This study provides the first evidence that friend compliance, rebelliousness, and thrill-seeking strongly predict SLT acquisition among males. However, there was no evidence that the psychological factors predicted SLT cessation. Targeting these psychological predictors early may help prevent SLT use among males.

For an animal whose brain only contains about 100,000 neurons, the fruit fly is capable of striking behavioral complexity. The goal of our work is to identify neuronal circuits that process sensory cues and transform them into changes in motor activities. Our work relies on the Gal4-UAS (Upstream Activation Sequence) system, a commonly used genetic tool that allows us to label and manipulate small subsets of neurons. The system takes advantage of different enhancer elements to drive expression of the Gal4 transcription factor in various tissues. When Gal4 flies are bred with UAS flies that contain GFP (green fluorescent protein) or RFP (red fluorescent protein), the Gal4 will bind to the UAS, and enable the production of GFP or RFP. This allows the desired cells to fluoresce, which can be tracked using a microscope. With this, we can identify Gal4 lines with interesting neuronal expression patterns and test the function of these neurons in Drosophila. Expressing the ion channel UAS-TrpA1, for example, activates neurons when the temperature is shifted from 22 °C to 27 °C. I crossed different Gal4 drivers to UAS-TrpA1. After performing a temperature shift on the progeny, I observed that various Gal4 flies became twitchy while others collapsed. These behaviors were reversible when the temperature shift ended. Fluorescing the Gal4 lines that allow for this behavior would allow insight as to the activated neurons in the brain and thoracic ganglia. The confocal images would allow us to see the neuronal expression. Through this model organism we can hope to comprehend and apply the knowledge in understanding complex systems, for example, what neurons coordinate behaviors such as navigation and locomotion.

Traditionally, nonword imitations have been used as a measure of phonological awareness. In a recent study of nonword imitations by children where the targets were below the children’s vocal pitch ranges, it was surprising to find that the children matched the low vocal pitch one octave above the targets (Peter et al., 2008). This was interpreted as a covert awareness of the perceptual similarities between octave-shifted vocal pitches. It was unknown whether children and adults would match pitches directly when the target is within their vocal range. This question is addressed in my current project, which also evaluates the role of lexical stress and speech sound disorder (SSD). SSD occurs when articulation and phonological mistakes continue beyond the point when the child should have mastered the sound through normal development. In a dataset collected for a multigenerational family genetics study, men, women, and children imitated nonwords produced by men and women. Each family in the study had a history of SSD represented in several members of the family. Data analysis is complete for all participants in the study. This consisted of determining the fundamental frequency for each vowel in the non-word for two different imitation tasks (Syllable Repetition Task and Tennessee Test of Rhythm and Intonation Patterns). The participant’s fundamental frequency is compared to the fundamental frequency of the target. Results indicated that the participants showed strong evidence for direct pitch matching in these tasks. I am currently working on determining conversational pitch for each individual to show that the participant is changing his/her pitch to match that of the target voice. In addition, I am determining what effect SSD has on the direct pitch-matching task. Finally, I will also consider the role of stressed verses unstressed syllables has on the expected pitch matching.

OneBusAway is an application providing real-time arrival information to tens of thousands of transit riders daily. As a system built on providing reliable information, one of the cornerstones of OneBusAway is threatened when it does not provide accurate information to its users. Our surveys and interviews of current OneBusAway users confirmed that inconsistencies in the application have a significant impact on riders’ transit experience by making them miss their bus and lose trust in the application. In addition, users of the application have limited options for reporting issues with inaccurate information and lack the means to easily receive targeted feedback about their reports. Furthermore, reports received by OneBusAway are not currently categorized, verified for validity, or sent to one central repository, leading to a significant amount of manual work for OneBusAway developers.To address this problem, we designed an issue-reporting system that relies on a network of users to submit, approve, and resolve issues encountered in OneBusAway. Using OneBusAway to establish communication between transit riders and agencies, our system will direct issue reports to the source for resolution and provide feedback to users when the problems are resolved. Our application will empower users with the tools to get actively involved in their transit community and improve the transit experience.

In a world of childhood obesity, soaring gas prices and climate instability, bicycles are quickly becoming a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable alternative to single occupancy vehicles. In May, I will be organizing chaperoned bike-trains for elementary school children in Wedgwood and Thornton Creek elementary schools, with the intention of increasing the number of children commuting by bicycle. A bike-train is comprised of elementary school children and adult chaperones riding safe and efficient pre-determined routes to school. Children learn bicycle safety, rules of the road, and riding etiquette, all while acquiring social and communication skills, as well as physical confidence. These rides also build community among adults, as chaperoning, organizing and discovering shared passions are all part of this process. While implementing bike-trains is a small-scale project, it addresses the most pressing issues of our day: health concerns, social isolation and environmental degradation. This project will examine two methods of organized bike-trains:  traditional, multi-stop routes in at Thornton Creek Elementary, and a more casual "meet and ride" route at Wedgwood Elementary. With the culmination of this project, I will compare the outcomes of both methods of bike-trains, compiling my research into a document enabling parents, teachers and staff throughout Seattle schools - and potentially worldwide - to implement bike-trains in their communities. Bike-trains, an experiment in applied research, cultivate local solutions to current global concerns.

Tandem solar cells, which are cells with two light-absorbing junctions instead of one, can produce more energy than traditional single-junction cells. However, there remain challenges related to efficiency, processing cost, and applicability in cloudy areas. Our goals were to model the performance of ideal tandem cells under cloudy skies, determine if different cell geometries improve this performance, and better understand the reaction that produces copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) nanocrystal inks, a low-cost but as-of-yet low-efficiency light absorber material. For modeling, we wrote a Mathematica script that performs detailed balance calculations for standard tandem cells and corrugated-rooftop-shaped tandem cells under various cloudy spectra, taking into account the incidence angle and reflectance. These calculations tell us the efficiency as a function of band gap for each spectrum, from which we extract the optimal band gap of the absorber. For the nanocrystal inks, we performed the solution-phase reaction of copper, zinc, and tin precursors with a hot injection of sulfur to form nanocrystals dispersed in the solvent oleylamine. We analyzed combinations of the precursors, the mixture over the course of the reaction, and the final product using spectroscopy, and we interpreted any change as the formation of complexes or new molecules as the nanocrystals formed. Our modeling results show a noticeable shift in the optimal band gap under cloudy conditions, and if we find higher efficiencies for the corrugated rooftop than for a flat plate under cloudy skies, then we conclude that appropriate changes in cell design should be implemented in cloudy areas. We expect our spectroscopic analysis of the nanocrystal reaction to give us a clearer understanding of the chemistry at the molecular scale, which may point to areas needing improvement that would lead to higher-efficiency CZTS cells.

RNA Polymerase V is a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase involved in RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) (Matzke M et al 2007). RdDM is required for transcriptional silencing of intergenic regions, repetitive DNA, and transposons genome-wide. Arabidopsis polV mutants show increased developmental instability and aberrant root hairs. We hypothesize these phenotypes are the result of alterations in transcriptional silencing and we predict changes in transcriptional silencing are due to altered chromatin accessibility. To asses chromatin accessibility in polV mutant plants we will use a technique called DNaseI-seq that chops up chromatin with a restriction enzyme. This technique allows us to measure which regions of the genome are highly accessible to transcriptional machinery and which are not. Currently, I am developing transgenic plant strains as well as quality control assays to improve DNaseI-seq feasibility in polV mutant plants.  Thus the knowledge will enhance our understanding of developmental instabilities in Arabidopsis and plants in general.
 

The Middle-Late Miocene (~11 million years ago) was a period of cooling following the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, the warmest period in the last 35 million years. However, because of the scarcity of fossil floras of that age, our understanding of vegetation response to this climate change is poor. The Middle-Late Miocene fossil flora from Vasa Park therefore adds invaluable information that allow us to better reconstruct how the vegetation and climate has changed over time in the Pacific Northwest. Previous work on the Middle-Late Miocene in this region has focused on macrofossils and pollen/spores; this study will add information about phytolith assemblages. Phytoliths form when silica from the ground is deposited within and around various types of plant cells. When the plant dies, the phytoliths from the plant gets preserved in sediment, retaining the shapes they had in the living plant. Our understanding of phytolith production in modern day plants and their climate preferences allows us to infer, from fossil phytoliths not just what kinds of plants they represent, but also something about the climate at that site. Specifically, Vasa Park will help us understand the flora of the Middle-Late Miocene in the Pacific Northwest and how it transitioned out of a very warm time into cooler current day temperatures. Based on our knowledge of the general climate during the Middle-Late Miocene, the Vasa Park assemblage should contain evidence of a more warm-adapted flora than what we see currently in the region. Indeed, preliminary evidence from phytoliths, macrofossils (leaves and flowers), and fossil palynomorphs (plant spores and pollen) indicate that the area was a relatively warm subtropical forest. The inclusion of the Vasa Park phytolith assemblage greatly adds to our understanding of Earth’s most recent warming period and helps us infer how vegetation will change with current warming trends.

Women have been steadily increasing their representation in many careers that have been traditionally male-dominated; however, women continue to be underrepresented in computer science. If women learn that their gender is underrepresented, that could lower their interest or deter them from joining because they believe they do not belong in this field. On the other hand, it could increase their interest if they feel they are wanted. This study examined whether learning about the underrepresentation of women in computer science would increase women's interest in this field. We predicted that women's interest would increase especially if they see it as an opportunity to stand out and be unique. Female students in the psychology subject pool (PSP) at the University of Washington voluntarily signed up to participate in the study. There were two conditions: in the control condition, participants were given an article that stated computer science had high demand and that less than 30% of job openings are filled by college graduates; in the underrepresentation condition, participants were given an article that stated computer science had high demand for women and that less than 30% of college degrees are earned by women. After participants read the article they answered questions about their interest in computer science. Results were statistically significant: women who were told that women are underrepresented in computer science showed more interest and belonging in the field than those who were not told. These results imply that an intervention to raise awareness of underrepresentation of women in computer science could help more females become interested and likely to join this field.

There are currently very few effective treatments to repair damage resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI). The project I have been working on in the Moritz Lab involves the exploration of Intraspinal Microstimulation (ISMS) and its ability to promote functional recovery after SCI in a rodent animal model. Our group employs a unilateral incomplete spinal cord contusion injury using the Ohio State University contusion device at the level of the fourth lamina in the cervical spine, or C4. We then place stimulating wires in the spinal cord, specifically in the ventral gray matter caudal to the injury at C6-C8, in order to deliver ISMS to the motor pools innervating the triceps and other forelimb muscles. My independent project in the lab is a histological analysis of triceps and forelimb muscles taken from the SCI models to determine whether the use of ISMS preferentially recruits fatigue resistant (FR) muscle fibers in the affected forelimb of these rats. After paresis resulting from SCI, muscles atrophy and undergo a "slow-to-fast" transition in the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content. My goal is to examine whether ISMS can slow or even reverse this slow-to-fast conversion after SCI. I am using immunohistochemistry to differentiate muscle fiber types in the triceps muscle. I stain for the unique MHC isoform that is expressed by the various slow and fast type fibers. My hypothesis is that there will be a higher population of type I and type IIA FR fibers in the stimulated muscles of ISMS group than in the control group, which will mostly consist of fast fatigable types IIB and type IID. The long-term goal of my project is to determine the benefits of using ISMS as a neural prosthesis and regenerative therapy for individuals who have suffered from spinal cord contusion injuries.

Genetic and molecular analysis is important to understand the evolutionary trends and relationships between chordates and hemichordates. Hemichordates share significant characteristics with chordates, including pharyngeal gill slits, a worm-like body plan and a post-anal tail. We have been studying the development of the central nervous system (CNS) in hemichordates to compare development to chordates. During early development in chordates, Shh and BMP play major roles in neural tube formation and dorsal ventral CNS specification. Elav has been used as a neuronal marker in chordates and is expressed within neural plate during early neurulation. We looked for expression of Shh, BMP and Elav in hemichordates to compare the development of the CNS in each group. We cloned and sequenced Shh, BMP and ELAV in S. bromophenolosus and P. flava, using primers designed from S. kowalevskii. Our purpose is to examine the expression of Shh, BMP, and Elav in the developing neural tube in S. bromophenolosus and P. flava by in-situ hybridizations. We see expression of Elav in the CNS of S. bromophenolosus, and expect to see Shh expression in the hemichordate endoderm. BMP expression has already been reported in the dorsal ectoderm and neural tube of S. kowalevskii, but those results were interpreted as a dorsal-version in chordates. We suggest instead that this hemichordate expression pattern is identical to that of chordates during neurulation. These results suggest that hemichordate and chordate central nervous system develop by similar genetic pathways.

Statistically, Asian Americans have significantly lower traffic accidents than any other minority group in the United States. However, there exists a stereotype that Asian Americans are a bigger risk on the road than any other ethnicity. This study explored the perspectives of Asian Americans, specifically Korean American women living in the city of Bellevue. Despite having enough English speaking skills to live comfortably in America, they had either a difficult time understanding roadway signs and posts, or if they did, it was not intuitive at first glance or within the time span necessary to make a decision on the road. The major problem that these Asian Americans felt was that in their homeland, many traffic decisions were made based on their instincts due to minimal roadway signs, or enforcement was so minimal that conforming to these traffic laws were not a priority to them. They reported that this mentality was reinforced more so because even when traffic laws were ignored, accident rates were low. This suggests that Asian Americans, though involved in less traffic accidents, make decisions less-rapidly, are confused on the road, or less readily conforming to traffic regulations. This study helps uncover a largely untapped field of study involving traffic safety within minority groups, and will further contribute to future research in similar topics.

The study of capital punishment ultimately comes down to matters of life or death, and this fundamental concept is reflected by the ferocity of the debate over its legality. With the high stakes of this debate, national polls dating back to the 1930s have been quantitatively tracking public opinion on this issue. National poll data on capital punishment provides an excellent opportunity to examine the important relationship between state policies and public opinion over time. Currently, the vast body of research has been concentrated on identifying national demographic variables associated with support for capital punishment, and the influence of opinion on policy. However, there has been little research considering these variables at the state-level of analysis. Furthermore, few studies have researched the directional influence of policies on opinion. The objective of this study is to determine how state variables and policies including: violent crime rates, number of executions, and number of exonerations explain fluctuations in public opinion over time. The findings suggest a positive relationship between violent crime rates and support for capital punishment over time. There also appears to be a positive relationship between the number of executions and support for capital punishment; in other words, as the number of executions increases so does the support for capital punishment. Lastly, the support for capital punishment was found to decrease over time with increasing number of exonerations. The narrower focus of this state level analysis is important to examine underlying trends in public opinion, which may not be captured with nation wide studies.

Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic cell firing encodes reward information and has been implicated in reinforcement learning, spatial memory and decision-making. However the mechanisms which modulate VTA dopaminergic burst firing are not well known. A division of the mesonpontine tegmentum, the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg) provides inputs into the VTA. Inactivation of the LDTg greatly reduces VTA dopaminergic burst firing, implicating the LDTg’s role in permitting VTA activity. In the current study we sought to determine the nature of the information coded by LDTg neurons in order to better understand the type of information that regulates dopamine cell activity. We assessed this by neurophysiological single unit recordings of LDTg cell activity in freely behaving rats. Rats were trained on an 8-arm radial maze, which required spatial and working memory in order to, without errors, forage for large and small rewards located at the end of arms. Experimental manipulations consisted of omitting expected rewards, switching the location of rewards of different magnitudes and imposing darkness during the maze trials. We recorded a total of 83 different cells, which were histologically confirmed to be located in the LDTg. We found a large number of reward-related cells (9.6% became excited when rats encountered reward, 8.4% showed excitation in anticipation of reward, 4.8% showed excitatory, then inhibitory and then excitatory responses around the time of reward) and movement related cells (76% were correlated with the rat’s velocity). The large proportion of velocity-correlated cells supports the LDTg’s role in motor behavior. Context and reward manipulations did not consistently affect the firing rate of LDTg cellular activity. However, the current study demonstrates that with 25% of LDTg cells exhibiting reward-related responses, the LDTg has a role in reward encoding by a permissive affect on VTA dopaminergic burst firing.

Opiates have long been a useful tool in medicine due to their potent analgesic properties. Although there has been a significant increase in prescribed use of opioids in recent years there has also been a large increase in deaths related to prescription opioids that may involve abnormal control of ventilation. Opiate effects on ventilation have largely been considered to be due to depression of respiratory chemosensitivity (sensitivity to carbon dioxide and/or acid-base balance), but another effect may include decreased oxygen consumption and therefore decreased production of carbon dioxide. In this study, we are using a whole body plethysmograph and a respirometer to measure the rate of oxygen consumption levels in juvenile rats 18-23 days) during sleep - before and after administration of morphine at varying dosages (5mg/kg to 45mg/kg). Our initial findings show no decrease in oxygen consumption and surprisingly instead demonstrate increases up to 50% following opioid administration. These unexpected findings illustrate the need for additional investigation on possible causes of prescription opiate associated deaths. Increased oxygen consumption (and therefore increased carbon dioxide production) in the presence of drug induced decreased sensitivity to carbon dioxide may interact to lead to dangerous compromises in the control of ventilation in patients taking a broad range of opiates doses in the community.

Vernalization is a mechanism by which plants induce changes in gene expression during cold winter conditions to allow flowering competency in the spring. While expression of the Flowering Locus C (FLC) gene represses genes required for flowering, vernalization inhibits FLC expression. Epigenetic modifications have been implicated in the vernalization process. Arabidopsis thaliana mutants for Histone Acetyltransferase of the CBP Family 1 (HAC1), a gene which encodes an epigenetic modifier, maintain FLC expression in vernalization conditions. We hypothesize that HAC1’s role in vernalization is to upregulate the expression of Swinger (SWN), a component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). PRC2 is a complex of proteins known to contribute to the inhibition of FLC. Wild-type and hac1 plants were genotyped through 3-primer PCR to ensure homozygosity of the hac1 plants. To test our hypothesis, we have exposed wild-type and hac1 mutant Arabidopsis plants to cold (~5°C) as well as greenhouse (~22°C) temperature conditions. RNA was isolated from leaves of wild-type as well as hac1 plants subjected to these different conditions. Through RT-PCR, we will examine the relative expression levels of HAC1 and SWN as well as the control gene Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4A-1 (eIF4a1)-a ubiquitous initiation factor unaffected by cold treatment. We anticipate that if our hypothesis is supported, SWN will not be expressed in the hac1 plants but will be expressed in wild type plants, supporting HAC1’s role in epigenetically modifying the SWN locus during vernalization. Future experimentation would require examination on whether SWN gene has undergone direct epigenetic modification by HAC1 or whether there is a mediating factor between the two genes.

Tube formation in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) egg chamber is an excellent model for vertebrate neural tube formation, as they closely resemble each other. During egg chamber development, a subset of cells, the roof cells and the floor cells, form two tubes that make eggshell structures called dorsal appendages (DAs). Roof cells, which express the protein Broad, constrict their apices (inner surfaces) to curve up and out of the epithelium. The floor cells elongate, dive under the roof cells, and zipper together to seal the floor; they are distinguished by expression of the protein Rhomboid. Defects in this process, especially in floor closure, create open tubes, similar to spina bifida. To observe cell movement in the developing egg chamber, we want to outline the shapes of cells with a fluorescent molecule. mCherry is a red fluorescent protein that has good fluorescence and a short maturation time (15 minutes), so we can observe the rapid process of tube formation. If one links the CD2 gene, which encodes a cell membrane adhesion protein, to the mCherry gene, red fluorescence will appear all around the cell surfaces. Such a fusion protein lets us observe changes in cell shape and cell movements during tube formation. When the CD2-mCherry segment is connected to the regulatory region for the rhomboid gene, fluorescence occurs in just the floor cells. I have created a rhomboid-CD2-mCherry construct that I will introduce into flies through injection with a recombinase that will integrate the construct into the fly genome. With this construct I can visualize DA tube development live by observing fluorescence in the floor cells. Analysis of these cells can give insight into conserved tube-forming processes.

Homo floresiensis diverges from the traditional morphological form associated with bipedalism: the size of their foot is long compared to the length of their femur. Here we examine the effect of lengthening the foot of modern humans to proportions like that seen in H. floresiensis on gait parameters. We hypothesize that the swing leg will need to be raised to allow the longer foot to clear the ground.  A sample of 8 women aged 18-30 years was used. A ratio of 0.87 (foot length / fibula length) was calculated using estimated measurements of the type specimen of H. floresiensis (LB1). A foot extension device (FED) was created to extend the feet of each participant. Each participant walked for a total of 10 trials at slow, preferred and fast velocities both with and without the FED. An 8-camera Qualisys system was used to measure the 3D trajectories of 3 markers placed of standard anatomical landmarks. The trajectory of the patella marker was analyzed to determine if there was a significant change in the height that the leg was raised while wearing the FED compared to without. Participants raised their right leg an average of 121 mm without the FED and 125 mm with, a nonsignificant difference (p = 0.446).  These results indicate that there is no significant change in the kinematics while walking with an extended foot, although a larger sample might reveal more subtle changes. Future work will include the analysis of more anatomical markers and larger sample sizes.

Autonomous control systems are critical for the operation of aerial vehicles and spacecraft. This project focuses on the development of an autonomous control system for a robotic vehicle by simulating the model of the vehicle using computer software. This model will then be used for testing various control schemes. In particular, variation of the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller will be used and tested. The main goal of this research is to implement the autonomous control system on the vehicle and compare the response of the vehicle to those generated by our computer simulation. Specifically, the research will focus on the development process of the PID controller. Our results will then verify whether the developed mathematical model is accurate for the purpose of predicting actual system response. The objective of the analysis is to confirm the advantages and disadvantages of each control scheme and to develop an autonomous control algorithm for the vehicle. In-depth analysis will also provide insights into the difficulties and challenges of developing a mathematical model that accurately simulates all states of the system, as well as the complications involved in creating a system that precisely controls the vehicle as desired by the user.

Phytoliths, microscopic plant silica bodies, inform us about the types of plants that remain in the fossil record, allowing for reconstruction of past flora, climate, and ecosystems. The existing method for reconstructing vegetative structure and habitat type (open vs. closed) using phytoliths depends on the presence of presumed open-habitat grass types. This method may not be able to reliably reconstruct vegetation type when open-habitat grass phytoliths are absent, and depends on the assumption that open-habitat grasses have always been restricted to open environments. Therefore, a taxon-free, morphological approach may be more informative for inferring habitat openness using fossil phytolith assemblages. This study looks at the effects of light variation on epidermal cell shapes in modern grasses as a first step in creating a proxy for determining habitat type from the fossil record. Based on patterns observed in dicotyledonous plants, we hypothesize that epidermal grass cells will be more undulated when grown in reduced lighting condition. To test this, five species of grasses were grown in varying light treatments (20%, 60%, 100% (control), and 120% relative to the control). We took morphometric measurements of long and short cell types from epidermal peels and calculated their degree of undulation (UI). Results show three species where long cells had higher UI in deep shade (20% light) than in enhanced light (120% light), though the relationship is non-linear. With short cells only one species displayed a continuous increase in UI as light levels decreased. Thus, data from long cells show the greatest promise for use in the fossil record. To further test this method for paleoecological work, the UI of epidermal cells in soil phytolith assemblages from known modern habitat types will also need to be examined to see whether this UI and light correlation persists under natural growth conditions.

Why are urban forests not replacing themselves?  For example, recent surveys demonstrate that adult trees are dying faster than new saplings are recruiting in Seattle (Washington), implying that the health of local coniferous forests is in decline.  Extensive resources are spent planting trees to combat this problem, but the underlying causes of this "lost generation" of trees remains unknown.  We investigate factors limiting seedling establishment of native conifers (Thuja plicata, Tsuga heterophylla) in Seattle, and use results to suggest strategies resource managers can use to address the "lost generation" problem.  We examine the effect of removing non-native English Ivy (Hedera helix) and adding mulch to understand what is limiting conifer regeneration, and to explore possible management techniques for improving growth and survival of transplanted seedlings.  We measured survival, general health (visually assessed), and height as response variables to the two treatments.  As of yet, no studies have empirically tested both of these factors.  We observed the highest transplant survival rates in areas where mulch was added, for both focal species.  Surviving transplants in the mulch treatment were also healthier than the transplants with no mulch added.  Ivy presence did not affect health or survival of either species, but it did affect growth of Tsuga heterophylla.  Treatments affected growth of the two species differently.  Growth of Thuja plicata was not affected by either treatment.  For Tsuga heterophylla, however, growth was highest in the ivy-removed treatment, but was not significantly affected by the presence of mulch.  Our results suggest that seedling survival is limited by a lack of mulch and that competition with invasive understory plants may limit growth for some species.  Our recommendations for park management are therefore that restoration transplants should be paired with mulch addition, as well as Hedera helix removal for Tsuga heterophylla, to maximize survival and growth.

Traditional classical guitar making heavily relies on the use of precious wood and animal materials, many of which are endangered. These materials are illegal to trade under the CITES Treaty (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) and the U.S. Lacey Act which have unintentionally shifted material demand to countries of weak legal enforcement, resulting in environmental degradation. I would like to examine different factors involved through a production function, which comprises organization, technology, human capital, physical capital, labor, and natural resources to suggest a better institutional arrangement for classical guitar making. I will also gather historical data on Brazilian Rosewood, an essential material in guitar making. This will include its relative price to alternatives, its users, and the tree population to examine what is at stake. I predict that a better-designed international legal institution will facilitate the process of conservation while redressing the issue of resource limitation. Next, the formation of an international de facto standardizing institution will emerge to facilitate certification and ecolabeling programs, and incentivize sustainable forestry and business through market force. Furthermore, an increase in demand will lead to acoustic and construction technology advancement to remedy resource deficit. Through examining guitar making, I hope to propose a model for sustainable business and to tackle challenges in resource management for an ever increasingly populated world.

It is estimated that an average of 1 in every 110 children in the United States is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This makes Autism currently one of the most prevalent childhood disorders facing the nation. As such, Autism impacts not only the child, but the families, friends and others involved. This research focuses on the siblings of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, often labeled as “typically developing” siblings. One of the longest lasting relationships that an individual with Autism may have is with their sibling(s). Therefore, it is important to understand in more detail the perceptions and experiences of these “typically developing” siblings. This research addresses the question: How do individuals with autistic siblings feel Autism Spectrum Disorder impacts their lives and social relationships? Research methods included interviews with siblings, parents and health care specialist involved with individuals with autism to learn about their personal experiences. In addition,  participant oberservation was accomplished by attending support groups for siblings of individuals with disabilities including, Autism Spectrum Disorder. There is an ample amount of research focusing on the causes and cures of Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, this project atttempts to shift the focus to the social relationships impacted by the disorder. Ultimately, this research explored some of the under researched social implications in an effort to highlight the hidden impacts of Autism. 

Chronic inflammation is a silent killer, contributing to death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other chronic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity. Although the specific molecular pathways linking inflammation contribute to CKD pathogenesis still remain unclear, interleukin-6 (IL-6), the prototypic inflammatory biomarker and a potential mediator, is believed to be able to help us understand the mechanism that leads to CKD. We have been investigating the role of IL-6 family of genes using different animal models, such as the Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction (UUO), to induce interstitial fibrosis. The results from our studies have demonstrated that IL-6 and gp130 are profibrotic molecules. Therefore, our goal was to understand the mechanisms of IL-6 in myofibroblasts, the major contributors of collagen during fibrosis. For these studies, we used wild-type mice, IL6 (+/+), IL6 (-/-) and αSMA-Cre-IL-6(fl/fl), in the UUO model of interstitial fibrosis. We hypothesized that IL-6 regulates the crosslinking of collagen by regulating the lysyl-oxidase gene. Therefore, we assessed the Extracellular matrix expansion and collagen accumulation by measuring the changes in gene expression of Col-1, 3, and 4, IL-6, Lysyl-oxidase, Fli-1 and Hells at different time points during renal fibrogenesis. We consider that the change in collagen crosslinking is an important factor in the turnover rate of collagen and it changes its stability to be degraded/accumulated. The examination of the role of IL-6 could potentially provide a new therapeutic breakthrough for treatment and better detection/assessment of renal fibrosis.

Research on Dugesia tigrina, a species of planaria, has drastically increased over the last decade. Planaria are non-parasitic flatworms that have a primitive, bilaterally symmetrical central nervous system and utilize many of the same neurotransmitters as humans. This makes them a model organism to study drug effects and drug actions on the nervous system. Our lab studies some of the most commonly abused over-the-counter drugs and looks at the behavioral responses of planaria. Our lab has found that Dextrometorphan induces “C” like seizures and screw-like hyperkinesias. I have extended out analysis to look at  Salvia divinorum, an abused drug that can cause hallucinations. Comparing to our previous work with Dextromethorphan, I have found that Salvinorin A, the active component of Salvia divinorum, causes similar and different effects on planaria behavior and motility. This poster reports this comparative analysis. 

In nearly all institutions, programs exist with the goal to recruit a diverse body of applicants and then, to retain this diverse body of students. Diversity is a loaded term, yet the federal definition – which I will be following – focuses on underrepresented, low-income and first generation students. This research project examines the specific steps involved in attaining a higher education and identifies factors, which enhanced their chances, and barriers, which they had to overcome. There is a lot of research done on the effectiveness of these programs, both K-12 pre-college and programs in the university. However, it is important to look at another aspect: the role the surrounding community plays in the pre-college experience, including preparation and motivation. I am conducting a literary review on the power that social and cultural capital holds in a students success at achieving a higher education. Through this research we can institute a new community based program that will effectively address these barriers, as well as enable us to address the current recruitment and retention programs in state to make them more effective.

Plants sense and respond to changes in their environment. For example, elongation of the embryonic stem ensures seedlings reach light after they germinate. This critical stage in a plant’s life is highly regulated by hormones, including gibberellic acid (GA) and brassinosteroids (BRs). Using the model system Arabidopsis thaliana, we discovered GA and BRs interact to control stem elongation during early development. We found that treating seedlings with both hormones resulted in a synergistic growth response during some phases of development but not others. We are exploring the genetic basis of this response using seedlings mutant in different aspects of their GA and BR pathways. For example, DWF4ox seedlings over-express a gene that encodes a BR biosynthetic enzyme. These seedlings make more BRs and have an enhanced growth response. DELLAs (RGA and GAI) repress growth and are degraded by GA. Seedlings that have reduced DELLA (rga gai) function also have enhanced growth. We are testing the growth responses of the DWF4ox rga gai triple mutant looking at hypocotyl elongation rates. By using these and other mutants that have compromised GA and BR pathways we hope to better understand the molecular mechanism of the interaction between these two hormones.

‘Gaydar’ is the phenomenon by which people are able to determine a person’s sexual orientation based on mere observation. Recent research has shown that people can judge sexual orientation with above-chance accuracy from facial photographs. The present research investigated if smiling is a cue that impacts judgments of men’s sexual orientation. Smiling is associated with femininity, and as gay men are generally stereotyped as feminine, we hypothesized that a man smiling would be rated as appearing more gay (vs. straight) than a man who was not smiling. We also predicted that because smiling, a femininity cue, may be less expected on more masculine faces, the impact of smiling will be greater in straight (vs. gay) men’s faces. Participants judged the sexual orientation of a total of 64 gay and straight men’s faces with smiles or neutral facial expressions (using a scale of 1=very gay to 7=very straight). As expected, men were judged as looking more gay when smiling (vs. neutral), and this effect was greater among straight (vs. gay) men’s faces. The findings of this research suggest that subtle gender cues can be conveyed by emotional facial expressions and influence perceptions of sexual orientation.

A continuous measurement of wall shear stress can be achieved using shear sensitive liquid crystal coatings (SSLCC). Utilizing thin films of polymer-embedded birefringent liquid crystals as sensors, they deform elastically when subjected to shear stresses. The light passing through the SSLCC is recorded with a charge-coupled device camera and is processed by the specialized birefringence detecting Milliview. Shear magnitude and direction are determined from the results. A single coating comprises of polymers, solvents, and liquid crystals in varying proportions. When applied to a surface, solvents vaporize, leaving liquid crysals embedded inside polymer structures. By adjusting the proportions of the components, the viscosity and curing rate of the coatings can be controlled to match the method of application. A series of formulations were applied to a flat, glass substrate using methods such as airbrushing and direct deposition. Each combination was tested repeatedly at free-stream speeds ranging from 5 m/s to 36 m/s. The best coatings were determined by optical clarity, surface smoothness, signal strength, and reusability both through visual observation and testing in a small wind tunnel. Few combinations yielded both a high signal strength and reusability.

A vast quantity of water is moving in the atmosphere under the direct influence of solar energy. Therefore, it is important to understand the energy balance to characterize the behavior of the water cycle of a particular region. Water gets back from ocean and land masses to the atmosphere through the process of evaporation and evapotranspiration (ET). Evapotranspiration is an important phenomenon in the water cycle for the estimation and evaluation of the available water resources. If we understand how ET is changing over space and time, then we can more accurately calculate the crop water requirement (CWR) at a high resolution for that region. This can help farmers in managing water resources very efficiently. Current research has difficulty in projecting how ET is going to change over different locations in the future. Therefore, through this research we are trying to understand the partition of the energy balance components and quantify them to help the water management in southern Idaho. To support this research, we will use the data from both Land Surface Hydrology Model and field observations and present the trends in surface energy balance components, including net radiation, latent (ET), sensible and ground heat fluxes. 

Pyroclastic Density Currents (PDCs) are the most dangerous hazard associated with explosive volcanic eruptions. Due to the danger associated with observing these ground-hugging currents of searing hot gas, ash, and rock in real time, their processes are poorly understood. In order to understand flow dynamics, including what controls how far PDCs travel and how they interact with topography, it is necessary to study their deposits. The May 18th, 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens produced multiple PDCs, burying the area north of the volcano under tens of meters of PDC deposits. The eruption is one of the best observed on record, and deep drainage erosion over the past 30 years has exposed the three-dimensional structure of the PDC deposits, making this intensive study possible. For each flow unit we measure deposit thickness, bedding style, clast size, density and sorting, and degree of pumice rounding with distance from source. The intricate vertical and lateral facies changes and complex cross-cutting relationships away from source, including rapid changes in bedding and granulometry characteristics within each unit, indicate that the currents interacted with complex topography early in their propagation. We use this observation and analysis to better understand and interpret flow dynamics. The data we collect will be used to refine and validate numerical models of PDCs, ultimately providing a more accurate hazard assessment for explosive eruptions.

Identifying the sources of sediments that make up an archaeological site can be useful for understanding changes in site formation processes. Changes in site formation processes can relate to climate change and changes in the human use of the site. We analysed sediments from Klipfonteinrand, a Middle Stone Age site in western South Africa and sediments from seven potential source locations in the surrounding landscape. We used an acid digest procedure to extract elements from the sediments and identified and quantified 34 elements in the sediment extract using ICP-AES. Our results revealed elemental profiles of major geologic units in the landscape and changes in the source of sediments in the archaeological deposit. We explore the implications of these changes for our understanding of palaeoclimate, human history and human-environment relations at this site.

Washington State is home to unique prairie ecosystems that have been invaded and degraded over the last several decades. A habitat restoration study is underway at 4 research sites in Western Washington. Areas at each site were prepared with solarization, burning, or herbicide, and plots were seeded with a diverse mixture of native species following site preparation. I am researching the effect of these treatments on the physiological profile of soil microbial communities and on available nitrogen (N) mineralization. Soil samples were collected from 5 locations at each site: the site preparation treatments, an unseeded herbicide area, and an untreated area. The samples were either inoculated into a Biolog EcoPlateTM containing 31 carbon sources and 3 water well controls, or used to extract a KCl solution for N mineralization amounts. The wells of the EcoPlatesTM contain tetrazolium, which changes color in response to microbial activity. The color development was recorded when plates were first inoculated using a micro-plate reader at a wavelength of 590nm, and were then incubated for 24 hours. Readings were then taken every 12 hours for 96 hours. The normalized data are analyzed using PCA and PERMANOVA.N Mineralization rates are obtained by subtracting the results of time 0 from time 1. PVC tubes were inserted into the 5 treatment plots on day 1 and removed to collect samples for mineralization. To obtain the second sample PVC tubes were left in the 5 treatments plots and collected after 40 days. Samples were mixed with a 2M KCl solution to extract NO3 and NH4 amounts. The resulting amounts of NO3 and NO4 from day 1 will be subtracted from day 40 to obtain mineralization rates. This research is important to the larger restoration project because it is examining how strongly the restoration treatments affect the soil microbial community.

Homo floresiensis exhibits lower limb morphology that is different from that of H. sapiens, leading some to conclude that gait would be different between the two species. For instance, the ratio of foot to fibular length in H. floresiensis is smaller than the ratio in modern humans, even after differences in body size are accounted. This increased foot length in H. floresiensis is thought to lead to a reduction in energy efficiency. In this study we artificially lengthened the foot of 8 women aged 18-30 years so that their ratio of foot to fibular length was similar to that of H. floresiensis. This was accomplished by creating a foot extension device (FED). Participants walked unshod on a treadmill at five self-selected and randomized velocities. Each velocity was maintained for five minutes, with a four-minute rest period between velocities while the volumetric rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) was assessed with a SensorMedics Vmax29 metabolic cart. We then increased the foot length with the FED and the participants walk at three self-selected velocities. The cost of transport (CoT) curve for each participant was calculated from their normal and FED walking trials. Walking with the FED did not change CoT (p > 0.05). From this result, we conclude that lengthening the foot to the proportion seen in H. floresiensis does not change walking energetics.

The purpose of this study is to conduct an analysis of the availability of quality multicultural children’s literature in Treasure Valley elementary schools. Of particular interest are several schools from the Boise and Kuna School Districts. Four schools will participate in the study, including at least one Spanish/English dual immersion school or program. Current research suggests multicultural literature supports the psychosocial well-being of students in all classrooms. Exposure to a variety of cultures increases awareness and acceptance among students, reading multicultural literature encourages children to reaffirm the values of their own culture and come to appreciate those of others. Furthermore, multicultural literature, defined as literature that accurately portrays diverse views and cultures, has a significant impact on students’ developing identities. For these reasons this study focuses on the multicultural literature availability and content of school libraries in elementary schools. In this study I will investigate the availability, or lack thereof, of multicultural literature and the quality of the multicultural literature available in the school libraries by analyzing the library’s multicultural collection. The measure used to analyze the literature will be composed of distinguished books that have received any of the following awards: Notable Books for a Global Society Award, multicultural literature awards such as the Coretta Scott King Award and the Pura Bulpre Award from the American Library Association, and the Carter Woodson Award; within the past five years. This study will also take into account the need for multicultural literature in the particular schools by comparing the demographic population of the schools and the relationship to the library’s inclusion or lack of inclusion of multicultural literature. This study will prove useful to teachers, administrators, librarians, and parents when making decisions in regards to literature purchases and donations for school libraries. It also provides critical information that can be used to analyze student levels of engagement with library resources.

Infection depends on the successful colonization of a host by a pathogen. For a virus to infect its host, it must come into contact with the host, gain entry into target cells, and replicate. There are a variety of factors that could influence the likelihood of a host becoming infected. For example, a higher concentration of virions in the environment will increase the probability that a host will come into contact with one. The relationship between viral concentration and the number of hosts infected could exhibit various forms, such as linear, logarithmic, or exponential. Viral genetic differences could also influence infectivity if certain genotypes are more effective at initiating infections. In this study we examined the relationship between dose size and the proportion of hosts infected by the fish rhabdovirus Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), and whether this relationship differed between virus genotypes. We compared the minimum infectious dose of two genotypes, one with higher virulence (HV) and one with lower virulence (LV), to determine how infectivity is associated with virulence. Previous studies indicate that at 100% infection levels, HV reaches higher viral loads than LV, in addition to having a host entry advantage, but to our knowledge the minimum infectious dose of either genotype has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the more virulent genotype would have a lower minimum infectious dose. We infected groups of fish with 10¹, 10², 10³, 10⁴, and 2x10⁵ pfu/mL of one of the two genotypes. After allowing the virus three days to initiate an infection, the fish were euthanized and their viral RNA was extracted and counted with quantitative real-time PCR to determine whether each fish was infected. The information gained about infectious dose can be used to produce a more refined understanding of viral fitness, and thus, viral evolution.

Historically, if an individual entered the U.S. without authorization it was not considered a criminal offense. Today the term “illegal immigrant” is commonplace; with many simply assuming this is how it has always been. "Crimmigration”refers to the phenomenon of increasing overlap between criminal and immigration law, procedures, and enforcement mechanisms.Using newspaper articles, this research identifies the percentage share of crimmigration discussion in several major news outlets as a proxy for the climate of public opinion.This study analyzes the changing rhetoric of immigration since WWII. Through an investigation of newspaper articles, this research examines whether economic downturns have contributed to the criminalization of immigration debates in the public sphere. I expect to find that economic factors are important predictors of the prevalance of crimmigration-related articles, after controlling for the other explanations suggested by past research, such as changes in immigration law.

Plants respond with a sink stimulation of photosynthesis when colonized by bacterial and fungal mutualists, which compensates for costs of carbohydrate allocation to the microbes. Problems may arise when light is limited and plants cannot increase photosynthesis. We hypothesize that under such conditions the costs for maintaining the mutualism outweigh the benefits, which ultimately turns the beneficial microbes into parasites exploiting resources and reducing host fitness. We study these plant-microbe interactions under different light availabilities using lima bean plants, rhizobia (nitrogen-fixing bacteria), and mycorrhizal fungi. In our study, we apply two levels of light (full light and light intensity reduced by 50%) and four levels of microbial inoculation (sterile soil, rhizobia, mycorrhiza, and rhizobia x mycorrhiza). Fitness-relevant plant parameters are measured including plant vegetative growth as well as flower and seed production. Our study will provide first insights into potential shifts in functional interactions between plants and plant-associated microbes under light limitation.

Though many fields that were previously male dominated have moved drastically towards gender equality, the field of computer science continues to reflect a large gender disparity; less than 20% of undergraduate degrees in computer science were given to women in 2009. Role congruity theory posits that women are more inclined to participate in activities that are congruent with their gender role. Current stereotypes of computer science reflect a societal perception that computer scientists work alone, and this stereotype is incongruent with the female gender role, specifically with communal goals. Previous research has found that communal goals, such as helping others and working with people, predict female interest in occupational fields. This research examined how perceptions of communal and agentic goals in a field are related to interest in a taking six different science classes. I hypothesized that women will be more interested in majors that endorse communal goals. Measures of personal importance of communal goals were taken as a potential mediator between interest in high communal and low communal majors. Surveys were handed out to students on campus at the University of Washington. The sample population included students attending the University of Washington who were 18 years of age or older. This study is a preliminary study to a series of experiments that will manipulate perceptions of communal goals in computer science classes. As many computer science departments hold a strict no-collaboration policy in their introductory courses, implications of this study may include how these policies potentially influence female college students to join or continue in the computer science major. Further, fostering perceptions of collaborative activities could potentially increase female participation in computer science through appealing to their interest in communal goals.

Understanding larval transport is important for the conservation of species, however, the study of larval distribution can be complicated because it is difficult to obtain a comprehensive sample as larvae are found in patches in time and space. As well, it can be challenging to identify and sort larvae in a timely fashion once they are found. We have developed a novel method that allows us to better identify and sort Pacific geoduck clam larvae using a molecular probe so that their distribution can be observed with more accuracy. By using the molecular probe, we were able to preserve the larvae, which allowed us to measure their shells. Assuming shell size correlates to the age of larvae, we used size frequency distributions to make inferences about their population structure and dispersal patterns. Larvae were collected from 3 depths at 3 locations in Quartermaster Harbor (QMH) on a weekly basis for 15 weeks. They were identified and sorted using the molecular probe. Then, each larva was measured and its size recorded. We predicted that we would find a range of larvae sizes throughout the harbor because larvae would be retained in QMH since it has a slow exchange with surrounding waters. Our preliminary results indicate that small larvae are present throughout the reproductive season with a pulse of large larvae towards the end of the season, possibly coming from outside of the harbor. However, middle sized larvae appear to be prominent in the inner harbor which implies that, to some degree, larvae were retained in the slow moving water. Our results, once finalized, will be incorporated into a physical model of QMH to demonstrate how geoduck larvae are transported in the harbor waters. As well, the technique we used can be further developed for a variety of commercially important bivalve species in order to conserve their populations.

Emotion is a human universal but interpretation of facial expressions and the prescribed meaning may differ across cultures. In Faces and Feelings we attempt to examine this cultural variation by testing East Asian and European American participants’ responses to various stories presented with photos of facial expressions. Recent research has indicated that European Americans judge faces primarily using features of the face, whereas East Asian participants judge faces inferring from the person’s social situation. Expanding on this, we predict different factors such as interdependence and dialectical thinking will influence interpretation of facial expressions cross-culturally. Participants are asked to complete a computer-based experiment consisting of essay responses, multiple choice questions and demographic information. We will then perform qualitative analyses on the data collected. We expect our results from this ongoing study to yield similar results to the earlier pilot studies which supported the hypotheses. While people in every culture express their feeling on their faces, there may be differences in what those expressions communicate and in how they reflect what a person is feeling. Knowledge of these differences may help diverse cultures understand and relate to each other in positive and more productive ways.

Increasing the efficiency of biofuel production is critical to decrease the dependence and consumption of fossil fuels. In the United States, most car fuel contains about 10% ethanol, the result of fermentation, and 90% gasoline. The process of fermenting sugars into ethanol relies on agricultural stocks, decreasing the area of arable land available for food production. Non-agricultural plant species can be used, but the lignocellulose material from the total plant contains both five and six carbon sugars. Baker’s Yeast can ferment the six carbon sugars, but a novel yeast species is necessary to ferment the five carbon sugars. The goal of my research is to isolate and identify wild yeast species growing in non-agricultural plants that ferment five carbon sugars, such as xylose, into a usable product; xylitol in this case. Xylitol can be sold as an artificial sweetener to subsidize the overall costs of biofuel production, or alternatively, may be converted to ethanol through biochemical pathways that some yeast species have. After attempting to grow yeast from nine different plant species growing in Pack Forest with xylose as their only carbon source, one yeast species from red alder, Alnus rubra, exhibited growth. The other eight species did not show significant growth compared to controls: common Baker's Yeast and PTD3, a previously isolated yeast. Further research of these yeasts was not pursued. Next, AR (for Alnus rubra), was tested for xylitol production. First, AR was grown in a medium with xylose as its sole source of sugar. By placing the growth culture in an air-tight flask, any xylitol production would be prevented from evaporating, making it measurable with a high-performance liquid chromatography machine. The yeast isolated from red alder successfully fermented xylose into xylitol, making it a potential source of efficient biofuel production.

The vestibular system, a complex system involving the inner ear, is responsible for maintaining eye stability and posture during head movements.  Rotational and linear accelerations of the head are sensed by the end organs of the vestibular labyrinth, and are used to initiate and modulate reflexes.  Dysfunction of the vestibular system can produce symptoms ranging from mild dizziness to debilitating attacks of vertigo.  Our group has developed a vestibular prosthesis to replace vestibular function through the use of electrical stimulation. The device has three electrodes which are surgically implanted into the three semicircular canals of vestibular labyrinth to allow for direct electrical stimulation of the end organ. Our ultimate goal is to artificially restore vestibular function in patients, in part to accurately control eye movements.  To do this, we need to understand the relationship between eye position and eye movements during stimulation with the prosthesis. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that transient eye velocities elicited by short stimulation are linearly related to the initial position of the eye in the orbit.  We need to understand if during prolonged stimulation eye position also has a significant effect on eye velocity. In this study, we characterize the effects of eye position on the maintained velocities elicited by a long stimulus train. These observations will allow us to more accurately control eye movements to stabilize the eye with electrical stimulation of varying durations, or at different frequencies of head rotation. We have trained one rhesus monkey to track a moving visual target.  A long duration stimulus was administered to each of the three semicircular canals in that animal.  All visual stimuli were removed during the stimulations.  Preliminary results suggest that there is a relationship between eye position and eye velocity elicited by long duration stimuli.

Neutrinos and antineutrinos are elementary particles with no electric charge and very small masses. From neutrino oscillation experiments we know their mass differences but not their absolute scale. Additionally, it is unknown whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles. These are two of several significant questions in neutrino physics and are important for furthering our fundamental understanding of the universe as we extend the Standard Model of particle physics. These questions can be probed by a search for the rare hypothetical radioactive decay known as neutrinoless double beta decay. The Majorana Demonstrator experiment will look for neutrinoless double beta decay in ⁷⁶Ge. Currently, the Majorana Demonstrator is in the development stage, and involves the collaboration of several universities and national laboratories. My research characterizes electrical crosstalk between nearby readout channels for this experiment. As neutrinoless double beta decay is hypothesized to such a rare process, a thorough understanding of the electrical crosstalk is necessary to adequately interpret the measured signals.

Curiously, Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) thrives on the rocky riverbanks of Washington under nutrient-poor conditions few other species dare tolerate. Their prosperous lives could be the result of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that inhabit the tree's stems and roots. It is the hypothesis that these endophytic bacteria provide trees with organic nitrogen throughout their lives, where the river side substrate fails to provide sufficient nitrogen for the Poplar to otherwise live. Wild Black Cottonwood seeds were collected from Three Forks Park along the Snoqualmie River in Washington then grown in greenhouses. Endophytes were isolated from these trees and tested for the presence of the nitrogenase gene (nifH) using PCR. The nitrogenase proteins equip bacteria to fix atmospheric nitrogen into forms plants can readily use. Understanding the life cycles, inoculation techniques and genetic make-ups of these bacteria enable us not only to grasp a little better the diversity of life, but to think beyond Black Cottonwoods, to how these bacteria could be recruited to be used on crops and degraded fields. Nitrogen is necessary for plants and often a growth limiting factor; harnessing these nitrogen-providers may help reduce our dependency of energy-intensive industrial ammonia.

Tickle-Degnen and Rosenthal identified coordination as signaling a strong interpersonal connection between two people (also known as dyadic rapport). This coordination, termed behavioral synchrony in past research, can be conceptually defined as the unintentional mirroring of another’s behavior. Investigations on the relationship between rapport and synchrony in educational (Bernieri; LaFrance) and clinical (Ramseyer & Tschacher) settings provide evidence validating this rapport-synchrony interaction. Situational conditions may impact dyadic rapport, including perceptions of authority (Dunbar; Grahe & Sherman). Focus on the dyad’s gender-makeup is also salient to power theory as gender roles can be associated with dominance (Dunbar). The present study examined these phenomena using a research design drawn from a project proposal by Dr. Fabian Ramseyer for the Collective Undergraduate Research Project. Alongside his proposal, Dr. Ramseyer generously provided access to the Motion Energy Analysis (Rokesby & Ramseyer), an innovative tool designed to evaluate synchronous behavior. This computerized program translated video footage of a dyadic interaction into quantitative measures of synchrony, thereby eliminating the need for researchers to subjectively code the videos. In the experiment, participants (Ndyad = 34) first responded to a short pre-test measuring empathy and interpersonal behavior intentions. Dyads then completed a dyadic task developing a six-course menu for a party in a 2 (Gender Specificity: Superbowl vs. Baby Shower) X 2 (Partition of Responsibility: Equal or Individual) X 3 (Dyad Makeup: Male-Male, Mixed, Female-Female) between-S design. After the interaction, they completed post-test measures of mood and relationship quality. Results from this research can be extended to both clinical and non-clinical settings, acting as guidelines for the construction of dyadic partnerships in a way that encourages effective rapport-building.

Previous research has shown that the economic/income level of Hispanic families is associated to the type of treatments children and adolescents receive. However, little research has examined other possible predictors that affect the type of treatment approaches Hispanic children receive who are diagnosed with depression. It is important to look at possible factors in order to understand why some cases would end up in premature termination or why others have higher levels of success. It is believed that possible predictors of type of approaches to treatments are cultural aspects for immigrant families, ethnic match with their therapist, treatment acceptability and treatment barriers (transportations, babysitter, lack of understanding, etc.) This study hypothesized that Hispanic families would choose certain therapies as more favorable based on the accessibility and the ethnic background of their case manager and have the potential to lead to higher rates of success and decrease the rate of premature termination. The result of the study provides support for the current findings of favored therapeutic approaches by other ethnic communities and further construct a better-designed accessibility to treatments.

Genomic engineering has a wealth of possible applications, from curing genetic disease to curbing the spread of malaria. Homing endonucleases (HEs), which cut DNA at long, specific DNA target sites, are useful for genomic engineering because of their high site specificity. However, to use HEs for engineering, we must be able to modify their target site. Though this can be done with current computational and experimental protein engineering techniques, some HEs are resistant to those approaches. Therefore, we are working to develop a general methodology to modify the site specificity of HEs, based on a new synthetic biology technique called phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE). PACE is a continuous evolution system in which the evolution of a desired biomolecular activity is linked to the reproductive cycle of phage particles containing the evolving gene(s), and should allow us to develop proteins or nucleic acids with almost any desired activity or specificity. We have built an automated system to keep the growing host cells and phage at a constant cell density and temperature, which is required for PACE. We are also working to design a mechanism to link HE DNA binding activity to phage reproduction by engineering plasmids in the host cells and phage. In the future, we will be refining the hardware set-up and protocol even further, and looking for ways to modularize the PACE system.

Asian Americans respond negatively to being the target of a positive stereotype (e.g., Asians are smart) even though these stereotypes are often attempts at praising their group (Siy & Cheryan, under review). The current work focuses on how responses to positive stereotypes vary depending on the race of the person stating the positive stereotype. We hypothesize that Asian Americans will respond more positively to other Asians who state positive stereotypes about their race than Whites who state positive stereotypes about Asians, because Asians are assumed to have "cultural credentials" about their own race. In this case, cultural credentials are defined as the perception that a person has sufficient knowledge about a group to enable them to make comments about that group that outsiders cannot. In this study, Asian American participants imagined a situation in which they were positively stereotyped by either a White classmate or an Asian classmate. Results showed that participants responded more positively to the positive stereotype when the stereotyper was Asian, compared to when the stereotyper was White. Positive responses to Asians who state positive stereotypes about their own race were explained by the belief that Asian stereotypers had stronger cultural credentials. This study shows that taking the time to establish cultural credentials may be a useful strategy for times when one desires to praise a group for their accomplishments.

Life is abundant on planet Earth but we have relatively few locations in which we can study environments similar to those on other celestial bodies. One possible terrestrial feature that is similar to those on some of the moons of Saturn and Jupiter is Lake Vostok, located under 4000 meters of ice in Antarctica. If we can prove that life can survive in this desolate environment that has been covered by ice for the last 35 million years, there is a heightened chance that extraterrestrial life exists within our own solar system. To study this area, we are designing a probe that will melt through the ice and take measurements from the lake to determine if bacteria or other life forms can survive in such a harsh environment. The main goals of my project were to create a mechanism that will allow the probe to move vertically in the lake via user control, determine the optimal cable and wire storage method for such a large endeavor, and eventually design a housing for the probe that can withstand immense pressure without leaking. I did this by using 3D computer aided design software and pressure and stress analysis tools. From these designs, I manufactured actual prototypes to test my concepts. Eventually, this work will lead to a functioning probe that will survey Lake Vostok and other sub-glacial lakes in an attempt to find evidence of life.

Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 is a methylotrophic bacteria ubiquitous in the environment and in particular on the undersides of leaves. This organism is able to metabolize both single carbon compounds like methanol and multi-carbon compounds such as succinate and pyruvate. M. extorquens has been studied for decades because of its potential for not only creating value added compounds from methanol, but important regulatory systems including the regulatory pathway of methanol metabolism, which has yet to be fully elaborated. Our laboratory focuses on single carbon compound metabolism and the regulation of the pathways required for growth. The first step in methylotrophic growth is the oxidation of methanol via methanol dehydrogenase encoded by the mxaFI genes. Promoter fusion data suggests a complex regulatory system involving two two-component systems MxbDM and MxcQE, two homologues of the main methanol dehydrogenase XoxF12, and an unknown transcriptional repressor. In order to elucidate this process, the direct binding of a transcriptional regulator to the mxaF promoter region must be demonstrated. Unfortunately all putative regulators have historically failed to show activity in vitro. In order to isolate direct regulators, whole cell extract will be washed over an abundance of the mxa promoter region that is bound to magnetic beads. Then using a magnet, the promoter region can be removed along with proteins that have bound from the cell extract, any non-specific binding proteins can be washed off using a low salt buffer, and specific binding proteins removed using a high salt buffer. The elutions containing the proteins of interest can be run out on an SDS PAGE gel, and the unique bands of interest excised and sent for mass spectrometry analysis for identification. Our work will define transcriptional regulators of the mxa operand, determining which specific proteins are binding the promoter region of that operand.

Transcription, the first step in gene regulation in which RNA is created from DNA, is a process that occurs in the nucleus. When messenger RNA is transcribed, its function is to code for a protein product. This message is transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it can serve its purpose, and over time gets degraded. Transcription and degradation were always thought to be uncoupled, but recent evidence suggests otherwise.  Coordination of synthesis and decay rates of an mRNA transcript could be beneficial to the cell. It has been shown that copies of the exact same message encoded by different promoters can have different rates of degradation in the cytoplasm depending on the promoter used to activate transcription. I hypothesize that an RNA-binding motif on a protein could affect the lifespan of a specific message, and plan to test this hypothesis using the awesome power of yeast genetics and molecular biology.  By culturing wild type and deletion strains of yeast, and de-repressing the activity of gluconeogenic enzymes by starving the cells of glucose, I can test my prediction. SNF1 is a protein kinase that is active only during gluconeogenesis, and I have shown that when it is inhibited, the rate of mRNA degradation is more rapid than under normal conditions. I will test my prediction by deleting genes encoding putative RNA binding proteins that are phosphorylated by SNF1 and measuring mRNA levels by Reverse Transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.  The idea of mRNA degradation being linked to the way that mRNA was transcribed is new, and I am interested to see what I will find.  I am hoping to identify both positive and negative effectors of mRNA stability using this approach.

Foreign aid can be used to positively change the economic, environmental, and security realities of an individual country or region. However, the complex nature of global systems means that foreign aid can also have unintended consequences. This paper focuses on the unintended consequences of Plan Colombia for the Latin American drug trade. Plan Colombia was initiated in 1999 with the intent to disrupt the Colombian drug cartels and decrease Colombian drug production. From 2001 to 2009 drug-related killings in Mexico increased from 1,080 per year to a staggering 6,587. From 2002 to 2006, homicides in Colombia declined by 40% and kidnappings decreased by an astounding 80%. . During a similar time period, from 2001 to 2009, drug-related killings in Mexico increased from 1,080 per year to a staggering 6,587. The apparent inverse relationship of violence indicators in Colombia and Mexico suggests that a common event could have caused the change in both countries. The literature on the subject posits that Plan Colombia catalyzed the unintended shift of drug related violence from Colombia to Mexico, however these claims have not been quantitatively investigated and warrant further investigation. In my investigation of this question I analyze patterns of drug production and violence over time to test alternative hypotheses for this shift. Increased understanding of how international aid influences global systems far removed from a target country or region will enable the United States to more effectively accomplish its foreign policy goals.

Do cultural norms and expectations affect the purpose and value of an educational system? For my research, I traveled to Tahiti and observed the educational system at the University of French Polynesia. Employing ethnographic research methods, I conducted informal interviews with professors and students of different educational levels about their views on higher education, and the importance of their culture in their educational experience. As a comparison, I interviewed those who did not attend higher education. For the other half of the multisided research project, I conducted similar interviews in the United States at universities such as the University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University, and Highline Community College, and compared my findings. I found that in French Polynesia many Tahitians believe that higher education is not the only way to attain their dreams, while Americans typically agree that higher education is the best way to become successful. A key factor in these opposing views is best seen through the differences of cultures and the meaning of education. My research determines that it is essential to recognize that culture and education are closely linked to one another, in order to better understand education on an international level.

The purpose of this study was to investigate one explanation for why religious people have been found to be happier than non-religious people. Given that gratitude has been shown to be an important aspect of psychological well-being, we theorize that an individual’s gratefulness towards God should mediate their happiness due to an increased availability of gratitude expression as well as creating a larger pool of events to be grateful for. We expected this mediation to manifest in the form of a participant memory bias as well as significant contributions to well-being after accounting for their gratitude disposition. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed the reported religiosity, well-being, and recalled significant events taking place in the past month of 133 college students. The results from this study seem to indicate that gratefulness towards God may not explain the happiness of religious people beyond their general gratitude.

The overall objective of this research project is to develop a high-yield site-specific bioconjugation method for use in developing new cancer therapy agents using the reaction of benzaldehydes with oxyamines. Bioconjugation is the term to describe the development of new pharmaceuticals. It often involves coupling one biomolecule (e.g. monoclonal antibody) with another chemical species (e.g. drug, toxin, radionuclide-binding molecule). The first aim of the project is to synthesize four water-soluble discrete-sized polyethylene glycol (dPEG)-benzaldehyde derivatives, and then determine their relative reaction rates with a water-soluble oxyamine compound. The fastest reacting compound is determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses and studied further. The second aim in the research project is to conjugate the two most reactive dPEG-benzaldehydes to a monoclonal antibody. The final aim is to assess the bioconjugation reaction of a biotin-oxyamine derivative with the two benzaldehyde-modified antibodies. The biotin-oxyamine conjugation yields will be determined using an avidin-binding (HABA) assay that uses UV quantification.

 As a river feeds into the ocean, a buoyant, laterally spreading, rapidly moving layer of fluid which runs seaward over the ocean surface (i.e., a river plume) is formed. At the interface between the fluids, shear stress creates turbulence, which causes mixing and plume deceleration. Additionally, pressure differences due to density differences and the plume surface slope create a pressure imbalance. The interplay of these and other processes are poorly understood. This lack of understanding is in contrast to the importance of river plumes dynamics: plume dynamics determine the ultimate concentration of contaminants and biological debris (notably red tide) in a larger (geostrophic) scale current which forms after the plume decelerates significantly. This geostrophic current runs along the coast and can transport contaminants to coastal marine ecosystems, beaches, and coastal communities. In order to predict the potential danger in the propagation of river contaminants along coasts, it is necessary to develop a quantitative understanding of plume dynamics. To this end, a momentum balance (an application of Newton’s Second Law to fluid flow) is currently being carried out. The relevant terms in this balance are the along-flow pressure gradient, the vertical turbulent interfacial stress gradient, and the total acceleration. Each of these terms can be constructed from velocity and density profiles which have been obtained for different experiments under both channelized and spreading conditions using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and particle laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF). By comparing the relative magnitudes of terms in the balance, a quantitative understanding of the importance of different dynamical processes will be obtained, and by comparing the form of the balance in channelized and spreading cases, a hypothesized relationship between spreading (which causes the fluid to collapse and accelerate) and turbulence/mixing (the magnitude of which is determined by the speed of the plume) will be investigated.

People with severe visual impairments cannot drive, so they often rely on public transit. The usability of the public transit system is, therefore, of crucial importance to blind people. One major challenge blind people experience when using public transportation is finding the exact location of bus stops. We have developed StopFinder, a system that uses crowdsourcing to provide information about non-visual landmarks around bus stops to enable blind people to find them more easily when navigating with a cane or a guide dog. It is developed in iPhone, and blind people can use our system using the access technology called VoiceOver, the built-in feature of iPhone that enables them to hear the information in the screen and navigate screen through simple hand gestures like single or double finger flicks, taps etc. The crowdsourced information includes which street/avenue has the bus stop, which direction to walk to reach the bus stop once you arrive at the intersection and what to expect once you arrive at the bus stop like the presence of shelters, garbage cans, benches etc. Since we are using crowsourcing for getting information, we provide an option to rate the entry. In addition to accessing and rating information about a bus stop, blind people can also contribute information through a non-graphical interface. The interface consists of mostly multiple-choice questions that are convenient to fill in a short time while waiting for a bus using VoiceOver. Since one of our primary foci has been the ease of using Stopfinder, we conducted interviews with blind people that informed the design of the application.

Many university student organizations host events for a broader population than just their member base. Yet, these organizations’ events often lack visibility among the broader student population. We examined this problem in the context of the University of Washington, a large public university in the Pacific Northwest. The goal of this project was to develop an effective solution for both students and organizations. To understand students’ needs, we deployed a survey to the general student population and received 72 responses. We also interviewed three student organization leaders and six students on event attendance habits. Based on this data, we identified key features for an information system that would be responsive to students’ needs. To refine these ideas, we developed and tested feature concepts in multiple prototypes to explore various designs. With this feedback, we then built a website that provides students with: (1) access to more events; (2) ability to personalize profiles to display only events likely of interest to them; and (3) integration with Facebook. Specifically, when students create an account on the website, they are able to select specific “tags” (i.e., social, academic development, and so forth) and specific student organizations that match their interests. The events displayed in students’ profiles match their set preferences. From the organizational perspective, our solution enables easier promotion of events. A core focus of the website is Facebook integration. Students are able to log in to our website with their Facebook accounts for their convenience. Student organizations are able to create a profile, then upload events to our website by directly importing events information from Facebook. For our solution to be successful, the website must gain wide adoption by students and organizations. Ultimately, we hope wide usage of our website will lead to increased event visibility and participation amongst the student community.

The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program’s goal is to introduce first-generation, low-income, under-represented group college students to effective strategies for succeeding in graduate programs. One way to explore program effectiveness is to ask the McNair graduates themselves. This interview study will explore McNair graduates understandings of issues they face in adjusting to graduate school and how McNair participation prepared them for addressing these issues. Typically McNair program evaluations emphasize the collection and analysis of quantitative data – e.g. academic performance and degree attainment; however, little qualitative research has been conducted on graduate’s perceptions of the impact of program participation on graduate school adjustment and success. Using Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital, along with Sociology-based ideas of role-as-resource and role mastery, this study will explore students’ perceptions of the McNair program’s effectiveness in regards to helping them understand the “graduate student” role and to use that role to succeed in graduate school. 

DNA benefits from a system of self-maintenance, containing genes that code for the repair of its damage. The base-excision repair pathway serves as the primary means of preventing mutations attributed to oxidative stress, such as 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), within both the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Initiated by the 8-oxogunine DNA glycosylase (OGG1), the removal of 8-oxoG is known to prevent genomic instability and neoplasia. The current study presents new data indicating a role for OGG1 in the maintenance of energy homeostasis at both cellular and whole-body levels. Oxidative stress introduced via high-fat diet (HFD) yielded increased adiposity and hepatic steatosis within the OGG1 knockout (OGG1-/-) mouse model. The HFD-fed OGG1-/- mice were also prone to increased levels of plasma insulin and impaired glucose tolerance. The same mice exhibited a higher resting VCO₂, indicating a preference for carbohydrate metabolism versus fat oxidation. Analysis of expression levels in the livers of OGG1-/- mice revealed significant downregulation of the metabolism-regulating transcriptional coactivator PGC1 and other genes integral to fatty acid oxidation. Consistent with a reduction in PGC1a, multiple genes involved in the TCA cycle were significantly downregulated. Also noted was a reduction in glycogen stores within the OGG1-/- livers, and fasting plasma ketones were significantly reduced. We conclude that OGG1 deficiency alters cellular substrate metabolism, fosters a fat-sparing phenotype, and renders the OGG1-/- mouse highly susceptible to obesity and related diseases. An understanding of OGG1 and its role in energy homeostasis will contribute to the direction of research within the realm of disease initiation due to oxidative stress.

This research focuses on the reproduction and adaptation of Khmer (Cambodian) classical dance and its role in the maintenance and transmission of culture in the Cambodian community of Long Beach, California. The term “reproduction” is used because this cultural art form has been modified and influenced by a wide range of events in Khmer history, including the period when the Khmer Rouge, a communist group, seized control of Cambodia. The genocide of the Khmer Rouge resulted in the death of nearly two million Cambodians, including 90 percent of Khmer classical dancers. The life threatening atmosphere in Cambodia, as well as the cultural suppression experienced, led to the mass displacement of Cambodians who sought refuge in Long Beach, California. Upon their arrival in Long Beach, Cambodians began to reestablish their cultural practices, including Khmer classical dance, which had been prohibited during the Khmer Rouge period. The purpose of this research is to observe Khmer classical dance and the success of its reproduction and transmission in Long Beach. This research is based on data collected from participant-observation and personal interviews at Khmer Arts Academy (a non-profit dance studio), and observations at the Cambodian Art and Culture Exhibition, held November 2011. After studying Khmer classical dance in Long Beach, I have developed conclusions with regard to the significance and need for dance in the Cambodian community. My data suggests that performing Khmer classical dance at cultural events, celebrations, and festivals allows Cambodians to ensure the transmission and maintenance of their culture, and illustrates their success in sustaining and reclaiming their cultural identity.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (a.k.a., PTSD) is prevalent among military veterans. Due to the ghastly nature of war, veterans have witnessed violent and disturbing events that affect them for the rest of their lives. Upon returning from duty, these veterans often have difficulty making the transition from the battlefield to civilian life. Veterans’ experiences in the battlefield often results in years of emotional, behavioral, sexual and social issues. This lingers for a lifetime, unless these veterans are helped. To identify ways to assist veterans with PTSD, this study will focus on male veterans who served in the Afghanistan War from 2001 to 2011. During the research process, this study will focus on the following questions: 1) what is the scope of depression among this population? 2) How does depression cause barriers to civilian life? The purpose of this research is to enhance understanding of depression related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for military veterans. Many families have veterans who go through difficulties, and this study may assist them in addressing PTSD and related depression issues. The research will be done by analyzing literature written about military veterans, and literature written by veterans themselves. Through greater understanding of the factors that contribute to stress and other mental health issues of Afghanistan War, veterans returning to civilian life, may better prevent and alleviate much of their suffering.

Paraeducators are increasingly becoming a key component in special education. As class sizes increase, schools are hiring paraeducators to work with students with disabilities.  However, qualifications and training of paraeducators are minimal in most states. In Vermont, only 30% of jobs specifically required previous experience working with children. The majority of states have no educational requirements for paraeducators beyond a high school diploma. Typically, paraeducators do not receive much training besides an orientation to school policies and special education teachers do not usually help paraeducators understand IEP (individualized education plan) goals. Unfortunately, these kinds of practices lead to turnover rates that can be as high as 50% for recent hires. High turnover rates are costly to the school district, impede cooperation between IEP team members, and negatively impact student learning. A review of recent research pertaining to paraeducator training and instructional strategies for working with students with special needs led to the development of this toolkit. The purpose of this toolkit is to support paraeducators and classroom volunteers who are working with students with a variety of special needs in many different classroom settings. This toolkit provides information about specific disabilities, instructional strategies, background information on special education, and further resources. Particular emphasis was placed on special education in Washington State. There are more paraeducators in the United States than there are special educators—under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), trained paraeducators are allowed to provide special education instruction. However, most paraeducators get little to no training and a great deal of responsibility for students vulnerable to academic failure or stagnation. This toolkit was designed in the hopes that, as a free resource, it could provide much needed background information to paraeducators and classroom volunteers.

In Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), adhesion of leukemia cells to the bone marrow microenvironment confers resistance to chemotherapy drugs. The receptors CXCR4 and CD44, an E-selectin ligand when properly glycosylated, have been implicated in the poor prognosis of AML. It has been shown that adhesion inhibitors restore chemotherapy sensitivity, but the E-selectin pathway has not been previously investigated. Previous data have shown that 81% of the AML patients tested showed at least 10% expression of E-selectin ligand. Hence, we proceeded to test E-selectin by utilizing antibodies to E-selectin ligand and chemokine receptor CXCR4 to block the association with stromal cell components in vitro. CFSE staining protocol was then utilized to read fluorescence intensity of cells with and without antibodies. The ability of HECA 452, antibody to E selectin ligand, and GMI, the bifunctional inhibitor to E-selectin and CXCR4, to block adhesion to stromal cell line HS27a was investigated. To further assess the interaction between E-selectin and AML cells, plates coated with E-selectin as opposed to HS27a stromal cells were utilized in the blocking assay. It was found via the use of Cell Titer Glo that HECA and GMI displayed a significantly lower luminescence compared to their respective control indicating that both antibodies were effective in preventing AML cell adhesion. We plan to continue this study by utilizing chemotherapeutic agents Cytarabine and Daunorubicin in conjunction with the antibodies to eliminate AML cells in vitro. Our research will allow us to determine how to prevent chemotherapy resistance which would make it effective in treatment of patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs is on the rise in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) annual National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (NYRBS), nearly fifty percent of all teens have smoked cigarettes at some point and nearly seventy-five percent have tried alcohol. Research has established several factors known to put adolescents at risk for negative behaviors, including family problems, socioeconomic status, and lack of parental supervision. However, fewer studies have examined what factors prevent at-risk adolescent populations from using alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. Many potential factors have been identified as buffers for at-risk adolescent populations; some these are creativity, service learning, and community involvement. But research investigating these factors is still limited in scope. The present study examines relationships between protective factors and risky health behaviors of at-risk adolescents. First, we pilot-tested our measures on emerging adult college students and found that students who reported higher levels of family cohesion reported lower levels of cigarette use, illicit substance use, and drunk driving. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the higher the level of reported creativity, the more students reported illegal drug use. Based on our preliminary findings, we are revising our survey and plan to survey adolescents at a Boise, Idaho community center about their use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs using the NYRBS. In addition, factors thought to serve as buffers against these risky health behaviors, including the five characteristics of Positive Youth Development, competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring using the Positive Youth Development Inventory (PYDI). We hypothesize that adolescents who possess these five characteristics will be less likely to engage in risky behaviors. We will test this hypothesis using Pearson's r correlations. Using our research findings, we hope to suggest future prevention program offerings to the community center.

Many occurrences of glomerulonephritis present recurrent acute inflammation episodes. With time these conditions often lead to progressive fibrosis and chronic renal failure. My project studies the role of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), one of the most proinflammatory cytokines, using the nephrotoxic serum (NTS) nephritis mouse model. The ubiquitous expression of IL-6 makes it a challenge to study this interleukin. We have genetically engineered mice with ablated IL-6 in the F4/80+ macrophages and the Ytgax (CD11c+) dendritic cells. We hypothesize a greater level of glomerular damage and disease in the wild type mice compared to the IL-6 depleted mice. IL-6 +/+ (IL6WT) and -/- mice (IL6KO) were injected with NTS in the tail vein and placed in metabolic cages for seven days. Urine was collected to measure renal failure and progression of the disease. Mice were sacrificed at 7 days after the injection and both kidneys harvested and sectioned. Extraction, quantification and quality analysis (RNA integrity number) from the IL6WT and IL6KO frozen kidney samples were conducted and later cDNA synthesized. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) reactions were carried out to analyze gene expression of IL-6 family genes and pathological analysis of frozen or paraffin embedded tissue was done to assess glomerular and interstitial damage. Preliminary results from histopathology analysis and qPCR suggest a significant role played by IL-6 in glomerular damage. IL6WT diseased mice show upregulated expression of IL-6 and greater degree of disease relative to the IL6KO. We plan to continue gene expression quantifications and perform immunostaining to compile more data and validate our results. These findings will help to establish the efficacy of IL-6 neutralization as a therapeutic option for kidney disease.

This project was conducted as part of a larger research endeavor called the Triadic Eye Gaze (TEG) project, a 5-year study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The TEG study is an ongoing investigation into the efficacy of one type of communication intervention for children 10 to 25 months of age with moderate-to-severe motor impairments and delayed expressive communication. Our project's purpose was to compare the routine interventions these children received for early signals of communication to standard clinical practices as recommended in the literature. We specifically wanted to know how much treatment the children were receiving and from which professionals, how much of that early intervention focused on communication, and how parents were involved in the treatment sessions. The population for this study was a convenience sample from the larger TEG study, comprised of 15 children with a range of disorders including cerebral palsy, several genetic syndromes, and general developmental delay. Intervention documents, including Individualized Family Service Plans, daily notes, and attendance records, were obtained for each participant from the appropriate birth-to-three center. Quantitative data reduction methods were used to determine the average number of treatment sessions per month, average minutes of treatment per month, and the proportion of total treatment time that each professional provided. Qualitative methodology was used to determine how much of the intervention focused on early communication signals and how parents were involved in this intervention. Results will be compared to clinical practices recommended in the literature. If we find inconsistencies, it will suggest that the typical treatment these children receive is not sufficient. It will be imperative to conduct further research with a larger, more in-depth study to expand upon these findings.

Marine based industries, particularly the shellfish industry, are increasingly concerned about the viability of their product due to changing ocean pH conditions. Many other organisms with calcareous shells or exoskeletons are impacted by this change in sea water acidity due to anthropogenic gases. One such organism is the Artemia salina, or brine shrimp. Acidification causes dissolution of the shells into calcium and carbonate ions that float freely in the water. It was hypothesized that three closed systems could be created to replicate the ocean conditions of the present and future, specifically in 50 years and 100 years. Brine shrimp were chosen to be test subjects due to their ease of propogation. The closed systems provided pH, Ca2+ concentration, and the vitality of the tested brine shrimp community data. The working hypothesis is that Ca2+ ion concentration will increase as the exoskeletons dissolve with the decrease of pH.

Animals must strive for a balance between foraging for food and avoiding danger in their daily environments. The amygdala has been shown to be a key brain structure involved in mediating both innate and learned fear responses in order to optimize the organism’s survival. Previous research using Pavlovian fear conditioning has shown that animals without an amygdala have deficits associating a conditioned stimulus (CS) with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). A Closed Economy is a semi-naturalistic paradigm in which all nutritional needs are met by completing a cost of procurement. Male Long-Evans rats were housed in the Closed Economy chambers for 24 hours under aversive stimulation in the form of foot-shocks (US) preceded by a light CS in the foraging area. I investigated whether the amygdala’s role in the modulation of foraging strategies is affected by the predictability of fear. Electrolytic lesions to the basal lateral amygdala (BLA) and central amygdala (CeA) were given to the experimental group, while controls were given sham surgeries. The animals were shaped to a chained fixed ratio 50-continuous reinforcement schedule, by which they were able to control their meal frequency and average meal size. After stable meal patterns were obtained, the rats went through seven day periods of baseline, shock, and extinction. Animals with lesions to the BLA and CeA initially exhibited deficits in the light-shock pairing, but over time, learned to avoid the shock in the foraging area. These results question whether the amygdala is necessary in associative fear learning and suggests possible compensatory mechanisms that could mediate long term fear learning in an environment with a chronic exposure to an aversive stimulus.

Public policy affects nearly every aspect of life in the United States. These policies are set largely by legislatures and originate in the policy ideas proposed by individual members. In studies of how policy ideas become law, the archetypical unit of study is the bill. However bills are imperfect indicators of the progress of policy ideas—individual policy ideas may progress even when the original bill does not. This paper uses computational methods to isolate policy ideas in the over 114,000 bills proposed since 1993 before tracing the progress of those ideas through the legislative process. The success of members in pushing individual bills is often equated with their efficacy in the legislative machine. I anticipate that a study of the progress of policy ideas, rather than bills, will demonstrate that policy influence is more widespread in Congress than existing research suggests. The results of this initial study will serve as the foundation for broader research projects examining agenda setting and representation in Congress.

The Middle-Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) was a period of rapid warming that occurred 15 million years ago. The climate change likely affected plant community composition as grasses spread across North America, but because of the scarcity of plant macrofossils from the MMCO in North America, the response of vegetation in the area to this climate change is poorly understood. Many modern crops are C3 and C4 grasses (distinguished by their photosynthetic pathway), and thus, gained understanding of the response of forest vs. C3 and C4 grasslands in deep time may help us predict the possible response of modern plants to our changing climate. Plant silica microfossils (phytoliths) are abundant in fossil soil layers however, and can be used to reconstruct the biotic response to the warming event. Polled Herefords is a site in southwest Montana that has easily accessed fossil soil layers from the MMCO that are phytolith rich. Phytolith assemblages from previously collected samples are currently being analyzed. Preliminary results show on average 2/3 – 3/4 of the phytolith assemblage in a given sample is grass silica short cells, diagnostic of grasses. The remainder of the sample is made up phytoliths indicating palms, monocotyledons, dicotyledons, conifers, and other non-grass types of plant. This suggests a fairly open habitat, and a high abundance of C3 grasses within the grass indicators indicate a climate that was warm and wet. More samples will be collected to increase the spatial and temporal resolution of the study, and to help determine if changes in vegetation reflect spatial or temporal variability, or both.

The process of a sperm entering an egg during fertilization is not well-understood at the molecular level for any organism. Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, serves as an ideal model organism to study the normal process of fertilization and what goes awry in cases of sterility. A novel membrane protein termed GCS1 is suggested to play a crucial role in fertilization in angiosperm plants and protists. Disruptions of the gene in these organisms are sterile due to defects in gamete interactions. Comparative genomics suggest that GCS1-like proteins are conserved across a wide variety of eukaryotic species, including Drosophila, suggesting that the GCS1 gene is of ancient origin. We have cloned a genomic fragment containing a putative Drosophila GCS1-like homologue (dGCS1) and showed that it rescues mutations in a gene called pskl, which when mutated results in male sterility. This result confirms that dGCS1, like GCS1 in other organisms, plays a role in fertilization. However, our mutants also show that dGCS1 has roles in both sperm formation and sperm function during fertilization. Currently, we are using Minos, a DNA transposon inserted near a protein-coding exon of the dGCS1, to disrupt the gene. We have obtained over 100 Minos excision alleles and are comparing these derivatives genetically and molecularly to determine if we can define specific portions of the dGCS1 protein that contribute to male fertility. These ongoing studies should be informative for identifying regions of the Drosophila gene and protein that are important for function, and should shed light on how GCS1s in general function during fertilization.

Recovery after severe skeletal muscle crush injury is a major research focus, especially for the armed forces and after major natural disasters. Evaluation of statistics in major American wars displays astonishing numbers of severely injured soldiers, many of them undergoing amputations of major limbs. Much of the research has focused on recovery from exercise-induced muscle injury but little is known about crush injury-induced recovery pattern. Cytokines such as interleukins and tumor-necrosis factors recruit immune cells to the site of injury to clear cell debris, repair cell injury, and stimulate the growth of satellite cells. The time course for the expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha is not well characterized in injured skeletal muscle of mice. The purpose of our investigation is to develop a crush injury animal model to study the expression pattern of these proinflammatory cytokines in the recovery process following crush injury. In our experiments, RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed into cDNA from the right gastrocnemius of injured mice for qPCR to determine the expression levels of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha at 0, 4, 8, 24, 48 and 72 hours post injury. From preliminary data, we see a linear increase in TNF-alpha expression from 0 to 24 hours, and a rapid increase in IL-1beta and IL-6 with a linear decrease over the following 4-24 hour time points. Analysis of later time points is ongoing. This work provides a baseline in preparation of treatment trials to study the healing process and related cytokine production following injury. By understanding the time course and functions of these cytokines and how they interact, we can contribute to the scientific foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of therapies used in managing wounded soldiers.

X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) is caused by a mutation in the interleukin 2 receptor gamma (IL2Rγ) gene, which is required for lymphocyte development. Affected patients lack functional lymphocytes and die unless cured through bone marrow transplant or gene therapy. However, gene therapy treatment was stopped due to risk of leukemia resulting from insertional mutagenesis, and this prompted the pursuit of alternate treatments, such as gene repair. Gene repair requires the use of two essential components, a homing endonuclease and a repair template, that harness homology directed repair mechanism, which repairs double stranded DNA breaks in cells. Homing endonucleases are enzymes used to target and cut DNA near a mutation in the genome, while a repair template is the DNA sequence used to correct the mutation. My project involved performing experiments to optimize specific components of gene repair using the Sce-SCID mouse model that contained a recognition sequence for the homing endonuclease, I-SceI proximal to the IL2Rγ mutation. I used adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) to deliver I-SceI and a repair template to hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) isolated from Sce-SCID mice. I tested the hypothesis that delivery of AAV encoding I-SceI homing endonuclease to Sce-SCID HSC would result in recognition and cutting of the Sce locus. Cutting of the Sce locus is essential to gene repair because it initiates the repair of DNA double stranded breaks through homology directed repair with the repair template. Previous experiments in the Rawlings lab demonstrated cutting of the Sce locus with stable I-SceI expression, but my experiments involved transient AAV delivery. Transient delivery is critical for the safety profile of gene repair. Once I-SceI cutting was established with transient delivery, I performed experiments that invovled both I-SceI and repair template in an attempt to correct the SCID phenotype of the Sce-SCID mouse.

Cultural backgrounds are foundations for the way we speak, interpret, and behave. This study examines cultural-related factors that influence the selection of extracurricular activities by African-American students and Asian students from China and Korea. These cultural factors are being examined along with their influence on the success rate (I.E., graduating with a competitive GPA) of these students. This is important because our society is becoming increasingly more culturally diverse and more competitive for students pursuing higher education. Understanding cultural differences will help determine why certain cultures do particular things. Looking at the cultural factors, as well as societal pressures geared toward high school students of color, it is interesting to present differences in activites that have been believed to be the students choices to participate in. The activities outside of school can negatively or positively affect a student's ability to succeed because the time outside of school will not be spent entirely on coursework. The methodology of this research is conducting literature review of current research in the areas of outside of school activities in relation to cultural influences and academic success. The anticipated results are that the socioeconomic status, education level, and geographic location of the high school student's parents influences the choices of extracurricular activities for the student. Activities that are intellectually stimulated or academia related are activities that positively affect a students' success while activities that do not use information learned in school negatively affect a students' success. The differences in the cultural factors raise questions as to why different activities are pursured by students of different cultural backgrounds. Knowing why there are differences will help schools determine where money needs to go or what measures need to be taken in order to encourage students to pursue activities that are not normally participated in.

Many examples of control systems are found in modern-day industrial applications, ranging from the Segway to cruise control in an automobile. The self-stabilizing inverted pendulum serves as an archetypal problem by which the robustness of such control systems, which use feedback to control themselves, is measured. In this project, I analyze several simple control systems involving the inverted pendulum, and attempt to find their stability solution. I have also built a computer simulation in Mathematica, a computational software package, which demonstrates fundamental concepts in control theory, as well as the difficulty of manual control and the usefulness of feedback in self-stabilizing systems. This simulation provides a useful learning tool to users who otherwise have little experience with the theory of control. Finally, I investigate theoretical problems related to the so-called radius of stability, which is a number that tells us how far we may deviate from equilibrium before the control system fails. I hypothesize that as further variables are introduced into a control model, the radius of stability will decrease accordingly. Since control systems are widely used in modern day society, it is important that we understand the stability of such systems, thereby maximizing the safety and effectiveness of their applications.

 The effect of viral evolution on the duration of latency in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) infection has been studied extensively in men. The asymptomatic latency period, after HIV-1 infection and before the onset of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is characterized by high viral variability. In many cases, a viral phenotype that utilizes CXCR4 and/or CCR5 receptors on target host cells to advance HIV-1 infection progress also emerges during this period. Despite known sex-dependent variation in the progression of HIV-1, the effect of viral evolution and CXCR4/CCR5 utilizing virus (X4 virus) prevalence on HIV-1 latency has not yet been studied in women. I am investigating trends in viral evolution in 9 women from seroconversion until initiation of antiretroviral therapy. I will then compare my results to previously studied male viral evolutionary trends. Ultimately, a total of 72 blood plasma samples, an average of 8 samples from each woman collected progressively during the course of infection, will be used to generate 25-30 HIV-1 sequences per time point. These sequences will then be evaluated through 1) viral divergence from a founder strain 2) viral population diversity and 3) emergence and prevalence of X4 viruses. I will then analyze the relationship between viral evolutionary trends and X4 virus prevalence, and the duration of HIV-1 infection before the onset of AIDS. Ultimately, a comparison between the sexes will be made. Furthering the scientific communities’ knowledge of sex-related HIV-1 infection variation could lead to more effective sex-specific treatment and vaccine development. The important biological question of whether sex can influence HIV-1’s evolutionary path will be addressed. This project is currently in the preliminary stage of sequence generation. Trend analysis and conclusions will take place in Fall 2012.

Diabetes is an escalating health issue that can lead to a multitude of health problems, including heart disease, blindness and death. In 2011, the Center for Disease Control reported that diabetes afflicts 25.8 million Americans, is the seventh leading cause of death, and that it incurs an annual cost of $174 billion. Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) accounts for 90-95% of adult diabetes, for which there is no definitive cure. Studies show that 84% of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) experience near immediate, weight-independent remission of T2DM, and virtually all achieve improved glycemic control. The exact mechanism of remission is a quandary, however the hypothesis is that RYGB improves glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity through differential expression of gastrointestinal peptides. To explore the molecular mechanisms of this, 44 Ossabaw pigs are obtained and raised on a high fat diet that promotes weight gain and insulin resistance. Pigs are randomized to undergo one of 5 operations: RYGB (n=8), RYGB with Vagotomy (n=8), Gastrojejunostomy (n=8), Gastrojejunostomy with Duodenal Exclusion (n=8), or sham (n=4). Intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT) and meal tolerance tests (MTT) are performed once before the surgery, then again at 30 and 60 days after the surgery. Gastrointestinal tissue samples are collected during surgery and at necropsy on day 60. Samples are taken from the following sites: the stomach, proximal and distal duodenum, proximal and distal jejunum, proximal and distal ileum, and the pancreas. IVGTT and MTT blood samples will be used to determine the physiologic response by analyzing glucose, insulin, GLP-1, PYY, GIP, and ghrelin levels. GI and pancreatic tissue samples will undergo histopathological and mRNA analysis to provide insight into the differential expression of peptides at various locations. The conclusions of this study will help determine the mechanism of glycemic improvement and the cause of T2DM remission.

A key factor involved in the exploration of Mars is the possibility that Mars may have harbored life early in its history. As the presence of liquid water is essential for life, NASA is pursuing the identification of aqueous salt minerals on the Martian surface. These minerals include magnesium sulfate of various hydration states, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Magnesium Perchlorate, Potassium Perchlorate, and Sodium Perchlorate.  Recently, two NASA spacecrafts have returned imagery of mineral salt deposits on the Martian surface and it is hypothesized that these crystalline solids were formed when a salt solution cooled below its so-called eutectic temperature – the point at which everything becomes solidified. These cold salt deposit are known as “cryogenites”. These cryogenites can be crystallographically distinguished from “evaporates”, which are crystals left behind after water has evaporated. It is possible to create laboratory simulations of these aqueous salt deposits that are believed to be in abundance on Mars to compare the morphologies and compositions of the different cryogenites. The temperature and concentration of the solution affect the number of water molecules attached to the resulting crystals and therefore the morphologies of the different crystals. We used multiple cooling methods including walk-in cold rooms, chest freezers, and standard refrigerators to cool our salt solutions below their respective eutectic temperatures. After cooling, some eutectic solids contained ice that needed to be sublimated which further required the use of hydrophilic chemicals such as CaCl2 to pull off the moisture and isolate the salt crystals. Another method we used was to desiccate the solid by freeze drying. After photographing the cryogenite crystals under a microscope, crystal morphologies will be compared with that from the lander imagery. We will examine the lander images in the context of our laboratory images, noting both similarities and differences.

In 1965, the Higher Education Act was signed by President Lyndon Johnson to provide financial assistance for need- based students in higher education. Under Title IV of the HEA, student financial aid programs and educational opportunity programs are administered, including the Federal TRIO Programs. TRIO has eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress academically from junior high school to post baccalaureate studies. One of the eight programs under TRIO is the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program; designed to aid historically underrepresented undergraduates attain PhD degrees and assist students in academic and professional development. The purpose of the McNair Program is to prepare undergraduates for doctoral study through participation in research and scholarly activities. McNair Scholars have often faced hardships; whether financial, family, scholastic, or health; and have had critical experiences and relationships that have propelled them to continue with higher education. By interviewing McNair Scholars and engaging in literature review, this research will present an in-depth exploration of their behavioral patterns and find a theme to their academic success, such as social capital. The goal of this research is to reinforce the impact of educational programs that aid underrepresented students at an early stage to better prepare them for post-secondary school and doctoral studies. Also, by examining behavioral patterns possible solutions will be gained to implement towards higher education for underrepresented students.

Since the social realization of barrios and ghettos in the United States, scholastic analyses of their locations have formed conclusions ranging from proximity to labor centers to social population controls (Jargowsky, 1996) (Meyer, 2000). One topic which social scientists have avoided when addressing the geographic localization of poverty, is that of the plot itself. Specifically are there undesirable qualities, either geographically or geophysically, of the land where ghettos are built that makes it less attractive to populations with higher social standing? Here we show that a majority of “high poverty” zones in three American cities are built in areas which are more susceptible to damage by earthquakes and/or landslides. These conclusions were formed, by performing geographical comparisons of poverty population maps comprised of U.S. Census data to geological hazard maps provided by United States Geological Survey. Seattle, Los Angeles; both focuses of “The Other Burgess Model,” and Hawaii were selected for comparison. In all three cases, areas with the largest concentration of families and individuals under the U.S. poverty line were more likely to be in areas of greater threat from earthquakes or landslides. My results suggest that populations living in poverty are more likely to be both physically and financially affected by these two natural forms of disaster. In the United States where safety from landslide and earthquakes are protected under the Bill of Rights, it is both illegal and unjust for populations with less access to resources to be directed towards areas of greater hazard. I anticipate this project will be a starting point for further research on the imbalance of safety concerns brought about social, economic, and ethnic inequalities.

Comic books have long been used as an educational tool to improve and protect public health in the U.S. In 2008, the Native Comic Book Project (NCBP) was launched as a youth-focused community education project of Native People for Cancer Control (NPCC); a National Cancer Institute funded Community Network Program Center, based at the University of Washington. The availability of cancer screening tests, high quality health care, encouragement for health promoting behaviors, and access to cancer clinical trials, are often not available to tribal communities. As a result, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) experience the worst cancer related disparities and have the poorest survival rate among all other racial/ethnic groups. The purpose of the NCBP is to reduce cancer risk by involving AI/AN youth in creating comic books on health topic such as health living, tobacco use, cancer risk, disease prevention, and physical fitness. The NCBP is modeled after Dr. Michael Bitz’s The Comic Book Project, but is adapted for AI/AN youth and incorporates Native storytelling and traditional ways of living. We are currently conducting a formal evaluation of the NCBP using pre- and post-intervention assessments to measure knowledge, habits, and decision-making regarding tobacco use, healthy eating, exercise habits, and human papilloma virus (HPV).

The composition and abundance of lipids preserved in lake sediments provides information on the past environment, and changes in this geochemical signal through time may be driven by climate. To understand precipitation changes in the Pacific over the last few thousand years, sediment cores have been collected from lakes on multiple islands, including Poza de Los Diablos and Pozas Verdes on Isabela Island in the Galapagos. Lipids from these sediment cores were solvent-extracted, individual compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and abundances of these compounds were quantified using a gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Poza de Los Diablos data reveal elevated concentrations of both middle and long chain-length n-alkanes from approximately 1450 to 1850 AD, and indicate an enhanced contribution of material from both aquatic and terrestrial plants during this interval, which may be caused by shifting hydrologic patterns. However, these changes might also reflect a local event such as an altered flow path for surface water due to river or wave erosion. To improve our understanding of paleoenvironmental changes indicated by the Poza de los Diablos data, lipids from cores taken from nearby Pozas Verdes were also extracted and analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Due to their close proximity (<1 km), any climate event that affected Posa de Los Diablo would have also affected Pozas Verdes, but with significantly different modern salinity (Diablos = 10, Verdes = 40) and ecology, each lake is likely to have responded quite differently to changing precipitation patters. By analyzing both records together we seek to improve our interpretation of the past environment.

 Insulin secretion from the pancreatic islet β cell is required for normal glucose homeostasis. The pancreatic islet has an extensive capillary network lined by endothelial cells. These endothelial cells are known to produce factors that can enhance β cell survival and proliferation. My hypothesis is that the islet endothelial cell also produces paracrine factors that can impact β-cell secretory function. The aim of my study is to determine the time course over which secreted factors from islet endothelial cells can enhance glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from islet β cells. To perform these studies, we first generate islet endothelial cell conditioned media (IECCM) from MS1 cells, a transformed murine islet endothelial cell line. Pancreatic islets are then exposed to IECCM for up to 48 hours, and insulin release in response to basal (2.8 mM) and stimulatory glucose levels (20 mM) is determined. We have shown that exposure of islets to IECCM for 48 hours does not alter basal insulin release, but enhances glucose-stimulated insulin release by 50%. My ongoing studies will determine whether exposure of islets to IECCM for 1, 4, 12 or 24 hours is also able to enhance glucose-stimulated insulin release. These time course experiments will form the basis for studies planned for my senior year, where we will determine whether this increase in insulin release results from increased insulin biosynthesis, or is independent of insulin production, acting for example to stimulate exocytosis of preformed insulin-containing secretory granules. These studies may uncover the existence of a novel endothelial-endocrine axis that is crucial for β-cell function. These data could lead to new targets for therapeutic drugs that promote release of endothelial factors that regulate β-cell function.

Over the last decade, neurofeedback has become increasingly popular as a potential treatment option for various neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. As a completely noninvasive procedure, electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback uses auditory or visual methods to provide an individual with information derived from scalp-electrode recordings of his or her own brain activity. The feedback information may relate to the spatial distribution of activation across the brain or the energy distribution across specific frequency bands. To date, no studies have been undertaken to investigate the potential use of EEG neurofeedback in the clinical management of stuttering. Stuttering is a high-prevalence (1% of the population) speech disorder that often develops into a chronic, life-long problem with severe social implications. The ultimate causes are unknown, but recent studies have revealed structural and functional neural deficits that impact sensorimotor functioning. The present project therefore aims to test the feasibility of developing EEG neurofeedback procedures that may reduce the severity of stuttering in adult participants. Initial testing with 19 data channels and BCI2000 software focuses on reliably discriminating between rest and speech or nonspeech motor activity and designing conceptually relevant feedback displays that represent the spatial or energy distribution of the recorded brain signals.  If successful, this research could have important clinical implications in the treatment of stuttering.

Quorum sensing is cell density-dependent communication that regulates many functions in bacteria. Signal synthases (I) produce acyl-homoserine lactones, which diffuse into the environment and activate signal receptors (R) when they reach a critical concentration. Synthases and receptors often form cognate pairs. The soil bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis encodes three I-R pairs. The I-R1 system controls cell-cell aggregation and activates many putative aggregation factors including the bce genes that likely encode an exopolysaccharide. The I-R2 system controls antibiotic production. The antibiotics are members of the bactobolin family and are effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Both aggregation and antibiotics are believed to promote competitiveness in the diverse soil communities where B. thailandensis is found. We have developed genetic screens to learn more about quorum-controlled antibiotics and aggregation in B. thailandensis. The first screen identified bactobolin-resistant isolates of the soil bacterium Bacillis subtilis, which is normally sensitive to bactobolin. We submitted these mutants for whole genome sequencing to investigate the mutations that confer resistance, and with our results we hope to gain insight into how bactobolin acts on target cells. The second screen was designed to isolate variants that overproduce aggregation factors. Quorum sensing mutants do not wrinkle but variants arise that produce aggregation factors by other means. We are isolating such variants and identifying the underlying mutations to understand how they compensate for the loss of quorum sensing regulation. This may reveal the elements involved in regulating aggregation. These variants will also be useful to learn about the advantages of aggregation in different contexts. Through our two screens we hope to better understand quorum-controlled aggregation and antibiotic phenotypes. Our findings will be useful in further studies of the importance of each of these in competition.

Mast cells regulate both inflammatory responses and tissue repair in human diseases but there are conflicting reports on the role of these cells in the pathogenesis of various kidney diseases. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an interleukin that acts as both a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine. From our preliminary studies we have demonstrated that IL-6 and its receptor gp130 are pro-fibrotic in renal fibrogenesis. Here we measure mast cell function in unilateral urethral obstruction, a well-characterized model of renal fibrosis, using mice in which Cre recombinase is expressed under the control of a segment of the carboxypeptidase A3 (Cpa3) promoter bred to IL-6 flox/flox mice. Mast cells from the C57BL/6 Cpa3-IL-6 (fl/fl) mice do not express IL-6. We have groups of 10 for each of the following strains: control1; Cpa3-Cre, control2; IL-6fl/fl and experimental mice; Cpa3-IL-6. Mice under general anesthesia had the ureter ligated at 2 sites distally from the kidney and sacrificed after 14d. We measured the level of fibrosis by measuring hydroxyproline colorimetrically and by measuring area of Picro Sirius red in stained kidney sections, and quantified by pixel analysis. Our preliminary results indicate that the absence of IL-6 in mast cells is important in renal fibrosis. When IL-6 was ablated from mast cells the level of fibrosis measured by collagen and the expansion of extracellular matrix was reduced. These preliminary results suggest that mast cell-derived IL-6 promotes renal fibrosis after unilateral urethral obstruction.

The concept of "inclusion" is a class placement method for children who have special needs; this involves integration into a classroom with traditional student group populations. Previous research states to the extent possible, and deemed appropriate, students with special needs have been known to benefit simply by being surrounded in a learning environment with diverse peers. While the focus is usually on the particular child(ren) with special needs, research mainly analyzes cognitive development. There may be various positive impacts placed upon the other students on social and emotional levels of development. This literature review examines whether classroom inclusion enhances a typically developing student's sense of empathy, acceptance, and equity for non-traditional student (including students with special needs) population groups among the developing traditional four year old students. This research project anticipates that there will be "enriched" development and a higher sense of empathy, acceptance and equity for the general population groups. These inquiries will be addressed through a literature review to synthesize what we currently understand about the effect of inclusion on typically developing children. The review will investigate work related to empirical studies on preschoolers' experiences in inclusive classrooms. Additional investigation will include foundational perspectives as presented by leading scholars and organizations in the field of early childhood special education. Based upon future findings, the examination of further research of behavioral patterns amongst both populations will be implicated.

 Craniofacial Microsomia (CFM) is a congenital condition that occurs in approximately 1:5,600 lives births and involves malformations that result in underdevelopment of one or both sides of the face, usually affecting the ear and jaw. It has been previously thought that in patients with unilateral CFM, the other half of the face remains unaffected. Recent studies suggest that the ‘unaffected side’ of the face may be smaller when compared to individuals without craniofacial conditions. This is an expansion of our previous pilot study where we found some support for this claim. We aim to quantify the facial differences clinically observed in the ‘unaffected’ side of the face in a larger sample size of 75 children with CFM compared with 75 children without craniofacial conditions using anthropometric measurements on 3D surface images obtained with the 3dMD® camera system. The outcome variables are coordinates and interlandmark distances using facial landmarks obtained on 3D images from individuals with CFM and controls. We compare distributions (mean and standard deviations) and proportions of the anthropometric measurements between children with CFM and controls using a two-sided Student’s t-test with unequal variance. Ultimately we hope this information will help us to better understand the etiology of this condition and treat children with CFM. We plan to integrate the results of this study into future assessments of patients with CFM to ensure they are receiving the highest quality of care and ensure that interventions are improving patients’ quality of life.

The carotid artery bifurcation is one of the main sites of atherosclerosis, a disease that causes plaque buildup on artery walls, which can lead to Stroke. Through examination of the flow in the carotid artery bifurcation, we expect to better understand the influence of hemodynamics on plaque formation and growth, as well as on potential treatments. In order to investigate this, we have designed a model of the carotid artery using medical imaging and computer aided design software (SolidWorks). We are investigating rapid prototyping techniques to create a physical model of the carotid artery. Utilizing the physical model of the carotid artery lumen, we cast a mold made of water soluble material. This allows us to remove the mold leaving behind a reconstruction of the carotid artery with the necessary physical properties. Currently this project is focused on finding an ideal casting process that preserves the optical clarity. The next phase of this research will be to examine flow through the mold using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The setup of the PIV involves adding tracer particles to the flow that are illuminated with a laser. Using the light scattered by the particles to record the displacement collected with a photographic camera synchronized with the laser illumination. These images will be processed using an algorithm that compares the displacement from two consecutive images. The velocity of the flow will be calculated from the displacement of the tracer particles and its profile is used to determine the shear stress acting on the walls of the artery. This measurement of the stress acting on the arterial wall, together with the transport of chemical species to and from the arterial wall, is crucial in understanding the influence of hemodynamics on the physiology of the arterial wall and the development of atherosclerosis.

Healthy pregnancies and optimal fetal development are crucial to ensure a healthy future for not only the mother and child but for our society as a whole. In addition to personal health behaviors and genetic factors, environmental toxins can pose significant risks to the pregnant woman and her developing fetus. A recently initiated longitudinal study of children in Ramsey County, Minnesota seeks to investigate the long term health consequence of exposure to environmental pollutants including radiation and selected chemicals. Prenatal education, including avoidance of environmental contaminants, for pregnant women can help reduce these risks and complications by informing pregnant woman about the impact of environmental factors. The purpose of this research was to determine prospective mothers’ awareness and knowledge of environmental impacts upon pregnancy and fetal development. Data were collected by written survey from pregnant women attending selected prenatal education classes in both rural and urban Minnesota cities.

Escherichia coli can contaminate food, such as beef and spinach, causing illnesses ranging from recurring diarrhea to death in susceptible individuals. They may produce a toxin typically associated with another harmful bacterium known as Shigella spp. This toxin is referred to as “Shiga-toxin”, and E. coli that produce this toxin are known as STECs. While E. coli O157 remains the most common STEC in the United States there are over 100 STECs that can be just as harmful. My project, conducted in collaboration with individuals at CSUEB and the USFDA, involves identifying chemical indicators that would help detect different strains of non-O157 E. coli in contaminated foods, and determining if these STECS are vulnerable to a coliphage and a Bdellovibrio sp. invasion. Specifically, nine different STECs were chosen to be screened for their ability to produce catecholate siderophores (phenolates), such as enterobactin, chelating compounds important for some pathogenic bacteria in the acquisition of iron. The same STECs were screened for the presence of acyl homoserine lactones, chemicals involved in bacterial communication, also known as quorum sensing, and expression of virulence factors. Assays were conducted to determine if a coliphage and a Bdellovibrio sp. can infect these STECs. Detection and identification of non-O157 STECS is not easy, which hinders determination of their origin and, subsequently, how to eliminate them. If new tools, such as the use of predators or chemical indicators were developed to facilitate detection of these bacteria, then determination of the source of contamination (e.g., packing plants and fields) may occur, and quicken measures that prevent or, at least, decrease further infection, disease and/or death.

According to American cultural tradition, domestic and work responsibilities are typically split between the spouses. The wife satisfies the domestic role and stays at home to care for the house and children while the husband goes out into industry to earn money. But with the recent economic decline, there has been an increase in the number of husbands enacting the domestic role as stay-at-home dads. Like many emerging social profiles, stay-at-home dads are struggling to establish a sense of community and individual identity given their limited networking resources and experience in the domestic domain. Transitioning from a role defined by the status of their job and their level of income, new stay-at-home dads may find it difficult to adjust to their new role. The primary scope of this project is twofold: 1) to create a profile of usability needs for the emerging audience of stay-at-home dads, and 2) to develop an online space for both new and current stay-at-home dads so they can network and share their experiences in the domestic domain. While our contextual inquires and competitive analysis of preexisting stay-at-home dad forums demonstrate a growing audience, our individual interviews with stay-at-home dads confirm the high demand for a user-friendly online space to stay connected with other stay-at-home dads. We report initial findings from research activities focused on designing an online space that meets the expectations of personal and social growth for stay-at-home dads.

 A Plasma Pencil Atmospheric Mass Spectrometer (PPAMS) is a new surface analysis device which allows mass spectrometry (MS) to be conducted on samples under normal atmospheric conditions. This enables surface analysis on samples that could previously not be analyzed under the current standard vacuum-based techniques, broadening the field of surface analysis. However, characterization of this method of surface analysis needs to be done in order to maximize the benefits of the PPAMS device and to determine the extent to which the traditional vacuum-based methods can be replaced. This process of characterization involves determining the ionization rate of the plasma pencil probe, performing various experiments while changing parameters (i.e. sample concentration, thickness, and gas type), and comparing results to established methods. Our current investigation is focused on the determination of the ionization rate of the PPAMS device. Initial experiments were performed on polyurethane-based samples dissolved in dimethyl acetamide and spun-coated onto a gold-coated silicon wafer. These samples were then probed by the PPAMS over controlled time intervals. A multivariate statistical method, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), was used to evaluate whether the MS signals obtained varied as a function of exposure time. We hypothesized that the signal would resemble our bare gold background once all of the polyurethane had been ionized. Instead, the MS signal was found to stay constant over a 15 minute exposure time implying a longer exposure time is needed. Current work is focused on evaluating the effect of PPAMS exposure to polymer thickness as a secondary means of evaluating ionization. Future work will center on investigating the changes to the ionization rate under different experimental conditions. The results of our device characterization will provide valuable insight into the limits of the PPAMS device that will enable improved experimental design.

Ascidians are invertebrate chordates that live in the ocean and have an interesting life history. Normally, a tailed chordate larva hatches from the embryo, swims, becomes competent, and then responds to settlement cues, which initiate metamorphosis. Metamorphosis triggers apoptosis and tail loss. The notochord is lost as the tail reabsorbs and the juvenile settles to a substrate. In the ascidian family Molgulidae, species have evolved tailless larval development at least four times independently from a tailed ancestor. Using next generation sequencing techniques, we sequenced transcriptomes of a tailed and tailless species and their hybrid through development. We examined genes that have been shown to be expressed during metamorphosis in other ascidians and saw earlier expression of genes critical for metamorphosis in the tailless species. The number of transcripts were quantitated and we have cloned many of the genes. We show that there is early expression of metamorphosis genes in Molgulidae, including genes involved in the Mannose Binding Lectin (MBL) Complement pathway, such as MBL and MASP. We hypothesize that the maturation of the immune system early in tailless larvae could be a progression to competency and trigger to metamorphosis. We further hypothesize that a heterochrony in metamorphosis is responsible for the early activation of programmed cell death in the tailless ascidian larvae. In situ hybridizations were used to examine the localization of expression of these genes and quantitative PCR was used to independently validate RNA counts from our transcriptome data. Our ultimate goal is to elucidate the ascidian molecular trigger for metamorphosis and uncover whether heterochrony of metamorphosis leads to tailless ascidians.

Decision making and risk factors such as media, peers/friends, and family, represent the two main areas that researchers have examined in an effort to understand the cause of disordered eating. Research on decision making has identified a strong tendency toward self-gratifying or disadvantageous decision making among disordered eating populations. Furthermore, persons with disordered eating demonstrate sensitivity towards risk factors as a source for self-perception which in turn plays a large role in binge eating symptomology. However, research on the interaction of these two components with regards to disordered eating is yet unexplored. This gap in understanding was the source of inquiry for my study. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most prevalent of the eating disorders. Being that I did not have access to a sizable BED group, I focused on subthreshold BED (SBED). I hypothesized that (a) SBED participants will demonstrate disadvantageous decision making; (b) SBED participants will place high value on media, peers, and family as a source self-perception; (c) SBED participants’ high sensitivity to media, peers and family promotes self-gratifying DM; (d) Gender differences will be significant with regards to external risk factors, but no difference in decision making. Participants were recruited from introductory psychology classes. An online survey was administered to measure eating attitudes, decision making pattern, and influence of media, peers, and family on binge eating symptomology. I anticipate finding that SBED participants demonstrate decision making impairments and sensitivities to risk factors. Additionally, I anticipate differences in the way risk factors are perceived between genders. Understanding the interaction between decision making and risk factors could lead to possible therapies for and preventive measures against disordered eating. A more in-depth study of clinical and subthreshold disordered eating is needed to ascertain a clearer understanding of the interplay between these two key components of disordered eating.

 The social phenomenon of mass incarceration has opened the door to a full range of perplexing issues that continue to stymie researchers and policy makers. One particular and obdurate social problem is sexual offending, which seems immune to the so-called "evolving standards of decency" ideas espoused by the United States Supreme Court. Whereas society's rules of law and punishment are theoretically evolving to become more civilized and less barbaric, the practices of many of its citizens, including sex offenders, is not keeping pace with the evolution of ideas and behaviors. In fact, sex offenses are a ubiquitous fact of life - directly or indirectly - for many people in the United States. Not even a prison mandate issued by President George Bush in 2003 called the Prison Rape Elimination Act has positively affected the problem of sexual victimization in prison. This research seeks to add prisoners' voices to the ongoing conversation that exists among researchers and policy developers on the complicated and emotionally charged subject of sex offenders. This research asks a simple question: What are prisoner attitudes about sex offenders? The hypothesis maintains that inmate attitudes, when measured by the CATSO (Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offender) scale, will mirror mainstream attitudes that have been measured using the same instrument. The purpose of this study is to improve prison policies that pertain to sexual victimization by revealing a piece of the prison rape and prison violence puzzle that may be hidden within the attitudes of men and women held captive in U.S. prisons. 

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the protein huntingtin. The age of symptom onset has been correlated with the length of this repeat. Adults with a repeat length of greater than 35 polyglutamines typically present symptoms between the ages of 40 and 50. Greater than 60 polyglutamine repeats causes a rapidly progressing early onset of the disease in adolescents. While both types of HD result in cognitive deficits and neuron loss, 25-35% of early-onset HD patients exhibit epileptic seizures that become less responsive to anti-epileptics over time. One of the earliest molecular changes in HD is the loss of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) before symptom onset. Activation of CB1 inhibits the release of neurotransmitters and protects neurons from cell death, whereas genetic deletion in HD models exacerbates motor symptoms. Additionally, activation of CB1 prevents the onset of seizures. The goal of this study was to determine if loss of CB1 activation increased epileptic activity, decreased survival, and whether elevating endocannabinoid (CB1 agonists) levels reversed these effects in early-onset HD. R6/2 mice (a rapidly progressing mouse model of early-onset HD) were treated with SR141716A (a CB1 antagonist), WWL123 (elevates the level of endocannabinoids), or vehicle (a control) and the frequency and severity of spontaneous and handling-induced seizures were analyzed. Preliminary results demonstrated that R6/2 mice treated with SR141716A had a decreased lifespan and more frequent seizures whereas WWL123 decreased seizure severity. This suggests that the endocannabinoid system has a regulatory effect on seizures associated with early-onset HD. Future experiments in the lab will further characterize the role of endocannabinoids and CB1 in early-onset HD seizures as a novel therapeutic pathway.

Helmets have been trusted to provide protection against head impacts for millennia and have become a universally promoted piece of safety equipment. Current helmet standards provided by NOCSAE, SNELL, and ASTM for football, ski, motorcycle, and other activities specify the requirements for critical impacts under varying conditions such as; temperature, impact location, and impact energy. However, most standards only minimally account for the effects of sub-critical collisions and the natural fatiguing processes experienced by a helmet during its use. Intuition suggests that these seasonal cycles and minor impacts attenuate the utility of protective headgear; however, a scientific inquiry into such effects could illuminate or invalidate this assumption. The working hypothesis of the research team under Professor Randal Ching and Irv Scher was that sub-critical impacts and seasonal cycling would diminish a helmet’s protective abilities (as measured by metrics such as peak linear acceleration and severity indices), and the goal was to illustrate that current standards and refurbishing methods need to account for these various effects of age and use. Accordingly, my research group designed a helmet drop tower to test a variety of different helmets (football, motorcycle, and ski) according to SNELL and NOCSAE standards, and used helmets were compared to their new counterparts. Direct comparisons between used and new helmets were used to evaluate the effects of age and minor impacts on helmets, the effectiveness of current standards at predicting the utility of helmets, and the expected lifetime of helmets under given conditions. As the first independent study of helmet performance in the state of Washington, this study could give vital feedback to helmet manufacturers, helmet standard foundations, and helmet users alike.

Online education is an effective and efficient electronic source for students to gain knowledge. Online education modules allow educators to bridge the gap between theory and practice for students. The modules created during this project tackle several topics in Materials Science & Engineering such as ceramics, hardness of materials, the use of light optical microscopy, corrosion and more. They are designed to encourage students to think critically, form questions and go through the scientific method in order to solve complex problems. They are formatted to combine a variety of learning styles by combining a power point lecture, assigning reading materials and having the hands on experience via demonstration or experimentation. This benefits students immediately in that they will learn how to apply the knowledge in education, research and industry. The educational modules are evaluated several times in order to perfect the lesson plan. In having the modules evaluated by current educators and individuals in industry the modules can be altered and adjusted in order to focus on specific key points. A few of these modules are completed and ready to use in a classroom setting specifically tailored to advanced high school, technical schools, community colleges and four year educational institutions.

The Greek sovereign debt crisis has required controversial bailouts, austerity measures that have caused Greek citizens to riot in the streets, and tense political negotiating in the Eurozone. However, it is only one part of a larger problem of economic stability and political unity facing the European Union (EU) today. My research, then, seeks to answer three main questions: (1) what were the causes of the Greek sovereign debt crisis, (2) what are the potential policy solutions to the Greek debt problem, and (3) what are the implications of these policy proposals on the future of the European Union as a whole? Using an institutionalist approach, which emphasizes the role of institutions in determining the rational decisions of political actors, I analyze both the policies of the EU (in bailing out and financially strengthening Greece) and the institutional defects of the Eurozone (i.e., the European Central Bank has limited power and banking regulations are still national). I evaluate proposed solutions according to which would present the greatest benefits for the fewest costs, in terms of democratic legitimacy, economic competitiveness and efficiency, and political feasibility. My research finds that the Greek debt crisis was caused largely by incentives created by the European political environment and by the institutional structure of the EU’s Economic Monetary Union. Thus, to move forward, the EU must take an active role in restructuring its institutions to promote both economic and political convergence. Correspondingly, it must develop strong political leadership, a polity that identifies with the European project, and a democratic process that provides democratic legitimacy without forgoing its technocratic efficiency.

Recent advances in genome sequencing have allowed for the study of metagenomes, genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples. This has produced an enormous number of enzyme sequences without efficient methods for characterization. Since it is unknown whether a characterized enzyme is the best catalyst for a specific reaction, uncharacterized, natural enzymes in the metagenome may be better candidates for catalyzing the specific reaction. Thus, I am developing methods to search for and computationally characterize metagenomic enzymes with the same function as enzymes of therapeutic and commercial interest. By utilizing the Rosetta Software Suite to produce highly accurate models of enzyme structures, this method will evaluate an enzyme sequence’s potential for catalysis directly from a gene sequence. In order to validate my computational techniques, I will experimentally determine catalytic rates of enzyme candidates. As the method for an efficient metagenome search is still unknown, I am working to determine proper parameters for a homology search by using visual and statistical analysis of enzyme structure models in order to produce a diverse set of genes for experimental characterization.

The Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions that are diagnosed based on a child’s impaired social and communication development, restricted interests, and repetitive and behaviors. ASDs impact individuals for a lifetime and result in needs across a variety of domains. Previous research suggests that genetic factors contribute significantly to the development of ASD, with a clinical diagnostic yield as high as 17-21%. While research has been done to characterize the genetic abnormalities associated with autism in a pediatric population, no study has yet been conducted on genetic abnormalities in adults with ASDs because the majority of ASD adults have either never had genetic testing or the testing was done long ago and did not benefit from the increased yield of modern genetic testing. This study describes the prevalence of clinical genetic test abnormalities in adults with ASDs as well as the physical and demographic features of individuals with these genetic abnormalities compared to those without abnormalities. We performed both retrospective and prospective medical chart analysis on adults seen in the UW Adult Genetics Clinic and abstracted data from the charts such as age, sex, ASD diagnostic subtype, genetic test results, brain physiology test results, neuropsychological test results, physical exam features, medical history, medications, family history, developmental history, and social demographics. We then used statistical analyses to compare the clinical and demographic features between individuals with and without genetic abnormalities. This study can help to provide information to guide clinicians in making decisions regarding genetic testing for adults with ASDs. Identification of genetic test abnormalities can also inform medical treatment and health screening for individuals with ASDs, and also influence family planning for these individuals and their siblings.

Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by the involuntary spasm of the vocal folds, which results in an effortful, strained voice quality. This altered voice quality may result in negative reactions from speakers with ADSD as well as their communication partners. One qualitative study reported that some ADSD speakers expressed feeling inadequate, as though their “capabilities” were called into question, when conversing with others. In reality, the way in which individuals perceive a person with a communication disorder may reveal inherent biases that extend beyond voice quality. For example, when researchers manipulated the rate and pitch of a normal voice sample, listeners similarly altered their assessment of that speaker’s characteristics, such as intelligence. Literature also indicates that the more severe an individual’s voice quality, the more negatively that individual’s traits will be perceived. Additional studies have examined how listeners’ perceptions of voice quality relate to a speaker’s voice handicap; neither topic has been investigated in ADSD. Therefore, the objectives of this study are: 1) to determine whether there is a relationship between listeners’ perceptions of severity of ADSD speech with perceived speaker’s confidence; and, 2) to determine whether listeners’ ratings of speaker confidence relate to speakers’ self-rated voice handicap. Twenty speakers with ADSD were previously recorded and completed validated questionnaires (Voice Handicap Index; VHI). Twenty inexperienced listeners are enrolled in this study. These participants will listen to and judge ADSD speech samples on overall vocal effort and speaker confidence using 100 mm visual analog scales. It is hypothesized that speakers with more severely effortful voices will receive lower ratings of speaker confidence. It is also expected that more negative assessments of confidence will correlate with a speaker’s higher VHI score. Results of this study have implications for understanding the role of potential biases in ADSD outcomes.

Although college student drinking receives considerable attention (Hingson, Heeren, Winter, & Wechsler, 2005), and depression rates are known to be high (ACHA, 2010), less is known about how these rates vary for immigrant students. The current research focuses on differences between students born outside of the U.S. and native students in drinking and mood, and is part of a larger study on developing an on-line intervention for students who have both high-risk drinking and depression symptoms. Immigrant students may experience challenges related to “acculturative stress”, or being the first in their family to attend college. These students may be at a higher risk than other college students (Buddington, 2002 ), yet few studies have investigated drinking behaviors and depression rates of this population. Some evidence suggests increased drinking in U.S. students studying abroad (Pederson, Larimer & Lee, 2010) yet it is uncertain how students who have moved here from abroad compare.  Analyses will examine whether immigrant students differ in drinking and depressed mood from native students. Study participants (N = 1,603; 57% female; mean age = 19.6 years) were students at a west coast university. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to measure alcohol consumption and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to measure depressed mood. 15.6% of participants reported being born outside the United States. Those born outside the U.S. reported significantly lower AUDIT scores (M=3.91 vs. M=6.80, t(1601) = 6.90, p <.001) and more depression (M=11.09 vs. M=8.50, t(1601) = 4.30, p <.001) than native students. Additionally, we will examine whether students’ immigration status and how many years they have lived in the US moderate the relationship between alcohol use and depression. An understanding of specific drinking patterns and depression rates among immigrant students could aid in the development of targeted interventions for this population. 

Women who are targets of a positive stereotype (i.e., women are nurturing) assume that the stereotyper also holds negative stereotypes about them (e.g., women are bad at math). The present research investigates whether being the target of a positive stereotype leads women to underperform on a math test because they fear confirming assumed negative perceptions of their group. In this study, female participants were randomly assigned to either the positive stereotype condition (i.e., “why women are generally more nurturing than men”) or the no positive stereotype condition (i.e., “why some men and women are generally more nurturing than others”). Participants then proceeded to take a math test. Results showed that women in the positive stereotype condition underperformed on the math test compared to women in the no positive stereotype condition. This study suggests that praise in the form of a positive stereotype may be counterproductive, resulting in negative consequences for people who are targets of a positive stereotype. Moreover, targets of a positive stereotype may perceive negative stereotypes as being implicitly imposed onto them. Therefore, positive stereotypes may lead women to not only underperform on a math test but also accept associated negative perceptions of their group.

In recent years, gold nanoparticles have been utilized in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility as well as unique optical properties. In order for the gold nanoparticles to become effective agents, they are functionalized with vectors that will target the nanoparticles to specific cells to be imaged. Conventionally, hybrid gold nanostructures have been produced by complex, multistep chemical cross-linking bioconjugation procedures usually involving biologically-unfriendly stringent conditions. To overcome difficulties related to conventional cross-linking methods, we propose a novel surface functionalization platform using biocompatible gold-binding peptide templates (AuBP). AuBPs were previously selected from combinatorial FliTrx peptide library and demonstrated nanomolar binding affinities to a gold surface under physiological conditions. We then conjugated AuBP with other binding domains engineered to bind to the constant Fc-region of an antibody (FcBP). This antibody is then recognized by receptors in the cell membrane for absorption. The bifunctional AuBP-FcBP peptides self-assemble on the surface of the gold nanoparticles, and effective gold binding is shown through a localized surface plasmon resonance, high-salinity stability assay and gel electrophoresis. A dot blotting assay is used to confirm the binding of the antibodies. These peptide-functionalized and cell-specific nanoprobes have a great potential for developing novel bioimaging tools for diagnostics and therapy.

Most adults have some degree of atherosclerosis. In a subset of these individuals, atherosclerosis progresses more rapidly. Increased activity of proteases (enzymes that digest proteins) in atherosclerotic plaques is a plausible cause both of atherosclerosis progression and of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Plaque rupture is often a terminal event that results in blockage of arteries, heart attacks and strokes. Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA, a protease that is present in plaques) functions by converting plasminogen (a zymogen, or enzyme precursor) into its active form, plasmin. The uPA/plasminogen pathway facilitates macrophage migration, enhances the release of inflammatory mediators, and activates other proteolytic enzymes, all of which may contribute to atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture. We hypothesize that inhibition of uPA will decrease atherosclerosis progression and prevent plaque rupture. To begin to test our hypothesis, we use a mouse model of uPA-accelerated atherosclerosis (mice that are genetically predisposed to develop atherosclerosis and express high levels of uPA). We inject an antibody (mU1) that binds to and inhibits uPA, or a control antibody, and we measure atherosclerosis in aortic roots and pinned aortas. We anticipate finding less atherosclerosis in mice treated with mU1. We also expect to find fewer macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques of mice treated with mU1. If we find that inhibition of uPA decreases atherosclerosis progression and that it is also well tolerated by mice, we will later set up an experiment in older mice to determine whether anti-uPA treatment with mU1 will prevent plaque rupture. If uPA activity contributes to atherosclerosis progression, and if inhibiting uPA decreases atherosclerosis progression and prevents plaque rupture, drugs could be developed that inhibit uPA. These drugs could be used to treat humans who are at high risk for atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture.