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 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.

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.

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.

 The vestibular system is composed of the semicircular canal system, which detects rotational movements, and the otolith organ system, which senses linear accelerations and tilt with respect to gravity. The two systems can interact in a complex way during movement. The vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR) stabilizes a retinal image during head movement by commanding the eyes to move in a direction opposite to that of the head movement. Under some conditions, both the otolith organs and the semicircular canals contribute to the VOR. Unilateral or bilateral loss of vestibular function often results in vertigo and oscillopsia, which are debilitating and could be life-threatening because they result in falls or injury. In principle, a vestibular prosthesis could treat a functional loss of inner ear vestibular function by sending electrical stimulation into the three semicircular canals via electrodes to help maintain balance and stable vision. However, if the otolith organs are still functional, the signals from the prosthesis might be interpreted incorrectly in different head orientations, limiting the efficacy of the treatment. The interaction between the output from the otolith organs and artificial electrical stimulations from the implant is not known. In this experiment, we oriented a head-fixed rhesus monkey in different static positions along either of the roll and pitch axes prior to electrically inducing a VOR using the implanted vestibular prosthesis. Results showed that stimulation in the posterior canal induced a higher eye velocity in backward-tilted position than in the upright position, while stimulation in the anterior canal induced a slower eye velocity in the forward position than in the upright position. This project demonstrates that the performance of the implant changes under different body orientations. The prosthesis provides a unique experimental tool allowing us to disambiguate canal and otolith inputs in the intact organism.

M dwarf stars, which are smaller, dimmer, and redder than our Sun, are the most common type of star in our galaxy. Like our Sun, these stars exhibit activity due to inherently strong magnetic fields at their surfaces. In M dwarfs, this activity is often classified by the emission line strength of the first transition of the hydrogen Balmer series (H alpha). We examine a sample of five equal-mass M dwarf wide binaries; these “twin” stars should have nearly identical stellar properties and therefore have very similar spectral features. We hypothesize that these stars should exhibit nearly identical properties in H alpha. If our hypothesis proves false, it means there are unexpected dynamics present in the binary system. In initial observations to classify these objects, we found that the M dwarfs in each binary, which were twins in every other way, showed very different levels of H alpha emission. To examine the range of H alpha line strengths we obtained a time series of optical spectra using the Astrophysical Research Consortium’s 3.5-meter telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. In each binary, the slightly less massive star exhibits stronger mean H alpha, consistent with large survey results. Using data from 70 hours over 14 nights, we determined our stars have a characteristic variability timescale of around 2 hours; indicating our sample is active on shorter timescales than the typical rotational period.

   The stereoscopic image has risen and fallen in commercial popularity since its concepton in the late 19th century, but recent advances in computing and image technology have extended the medium's accessibility and popularity once more. At the UW, in the DXARTS department, I have spent the last year and a half examining the technical and aesthetic properties in stereoscopic pictures. My research and experiments have approached issues in projection surfaces, methods of compositing, graphics, and editing, and technical solutions for live-action stereo-photography. In addition to these practical issues, I also aim to fit my practice into a longer lineage of art-tradition, citing artists who have found the medium to be a fertile ground of expression. Today, my own efforts culminate into a single project as I plan a new work in stereo, and I hope to share video and still images of my experiments and completed works with the students at the University.

The alginate polymer is a promising material emerging in the field of controlled release. Alginate is a naturally occurring anionic polysaccharide derived from the cell walls of green and brown algae. Alginate can be crossed-linked using divalent cations to create a hydrogel. Using a double emulsion process, the alginate can be formed into microparticles and loaded with a desired therapeutic such as protein, DNA, RNA, drugs, or other agents. However, under physiological conditions, ionically cross-linked alginate degrades rapidly, resulting in the burst release of the particle’s contents, leading to higher initial drug delivery and reduction in the effective lifetime of the delivery system. Previous research in the Bryers lab de3monstrated that the reaction of alginate with methacrylic anhydride results in a methacrylated alginate, which can then be covalently cross-linked via free radical polymerization to form a more stable alginate hydrogel. It has been suggested the methacrylated alginate polymers may degrade at a slow, consistent rate and are therefore hypothesized to allow for a prolonged, linear release of therapeutic agents. This project has tested this hypothesis by creating protein-loaded microparticles from methacrylated alginate as well as microparticles from ionically cross-linked alginate, which were subsequently coated with a methacrylated alginate shell. This investigation used bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a protein to model antibody delivery in vitro. The successfully release of BSA could lead to a novel vaccine delivery system. The implication of this research is broad, but may have the deepest impact in clinical studies, including less frequent administration of desired therapeutic leading to better patient compliance and increased convenience, reduced side effects due to the delivery of the effective concentration, less of therapeutic per patient and therefore lower cost per patient.

In the aftermath of the 1916 Everett Massacre, the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.), the City of Everett, and local newspapers struggled to control the story of this armed confrontation, and the ensuing trial of I.W.W. member Thomas Tracy. There has been a great deal written about the Massacre and trial, but limited research on the attempts of labor, political parties, industrialists, and the local community to control the story. To research this topic, I have examined a number of books, along with the Seattle Daily Times, the Everett Daily Herald, and various regional labor publications. I have also to conducted archival research in various documentary sites, as well as conducting informal interviews with archivists, and people in Everett. I argue that the rhetoric used by the attorneys at the trial, the I. W. W. literature, along with coverage in the local periodicals, provides an example of the larger battle waged for the control of the production of stories and historical memories. This paper uses the depictions of the massacre by various groups to raise broader questions about how memory is produced, and the lengths to which people will go to further their cause, and to have their views elevated to the story of history.

Recent advances in remote-controlled multi-rotor helicopters have propelled them to become a uniquely capable means of aerial cinematography. The video camera can now chart paths never before possible, weaving around and over objects, and bringing us along as it moves quickly through a space. The implications for art are largely unexplored. I will investigate ways this camera movement’s affect on our sense of space in film, and how these techniques, when used over a large area, may refigure our understanding of the city. My research requires constructing an experimental remote-controlled helicopter, building off the most current research this a dynamically evolving field. I will then employ my system to explore and capture footage the suburban environment, from which I will compose a non-narrative short film. The goal of this project is to see what compositional structures follow from these new techniques, and ultimately to see how they might lead to a reimagining of neighborhoods. Portions of this film and documentation of the process involved will be presented.

A spherical domed ceiling has been a proven artistic space since the era of Antonio da Correggio’s famous dome fresco, The Assumption of the Virgin. Mix that together with the University of Washington’s planetarium and an extremely fertile space for artistic collaboration and exploration is revealed. Today, brand-new digital projection technology at University of Washington’s planetarium provides a unique space for digital artwork in comparison to more classical, non-digital domes. However, because of a planetarium’s contextual history, a significantly greater amount of time has been spent continuing planetarium-like experiences rather than attempting more artistic and experimental explorations. Over the past year, I have worked in collaboration with the Astronomy and DXARTS departments to create a fully immersive and experimental film for fulldome projection. Through research, development, and testing, I have also produced a robust framework for future artists to create their own works in fulldome spaces, especially at the University of Washington. As Correggio has shown, being creative with illusionistic perspective on a dome can lead to impressive results. Even in the 21st century, his techniques can be applied towards scientific and artistic experiences as well as open up other unique avenues of exploration within a fulldome space.

Clean water reserves have become difficult to obtain for much of the world’s population, due to drought as well as heavy use by certain industries in some regions. There are multiple solutions to this issue but they all require high costs that are only affordable to large corporate institutions. Therefore this project proposes a solution that attempts to be financially accessible and environmentally conscientious utilizing the analysis and critique of previous work. Building on the previous work my research suggest that the sun and seawater can work together to produce a purified form of water by using a magnifying glass to evaporate seawater and condense it into a container. I think that the availability and simplicity of this device would make it financially accessible and environmentally conscientious.

Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) techniques make it possible to observe interactions on clean, ordered surfaces without the complexity of realistic systems.  Final construction and testing of an improved UHV adsorption microcalorimeter capable of measuring the heat of adsorption of metals on single crystalline surfaces have recently been completed.  This calorimeter is the first of its kind to employ an electron beam evaporator to create a high, stable flux of metal atoms with low source radiation, which is then pulsed onto the thin single crystalline sample. Due to the properties of the electron beam evaporator, metals with high heats of sublimation such as Pd, Pt, and Au can be evaporated while maintaining the base pressures necessary for maintaining ideal surface conditions.  The new chamber is also equipped with a sample preparation chamber in which metal oxide surfaces can be grown on single crystalline samples.  Absolute calibration of the microcalorimeter was achieved by measuring the heat of formation of Cu multilayers on a Pt(111) surface, indicating that the theory behind our electron beam evaporator is correct, and will allow for the first direct measurements of the heats of adsorption of catalytically important metals such as Pt, Pd, and Au on any surface.

The reduction of CO₂ has become a global priority as the concerns of climate change and the adverse effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide on the environment continue to rise. One method of reducing CO₂ emissions is through conversion and utilization as a chemical feedstock. CO₂ is cheap, nontoxic, and can be recycled to produce valuable new products, making it an attractive feedstock. The increasing importance of CO₂ utilization processes requires a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of its conversion. The industrial conversion of CO₂ is typically achieved using a heterogeneous catalyst, usually consisting of small transition metal particles supported on a high surface area metal oxide. Our project focuses on elucidating the mechanism of the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction on platinum, an extensively studied catalyst with a highly active surface. Our goals are (1) to quantitatively measure the RWGS rate under conditions of low H coverage and (2) to compare the measured rate to the rate of CO₂ dissociation (the rate-limiting step according to the surface redox mechanism) and to the theoretical rate calculated using a micro-kinetic model based on the associative mechanism. The information we gather from the investigation will clarify whether the RWGS reaction proceeds on platinum via the surface redox mechanism or the associative mechanism.

 Extraterrestrial regolith can be utilized for a variety of in-situ resource utilization applications including the production of oxygen and slurry materials. These capabilities are crucial for the success of long-term missions to both the Moon and Mars. However, the value of the regolith often depends on extracting a specific particle size. Therefore, our objective is to develop a regolith sifting system for integration into extraterrestrial surface systems. Furthermore, this system will be designed to operate independent of gravitational forces in order to offer flexibility by maintaining the same degree of reliability and efficiency in terrestrial, lunar, martian, asteroidal, and orbital environments. To accomplish this task, a centrifuge design was adopted. A container fitted with two sets of sifting screens is rapidly spun so that the centripetal forces cause the particles to pass through the screens. At high speeds the effects of gravity and particle cohesion become negligible. The design was carried through several stages of development where parameters such as geometry, induced agitation, sample size, rotation speed, and test duration were optimized to give accurate sorting results with minimal energy input. Data collected from ground testing will be compared to data collected on NASA’s low-gravity aircraft in June. The low-gravity testing introduces more challenges to the design, such as automated gates that keep the particles from self-sorting in between low-gravity flight parabolas, and integration into a air-tight glove-box for safety. For future research, techniques for autonomous and continuous operation will be crucial for adoption into extraterrestrial surface systems.

The Community Action Research and Empowerment Project (CARE), launched in September of 2010, is a participatory action research project where elders and youth work together to assess the strengths and needs of the Vietnamese community in Seattle, and develop a long-term plan to address those needs and advance the community. Data from 16 focus groups, 85 interviews, and 316 surveys were collected. We learned that the Vietnamese community members have a broad range of concerns, such as youth and education, housing, jobs, health and social services. During Phase 2 (2011-2012), a strategic action plan will be created with extensive input from community members to address the issues identified—thereby creating a shared vision for the Vietnamese community.

 A small percentage of the HIV infected population remains asymptomatic for years to decades. Some of these persons, termed late progressors (LP), eventually progress to symptomatic infection, characterized by rapidly rising viral RNA levels and dramatic decreases in CD4+ cells, the main targets of HIV infection. This transition suggests significant changes in the virus-host relationship allowing viral replication to occur. To assess three possible hypotheses as to why the transition to progressive infection may occur, we examined blood plasma samples from four LPs, taken at multiple time points preceding the onset of disease progression. The gag and env genes of HIV isolates were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequenced, and analyzed for viral population characteristics typical of either 1) superinfection with a second (less controllable) virus strain, 2) a change in the co-receptor used by the virus to infect CD4+ cells, or 3) viral escape, a phenomenon in which HIV-specific immune responses can no longer recognize, neutralize, or prevent replication of virus. Identification of superinfection consisted of locating subsets of virus exhibiting extreme levels of evolutionary divergence from the total virus population. Analysis for co-receptor usage focused on the env gene sequences, while viral escape was indicated by mutations at highly conserved amino acid sites and/or neighboring regions previously targetable by the host immune response. Any of these three hypotheses could potentially result in the sudden enhanced viral replication and disease progression observed in LPs. Examination of this data may clarify patterns of viral evolution in response to immune pressure, adding significantly to the understanding of late progression, viral escape and fitness, and overall HIV-host interactions. Thus, this study may potentially inform both timing of antiretroviral therapy for predicted late progressors and design of drugs and vaccines specific to identified critical regions of the HIV genome.

Storm water pollution is a growing problem for the people of the Puget Sound. When contaminants are released into our environment they collect in storm drains and, for the most part, flow untreated into our precious streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Contaminants like copper from brake dust, nutrients from fertilizers, and detergents from washing cars, can cause adverse problems to the aquatic life in these water bodies. “Low Impact Development” designs like rain gardens and bio-retention systems are a viable option to reduce harmful effects, by filtering out many of the pollutants before they enter our aquatic systems. In order to improve the performance of rain gardens we propose adding various waste products from other treatment processes which have the potential to remove common storm water contaminants. In this research, we compared various soil mixes commonly used in systems with various amendments such as “Lodge Pole Pine and Water Treatment Residual (WTR)” to determine their ability to capture heavy metals and nutrients. To test the amended soil mixes we designed a series of columns packed with these mixes, saturated the columns with synthetic storm water, and monitored the concentrations of pollutants in the influent and effluent to determine contaminant removal capabilities. The constituents tested in this experiment include hydrologic conductivity, forms of Nitrogen and Phosphorus along with metals such as Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc. Our preliminary results have been very promising, with our WTR amendments showing an improvement of up to approximately 20% reduction in both total and dissolved forms of phosphorus and up to a 10% reduction in metals over standard soil mixes.

Temperament has been studied extensively in humans, but a growing and controversial body of work is emerging on the subject of temperament in animals. This is critical research in understanding both the fundamental aspects, and the evolution, of temperament. When studying either humans or animals, research is complicated by the difficulty in quantifying and analyzing aspects of temperament. The goal of my research is to investigate the practicality and efficacy of using a Q-sort technique in the assessment of temperament in infant pigtail macaque monkeys. A Q-sort is an ethogram, a complete and exhaustive vocabulary with which to describe a construct such as temperament. The person performing the Q-sort obtains data by ranking concrete behavioral descriptors in terms of their contribution to temperament, with the behaviors most uncharacteristic of an animal being ranked, as well as those most characteristic. The Q-sorts are performed by individuals of diverse backgrounds, levels of experience, and types of interaction with the infants, e.g. researchers vs. veterinary staff. I expect results to be correlated between tester groups, but more strongly correlated within the tester groups. The results will illustrate, one way or the other, the influence that interaction with the subject, and the level and type of training has on a temperament assessment process. Furthermore, the consistency and speed with which the data are acquired will determine whether broad implementation of the Q-sort technique is practical in non-human primate temperament research. Ultimately, the flexibility and scope of the process will help to isolate and characterize key aspects of temperament in pigtail macaques, and will be applicable to other species of animals.

Stellar flares are the explosive release of energy caused by the reconnection of magnetic fields on stars. Flares release large amounts of UV and X-ray radiation, and may affect the possibility of life on exoplanets, planets orbiting stars other than our own Sun. A star's mass and age greatly affect the frequency, duration, and energy of flares. Therefore, it is important to understand these aspects for a variety of masses and ages. The age of a star is related to the rate of its rotation as well as the rate at which it flares; older stars spin much more slowly and also flare less frequently than younger stars. M dwarfs, stars less than half the mass of the Sun, are commonly used in stellar flare research because they make up the majority of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. To conduct our research, we used two months of data from the NASA Kepler spacecraft to study the light curves of one young and three old M dwarfs. We were able to identify flares in these light curves and measured their durations and energies. We found that the vast majority of flares on all four stars have a short rise time and a long decay time. We also found that flares with long durations have larger total energies, and that older stars have fewer large energy flares compared to younger stars. Through using the light curves, larger, more prominent flares were easily detectable in comparison to smaller flares. Further research would concentrate on more accurate ways toward detecting such small flares.