Poliovirus (PV) remains endemic in three countries and is responsible for sporadic outbreaks in several others. Clinical surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is the gold standard for PV surveillance. However, as few as 1 in 100 to 1 in 1000 PV infections will develop AFP, particularly in well-vaccinated populations. Environmental surveillance of wastewater using a bag-mediated filtration system is currently being investigated to detect sub-clinical circulation of poliovirus. However, the filter samples will be collected remotely and evaluated centrally, which requires a shipping period. During this shipping period, bacterial and fungal growth may degrade PV on the filter surface. Inhibition of fungal and bacterial growth is necessary to ensure PV survival on filters during transit from field collection to the processing lab. Shipping on icepacks at 4°C is costly, thus finding an alternative is ideal. Preservative agents were investigated as an alternative to reduce microbial growth while not affecting PV recovery from its performance methods. Preservatives investigated included sodium azide, calcium propionate, o-phenylphenol, and sodium benzoate. Preservative solution or PBS control was pumped into the positively charged Virocap filter and eluted with beef extract, pH 9.50. After 1.5 hours, the eluate was pumped out, pH adjusted, and dosed with 10^2 PFU/mL PV1. Filters were run in duplicate and samples were plated on BGMK cells for enumeration by plaque assay. 0.0195% sodium azide eluate had a 64% recovery when compared to PV expressed in the PBS control eluate. 0.1% calcium propionate had a 102% recovery, 2% sodium benzoate had a 101% recovery, and 0.02% o-phenylphenol had a 111.1% recovery. Sodium azide is not recommended as a good preservative for PV due to low recovery, but 0.1% calcium propionate, 2% sodium benzoate, and 0.02% o-phenylphenol should be investigated further for PV preservation and recovery in wastewater over time.

The lateral habenula (LHb), is an important regulator of midbrain dopaminergic systems that are known to be involved in cocaine reinforcement. The LHb exerts an inhibitory effect on dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), though interestingly LHb-VTA projections are known to be glutamatergic (excitatory). The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a recently identified GABAergic (inhibitory) nucleus, that receives direct excitatory inputs from the LHb, has been proposed to be the source of this inhibition of the VTA. Here, firstly, we injected rats with anterograde TAMRA-Lys-Dextan and retrograde FluoSphere tracers in the LHb and RMTg, respectively and demonstrated that the LHb indeed projects to both the VTA and RMTg. Secondly, since the RMTg has no known anatomical boundaries, we gauged the anatomical location of the RMTg using expression of the transcription factor cFos, a marker of neural activation in response to cocaine. A significant increase in cFos expression was found in rats injected with cocaine (10 mg/kg i.p). Finally, we utilized the Designer Receptor Activated Exclusively by Designer Drug (DREADD) technology, to investigate the role of modulating the activity of the LHb on cocaine-self administration. Rats were implanted with jugular venous catheters and trained to self-administer cocaine (0.75 mg/kg/infusion). We found that DREADD-mediated transient silencing of the LHb through the activation of inhibitory G-protein-coupled signaling pathway with clozapine-N-oxide increases cocaine self-administration. In contrast, activation of the excitatory G-protein-coupled signaling pathway decreases self-administration on a progressive ratio schedule. We further show that inactivation of LHb inputs to VTA neurons have no effect on cocaine self-administration. We now propose to investigate the role of LHb projections to the RMTg using a dual-virus strategy using a combination of Cre-dependent DREADD’s and canine adenovirus expressing Cre (that gets transported retrogradely) to specifically target the LHb to RMTg projections for DREADD-mediated modulation on self-administration.

Precasting concrete uses a controlled environment known as a precast plant to create concrete members more quickly and carefully than could be done on a construction site. Precasting is a huge industry innovation avoiding onsite complications. This process leads to better quality concrete products that are faster and cheaper to make. While this practice is already well established in industry, some of the more precise material properties are not exactly known, including the relationship between applied stresses and resulting displacements, known as the modulus of elasticity. Because plants accelerate curing using heating, material properties are affected and difficult to determine. To investigate modulus of elasticity, freshly poured concrete samples were subjected to heating, and the modulus of elasticity was measured and compared against unheated concrete samples more analogous to an onsite concrete pour. This was accomplished by using a compression testing machine applying controlled loads according to American Society  for Testing and Materials standards and recording the deformations of both heated and unheated samples. Testing occured at regular intervals up to 56 days after the concrete was poured in order to capture the time dependency of the modulus of elasticity as the concrete cured. With a fuller knowledge of this specific property, a material model will be created to better equip precast plants in predicting precast concrete behavior, such as intentional upward bending to resist eventual bending in the opposite direction. A more accurate model will also give a better idea about stress losses in prestressing cables, which strengthen concrete members by providing a clamping force to prevent cracking or failure. Cable stress changes when concrete deforms, and is also affected by heating. With an improved understanding of the material behavior during curing, precast plants will be better equipped to precisely manufacture the concrete products that make modern infrastructure possible.

Children’s oral narratives can give clinical insight into their language abilities. Often, clinicians use narrative performance as a screening tool for diagnosis of language impairment. Hoffman (2009) found that finding a proportion of utterances that contain semantic or syntactic errors ([RESTRICTED] utterances) is an efficient and effective tool for differentiating between narratives produced by children with typical development and those with specific language impairment (SLI). Using a group of 48 age-matched pairs of 8-10 year old children, Hoffman (2009) found that this tool differentiated between the groups. Post-hoc analysis found that this tool accurately identified those with SLI when using a diagnostic criterion of 14% and higher proportion of [RESTRICTED] utterances, correctly classifying 85% of her sample. Confirmation of these findings is necessary if this tool is to be developed for clinical use. This investigation attempts to replicate Hoffman’s 2009 findings with an existing set of narratives elicited using similar methods. Narratives from 16 age-matched pairs of 8-9 year old children, half with known language impairment identified by an interdisciplinary team assessment, half from children with typical development, will be segmented and coded using methods described in Hoffman 2009. The two independent coders will be blind to diagnosis, age and gender. Proportion of [RESTRICTED] utterances will be calculated for each transcript. We hypothesize that the groups will differ in the proportion of [RESTRICTED] utterances and that Hoffman’s 2009 diagnostic criterion will accurately identify children with and without language impairment. We anticipate reliable results that are similar to Hoffman’s (2009), within a reasonable margin, given the small group size. Replication would indicate that this method has the potential to be an efficient and effective clinical screening tool that warrants further development. Future research would need to confirm generalizability with larger, randomized groups

Are attempts by the United States to improve student educational outcomes by increasing classroom spending worth the effort? How successful have these efforts been in improving the outcomes of public school students? Using data from 2002 to 2010, which includes expenditures allocated to classroom costs per pupil and averaged freshmen graduation rates, I investigate the impact of increased federal spending on students, more specifically on expenditures allocated directly to classroom spending as opposed to administrative and operations expenditures. Major classroom costs include teacher salaries, supplies, special education programs, textbooks, and other various minor costs. After controlling for factors that may influence educational outcomes such as parental educational attainment, years of teacher experience, and teacher-to-pupil ratios in the classroom, my results show that when a higher percentage of a state’s expenditures on education are spent on costs directly related to the classroom, students succeed at a higher rate as measured by graduation rates.

Despite a narrowing performance gap between women and men in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in the U.S., women continue to be less likely to pursue degrees or careers in these fields. One potential explanation for this enduring gap may be tied to gender roles, or beliefs about the proper way women and men should behave. Women and men who violate these gender roles are often considered deviants and encounter social backlash. We proposed that women who choose careers in STEM are perceived to deviate from gender norms more than those who simply do well in STEM fields. In the current study, female and male students rated how typical and desirable it is for women to perform well in math and to choose a math-related career. Similar questions were asked about English, a contrasting field not dominated by men. We predicted participants would believe that it is less desirable and less typical for women to choose math-related careers than for women to perform well in math. We did not expect this pattern to appear for English-related career choice and performance in English. Interventions designed to increase women’s participation in STEM fields, therefore, may need to shift from addressing performance to addressing pressures imposed upon women to forsake STEM careers.

If there is one point of consensus in this era of divided and dysfunctional government, it is the U.S. Constitution. However, some scholars attribute institutional paralysis in government to the founding document, such as a Senate with equal representation of states. If this is the case, then improving government will require reforming the Constitution. Whether the American public supports reform will be influenced by preexisting attitudes towards the document. These split on how the Constitution should be interpreted; some support a “living” document and others prefer preserving the original content. To see with which Americans agree, I model public support towards the Constitution based on government job performance from responses to Time Magazine survey from 2011. I find that people who are more dissatisfied with the government’s handling of its jobs are neither more nor less likely to support constitutional reform. This suggests that Americans do not agree with the institutional explanation and are unlikely to support reform based on poor government job performance.

This research has investigated the aggregation of surfactants in solvents with dielectric constants in the range of 20-35. These surfactant aggregates are called micelles. Previous work has focused on aqueous systems with dielectric constants on the order of 80, or on alkane systems with dielectric constants less than two. These systems give rise to normal and inverse micelles, respectively; the immediate purpose of this research has been to determine what processes occur between those extremes. For any given solvent there is a specific concentration of surfactant at which micelles begin to form, called the critical micelle concentration or CMC. Because certain system properties, like surface tension and conductivity, have clearly different functional dependencies on surfactant concentration with and without micelles, measurement of these properties provides a direct means to investigate micellization. In order to investigate solvents with a range of dielectric constants, both pure components and mixtures have been used. The data from these systems show regions at high and low solvent dielectric constants where the CMC changes with dielectric constant, as well as an intermediate region with no clear micelle formation. This data, coupled with past research, suggests that, in general, as the solvent dielectric constant increases from 0 there is an initial inverse micellization regime, followed by a range where no micelles form, followed by a normal micellization regime. This finding helps shed light on the fundamental mechanisms of micellization, as well as provide a valuable basic research starting point for practical applications.

Pericytes are mesenchymal cells that are attached to peritubular capillaries. The activation and differentiation of progenitor pericytes to myofibroblasts leads to matrix deposition, renal scarring, and is a major contributing factor leading to chronic kidney disease after injury. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) plays an important role in fibrogenesis by promoting the production and secretion of extracellular matrix components. The goal of this project is to dissect the contribution of CTGF/Wnt signaling pathways in pericytes during the development of kidney fibrosis and to examine the effect of using the canonical Wnt extracellular regulator Dickkopf related protein-1 (DKK-1) on CTGF/Wnt signaling. In-vitro signaling studies on purified kidney pericytes, migration assays, and immunological staining were used to characterize the roles of DKK-1 and CTGF in the regulation of renal fibrosis. Results show that CTGF induces Wnt/β-catenin signaling in pericytes. DKK-1 inhibits CTGF induced fibrotic gene activation, changes the morphology, and the capability of migration of kidney pericytes through JNK MAP kinase, and canonical WNT independent pathway.

Binary chromophore systems contribute to more favorable intermolecular interactions and can significantly enhance electro-optic (EO) activity of EO materials, which have potential applications for telecommunications. Optimization of EO activity of binary chromophore systems consisting of dendrimer host (i.e. PSLD-33) and guest chromophore (i.e. FTC) will be achieved by determining the ideal host to guest concentration ratio. Synthetic schemes for known dendritic systems were proposed and synthesis is currently underway. Linear optical properties, including max absorbance (λmax) and molar absorptivity (ε), of materials in solutions with chloroform will be characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy. These properties have implications in chromophore packing density, which up to a thresh hold can improve EO activity. Additional steps include making films of the materials. EO activity of the materials will be characterized using the Teng-Man method, which has proven to be a convenient way to determine the EO coefficient (r33) in the Dalton lab over the past ten years.

The Northwestern Crow (Corvus caurinus) and American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) are difficult to distinguish using morphological or vocal characters. The Northwestern Crow is considered ecologically distinct, occupying only coastal and shoreline habitats from Central Washington, north through much of coastal Alaska. The more widely distributed American Crow occurs throughout greater North America, including Pacific coastal habitats north to Central Washington, potentially overlapping and hybridizing with Northwestern Crow in this region. Until now, no comprehensive genetic analysis has been performed to examine crows in this potential zone of overlap. This study examines Pacific Northwest Corvus species distributions with minimal spanning networks and phylogenetic analyses via the mitochondrial DNA ND2 gene. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited maternally and does not recombine giving a minimally distorted view of an individual's ancestry. Our data show that the Northwestern Crow occurs from Alaska to Southern British Columbia, and not in central Puget Sound or along the southern coast of Washington. The American Crow occurs throughout the continental U.S. and comes into contact with the Northwestern Crow in southern B.C. Further analysis is required to reveal the possible extent of this contact zone north of Vancouver and/or into northern Washington. A better understanding of this overlap zone will allow science to update natural history species distributions and further explore the effects of human impact on biogeography.

Grackles are gregarious blackbirds (Icteridae) native to the New World. Our research focuses on the genetic structuring and biogeography of two sister species: the Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major), and the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), the latter consisting of western and eastern clades. We constructed a molecular phylogeny using ND2 mitochondrial sequences that suggest the Great-tailed Grackle is paraphyletic with respect to the Boat-tailed Grackle. In other words, the Great-tailed Grackle species as currently recognized includes some, but not all, of the descendants of its most recent common ancestor. Phylogeographic analysis of the same genetic data suggests that eastern and western populations of Great-tailed Grackles are currently interbreeding freely, while Boat-tailed Grackles remain reproductively, morphologically, and ecologically isolated, despite their more recent split from the eastern Great-tailed Grackle clade.

The Carbon IV emission line in quasar spectra is well-known to show systematic shifting toward smaller wavelengths often attributed winds flowing off the accretion discs along the line of sight. We investigate variability in the shift of the C IV line in two ways, using spectra observed multiple times: through correlation of the shift with changes in the intensity of the rest of the quasar, as well as through the effects of this variability on host supermassive black hole mass estimates. Our results show weak to no correlation between changes in the shift with quasar light flux between observations, potentially indicating near-constant outflow speeds. We additionally investigate biases in existing SMBH mass estimates by comparing our multiple-observation estimated masses with masses derived from single observations. Our results indicate that the previously observed correlation between C IV shift and SMBH mass can be empirically corrected thanks to the lack of variability in C IV shifts, leading to less biased SMBH masses. This will help pave the way for much more accurate methods of calculating masses for extremely distant black holes, and helps constrain physical structure models of active galaxies.

Tension variations are caused principally by composition (and sometimes temperature) variations from point to point on the interface. Unbalanced tension in the interface propels it into motion directed from the region of low tension toward the region of higher tension. The variations in interface composition and/or temperature leading to the Marangoni effect may develop in two different ways: either through the self-amplification of small disturbances (instability) or from macroscopic asymmetry in the system. In the presence of a surfactant, the disturbances in the adjoining bulk phases are resisted. The resulting elastic-like behavior is referred to as “Gibbs elasticity.” The mass transfer of acetic acid was examined in isobutanol-water and toluene-water systems. Also, the macroscopic asymmetry in a propanol-water system was observed. Finally, different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate were examined to maximize the observation of Gibbs elasticity. To observe this phenomenon the schlieren system was utilized. The schlieren method of observation takes advantages of the variations in refractive index accompanying mass transfer to render visible flow patterns. The systems under study were placed in a capillary slit and observed with the schlieren system. Marangoni convection occurred in the mass transfer of isobutanol and toluene to water. However, it was not observed in the mass transfer of acetic acid in water to toluene and isobutanol. At 35 vol% isopropanol in water, “wine tears” formed. The tears formed due to Marangoni convection in the macroscopic asymmetries of the system. However, at 95 vol% isopropanol in water, the Marangoni effect was not observed. This was due to the azeotropic behavior of isopropanol and water. At higher concentrations of isopropanol, water is more volatile. Due to its higher surface tension, Marangoni convection does not occur. Due to contamination, Gibbs elasticity was not observed with sodium dodecyl sulfate.

Philosophy research and teaching pedagogy are usually approached, in much of Western academia, through a method focused on rational, explicit argument. However, many other fields privilege the role of emotion in decision making and suggest that non-argumentative methods, such as stories, discussion, or implicit argument more closely represent our natural cognitive processes. This alternate approach has important implications for the field of philosophy that are worth exploring further. My research seeks to address several questions: How might stories, discussion, and implicit argument represent our everyday cognitive processes more accurately than rational, explicit argument? Why might doing philosophy without arguments be important? When, conversely, might a focus on rational, explicit argument (which brings clarity in form, a shared method among different philosophical communities, and rigorous writing and critical-thinking skills) be the better choice? What kinds of questions are best addressed by what means? These questions will be examined by a combination of methods: 1) literature review (focusing on Feyerabend’s arguments against strict, methodological rules; Bicchieri’s research on norms and beliefs; and data from neurobiological studies on the role of emotion in decision-making), 2) contrastive analysis of personal experience using different approaches to philosophy in different contexts (during interactions with children in Philosophy for Children programs; and by employing non-directive tutoring strategies in writing center tutoring practices), and 3) non-structured interviews with other participants in these educational programs. Preliminary findings suggest that non-argumentative methods of doing philosophy can be more effective in promoting social and personal change. Presentation participants will be invited to explore the question of what should be the implications of these findings for philosophy research and teaching pedagogy.

Washington State, in response to the recent return of grey wolves, implemented a management plan that includes the monetary compensation of ranchers who lose livestock to confirmed wolf predation. Our research looks into the reasons why many Washington State ranchers refuse to participate in these compensation programs, helping us better understand the social attitudes towards wolves and their management within the state. We were able to assess the views of Washington State ranchers through numerous key informant interviews and focus groups, followed by transcription and coding. We analyzed correlations between views on compensation and other attributes to increase our understanding of shortcomings of the compensation program. Our results allow us to assess the overall effectiveness of the wolf compensation program in Washington. Through the study of stakeholder views of the current compensation program, we are able to focus future efforts on a more widely socially accepted wolf management program in the state of Washington.

The Advanced Propulsion Lab from the Earth & Space Sciences Department has developed a Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) which utilizes a propulsion system ideal for operating in a low pressure and high altitude environment. In order to test the PPT, a high-altitude flight will be carried out at the end of May 2014. The structure housing the thruster is a zeppelin-type aircraft composed of two lifting balloons, a primary zeppelin balloon, and a supporting frame. There are several constraints that need to be fulfilled by the aircraft. The zeppelin frame needs to be strong and durable enough to support the thruster, while still light enough to fulfill the weight compliance from the FAA. In addition, the zeppelin needs to be able to raise the payload above the jet stream to an altitude of approximately 70,000 feet and maintain that height once reached. To achieve this, the structure uses two 800-g high altitude latex balloons with 150 cubic feet of helium providing the lifting force. Once the optimal height is reached, the two balloons will be separated from the main structure through the uses of NiChrome wire and the primary balloon will take over, providing neutral buoyancy at the desired location in order to accurately measure the thrust of the PPT. The main core of zeppelin is currently being fabricated in house using mylar as the primary material for the balloon and carbon fiber rod for the supporting frame by our team. Current calculations estimate the size of the zeppelin to be 45 feet horizontally with a 4.5 feet radius. There are several issues the zeppelin is currently facing such as the fragility of the material used, the expansion of the helium at high altitude, the weight of the payload, and the sheer size of the aircraft. We are currently testing various materials and structural designs that will house the payload in order to develop a lightweight and aerodynamic aircraft that will address these issues. 

Calcium carbonate deposits precipitate in ocean sediments when biochemically-produced bicarbonate ions react with calcium ions in seawater. Bicarbonate is the product of a reaction that consumes methane derived from thermal and biological degradation of organic matter. In areas of the Washington margin where tectonic activity squeezes water and entrained methane up through the subseafloor sediments, methane flux is very high. During a research cruise on the Washington margin in August 2013, we discovered a field of unusually large carbonate deposits at a depth of approximately 1000 meters in close association with active methane seeps. As previous studies of carbonates in this area have been limited to dredge sampling, our study will be the first to utilize sonar mapping and in-situ photos acquired with remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason. In order to address questions regarding the spatial extent and formation of these carbonates, we will 1) assemble photomosaics from the ROV photos, 2) process multichannel seismic data to assess whether the methane driving the formation of our carbonates was transported though the sediments via linear faults, single vents, or diffuse venting, and 3) create a large-scale sonar map using both bathymetric and acoustic backscatter data of the area. Multichannel seismic data reveals faults and other subseafloor structures through interpretation of reflected seismic waves that travel through the sediment. Acoustic backscatter data provides us with an image of the seafloor through interpretations of reflected sonar waves. We are also attempting to date the growth of the carbonates by testing embedded mineral grains for the presence of volcanic ash from the Mazama volcanic eruption that occurred 6000+ years ago. With these four datasets, we anticipate gaining an understanding of how these carbonates formed and over what time scale, ultimately contributing to the growing geological knowledge of the Washington margin.

Our understanding of our own galaxy and those at great distances hinges on how well we can model the complex processes by which stars form and evolve. The best laboratories in which to test our predictions are star clusters - groups of stars which by assumption formed at the same time. The nearby Andromeda galaxy (M31) is a fantastic source of clusters with similar chemical properties to our galaxy, at a variety of ages, and close enough to be resolved into individual bright stars by space telescopes. However, distinguishing cluster members from other field stars is a difficult problem. We have developed a method to assign a cluster membership probability to a given star by comparison with the density profile and properties of the cluster. We apply this method to a sample of well-characterized clusters observed by the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) program, which has provided Hubble-based photometry of unprecedented depth in the M31 disk. As a first application, we study a subset of clusters associated with evolved stars that are known to be Cepheid variables - a class of pulsating supergiant star to which stellar models can provide a precise age. We demonstrate the accuracy of the method and characterize this newly identified population of M31 cluster Cepheids. We extend this method to the entire PHAT cluster sample, seeking to establish cluster membership of bright supergiant, horizontal branch, and AGB stars therein. The unprecedented size and quality of this sample of M31 clusters will allow us to test existing models of these important stages of stellar evolution.

The Missoula Floods were a series of cataclysmic floods resulting from glacial lake drainage during the last ice age. The floodwaters from Glacial Lake Missoula sculpted and transformed the Eastern Washington landscape, eroding the coulees and depositing huge quantities of sand, gravel, and boulders throughout the Columbia Basin. Flooding spanned a period of several thousand years, as indicated by several radiocarbon dates, interbedding of the flood deposits with those of the Bonneville Flood on the Snake River, and stratigraphic position of the deposits in relation to dated volcanic ashes. To improve the existing chronology, we are dating a number of Missoula Flood deposits and related glacial erratic boulders using cosmic-ray produced isotopes. We have measured concentrations of the radioactive isotope Beryllium-10, which have accumulated since final deposition in granite flood boulder samples from Ephrata, Priest Rapids, and Babcock Bench. Results are pending from analysis of several minimally eroded samples from the Waterville Plateau and Pateros. We plan to sample more glacial erratic boulders from atop Steamboat Rock to confirm that the calculated ages of the flood boulders are consistent with the glacial history of the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which controlled possible paths open to floodwaters.

In humans, the Fucosyltransferase-1 (FUT1) gene encodes for a glycosyltransferase enzyme responsible for the assembly of the H sugar, which serves as substrate for A and B glycans of the ABO carbohydrate blood group antigens. In mice, the gene is primarily expressed in mucosal epithelium. Helicobacter pylori, a pathogen associated with stomach ulcers and lymphoma in humans, has been shown to use ABO related structures as receptors, and observations have been made that higher incidence of stomach ulcers occur within blood group O than any other blood group. In this study we hypothesize that mice in a spontaneously Helicobacter positive colony that do not express Fut1 (Fut1-/-) would show differences in Helicobacter spp. as compared to mice that are Fut1 sufficient (Fut1+/+). This was investigated by performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA collected from fecal pellets of mice that were wild type, heterozygous, and knockout for the Fut1 gene, using Helicobacter genus specific primers to amplify the 16s rRNA gene. PCR products were cloned and sequenced using a Sanger (fluorescence based) capillary sequencing method. Sequences were identified using NCBI’s nucleotide database to assign Helicobacter species. Both semi-quantitative PCR and sequencing results show the (Fut1) gene is associated with differences in Helicobacter genus abundance and species colonization in mice. These data support expression of this blood group antigen participates in Helicobacter spp. colonization in gastrointestinal tissues.

For years, politicians have claimed that elementary reading scores can predict prison populations, despite a lack of credible evidence. Although the existing criminal justice literature does draw a connection between higher educational attainment and lower crime rates, this relationship has not been widely examined at the elementary level. Do early reading scores actually predict future incarceration rates? Using 4th grade reading scores and prison admission rates, I examine this question through linear regression. Controlling for other factors that could influence educational outcomes and prison entrance, such as socioeconomic status and harsher sentencing laws, I find that lower average reading scores at the fourth grade level are predictive of future prison admissions. 

A prosthetic liner is a sleeve that wraps around the residual limb of an amputee and couples the limb to a prosthetic socket.  The inner surface is an elastomeric gel that is in contact with the skin, and the outer surface is a fabric support.  Lower limb amputees must support their body weight on tissues which were not suited for high stresses, and the liner plays an important role in how ambulatory loads are distributed.  Quantitative data on the properties of liners is limited, so a clinical prosthetist's knowledge is confined to insight gained during practical experience.  The goal of this project is to create an online tool, the Prosthetic Liner Assistant (PLA), which will provide engineering data in a clinically accessible format.  Twenty new and ten used liners from six manufacturers were tested.  The material properties of the liners were quantified using six different material tests that measured the compressive elasticity, bulk elasticity, shear elasticity, tensile elasticity, coefficient of friction, and thermal conductivity.  Across all liners, gel material determined the shear elasticity and coefficient of friction, while the fabric backing had a strong influence over the tensile elasticity.  The gel and fabric backing contributed more equally to the free compression response of the liners.  As liners aged, the gels became softer while the fabrics became stiffer.  This was seen in decreased shear and compressive elasticity, and an increased tensile elasticity.  The PLA is published online at www.LinerAssist.org.  Differences between liners can be unclear, but the Prosthetic Liner Assistant will potentially allow a better fit for patients by quantifying the physical properties of liners, providing evidence for prosthetists to improve the quality of patient care.

Economic inequality in the US is the most unequal amongst all advanced economies in the world- and it is larger than we often perceive. In 2013 President Obama declared economic inequality as the “defining challenge of our time.” The problem now is that this “defining challenge” is growing. Currently, the top 1% own about 40% of the entire wealth in the US while the bottom 80% own about 8%. But who is influenced more by significant changes in the economy? Do the rich continue to grow richer even during periods of economic decline? With data collected from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, I compare the impact of the Great Recession on changes in wealth for different socioeconomic levels. I find that on average, individuals with lower incomes at the start of the recession saw greater declines in their wealth than individuals higher income, but the more assets individuals had, the more adversely the recession affected them.

Why does the United States continue to pursue and support failed counternarcotics efforts in Latin America? What are the incentives, and who are the beneficiaries, in the foreign War on Drugs? Using the theory of the Iron Triangle relationship between Congress, industry, and bureaucracy, this paper investigates the union between private defense contractors and legislative decision-making in regards to military funds appropriations under Plan Colombia (2000) and the Mérida Initiative (2008). Although the multivariate regression model used to test my hypothesis showed no statistical significance between the number of defense contractors in a Congressional district and a Congress member's vote, it did illuminate other factors that influence legislative decision-making - specifically campaign contributions by the aerospace industry and representative ideology.

Ongoing research has recently identified three glacial kettles on the campus of North Seattle Community College in North Seattle. These kettles were established as the Puget Lobe retreated from this area some 13,000 years ago. They were subsequently filled with lacustrine deposits, in a post-glacial lake which occupied this area up until the late 1800’s. The kettles are unusual in that they are not formed by burial in recessional outwash. Instead, they appear to be "ice presses" depressions in the landscape. This study has mapped the lateral and vertical extent of the northernmost of these kettles, informally identified as the 103rd Street Kettle. This mapping was done by borehole analysis, revealing a kettle up to 50 m wide, 4 m deep and over 80 m in length.