Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders with symptoms related to social communication and repetitive behavior. One aspect of social communication that is particularly challenging for children with ASD is pragmatic language including the ability to clearly convey narrative information to others. Narrative language, such as story telling, is a type of pragmatic ability that utilizes cognitive-linguistic planning and coordination of information. The first objective of our study is to compare the narrative language abilities of typically developing children to children with ASD. Our second objective is to test the relation between narrative abilities and severity of symptoms within the group with ASD. Seventy-five 6 to 11 year old children with idiopathic ASD or typical development participated. Groups matched in age, IQ, and sex ratio. Narrative language samples were extracted from a longer diagnostic interview, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Scoring of narrative language skills was based on the coding system developed by Reilly and colleagues. Symptoms were assessed via the ADOS, the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, Social Responsiveness Scale-2, and Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised. We expect to find a lower level of narrative ability in the group with ASD, given previous reports of pragmatic errors , misinterpretation of key events, and dysfluencies among children with ASD. For the second objective, we predict that there will be a correlation between the narrative level and social symptoms, such that better narrative ability relates to fewer symptoms. In the repetitive domain, we expect to see more repetitive behaviors with relation to lower level of narrative ability by looking at dysfluent speech, which entails repetitions and self-corrections. Our results may lead to future studies regarding narrative ability in speech interventions towards children with ASD. 

With the swift integration of cellphone technology into our daily lives, people are becoming uncertain regarding the norms restricting cellphone use in certain places. This research asks: Are there generational differences in perceptions of informal norms surrounding how individuals should use mobile phones in social spaces? I hypothesized that today’s Millennial generation, who were born into the era of the Digital Age, will have a significantly different understanding of informal norms surrounding cellphone usage when compared to those who came of age with minimal exposure to mobile phones, particularly the Baby Boomer generation. I predicted that the Millennial generation would have more lax cell phone norms in comparison to their older cohort. For example, the younger cohort may perceive that mobile phones can be used in movie theaters while a movie is playing, whereas the Baby Boomer generation may regard this behavior as impolite. I interviewed approximately twenty subjects in Seattle; ten University of Washington undergraduate students from the Millennial generation and ten people from the Baby Boomer generation. The implications of my results provided some insight into how the two generations perceive the acceptance of cellphone use in social spaces and whether the difference in perceptions may be generational.

Emperor Claudius was a target for gossip and disgust for many Romans in his time. He suffered from what we believe was Cerebral Palsy, an illness for which the Romans had no understanding, nor knowledge of how to manage it. This illness resulted in Claudius having a pronounced limp, poor motor control, and a serious speech impediment. Upon his death, the Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote a satire called the Apocolocyntosis, which detailed Claudius' attempts at deification, his eventual rejection from heaven and his descent into the Underworld. It is not a flattering piece of literature; Claudius is depicted as incompetent, stuttering, and childish, and is poorly treated by his peers within the text. Seneca explores Claudius' condition thoroughly in the Apocolocyntosis and eventually offers his own end to Claudius' power, giving Claudius a social status in his final resting place in the Underworld which Seneca believes is befitting of his condition.The piece provides us with an opportunity to explore Roman concepts of social capability and capacity for power, which were heavily based on the ability to speak well, as portrayed through the lens of Stoic philosophy. Through exploring the main tenents of Stoicism and their connections to Roman social ideals, a combined set of values emerges which can be applied to the Apocolocyntosis in order to better understand the perception of Claudius by his Roman peers. The Emperor embodies a conflict for the ideal social order of Roman Stoics, as he violates what Stoics consider to be "human" but doesn't fit their definition of "animal." This analysis creates the opportunity to explore Stoic Roman ideals for humanity, the way in which mental illness and speech impediments violate their desired natural order, and how Claudius is used to provide a conclusion to this contradiction.

We are interested in the effects of naturally secreted defensins on viral replication. Defensins are small, cysteine-rich, antimicrobial peptides produced by the innate immune system. Although most studies of defensins have focused on their antimicrobial activity, we have shown in vitro that growth of enteric mouse adenovirus 2 (MAdV-2) is unexpectedly enhanced by defensins. Since this observation was made using purified defensins, we sought to determine if naturally secreted defensins also enhance enteric viral infection. Mouse defensins are exclusively produced by Paneth cells (PCs) in the small intestine. As isolated PCs are not culturable, we utilize a novel 3D small intestinal organoid model, which allows us to grow primary small intestinal epithelial cells in culture. The organoid lumen is topologically equivalent to the apical side of the small intestine. Thus, to mimic oral infection, I directly microinjected the virus into the organoid lumen. I first demonstrated that MAdV-2 replicates in wild-type organoids. Then, I compared the growth of MAdV-2 in wild-type organoids to growth in knockout organoids that do not produce functional defensins. I found that, consistent with the enhanced infection, replication was accelerated in the wild-type organoids as measured by plaque forming units. To confirm these results, and to examine any effect of defensins on viral tropism, I created and characterized a fluorescently tagged construct of MAdV-2, in which I fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) to a minor capsid protein. After microinjection, more green cells were observed in the wild-type organoids. Enteric viruses are routinely exposed to defensins during natural infection. Therefore, the observed enhancement of MAdV-2 may represent a novel mechanism by which enteric viruses hijack a host defense peptide and use it to augment their own infection. Future studies will look at enhancement of other enteric viruses and use additional models with altered levels of defensin expression.

We investigate which structural features of sterols most strongly influence miscibility of lipids in membranes. Lipid membranes serve as simple models of cell membranes. Within cell membranes, discrete domains in which lipids, sterols, and proteins are non-uniformly distributed are thought to be essential to cellular function. Sterols including cholesterol in mammals and ergosterol in yeast are often discussed as being evolutionarily optimized to interact with membranes. Here we examine the miscibility phase behavior of membranes that contain either a plant sterol or a yeast sterol with the eventual goal of comparing the interactions between lipids and plant sterols, or lipids and yeast sterols, with the interactions between cholesterol, and lipids. To do so, we map miscibility phase diagrams of vesicle membranes containing a sterol (stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, or ergosterol), a lipid with a low melting temperature (DOPC), a lipid with a high melting temperature (DPPC), and a small amount of a fluorescently labeled lipid that preferentially partitions into one of the two membrane phases. We compare our resulting phase diagram to a well-studied system, specifically membranes composed of DOPC/DPPC/cholesterol. The method that we use to generate giant unilamellar vesicles is electroformation, and we observe phase separation via fluorescence microscopy. Our results suggest that minor structural changes in the sterol have large effects on membrane miscibility.

Thin-film solar cells can address the cost barrier of solar power by virtue of less material usage and more efficient manufacturing processes like roll-to-roll printing. The thin-film material Cu/Zn/Sn/Se (CZTS) is of particular interest because it is composed of earth-abundant elements; however, the current record for CZTS device efficiency is 12.6%, which is far from the 20% efficiency that is needed to be commercially competitive. Low CZTS device efficiencies have been linked to low open-circuit voltages (Voc), which are likely due to high charge-carrier recombination. Recombination can be increased by irregularities in crystal structure and composition known as defects. In this project, different microscopies will be used to study the defects present at the interfaces of a working CZTS photovoltaic device in relation to the device's V_oc. The interfaces of concern include those between different material layers and those between CZTS crystal grains, i.e. grain boundaries. A variety of scanning probe microscopies (SPM) will be used to map local electronic properties at these interfaces, relating position on a device cross-section to current and voltage characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) will be used to correlate these electronic properties with CZTS device structure and composition. In making these correlations between SEM, EDS, and SPM data we hope to better understand the origins of Voc loss in CZTS devices and, in turn, inform more effective CZTS cell fabrication. Thus far, we have acquired SPM, SEM, and EDS images that display the distinct layers of the device cross-section. Further optimization of sample preparation is required to achieve both resolution of grain boundaries and a sample surface that is smooth enough for SPM to obtain reliable electronic data.

Autism is a disorder characterized by deficits in social and communication skills and repetitive behaviors. 60% of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience a delay in language development. This data represents great diversity in the language development outcomes in individuals with ASD. Preterm birth (gestational age less than 37 weeks) has been associated with delays in language development, specifically in grammar, pronunciation, and gesture in typically developing (TD) children. Preterm birth is also associated with cognitive or neurological development. Given the higher rate of preterm birth in twins, this study used a sample of twins to examine the relationship between language development and gestational age in children with and without ASD. 24 TD twin pairs and 33ASD twin pairs between the ages of 5 and 22 participated in the study (M = 10.6, SD = 4.02). Participants’ medical history was collected. During testing, participants engaged in a 15-20 minute interview. Coders, naive to diagnosis assessed subjects’ pragmatic language using the Pragmatic Rating Scale-Modified (PRS-M) (Ruser, 2007), which assesses verbal (e.g., clarity, referencing emotions, grammar) and non-verbal (e.g., eye contact, gestures) aspects of pragmatic language.This study examined the relationship between language and gestational age. We hypothesized that lower gestational age would be associated with lower language skills, particularly on PRS items related to grammar, pronunciation, and gesturing. We then explored if the relationship between gestational age and language differs between twins with ASD and twins with typical development. The results of this study may provide insight into the impact of preterm birth on language development in individuals with ASD.

The distinctive pigment pattern of the adult zebrafish Danio rerio is formed by stripes made up of black pigment cells called melanophores. Melanophores are the homologue of human melanocytes, which can give rise to deadly melanomas; understanding the signals that regulate the differentiation and proliferation of these cells may be key in treating cancer. Previous work in our lab demonstrated that thyroid hormone (TH) plays an important role in limiting the number of melanophores that appear during development. I wanted to know if TH was also required to maintain appropriate numbers of melanophores after the adult pigment pattern had formed. TH is produced by thyroid follicles, and if the thyroid follicles are ablated, fish cannot produce TH. I used a line of transgenic zebrafish to ablate the thyroid at adult stages to determine if this had any effect on melanophore numbers. Indeed, after several months with no TH these thyroid ablated adults showed an increase in the number of melanophores, demonstrating that TH does play a role in inhibiting proliferation of adult melanophores.

From the moment of the first cellular divisions in an embryo, a suite of genes are responsible in ensuring the proper developmental progression of an organism to adulthood. The primary tool used in identifying these genes and their biological function, is a forward genetic mutant screen. Previous mutant screens have revealed many genes required for early embryonic developmental processes, such as the critical bicoid gene in fruit flies (Drosophila). However, many critical genes, particularly those involved in regulating post-embryonic development, remain undiscovered. To identify novel genes and pathways required to execute development during post-embryonic stages, we have undertaken an ongoing forward genetic mutant screen in the model organism zebrafish (Danio rerio). We used the mutagen N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) to randomly induce mutations in the genome. I am now screening the third generation progeny of the mutagenized individuals, specifically searching for larval arrest mutants that fail to develop adult traits. By mapping and cloning the affected genes, we hope to identify genetic factors required for vertebrate development. I have so far found one developmental arrest mutant, which I have named nikabrik. Nikabrik arrests development and growth after two weeks, and presumably lacks some gene product required for further development. I am now working towards mapping and cloning nikabrik to identify the underlying mutagenized gene. Identification of the nikabrik gene may provide valuable insight into what factors are required for larval development in zebrafish, and other vertebrates including humans.

With the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on the rise, we conducted this study to further our understanding of this neuro-developmental disorder early in development so that children can get early access to interventions. A limited number of studies have performed research on children’s social processing in ASD; however, from them, it is apparent that social stimuli processing is atypical in children with ASD. The current study investigated preschoolers’ memory and learning in 80 participants with ASD and 80 neurotypical participants. These participants were assessed on social and non-social information processing utilizing a habituation paradigm, which measures the participant’s learning rate. Specifically, performance on social stimuli processing was examined in relation to changes in social communication symptoms in ASD overtime. First, we examined the habituation time to social stimuli in participants with ASD compared to typically developing participants. Second, we compared social stimuli processing in participants with ASD to non-social stimuli processing. Third, we explored the association of social stimuli processing in ASD with social growth overtime. The information from this study will help us better understand the developmental origins of face-processing impairments and a deeper comprehension into the progression of social communication in preschoolers with ASD overtime.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Retrospective studies of children with autism suggest associations between ASD diagnosis and children’s gender, socioeconomic status (SES), race and other factors, suggesting potential ascertainment or diagnostic biases. Comparing the data collected from our study project with research results from the CDC and others is one method to discover if there are any covariates related to family demographics that need to be accounted for in future project analysis. The Seattle Children’s Study of Physiology and Attention and Regulation in Children with Autism (SPARCS), investigates how spatial and feature attention and regulatory control in preschool aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Typically Developing (TD) children ages 2-4, contributes to joint attention abilities and social-communication growth. Using data from the SPARCS study, we looked at 157 children in two dimensions, an ASD group compared to as neuro-typical (NT) group, who were 24-35 months or 36-59 months at time of enrollment. We have examined differences in gender, parental age, economic status, race, ethnicity, referral source, and number of children in family within these four groups. We have also explored differences between autism severity with 24-35 months old ASD children and 36-59 months old ASD children, by using mean cutoff scores on the ADOS and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Young children and their families who participate in research related to ASD may differ across a number of variables, which in turn may be related to later outcomes.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by varying degrees of challenges with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Specifically, children with ASD exhibit deficits in joint attention, which is thought to contribute to language and social skill development. The early identification of precursors to joint attention impairment allows for an earlier diagnosis of ASD and may suggest new or refined targets for intervention. The Seattle Children’s SPARCS study (Studying the Physiology of Attention and Regulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders) focuses on the attention, regulation, and development of preschool aged children with neuro-typical development (TD, N=84) and ASD (N=84), enrolled between 24- to 59- months. In the SPARCS study Orient Task, participants were presented with four social and four non-social stimuli delivered by wall-mounted speakers. Joint attention probes were delivered by the examiner via point and gaze bids. If the child showed a head and/or eye turn toward the location of the stimulus and/or verbal/non-verbal acknowledgement of the sound, s/he was given orienting credit. Credit for response to joint attention (RJA) was given if the child makes eye-contact with the examiner and followed the point or gaze to the intended target. Data collection for the SPARCS study Orient Task is ongoing. Of 168 enrolled children, 71 have completed the Joint Orient Task. Preliminary valid data was analyzed for 14 ASD and 17 TD. Preliminary results suggested that children with ASD orient significantly less than TD children. We hypothesize that social orientating behavior may relate to joint attention and that joint attention skills may be a predictor of later socio-communicative development.
 

Diversion agreements are contracts between the courts and an offender that serve to minimize his or her exposure to the potentially harmful effects of the official adjudication processes. Not only are there multiple ways through which diversions can be applied (through mandated counseling or informational sessions, for example) but research suggests that diversion agreements in the justice system can aid in reducing system costs and recidivism rates. With this information, the Washington State legislature passed House Bill 1524 in May of 2013, which adjusted several elements of existing statute to extend diversion options to juveniles with mental health disorders. While the benefits of this bill can be inferred from previous research, there is little understanding of the policy’s statewide effects. Therefore, the purpose of the following research is to examine the effects of HB 1524. Data will be collected on youth who have been allotted a third diversion, exploring the connection between a youth’s characteristics and criminal charge, and the likelihood of being offered a third diversion and the form of obligation required. The results of this research will allow us to gain a more comprehensive understanding HB 1524’s effects across Washington State by specifying which variables affect the juvenile justice system’s discretion in employing diversion alternatives.

The diaries kept by Emma B. Andrews are an undervalued resource for learning about Egyptian culture and history and many turn of the century discoveries. Andrews (1837-1922) was the mistress of Theodore Davis, an archeologist responsible for the excavations in the Valley of the Kings. Andrews accompanied Davis on his yearly trips and kept records of her life in Egypt. Her diaries provide readers with valuable insights into the social, cultural and scientific climate during her years in Egypt. However, these first hand accounts have gone virtually unnoticed for years. The Emma B. Andrews Diary Project aims to increase the availability of this source with the hope that it will become more widely recognized in the academic world. At the University of Washington, undergraduate students have the unique opportunity of working with the Andrews diaries to prepare them for online publication through the Newbook Digital Texts Project. The project allows for inexpensive publication of materials with less difficulty than traditional publication methods. Students work to translate, transcribe, edit and tag large amounts of text in order to make them universally available on the web. Students researching the diaries have a variety of tasks to complete before the diaries will be ready for publication. First, transcriptions of the diaries to an electronic textual format must be completed and edited twice for accuracy. Next, the diary transcriptions are run through an auto-tagging program to create an online format for the texts. The diaries are then converted into XML format and new content is added to them, including historical research on people mentioned in the diaries. Undergraduates working on this project are passionate and committed about making this valuable resource available to the world in a way it has never been before.

As the world becomes more interconnected, health issues that may once have been considered local problems are increasingly of international concern. While a number of academic institutions have made efforts to incorporate global health topics into their curricula, the role of global health in nursing education remains relatively undefined. As one of the nation’s top nursing schools, the University of Washington’s School of Nursing (UW SON) is in a position to embrace this opportunity. The goal of our research is summarize existing practices, explore linkages between international experiences and global health educational programs, and gauge student interest in global health topics at the UW SON. A mixed methods approach will be used. Quantitative data will be obtained via a brief anonymous survey of three current 2012-2014 UW SON baccalaureate cohorts. Qualitative data will be collected through online program reviews and semi-structured interviews. Online program reviews will assess global health course offerings in the top ten US nursing schools, as well as pre- and post-Peace Corps educational opportunities including the Coverdell Fellowship and Masters International Program. Interviews will be conducted with three purposively selected global health professionals who previously served with Peace Corps. Summary statistics (frequency and percent), including 95% Confidence Intervals, will be presented. Program reviews will be presented in summary tables, and interview findings will be coded into themes with assistance of a social scientist. Results will demonstrate interest level among current nursing students in global health in general, as well as in specific topics. We also seek to identify themes linking Peace Corps experiences with awareness of global health topics, educational choices, and professional development. We will use our findings to inform the UW SON leadership of possible recruitment strategies and curriculum content to enhance global health offerings.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and the presence of restricted interests and stereotyped behaviors (DSM-5). Theory suggests that the development of joint attention is part of a social cognitive process that provides a foundation for language acquisition. Joint attention is a strong predictor of language development in children with autism (Mundy, Sigman, Kasari 1990). Through the Seattle Children's SPARCS Study (Studying the Physiology of Attention and Regulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder), we are examining the relation of spatial and feature attention and regulatory control and growth in social communication skills over time in 2 to 4-year-old children with ASD and typical development. Using the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), a well-validated measure of early social interaction, joint attention, and behavioral requesting skills, we were able to classify children's behaviors into one of three categories: (1) Joint Attention: the child's use of nonverbal behaviors to share the experience of objects or events with others; (2) Behavioral Requests: the child's use of nonverbal behaviors to elicit aid in obtaining objects or events; (3) and Social Interaction: the capacity of the child to engage in playful, affectively positive turn-taking interactions with others (Mundy 2003). The aim of the current project is to examine how early social communication behaviors are influenced by both chronological and mental age as assessed by standardized measures of language and cognition. Currently we have data on 92 children, with data on 150 expected. Data will be analyzed by comparing groups (ASD versus controls) and ages (2-3year-olds versus 3-4 year-olds). The results of this study will enhance our understanding of factors that contribute to the development of social communication skills in both typical and atypical populations; and may also help to shape our interventions for children with autism.

University students suffering from tension-type headaches and/or migraines report a profound impact upon their ability to study, perform in school, and participate in social activities. Despite this, few people consult their doctor regarding headaches, and previous research points to headaches not necessarily being conceived of as a symptom of disease or pathology. Furthermore, there is stigma attached to some headache disorders, such as migraine, that chronically interfere with productivity. In order to ascertain what resources and coping strategies university students with headaches use, I conducted 10 semi-structured ethnographic interviews with UW undergraduate students who identified as 'struggling with headaches' recently. Interviews ranged from 20-55 minutes in length. Students were asked what type of headaches they experienced and what difficulties headaches created for them in their day-to-day lives, among other questions. All students reported difficulty studying and concentrating while experiencing headaches; many students missed classes and some missed deadlines. Very few of the students interviewed utilized campus resources such as Hall Health, Disability Services or the Student Counseling Center, directly concerning their headaches. My initial analysis of student interviews demonstrates that the stigma surrounding headaches is of the type Goffman called 'flaw of the character', meaning a person with a stigmatized trait is perceived as weak, dishonest, lazy or having other negative personal attributes regardless of their behavior. This stigma, along with students' conception of headaches themselves, may lead to a disconnect between needs and services on campus for students struggling with headache.

 Impaired systolic function resulting from acute injury, congenital defect, or aging can lead to cardiac complications and heart failure. Current therapies are unable to rescue cardiac function, but merely slow disease progression. We have demonstrated that when myosin uses 2-deoxy-ATP (dATP) as an energy substrate for contraction instead of ATP, cardiac contractility is enhanced by 20% or more. Viral-vector mediated overexpression of R1R2, the enzyme that catalyzes production of deoxy-nucleotides, increases intracellular dATP. In this study we determined the expression pattern of R1R2 in mice following systemic delivery of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors pseudotyped with the type 6 capsid (rAAV6) carrying R1 and R2 subunits, and a cardiac specific gene regulatory cassette (cTnT455). Cardiac function was assessed in vivo via echocardiography, and ex vivo using Langendorf perfusion to test the hypothesis that elevating myocardial dATP by a gene therapy approach enhances cardiac function. We also performed metabolomics evaluation of both skeletal and cardiac muscle to correlate with changes in cardiac function. Our current data suggest that systemic delivery of this rAAV6 system results in myocardial specific overexpression of R1R2 and improves basal cardiac performance, which supports our previously published data for transgenic animals with long-term overexpression of R1R2. Metabolic analysis suggests that R1R2 overexpression in the heart alone alters the glucose metabolism of both skeletal and cardiac muscle, indicating improved basal cardiac performance can directly impact skeletal muscle metabolism. Preliminary studies in an aging model demonstrate that treatment with this rAAV6 vector increases oxidative metabolism in cardiac tissue and increases glycolysis in fast twitch skeletal muscle. These data indicate that vector-mediated overexpression of R1R2 improves basal cardiac function and impacts skeletal muscle metabolism, demonstrating potential to improve cardiac function of patients with systolic dysfunction. HL11197.

In a country with constantly changing demographics - the non-Hispanic whites are predicted to lose their majority by 2043 (US News, 2013) - the world of academia has remained somewhat stagnant: in 2009, women made up 43% of full-time faculty while 75.5% were white, and in 2005, faculty of color makeup 17% of the total full-time faculty (Department of Education, 2009). Using data from the Faculty Network and Workload Study, which was collected in 2011 and is comprised of 766 faculty from a large Mid-West University in the United States, my research examines differences in the perceived fairness of tenure/promotion decisions and service assignment rotations in order to get a better understanding of the varying experiences within academia across race and gender. Findings show that under-represented groups (women and nonwhite faculty) perceive less fairness compared to white men. Some, but not all, of these differences are explained by network size (measured by the number of faculty in the department who the respondent identified as a friend or the number of other faculty members who identified the respondent as a friend), perceptions of the effectiveness of institutional policies, and workloads for service and teaching.

We want to understand whether or not the underlying magnetic activity of a star plays a role in the "parking" of a planet as it migrates inward. Magnetic activity of a planet's host star is one among a bevy of factors that inform planetary migration, and may imprint itself on the final orbital location of a planet. In this framework, less active stars allow planets to reside nearer to them than their more active counterparts, which "brake" planets' inward migration sooner. NASA's Kepler mission collected an ideal data set to address this question. It detected thousands of extrasolar planets from the periodic dimming of their host stars as the planet crossed the face of the star. By using the data collected from the mission, we are initially attempting to find a relationship between the mass of the host star and the current location of its nearest planet. We employ stellar mass as a proxy for stellar activity for this preliminary treatment. We can infer some level of stellar activity from the mass of the star, but we plan further investigation to determine the extent of this relationship and how it may change over time. We will look at the brightness variations of the stars in the Kepler sample, over short and long timescales, in order to infer stellar activity in a more robust fashion. Then, we will jointly examine where the closest orbiting planet resides around this sample of stars. We will establish how this parking distance relates to stellar type and stellar activity. We aim to untangle the role of magnetic activity from the other factors determining planetary architecture. 

Homosexual adoption in the United States is at the hands of state laws. In states where the laws do not specify whether or not this form of adoption is allowed, the decisions on the matter tend to rest in the hands of judges. This research then investigates what accounts for differences in gay adoption rates after adjusting for differences in laws. In addition to laws, there are various components of state society that impact gay adoption rates, including, culture, economics, and politics. While each one could have a substantial impact on homosexual adoption rates, political climate may be especially impactful. For example, a state that has more conservative judges will have lower rates of adoption than a majority of liberal judges. Using a state-level data set constructed from multiple state and private sources, I use multivariate linear regression models to examine the role of culture, politics, and economics in gay adoption rates. In these models, cultural climate is measured by hate crime prevalence and religiosity, economic climate is measured by education level and rate of urbanization, and political climate is measured by social movement prevalence and the proportion of conservative judges. The research will convey the importance of societal factors outside of the law that have an impact on homosexual adoption rates. This research can serve to inform policies and other government interventions that can be made to account for the factors that influence adoption success.

Until the launch of NASA’s Kepler mission in 2009, the existence of rocky, Earth-like planets orbiting stars other than our Sun was uncertain. In the 5 years since its launch, the mission identified a wellspring of thousands of planets. We now know that planets around other stars are the rule, rather than the exception. One of the most interesting and surprising discoveries emergent from Kepler is that planets are not most common around Sun-like stars. Rather, they reside most often around small stars known as M dwarfs. These stars are cool, with effective stellar temperatures of 2000-4000 K, and are significantly smaller than our sun. Despite their diminutive stature, they are also the common stars in the universe, and the hardest to characterize. We understand the planets orbiting these stars only as a well as we understand the stars themselves. To this end, for our project we seek to refine our knowledge of the temperatures and radii of a select group of M dwarf host stars of interesting exoplanets identified with the Kepler Space Telescope. We employ dozens of near-infrared spectra gathered at the 3.5 meter telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico to study these planet hosts. We will leverage features in the near-infrared portion of these stars' spectra to understand their physical properties. The radius and temperature of the star will then tell us more about the possibly terrestrial planets they are hosting, and whether they reside in their stars’ habitable zones.

 “Trojan” asteroids, or asteroids trapped in stable gravitational positions preceding and trailing a planet in its orbit, accompany almost every planet of our solar system. These hunks of rock were captured into their current locations in the early stages of our solar system’s formation, and their presence hints at the dynamical history of bodies orbiting the Sun. However, we have no reason to assume that our own planets are alone in possessing Trojan asteroids. The Kepler Space Telescope mission, launched in 2009, has been instrumental in the recent search for exoplanets (planets orbiting stars other than the Sun). It identifies these planets from a tell-tale dip in starlight when a planet passes in front of its host star. It has identified thousands of new worlds to date. However, no studies have yet been made attempting to detect Trojan asteroids accompanying these exoplanets from the Kepler photometry data. We expect to be able to detect these asteroids using statistical model fitting to the Kepler data, similarly to how exoplanets themselves are detected. By fitting a model based on the properties of the particular exoplanet to the photometry data, it is possible to deduce the presence of Trojan asteroids and their properties. However, if we are unable to detect these Trojan asteroids, we will be able to set limiting constraints on the presence of asteroids in exoplanetary systems. Observations of these Trojan asteroids, or the lack thereof, would give insight to the evolution and migration models of these systems. These results will ultimately lead to a better understanding on how planetary systems form, through which processes they migrate, and how they compare to our own solar system.

Learning and memory are influenced both by adult neurogenesis and circadian rhythmicity; however, it is unclear if and how the biological clock influences neurogenesis. The BMAL1 protein is an essential component in the molecular clock. Transgenic Bmal1 -/- (knock out) mice, which lack the gene to produce this protein, are completely arrhythmic. Furthermore, the Bmal1 knockout mouse demonstrates poor learning and memory compared to its wild type littermate control which retains both Bmal1 alleles. As an animal that is both arrhythmic and exhibits deficits in learning and memory, the Bmal1 knockout mouse provides the opportunity to investigate the potential interaction of the molecular clock and neurogenesis. I hypothesized that the rate of adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus of the Bmal1 knockout mouse would be reduced as compared with wild type littermate controls. To quantify this, I used immunohistochemistry to fluorescently mark proliferating cells with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus. BrdU is a synthetic nucleotide, intraperitonealy (IP) injected prior to brain collection, and incorporated into the DNA of newly dividing cells. I found that the Bmal1 knockout hippocampus had significantly reduced rates of cell proliferation and survival compared with wild type controls. Thus, BMAL 1 is required for adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. This finding now invites the consideration of whether BMAL 1 protein plays a direct cellular role in adult neurogenesis, or if it is the disruption to systemic circadian rhythmicity which compromises neurogenesis.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication, social skills, and repetitive behaviors. Statistics show that one in every 52 boys are diagnosed with Autism while only one in 252 girls are diagnosed with the disorder. Research shows that girls display lower communication skills independent of their age and cognitive functioning compared to their male counterparts. This study aims to identify if these gender differences in language ability can be identified prior to diagnosis. In this study, infants at high or low risk for autism were assessed via the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) at 12 and 18 months of age to identify various communication modes used by each infant. The videotaped interactions between the infant, clinician, and parent were coded offline by a group of trained undergraduates. The following communicative acts were defined and coded: (1) behavior regulation: the infant’s attempt to control some behavior of an individual around him/her; (2): social interaction: the infant’s ability to bring attention to him/herself; and (3) joint attention: the infant’s ability to bring attention to an object. Infants were evaluated for elevated autism symptoms at 24 months of age and differences in rates of communicative acts in males with elevated ASD at 24 months were compared to female infants with elevated ASD. We hypothesize that girls who go on to develop ASD will display significantly lower rates of communication acts at 12 and 18 months of age across all three communication domains compared to boys who go on to develop ASD. This study will contribute to a better understanding of how these symptoms might be different based on the sex of the infant. Understanding of how symptoms differ in males and females may have implications for the low rate of recognition of the disorder in females.

Alberta’s Athabasca oil sands are one of the world’s largest petroleum reserves. Oil sands comprise sand, clay, and bitumen – a viscous form of petroleum which is more difficult to extract than conventional crude. Current bitumen extraction practices such as surface mining and steam-assisted gravity drainage are energy-intensive. This independent project investigated the potential of employing microbial biosurfactants to reduce the energy required for bitumen recovery in oil sands. Biosurfactants are employed in the industrial practice of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), which is viable in the conventional oil industry, but has not been applied to the Athabasca oil sands. In this study, a biosurfactant-producing bacterial strain was isolated from an environmental sample and its biosurfactant compound was characterized. Biofilm formation under simulated oil sands reservoir conditions was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, and bitumen extraction was tested in a small-scale model. Potential microbial applications in oil sands extraction, upgrading, and bioremediation were explored in a literature review.

Prior research shows that well-functioning interprofessional (IP) healthcare teams lead to greater patient satisfaction, shared clinician understanding, and stronger teamwork, yet healthcare providers are educated in separate “silos” – inhibiting the development of critical teamwork skills. IP service learning (IPSL) is one way to integrate student learning across the health professions. There is little research on how best to use IPSL in current curricular models for the health profession. Furthermore, though student engagement is central to both service learning and IP education, there are few models for how to develop IPSL. This project will explore this important area by asking: how do students who are knowledgeable in both IP and service learning envision effective IPSL? In addition, how could IPSL support current health professional education? One proposal is the creation of a common curriculum among health professional schools, as focused, year-long IPSL experiences. To explore this idea and generate other options, student experts from four of the six health science schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work) participated in a focus group on the UW Seattle campus. Participants were recruited based on their availability and interest, and questions were formulated using Gitlin, Lyons, and Kolodner’s extended social exchange theory. The results of this study were used to help inform current curriculum changes in the health sciences schools, and to reinforce current understandings of IP education and ways to use IPSL in educational programs. Areas for future research include pilot testing 1-3 proposals, as well as sampling health sciences faculty to uncover systems-level barriers to IPSL.