Mycorrhizal symbiosis is known to be an important component of plant and soil health, and the reintroduction of mycorrhizae into disturbed soils could be an integral piece to improving restoration efforts. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on Eriophyllum lanatum while using current nursery practices, with a goal of creating a replicable protocol to integrate mycorrhizal inoculation into regular restoration activities. E. lanatum seeds were sown into pots that were fertilized using one of two common nursery methods (Fertigation and Time-Release) and that were either inoculated or not with mycorrhizae, creating four treatment groups. Germination was tallied, and then plants grew for ten weeks before harvesting. Growth was measured as root and shoot biomasses and as root and shoot lengths. Mycorrhizal colonization success was measured using root stains. Fertilization method had a strong effect on germination; germination rate was higher under Fertigation (47% with No Inoculation, 76% with Inoculation) than Time-Release (24% with No Inoculation, 29% with Inoculation). Growth was statistically greater in the Fertigation than Time-Release method by all measures . No evidence of mycorrhizal colonization was found, but significant differences between the Inoculation and No Inoculation treatment groups using the Fertigation method suggest that the Fertigation method was more sensitive to the effects of mycorrhizae inoculation, even without colonization . Further research should be conducted continuing using Fertigation method, using a different mycorrhizal mix and a larger sample of species.

The Elwha River was dammed between 1911 and 2014 trapping millions of cubic meters of fine and coarse-grained sediment in the two reservoirs created by these dams. Upon dam removal, much of this sediment was re-suspended and transported into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, reducing light availability to photosynthetic organisms. Phytoplankton abundance has not previously been studied near the Elwha Delta, so it is unknown how the dam removal has affected these organisms. Phytoplankton net tows and chlorophyll samples were collected at several stations surrounding the mouth of the Elwha River to determine overall abundance and diversity in and out of the plume. Chlorophyll concentration and phytoplankton abundances were compared to turbidity levels and salinity to determine their location within the plume. Phytoplankton abundance and chlorophyll concentration was reduced in high turbidity, low salinity water, i.e., inside of the plume. The chlorophyll concentrations measured within the plume were less than half the Strait of Juan de Fuca fall and winter average chlorophyll concetrations as documented in Masonn and Peña (2009). The purpose of this study is to provide a foundation for the Elwha dam removals and future dam removals effect on the base of the marine food web.

This project discusses Hans Haacke and Christo’s works and the limiting effects of landlords. Haacke’s Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971 (1971) documents the expansiveness of the Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings. At the time, this group owned the largest concentration of real estate in New York, primarily in under-privileged areas. Through a series of images accompanied by supporting data, Haacke exposes the exploitation of the slumlords. Furthermore, the exhibition scheduled for the Guggenheim was cancelled shortly before the opening (involving a separate type of landlord—the Museum director, Thomas Messer). In contrast, Christo, the artist himself, recently pulled his proposal for Over the River. Christo and Jeanne-Claude, his late wife, designed the outdoor gigantic fabric canopy to span over forty-two miles of the Arkansas River in Colorado. They began planning the project over twenty years ago and, to date, have invested fifteen million of their own funds. Their carefully selected location, however, resides on federal land. Due to the recent presidential election upset, Christo abandoned the project. He refuses to allow President Donald Trump, his new landlord and antagonistic statesman against the arts, any form of ownership over the work. In this project, I explore the relationship between art and politics and the importance of artistic independence.

As science progressed, the understanding of optical perception developed. Today, our understanding of how we see turns upon the notion that light is reflected off an object, penetrates the eye and is then processed through rods and cones. This information is then sent to the brain where it is interpreted. Our intellectual interaction with the outside world is based upon a firm boundary between ourselves and an object. In the Middle Ages, things were more fluid. The boundaries between the self and the object were blurred. The reason for this was that the optical mode accepted at the time was intromission. This mode consists of a process where an object be it actual or artistic representation physically penetrates the eye and then, like a wax seal, imprints itself onto the brain. This created an embodied, intellectual experience. When the contemporary view studies Medieval Art they must somehow adopt this older lens. This project explores the concept of intromission through the presentation of Illuminated Manuscripts, Altar Pieces, and Painted Crosses. It considers the short falls of today’s science in regards to this older, more sensual experience of sight.

Darkness is the focus of many works of art. In this essay I compare two artists works and their exploration of darkness. In How It Is, Miroslaw Balka asks the viewer to enter into and explore an environment in a physical and figurative sense. In contrast, Maya Lin beckons the beholder to examine literal and cultural darkness through a historical context, in her Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Though very different spaces, these works also take up a huge amount of space, which makes these experiences unforgettable. Each is deeply and intimately visceral, putting the viewer in a space where they must come to terms with either a corporeal experience or historical sense of darkness. I compare the use of darkness to understand the ways that these works explore themes of loss, fear, death, and strangely, comfort. I will comment on my own experience of these works to dissect these large sculptural installations. Balka’s sculpture creates an environment where a viewer must blindly walk forward into a dark void and discover the work through their other senses, while Lin’s memorial provides space to contemplate the darkness of war and to grieve for those lost. From their appearance, these spaces seem focused on negative emotions connected to darkness but I found that they create a sense of comfort when experienced. The intense emotions connected to experiencing these works lead me to a place of comfort where I have fully come to terms with each work. In this presentation, I will discuss the notion of safety in darkness, bring in more ancient understandings of the concept, and state how these works re-engage the concept.

The sheer number of people living on the planet has led to an increase in the burning of fossil fuels and the use of industrialized animal livestock. We are now forceful agents and have caused much of our current planetary ecological crisis. In this project, I use Dipesh Chakrabarty and Timothy Morton to outline key issues within the current debates on global warming and the politics of anthropocenic influences. Chakrabarty rebels against treating the environment simply as a silent and passive backdrop. His aim is to end the age-old humanist distinction between natural history and human history. Morton takes up Chakrabarty’s discourse to show how ecological thought can be used to transcend disciplinary boundaries. He argues that art can help us deal with many of the complex issues that arise from destabilizing environmental conditions.This project focuses on the importance of learning from nature and bio-diversity. Tomas Saraceno uses structures found in spider webs and patterns seen in bubbles to create ecological interactive installations and, in doing so, brings the environment to the foreground. In Cloud Cities, he enables the viewer as participant to experience new forms of habitat and envision possibilities for a sustainable planet. Saraceno’s radically open use of intelligent design is clearly what Morton has in mind for his work suggests ways that our global community can become a more productive and less destructive ecological agent.
 

Robert Morris’ steam undermines more traditional sculptural artworks. His Untitled Steam Work for Bellingham (1967) is the best remaining example of his innovative exploration into alternative media. In the piece Morris uses an intangible, anti-sculptural medium — physically tentative, and exuding indefinite permanence. It is located at the remote, northeastern end of Western Washington University’s campus. When activated, steam, seemingly inexplicably, rises from the earth’s rolling landscape; in cold morning air, steam expands skyward and perpetually dissipates into a hazy fog. More specifically, the nature of Morris’ elusive sculpture resists definition and, in definitive ways, is contrary to the works of his contemporary minimalist counterparts. Morris’ rebellious fascination with steam informs his philosophical approach to anti-form. He once wrote that he favored “change over continuity” and that his aim was “to shatter the unity of a given subject.” Steam resists physical form. Moreover it changes with the local ecology: the outside temperature, time of the day, and the humidity in the climate continually impact the composition of the sculpture. His Untitled Steam Work lacks permanence, only viewable at certain times of the day, as its vapors quickly dissipate. While Untitled Steam Work was not Morris’ only anti-form sculptural installation – he explored chance in his 1968 Scatter Piece, using blocks in random forms — Untitled Steam Work’s ephemeral qualities became Morris’ best example of anti-form. This essay explores Morris’ rejection of art that lasts. It compares Morris’ various explorations of anti-form to his more known minimalist artworks. It makes a case that Morris’ ephemeral, provocative medium of steam is the truest example of his indefinable anti-form. The site-specific sculpture resists its chronological placement, as it moves beyond the prevailing minimalist hard form materials.

In 1988, 19th century realist painter Gustave Courbet's The Sleepers made its first public debut since he painted it in 1866 and was rejected from the Salon, a show for upcoming artists in the 19th century. Since then, in popular culture the work has reached a cult-status. However, it represents a hetero-normative view of Sapphic relationships. This hetero-normative depiction of Sapphic women has been exploited continuously for the view of primarily heterosexual men. To reclaim these images for the Queer community, artists must depict their own interpretations of deviant sexual intimacy. This often means subverting the dominant narrative, for example in Je, Tu, Il Elle, Chantal Akerman's depicts an intensely physical portrayal of intimacy. In contrast, Nicole Eisenman's Good Morning Studio, illustrates distorted non-gendered figures melting into each other, resonating with Courbet's The Sleepers and offers a divergent sensuality. When Queer artists portray deviant sensual narratives, they transpose hetero-normative views and make them more relatable to Queer identifying people. In this presentation, I will discuss these works and contexualize diverse artists use of 'deviant' sexualities to expose new narratives. I also plan to evaluate how Queer artists depict their expressions of intimacy compared to how a heterosexual man, such as Courbet, portrays Queer intimacy. This research will further how society interprets Queer imagery, using a Queer Theory and Semiotic methodology. With this work, I hope to expose these narratives and increase interest into the study of LGBTQ+ visual art.

As of 2015, approximately 36.7 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, of which almost 15 million receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). These patients require regular HIV-1 viral load (VL) tests to monitor ART effectiveness and compliance. However, the majority of affected people live in low-resource settings, where accurate diagnosis and disease monitoring through lab-based instrumentation systems, such as nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), are inaccessible. Thus, there is an increasing need for accurate, affordable HIV-1 VL tests at the point-of-care (POC). We have leveraged an electrokinetic separation and preconcentration technique, isotachophoresis, and an isothermal nucleic acid amplification method to develop a fully integrated POC NAAT for extraction, amplification, and detection of HIV-1 nucleic acids in whole blood. We have demonstrated the ability to extract these nucleic acids from human serum and quantify the nucleic acid amplification with fluorescent detection. The fluorescent read-out is correlated to the initial sample concentration, providing semi-quantitative VL information. Our device operates in a single step with limited equipment in 15 minutes, consequently cutting the time, cost, and complexity of NAATs for infectious disease diagnosis, especially in low-resource settings. Our POC NAAT has the potential to improve patient care, and we are currently investigating applying this technology to diagnose other infectious diseases.

Kidney cancer is the 7th and 10th most common cancer in men and women in the United States respectively. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a cancer of the proximal convoluted tubule, accounts for >90% of these kidney cancer incidences. Most cancers, including RCC, stimulate angiogenesis – the sprouting of existing blood vessels. By upregulating the expression of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumors promote vascular sprouting within their microenvironment. This increased vasculature allows for increased oxygen transport as well as an opportunity to metastasize. This tumor-induced angiogenesis is of particular interest to researchers hoping to continue to develop alternative cancer therapeutics to inhibit angiogenesis, starving the tumor of oxygen, or normalize the vasculature, making drug delivery more effective. Common cancer models like 2D cell cultures and animal xenografts have been shown to be poor predictors of drug efficacy in patients. A lack of cellular complexity in 2D cultures along with genetic differences in animal xenografts make them insufficient models of the human pathophysiology seen in vivo. To address this problem, we are developing a 3D, vascularized, flow directed, microphysiological device deemed a “kidney-tumor-on-a-chip”. To engineer a perfusable microvessel, a 120μm collagen channel was lined with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Primary RCC spheroids that mimic the 3D structure of solid tumors were then introduced into the surrounding collagen, recapitulating the tumor-vessel microenvironment. Initial results have shown no endothelial sprouting in non-RCC control devices, compared to significant endothelial sprouting in devices with RCC spheroids. These results suggest RCC cells may contribute to angiogenic sprouting in our microphysiological device, simulating what is observed in vivo. The ability of this kidney-tumor-on-a-chip to mimic the tumor-vessel microenvironment demonstrates its potential to be a more effective cancer model for drug testing.

Heart disease and other cardiac degenerative diseases account for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States. Current in vitro tissue models for cardiac disease modeling and potential drug testing lack dimensionality, scale, biomimetic behavior, and longevity. Manipulation of biophysical cues via biomaterial scaffolds in 3D bioprinting methods can alleviate these limitations as have been shown in 2D models. By mechanically inducing alignment in 3D tissue models, cells will respond to extracellular cues and form more organized structures similar to in vivo. This project focuses on implementing cardiac muscle cells into a mechanically aligned structure using a decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) “bioink”. A BioBots extrusion based bioprinting system is utilized to manufacture cardiac cells laden in porcine left ventricle cardiac muscle dECM. We hypothesize that a polycaprolactone (PCL) post system design will induce cell alignment in a band-like tissue structure suspended in a Pluronic F-127 polymer bed along the axis of tension during tissue manufacturing. Induced bioink tension will enhance cardiac structure and function compared to current bioprinted models. This bioink composition and biomaterial process will provide cardiac cells with a better niche for development into a mature state that accurately mimics in vivo conditions. Bioprinted tissues will exhibit increased mechanical properties and structural organization with expression of contractile markers via uniaxial cell alignment upon bioink gelation in culture. This process is high throughput and provides a streamlined standard method for drug screening that more accurately tests possible side effects inside native heart tissue.

The goal of this project is to design a faster and more efficient motion controller for the leaf collimator that is used to shape a neutron beam around a tumor for use in intensity modulated neutron radiation therapy. The system currently in operation was developed in the 80’s and is too slow for new treatment techniques we plan to support. We started with familiarizing ourselves with the Galil motion controller and the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) software to control 40 motors that will adjust the position of the collimator leaves within an accuracy of 2 mm. Because we augmented an existing system, there are some system aspects that could not change and needed to be worked into our design: the 40 motors need to be driven manually with analog feedback and the overall mechanical setup should remain mostly the same. Additionally, we rewired the system to accommodate bipolar power supplies in order to half the number of wires used in the gantry, allowing us to save on space and increase the ease of future system maintenance. This was accomplished by configuring diodes in parallel with relays that allows us to control the direction of the current, which in turn controls the rotation of the motors. Since our system’s internal components are heavily exposed to radiation, we implemented the diodes on a printed circuit board to ensure that the system upkeep and component replacement is manageable. Finally, we updated the existing Extensible Display Manager (EDM) user interface so the radiation therapists and technicians can see real-time leaf locations and interact with our motion control system. The final deliverable is a complete installation of our new fully tested system inside the the gantry.

This project compares the results of recent political shifts n the US and Brazil on human rights in both countries, and examines how gendered perceptions of corruption and media consolidation led to the rise of the political right in both countries.  In this research, corruption is examined as a political tool which is particularly 'gendered'; that is, mobilized in order to portray women in power as inherently corrupt. Instead of attempting to ascertain the validity of corruption in either country, I focus on subjective experiences and conceptions of where corruption is situated, disrupting the idea of countries in the Global South as inherently more corrupt than countries in the Global North by examining corruption as a political tool. Thus, this project examines the rhetoric of gender and corruption in the media during political upheaval within the last year in both the Brazil and the US, comparing the conception of "fake news" with #Globogolpista in order to understand the role the media plays in constructing corruption. Discourse analysis is important in order to attempt to understand the possible impact of gendered corruption on politics and human rights in two countries with low levels of female participation in politics. The project concludes that despite different historical and political contexts, both the US and Brazil mobilize corruption as a gendered political tool which centers on women in power. 

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) refers to a neuroprotective phenomenon in which a brief ischemic episode confers robust neuroprotection against subsequent prolonged ischemia. Microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, play a central role in ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuroinflammation and IPC-induced neuroprotection. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that type 1 interferon signaling, specifically in microglia, is critical for IPC-mediated neuroprotection in white matter. We have also demonstrated that both hypoxic/hypoglycemic (ischemia-like) followed by normoxic/normoglycemic (H/H-N/N) conditions in vitro and transient ischemia in vivo leads to robust expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in microglia that is completely dependent on expression of type 1 interferon receptor (IFNAR1). In vitro, the H/H-N/N-induced ISG expression in microglia is also dependent on Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4). However, the mechanism(s) of H/H-N/N-induced ISG response is unknown. We hypothesize that TLR activation by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) induces a signal transduction cascade that leads to phosphorylation of STAT1, which is also dependent on IFNAR1. Phosphorylation of STAT1 activates specific transcription factors that induce transcription of ISGs, which in turn skews the phenotype of microglia toward a neuroprotective state. We sought to test this hypothesis first by culturing primary microglia from wild-type (WT), TLR4-/- and IFNAR1-/- mice, exposing the microglia to type 1 IFNs or TLR4 agonists and quantifying STAT1 phosphorylation using flow cytometry. Next we exposed WT, TLR4-/- or IFNAR1-/- microglia to H/H-N/N and assessed levels of STAT1 phosphorylation at multiple time points. Our preliminary results suggest dynamic and complex temporal changes in the level of STAT1 phosphorylation in microglia with differential effects in the setting of genetic depletion of TLR4 and IFNAR1. These findings will help elucidate the mechanism of the ischemia/reperfusion-induced ISG response in microglia and may identify molecular targets for modulation of the neuroimmune response in stroke.

NASA confronts a forward contamination problem with the launch of spacecraft and probes into extraterrestrial environments with potential for detection of life. Earth-origin microbes risk threatening planetary systems, compromising the data obtained, and require implementing microbial control for planetary protection from cross contamination. While generally effective, currently approved decontamination methods are costly, involve high heat and chemical treatments, and risk damaging thermally sensitive spacecraft materials and components. Alternative methods, including atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs), show promise as effective technologies for microbial control. Researchers at Edmonds Community College partnered with Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) of Seattle, WA to test the capabilities of an APPJ developed by EHT, performing characterization of killing efficacy. Bacillus atrophaeus endospores were spread on tryptic soy agar plates to quantify killing efficacy of over 900 combinations of APPJ parameters including pulse width, frequency, voltage, distance, time, electrode placement, jet configuration, gas composition, and flow rate. Unprecedented independent control of APPJ pulse width, frequency, and voltage allowed researchers to identify combinations of these parameters resulting in greater than 4-log reduction of endospores. A decimal reduction time (D-value) was additionally determined at an average of 160 seconds on aluminum. High humidity and low concentrations of O₂ were identified as conditions that enhanced killing of endospores. Further characterization of higher voltage, frequency, and humidity, as well as variable pulse width and low O₂ should lead to improved APPJ killing efficacy with decreased exposure time and allow for development of an APPJ optimized for microbial reduction for large-area spacecraft.

NASA confronts a forward contamination problem with the launch of spacecraft and probes into extraterrestrial environments with potential for detection of life. Microbial control is required in order to avoid cross contamination that would compromise data collected. Currently approved decontamination methods are costly and involve high heat and chemical treatments which risk damaging thermally sensitive spacecraft materials and components. Alternative methods, including atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs), show promise as effective technologies for microbial control. Researchers at Edmonds Community College partnered with Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) of Seattle, WA to test the capabilities of an APPJ developed by EHT, performing characterization of killing efficacy and demonstrating proof of principle for large-area spacecraft sterilization. Research demonstrated killing capabilities of APPJ when applied to various conditions including different surface materials, meshes, tapered and elevated holes. The plume of the APPJ traveled through tapered and elevated holes yielding greater than 99% killing of endospores. Application of APPJ as a “brush” demonstrated greater than a 6 log reduction of endospores over 56.75 cm²/10 minute exposure. Findings suggest a brush composed of multiple jets could be effective for spacecraft sterilization over large surface areas of differing materials with capability to penetrate unusual shapes and surfaces. Anticipated improvements in killing efficacy resulting from better characterization of increased voltage, frequency, humidity, and the inclusion of low O₂ concentrations should lead to the development of an APPJ brush effective at spacecraft sterilization.

Hemiparasitic plants have the ability to obtain water, nutrients, and secondary metabolites from nearby host plants, while also retaining the capacity to photosynthesize. Through haustorial connections that form on roots, they can have varying levels of influence on their host plants. Hemiparasites have been recognized as keystone species in some ecosystems, playing essential roles such as suppression of competitively dominant species and alteration of nutrient availability. Thus far, the impact of hemiparasites on grassland communities in the Northwest is largely unknown. In this greenhouse experiment, I am testing the effects of the following treatments: 1) hemiparasite identity (Castilleja levisecta versus C. hispida), 2) prevention of parasitism, and 3) drought, on the performance of one species of host plant, Achillea millefolium. I am measuring whether these treatments alter the size or photosynthetic rate of A. millefolium. I expect parasitism to have a substantial effect on the host plant, particularly under drought conditions, with hemiparasite identity being a less significant factor. Anticipated results will show the extent to which Castilleja reduces the host plant’s biomass and affects its CO2 assimilation rate. It would be interesting to expand this study by duplicating it in the field to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the broader ecological impacts of parasitism. These species-specific findings may also be translated to other plant groups and have significant implications for ecological restoration projects.

Rivers are conduits for transporting sediments and organic material through the watershed and to the ocean. The Elwha River recently was involved in the largest dam removal in history within the USA. Studies of the dam removal impacts have never been done as extensively as they have for the Elwha River Restoration project. Now, the river is no longer blocked, and 21 million m³ of sediments have been made available for erosion, and it is not fully known where the sediments are depositing and how they are affecting the ecosystem. In order to quantify where organics are being stored in the river system, sediment samples were collected along the river and shoreline, and grain size and loss on ignition (LOI) analysis performed on them. Most of the samples with more than 2% organic content were at sites in the reservoir and side channels, and organics less than 1% were retained on the beach and riverbank. Therefore, finding organic matter in the river and shoreline systems can inform us how the ecosystem is recovering, and whether overtime organics are fully transported to the ocean, or whether organics will be consumed, transformed, or altered along the way.