Searchable Presentation List

This project, made possible by a 2025 Emeritus Society Arts and Humanities Grant, explores the integration of sonic modality into a Virtual Reality (VR) museum environment and explores ways to immerse visitors so that they engage multiple senses while in the environment. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Dene Grigar at WSU Vancouver, I collaborated with her Electronic Literature Lab to enhance the visualization space of The NEXT, a virtual museum and library accessible via Apple and Android systems.

My goal was to develop a VR experience in which visitors could engage with museum objects not only visually, but also sonically, enriching the overall interaction. To achieve this goal, I developed soundscapes and sound interactions for 23 museum objects represented as 3D models, including folios with floppy disks and CD-ROMs, performance objects such as a beachball; ephemera such as a badge for an academic conference; and instructional materials such as a handmade pinwheel. I plan to lead usability testing, which has not gone into effect yet but is planned for the next phase and will evaluate how these additions affected visitor engagement and to identify improvements for the interface and overall experience.

Through this process, I successfully helped to transform The NEXT into a more fully immersive environment where visitors’ auditory and visual senses are both activated. This contribution not only enriches the experience for on-site visitors but also opens possibilities for remote participation, allowing audiences at-a-distance to engage meaningfully with The NEXT’s collections. The project demonstrates how multimedia elements can expand the boundaries of digital cultural engagement.

By combining VR with carefully designed sound content, I explored practical strategies for immersive design while achieving the project’s original goal: to deepen visitors interaction and accessibility within a virtual museum environment. The results highlight the potential for VR museums to provide participatory experiences that engage multiple senses and support educational and creative objectives in ways traditional exhibitions cannot.

Reliable grid operation depends on accurate and timely telemetry, making modern power systems vulnerable to communication-layer cyberattacks. This paper evaluates how Denial-of-Service (DoS), Denial-of-Data (DoD), and False Data Injection (FDI) attacks disrupt the IEEE 14-bus system using a MATLAB-only, time-stepped simulation framework built on MATPOWER. The framework emulates a 24-hour operating cycle with sinusoidal load variation, introduces attack-specific manipulation of load and voltage data, and performs full AC power-flow solves with reactive-limit enforcement (PV--PQ switching). At each timestep, the system logs true and measured voltages, generator P/Q output, system losses, and voltage-limit violations to capture transient cyber-physical effects. Results show that DoD causes the largest physical distortions and reactive-power stress, DoS masks natural variability and degrades situational awareness, and FDI creates significant discrepancies between true and perceived voltages. The study provides a compact, reproducible benchmark for analyzing cyber-induced instability and informing future defense strategies.

Music listening is prevalent in our society for several reasons. People tend to utilize music through emotional regulation, personal fulfillment, or enjoyment. The primary goals of this study were to investigate how college students use music to regulate their emotions. and examine whether emotion regulation strategies were associated with depression and risky alcohol use (i.e., binge drinking). Participants (N = 185, 74% female) were drawn from the Human Development Department research pool. The majority of the participants reported their race as White, Non-Hispanic (66%), while 12% reported Hispanic/Latino and 11% reported Asian/Pacific Islander. Through the use of an online survey, the participants provided a list of five songs they would use to calm down in a stressful situation. We used the Spotify API to capture 7 music characteristics from the songs provided. These characteristics include beats per minute (speed of the tempo), energy (how fast, loud, and noisy the song is), danceability (whether the song is suitable for dancing or not), loudness (index of the song decibels), valence (higher values are more happy & cheerful), acousticness (whether the song is acoustic or not), and popularity (based on spotify metrics). We then examined correlations between the Spotify music features and self-reported stress, depression, and alcohol use. We found substantial variability in the types of music students would use to calm down in a stressful situation. Results indicated that there were no significant correlations between music features and either depression or alcohol use. However, given the diversity of music selections, these results suggest that future music-based interventions rely on self-selected music rather than researcher-selected music selections.

As people age, small areas of brain damage caused by reduced blood flow, called cerebral infarcts, which become more common. These injuries are known to affect thinking, but little is known about how they influence changes in cognition over time in American Indian populations. This study examines whether cerebral infarcts seen on brain MRI scans are linked to long-term changes in thinking and memory among older American Indian adults participating in the Strong Heart Study.

Participants completed brain imaging and cognitive testing at two points. The tests measured overall thinking ability, speed of thinking, word generation, and verbal learning and memory. Changes were compared in test scores over time between individuals with and without cerebral infarcts, while accounting for factors such as age, education, vascular health conditions, and genetic risk.

The results showed that individuals who had cerebral infarcts at the initial brain scan experienced a greater decline in their speed of thinking over time compared to those without infarcts. This relationship remained significant even after accounting for other health and demographic factors. Other areas of cognition, such as memory and word fluency, showed weaker or inconsistent associations.

These findings suggest that early vascular brain injury plays an important role in cognitive aging, particularly affecting how quickly the brain processes information. Protecting brain vascular health may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive function and reducing the risk of dementia in American Indian communities.

A growing body of evidence suggests that reproductive health is an indicator of an organism's overall health and longevity. Although this paradigm has been extensively studied in females, an association for males has not been explored. This study will use a unique mouse model of male infertility to determine whether reproductive capacity is linked to overall health across the early, mid, and late adult stages of life. The project will compare a variety of health parameters between males that have been genetically engineered to be ablated of germ cells via knockout of the gene Nanos2 and littermate controls that possess germ cells and are of normal fertility. Because the Nanos2 gene is expressed exclusively in male germ cells, the model is ideal for focusing on the impacts of impaired reproduction and health in males. Blood serum levels of cholesterol and insulin will be compared as indicators of normal endocrinology, cortisol levels will be measured as an indicator of stress, and intratesticular testosterone will be assessed for normal steroidogenesis. Body weights as well as the weights of several visceral organs (seminal vesicle, heart, spleen, liver, kidney, and pancreas) will be compared between the infertile germ cell-ablated and fertile germ cell-intact males. Results from this research are intended to deepen our understanding of the link between an organism’s fertility and overall health. The new information is expected to impact health care management across mammalian species, including wildlife, companion animals, and humans.

Earthquakes aren’t as frequent for Washington as well as Oregon and Northern California as they are for places like Japan even though the region is still vulnerable to significant seismic hazards due to the proximity to an active plate boundary much like Japan. Due to the irregularity of earthquakes, residents may become complacent and disregard the fact that they live on an active plate boundary that has the capacity of large magnitude earthquakes (Mw=9). Crowd movement “earthquakes” can be a great way to bring public awareness in a fun and engaging manner.

Large, synchronized crowd movements including jumping, cheering, and stomping can generate measurable ground vibrations that are detected through earthquake sensors. Earlier experiments executed in the PNW, such as the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, have documented low frequency seismic activity related to crowd responses to significant events during Seattle Seahawks' football games. As stated by Steve Malone, (2017), Another Seahawks game experiment – Jan 7, pnsn.org, “part of our out-reach efforts to help educate people about seismology we are providing a downloadable hand-out with details of some fun ways to have seismology help watching the game on TV.”

Similarly, this research aims to measure crowd generated seismic activity generated during Cougar home football games and identify at what points of the game have the most intense seismic activity. As well as taking part in more research on anthropogenic (human generated) seismicity and engaging students and the broader community in seismic awareness.

Using Raspberry Shake sensors as a tool to measure crowd activity, we plan to measure the amplitude, duration, and frequency of said crowd activity. These observations will be correlated with game related events including kickoff times, scoring, and attendance. We also plan on comparing our data with published data of crowd-induced seismic data from other sporting events and concerts.

This project will impact public outreach through visualizations and presentations that connect seismology to shared cultural experiences. Capturing Coug Quakes at Martin Stadium will transform Cougar Football games into an opportunity of scientific discovery that includes student’s and the community’s favorite event.

This project has been a collaboration between the WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections department as well as the Nez Perce National Historic Park, to provide access to important historical records. These records include correspondence, photographs, and handwritten ledgers from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, relating to Nimiipuu, or Nez Perce history. In order to do this, multiple students, including Lexi Starcer, and Elijah McCormack, have been working to organize these documents, digitize, and provide descriptions for them. Processes that would not only provide greater accessibility to these documents, but make them easier to find, as well, while also granting these students valuable job, and learning opportunities. For instance, Elijah had not worked with archival documents previously, making this a completely new experience, and granting him a greater understanding of archival practice. While Lexi has worked with a few different archival collections previously, by going through these documents she was able to learn a great deal about Nez Perce history, which is why this collection is so important. It contains primary sources and first-hand accounts from the Nez Perce at a time when they, along with many other Native American people were undergoing massive land loss, due to the breaking up of tribal lands, as well as forced assimilations through the rise of boarding schools. The preservation of these documents ensures that this important history is not lost and is easily accessible for anyone wanting to learn more about it. Ultimately, those of us working on this project aim to share not only what we have learned about archival processing and digitization, but also these historical documents that can tell us so much about Nez Perce History.

The rise of artificial intelligence tools (AI) has created new challenges for post-secondary instructors. This project seeks to understand instructors’ perceptions of and responses to student-use of AI in post-secondary education. We collected survey and interview data, from post-secondary math and statistics instructors at a large research university in the Northwestern United States. The survey and the interview comprised five categories: Perceptions, Policy, Pedagogy, Equity, and Impact. Preliminary analysis indicates some instructors are (a) noticing students using AI in their coursework, (b) observing faster completion of coursework, (c) are generally concerned about student-use of AI, and (d) are making changes to their courses due to student-use of AI.  Many instructors are expecting significant change in STEM teaching and learning within the next five to ten years. This research shows the impact of AI on post-secondary mathematics education and aims to disseminate some of the ways instructors are responding to student-use of these tools.

Helicobacter pylori infects nearly 50% of the global population and is strongly associated with peptic ulcers, gastritis, and up to 80% of gastric cancer cases. A central host defense involves reactive cytotoxins such as hydroperoxides, which generate oxidative damage within bacterial cells. To survive, H. pylori depend on alkyl hydroperoxide reductase C (AhpC), an antioxidant enzyme that reduces hydroperoxides to water or alcohol. Previous studies identified six small-molecule AhpC inhibitors; this work focuses on compound IV. I hypothesize that compound IV binds within the AhpC active site and prevents its conformational transition from a locally unfolded inactive state to its folded active state, thereby disrupting redox homeostasis and compromising bacterial survival.

To define the structural basis of inhibition, purified AhpC was crystallized with sodium formate and sodium acetate, soaked with compound IV for 24 hours, and resolved to 2.2 Å. Structural modeling of the AhpC–compound IV complex is ongoing to identify key binding interactions and conformational constraints. Functional effects were evaluated by measuring NADPH consumption by thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). In the presence of compound IV, elevated NADPH levels indicated impaired electron transfer through the AhpC–TrxA–TrxR pathway, supporting disruption of catalytic cycling.

Growth curve analyses were performed to assess bacterial proliferation and species specificity. Compound IV inhibited multiple H. pylori strains in a dose-dependent manner and demonstrated selective killing. In contrast, no inhibitory effect was observed against Salmonella enterica Typhimurium IR715, Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis, while a known antibiotic eliminated all tested species. These findings support selective targeting of H. pylori, likely due to unique sequence features of its AhpC. Therapeutic efficacy was further evaluated using gastric swine tissue explants infected with H. pylori. Explants were treated with compound IV or clarithromycin, homogenized, and plated for colony-forming unit counts. Compound IV significantly reduced bacterial burden, performing as well as or better than clarithromycin in this ex vivo model.

Together, these structural, biochemical, microbiological, and ex vivo data demonstrate that compound IV inhibits AhpC activity, disrupts redox cycling, selectively suppresses H. pylori growth, and effectively reduces infection in gastric tissue, highlighting its potential as a targeted antimicrobial agent.

As technology moves towards smaller features, and therefore smaller components, the materials made for the advancement of technology also must become smaller. Semiconductors’ chemical and interfacial properties will begin to deviate from their bulk properties as their materials reach the nanoscale. Nanocrystalline semiconductors present a challenge through the inability to produce a homogenous composition. This challenge is compounded by the important factor of semiconductors: dopants. Nanomaterials will have a myriad of morphologies that will make studying the distribution of dopants difficult to attain. Understanding how the particles grow and atoms interact will be important for producing the next generation of semiconductors. To fully be able to elucidate the dopant speciation and growth mechanisms, magic size clusters can be utilized. Magic size clusters are metastable, due to high symmetry and only occurring in discrete sizes, and function as building blocks for nanocrystals making them a perfect candidate. This project focuses on studying doping ZnS magic size clusters with Mn. Manganese is a suitable element for observing the changes during and after doping the magic size clusters due to its electronic properties. It is both paramagnetic and can phosphoresce, meaning that it can be measured through electron paramagnetic resonance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. In previous research on cobalt-doped ZnS magic sized clusters, it has been observed that after initial cation exchange growth, the dopants get internalized in the clusters through coalescence. This is proposed to be the mechanism that the Mn-doped magic sized clusters will follow. Through air-free synthesis and spectroscopic characterization, the growth mechanism and dopant speciation can be defined.

First-generation (FG) college students represent a historically underrepresented and academically vulnerable population, especially as academic systems aren’t designed with their experiences in mind. There is growing awareness of the challenges faced by FG students, yet minimal research has assessed their personality constructs in context, particularly their self-perceptions as students, academic goals they pursue, and whether those goals satisfy psychological needs. The present study draws on the Person-in-Context Assessment (PICA) to evaluate social cognitive personality constructs, including temperament, self-concept, and personal goals and standards, among FG and continuing-generation (CG) college students.

Two theoretical frameworks guide this study. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) suggests that motivation and well-being rely on the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, to feel self-directed; competence, to feel capable; and relatedness, to feel connected to others. Social Cognitive Personality Theory introduces the importance of context by emphasizing the dynamic interactions between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors that shape personality. Imposter phenomenon, the internalized belief that an individual’s success is undeserved and a fear of exposure as a fraud, is investigated as having a possible association with the degree to which needs are satisfied via academic goals.

We addressed three main questions: whether FG and CG students differ in personality profiles, whether FG students report higher impostor phenomenon than CG students, and whether impostor phenomenon is associated with the extent to which academic goals satisfy basic psychological needs. It’s expected that FG students will demonstrate distinct personality profiles and higher impostor phenomenon, and that a relationship exists between impostor phenomenon and how well academic goals satisfy needs. Understanding the personality and motivational patterns of FG students will lead to practical implications for mental health support, academic advising, and institutional design, as well as provide a basis for those whose identity feels at odds with their academic or professional environments.

According to the CDC, only 25% of US adults meet physical activity guidelines for health and chronic disease prevention. Physical inactivity increases cardiovascular disease risk, while engaging in exercise substantially lowers that risk. Experiential learning projects, like Washington State University’s Nutrition and Exercise Clinic, enable undergraduates to apply exercise training skills in a real-world setting, promoting health in the community. PURPOSE: This study assessed cardiovascular health and fitness outcomes after a 2-month, student-led exercise and nutrition clinic over two fall semesters. METHODS: Students led clients through a bi-weekly personalized fitness program for 8 weeks based on individual goals. Eligible participants had their vascular health and fitness assessed before and after the 8-week program. Vascular function was assessed by Doppler ultrasound-measured femoral artery blood flow during a passive leg movement (PLM) test. Vascular stiffness and blood pressure (BP) were measured with SphygmoCor XCEL, including large artery pulse wave velocity (PWV) and both brachial and central BP. General fitness was assessed by tests of muscular endurance (push-ups), balance (one-leg stance, eyes closed), and aerobic fitness (YMCA cycle). Clinic attendance was tracked, and a satisfaction survey was completed at the end of the study. RESULTS: Sixteen clients (age: 51±12; 12 women, 4 men) consented and completed the 8-week study, with an average attendance of 78%. The participants rated clinic satisfaction positively, with a score of 4.6 out of 5. There were significant improvements in both aerobic fitness and push-up test score (p<0.02). No significant changes were observed for BP, PLM, and PWV tests of vascular health. Despite non-significant changes in BP, 5 participants had clinically meaningful improvements. This included lowering BP categories from high to elevated BP or elevated to normal BP. Similarly, for the eyes closed balance test, 5 participants raised their scores from below average to above average. CONCLUSION: Participation in an 8-week student-led exercise and nutrition clinic significantly improved aerobic fitness and muscular endurance. Taken together, these results demonstrate the health benefits of a student-led clinic.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period during which chronic cannabis (CAN) exposure may disrupt cortical maturation. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which regulates executive function and emotional control, and the motor cortex (MC), which supports motor learning and performance, both undergo significant synaptic refinement during adolescence. Chronic CAN exposure during this window has been associated with persistent anxiety-like symptoms, particularly in females, as well as structural brain alterations. CAN may induce lasting changes in cortical structure and function by altering microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, which express cannabinoid receptors and mediate synaptic pruning. Prior studies demonstrate that adolescent CAN exposure shifts microglia in the mPFC toward a less ramified morphology indicative of an activated state; however, whether similar effects occur in the MC and whether these changes relate to anxiety-like behavior remain unclear. Here, we compared the effects of adolescent CAN vapor exposure on microglial density and morphology in mPFC vs. MC and assessed anxiety following abstinence. Male and female mice were exposed to vehicle (VEH; polyethylene glycol 400) or whole-plant CAN extract (150 mg/mL) vapor during daily 30-minute sessions from postnatal day 34–48. Physiological and behavioral measures (body temperature, hot-plate withdrawal latency, and locomotor activity) were collected on exposure days 1 and 14. No significant acute effects were observed at either timepoint, precluding assessment of tolerance development. Mice were perfused either immediately after the final exposure (n = 16) or after a 10-day drug-free period (n = 25), with the latter group undergoing open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) testing. Coronal sections containing mPFC and MC were immunostained for ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1), and microglial density and morphology were quantified. Preliminary analyses indicate no differences in microglial density across treatment, sex, region, or timepoint; morphology analyses are ongoing. In the OF, a significant Sex × Treatment interaction (p<0.05) emerged: CAN-exposed males exhibited anxiolytic-like behavior, whereas CAN-exposed females showed the opposite trend. No effects were observed in the EPM. Ongoing analyses aim to determine whether adolescent cannabis exposure produces long-term neurobiological and behavioral changes, including sex-specific vulnerability to anxiety-like behavior and region-specific microglial alterations.

In the US, roughly fifty percent of pregnancies are unintended. While women have had access to a wide range of contraceptive options since the 1960s, contraceptive methods for men have remained limited to withdrawal, external condoms, or vasectomies. Efforts to develop hormonal male contraceptives have been ongoing since the 1970s but progress has been slow due to both the physiological challenges associated with spermatogenesis and perceived financial and liability risks. Despite these challenges, research suggests that there is significant demand for novel male contraceptive options and recent consumer data indicates that millions of men in the United States would consider using new methods. Existing research on social attitudes toward male birth control has largely focused on men in long-term, committed relationships. However, this focus leaves a gap in understanding how sexually active young adult men think about male hormonal contraceptives. This is a critical oversight given that a substantial proportion of sexually active college men have more than one partner, whether simultaneously or sequentially. This study aims to explore college men’s attitudes, perceptions, and motivations toward male birth control. Eligible participants will be recruited from the student population at a mid-sized university located in the northwestern United States. A mixed-methods approach that includes surveys and structured interviews will be utilized. The study findings may help researchers identify the characteristics of male hormonal contraceptives that will make a method more likely to be adopted by young men. The data can also be applied to developing educational programs to prevent unintended pregnancies.

This research aims to display the disparity in representation of Indigenous peoples within libraries compared to other demographics. The Indigenous peoples include: Native Hawaiians, Native Alaskans, and Native Americans. Indigenous peoples are severely under-represented in library collections of books and resources, as well as staffing (American Libraries Association, n.d.). This disparity is seen widely through both academic and public libraries. This inequality has led to many Indigenous people feeling underrepresented, and has contributed to silencing the presence of Indigenous writers, scholars, and academics. According to the American Libraries Association’s constitution and Bill of Rights, library books, facilities, and staff should reflect and serve anyone, indiscriminate of origin, class, and sexuality. This proposal outlines plans to contact four libraries near my hometown in Hawai’i (Wāhiawa Public Library, Mililani Public Library, Kapolei Public Library, and Ewa Beach Public and School Library). Through quantitative methods, I will retrieve book demographic data which include the author and genre of the books. After data collection, I will work with the same libraries to recover staffing demographics. Some anticipated results include: a very finite amount of books within both “Hawaiiana” and “Indigenous Literature” categories, along with a lack of Indigenous authors being present in collections. In terms of staffing, surveys may display a gap in numbers between Native American/Alaskan/Hawaiian librarians in public libraries as opposed to other racial groups in the Hawai’i. Both book and staffing base data will be used to develop ways to integrate and encourage Indigenous representation in libraries.

In the United States, nearly 9 million people misuse opioids every year. Prescription opioids bind to mu and delta opioid receptors, which can be associated with feelings of euphoria, later leading to withdrawal. Opioids continue to be abused due to the nature of the interactions with the receptors and the feelings of euphoria and dysphoria. Two receptors that fit within the opioid receptor family that have not been studied as in-depth as mu or delta opioid receptors are the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) and the opioid receptor-like protein (OPRL) which can function as another opioid receptor. Activation of the KOR can lead to feelings of dysphoria during withdrawal. Previous literature has demonstrated that KOR heterodimerizes with the Apelin Receptor (APJ). Apelin-13 (a proteolytic product of the Apelin protein) has been well studied in our lab and has been demonstrated to be released during exercise. Apelin-13's other function like upregulating the Brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BNDF) and its receptor Tropomyosin-receptor kinase B, which are two proteins necessary for neurogenesis, have also been well characterized in our lab. With this information, we wanted to dive deeper into the pathway of the Apelin-13. We hypothesize that the KOR and APJ heterodimerization complex is necessary for apelin's effect in the hippocampus. To test this hypothesis, we utilized an in vitro model with short-hairpin RNAs (shRNA) targeting KOR and OPRL. Neurons were stimulated with Apelin-13 with and without shRNA targeting KOR and OPRL. Apelin-13 stimulation increased the density of dendritic mushroom spines (p = Mushroom: p = 0.001). In the presence of shRNA targeting OPRL, basal dendritic spine growth was decreased (OPRL shRNA 1014: p = 0.007). Although the shRNA targeting KOR did not block basal dendritic spine growth, we noticed a trend towards this function (KOR shRNA 487: p= 0.080). Apelin-13 stimulation of dendritic spine growth was blocked in these knockdown conditions as well (OPRL shRNA 1014: p = 0.260. KOR shRNA 487: p= 0.170). These results collected show that KOR and OPRL are required for Apelin-13 signaling pathway and may be required for basal dendritic spine growth in the hippocampus.

Britain’s 1688 financial revolution democratized access to passive income and laid the institutional foundation for the industrial revolution decades later. The decades following the Financial Revolution saw both the flourishing of Britain’s middle class and the growth of extreme corruption. This project analyzes the impact of corruption and changes to financial institutions on the growth of industrial business between 1672 and 1770, highlighting the relationships between institutions, public sentiment, and business prosperity. Parliament’s self-serving actions led to restrictive laws that made it harder to fund new businesses and caused The South Sea bubble, a crisis which shattered public trust in both government and markets. The impact of these developments, in combination with restrictions on lending, strangled avenues of investment and caused a decrease in savings across the economy. This analysis uses a combination of economic modeling and historical research. Secondary academic literature and primary sources including laws, newspapers, and public pamphlets show changes in both workers’ and institutions’ behavior which, when applied to the Solow model of the macroeconomy, show their impact on 18th century capital growth. The evidence points to a modellable decrease in Britain’s savings rate, which in turn lowered productivity growth alongside both the steady state value and rate of change of capital per worker during the early industrial revolution. These findings imply that entrepreneurs had diminished access to resources following the bubble, hindering their ability to start new businesses and slowing the development of the early industrial revolution.

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) is a versatile non-toxic material with a wide array of applications including heterogeneous catalysis and proton conducting membranes. This versatility, especially in catalysis, can be further expanded by entering the nanometer regime (1-100 nm), which drastically increases surface area to volume ratio. Targeted incorporation of dopants (replacing atoms in the crystal with other atoms) allows us to further alter the electronic structure and properties of materials. In this research, the introduction of transition metal ions to produce mid-gap states that could further expand the properties of ZrO2 to include possible photocatalytic splitting of water into H2 and O2 gases is studied. Previous attempts to synthesize chromium doped ZrO2 (Cr:ZrO2) have proven both minimally efficient (10-20% incorporation) and difficult to synthesize, taking multiple days and requiring flammable and unstable zirconium-alkoxide complexes. Using a synthetic procedure from literature, a new approach to doping ZrO2 nanoparticles is modified and developed. Various complimentary spectroscopic techniques such as electronic absorption, photoluminescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance are used to explore optical properties and confirm whether chromium has been successfully introduced into the lattice.

This research examines the different ways that subjects can be taught based on first-hand experiences at an international music festival and peer-reviewed research. At this festival, educators and students from many different countries and cultures were brought together, creating an experience ripe for the examination of unique teaching styles. By attending classes, workshops, and performances and talking with participants, the concept of how education varies across cultures and settings was explored. The findings of this experience and additional research suggest that three things are required to effectively teach across language and cultural barriers: Common Ground, Consistency, and Compassion.

Background: Hemp (Cannabis sativa) seed oil contains a unique profile of essential fatty acids with nutritional and industrial relevance. Understanding variation in lipid content across different cultivars and environments is critical for cultivar selection and breeding programs aimed at optimizing seed oil traits.

Methods: Over 1200 hemp seed samples from several dozen varieties and collected over three years from field sites in Alabama, California, Louisiana, New York, Oregon and Washington State were evaluated for seed oil content and composition. Lipids were extracted and analyzed using an optimized rapid and high-throughput FAMEs (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) - Gas Chromatography (GC) method to quantify major fatty acids. Descriptive statistics and comparative analyses were used to assess differences between cultivars and across trial locations.

Results & discussion: Initial results indicated consistent detection of key fatty acids, including hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but with some significant variation across varieties and some locations. Variability in lipid profiles appears to correlate with both geographic origin and cultivar genetics, suggesting a strong genotype-by-environment interaction. Analysis of this unique germplasm-based collection provides a unique comparative dataset, enabling evaluation of how breeding targets and growing conditions influence oil traits. These findings contribute to our understanding of lipid biosynthesis in hemp and offer practical insights for cultivar selection in breeding and production contexts.

Conclusions: By Spring of 2026, we expect to complete lipid analysis for all 1,254 hemp seed samples. This research will inform cultivar recommendations based on oil quality and yield across diverse environments. The poster will present results available at the time of the conference and highlight emerging trends in seed oil composition from national hemp trials.

We present a mathematical model for the dynamics of aqueous humor in the human eye, including flow and pressure as determined by ocular geometry and global inflow–outflow parameters. The objective is to develop a lumped-parameter differential equation model whose solutions can accurately simulate both steady-state and fluctuating behavior. The model accommodates multiple timescales and is designed to enable integration with larger-scale cardiovascular models, linking intraocular pressure regulation with systemic hemodynamics. Potential clinical applications include clinical decision support using digital twin models, particularly for patients with glaucoma. We present the model, simulation results for representative physiological parameters obtained from the medical literature, and details of its integration with cardiovascular modeling frameworks.

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has emerged as a cost effective and scalable process for producing large scale metallic components, enabling rapid prototyping and complex design geometries that are not readily achievable using conventional manufacturing methods. Yet process instability and defects such as porosity, sub-surface occlusions, poor intra-layer fusion, and inconsistent geometric deviations compromise the quality and structural integrity of completed components. Historically, detection of such defects has been limited to ex situ post process analysis, resulting in significant material waste and time loss. In situ monitoring using low-cost sensing approaches, such as acoustic monitoring, enables real time defect detection and provides a pathway to reduce defect formation and associated losses.

This research presents a data-driven framework for correlating process signals and printed bead quality using WAAM. Acoustic data is collected using a microphone during the manufacturing process and co registered with labeled physical defects identified in the printed bead using robotic arm positional data for spatial alignment. The collected acoustic signals are filtered to remove noise and transformed into spectrograms using the Short-Time Fourier Transform. A Convolutional Neural Network model is then trained to classify defect types including humping, surface porosity, lack of fusion, undercut, and non-defective deposition under varying process parameters such as welding voltage, wire feed speed, working distance, and travel speed. Our results indicate that the CNN model can reliably distinguish between defective and non-defective beads with high classification accuracy. These findings establish a data driven quality control framework for the WAAM process, supporting more consistent, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of large-scale metallic structures.

Keywords: wire arc additive manufacturing, convolutional neural network, spectrograms, defect detection, acoustic sensing

Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, affect approximately 15% of children and adolescents. Although NDDs are common and often lower quality of life, the underlying causes of most NDDs are unknown. NDDs are often multifactorial and dysregulation of neurotrophic signaling, which regulates neuronal growth and the development of synapses, has emerged as a key mechanism in the onset of NDDs. We seek to clearly define how neurotrophic factors direct synaptic formation and function, and the molecular mechanisms by which mutations disrupt this process. Recently, we have identified novel mutations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Tropomyosin receptor kinase-B (TrkB), its receptor, in patients with idiopathic NDDs. Furthermore, patients with the identified mutations often have obesity as a comorbidity. Leptin is a hormone that regulates hunger and energy balance and a known neurotrophic factor critical for synaptic development. We hypothesize that the identified mutations in BDNF and TrkB inhibit or dysregulate BDNF-TrkB signaling during critical periods of neurodevelopment, either blocking synaptic development or altering synaptic morphology and that these defects will alter how neurons are affected by leptin. We have shown that some of these mutants block leptin’s neurotrophic actions in stimulating synaptic development. Observing how BDNF- and TrkB-mutant neurons respond to leptin will shed light on the molecular mechanisms of BDNF-TrkB disruption in specific mutants and may explain why obesity often coincides with NDDs. Identifying the mechanistic roles of these newly discovered mutations may help explain how these variations contribute to NDDs and potentially pave the way for novel therapeutics for affected individuals.

My research explores how to make artificial intelligence, specifically vision language models, run faster and more efficiently by redesigning both the algorithms and the hardware that power them. Modern AI systems must process enormous amounts of visual and textual data at the same time, and doing this well requires more than just better software or faster chips. It would require a co-design which means building the algorithms and the hardware together so that each is optimized by the other.

At the core of my work the idea that the traditional “one-size-fits-all"" computer (such as ChatGPT or other open AI sources) are no longer sufficient for cutting-edge AI. Vision language models specifically operate with highly irregular data patterns, massive parameter counts, and strict latency requirements. General purpose processors (like the CPUs we have in commercial computers) struggle to meet these demands efficiently. My role is to explore specialized hardware architectures, often implemented on FPGAs, and pair them with algorithmic modifications that reduce computation load without sacrificing model accuracy.

A key part of this research involves building custom accelerated pipelines, such as 2D processing element arrays and compressed weight convolution engines. These hardware structures are paired with algorithmic strategies like quantization and data flow scheduling so the system spends less time moving data and more time computing meaningful results. This co-optimization of both hardware and software can allow vision language models to operate with higher throughput and dramatically lower power consumption. These are all properties that are especially important for edge devices where energy and compute resources are limited.

Overall, my work sits at an intersection of hardware engineering, AI model design, and computational neuroscience. The goal is to develop next generation architectures capable of supporting increasingly complex AI applications while staying efficient enough to be practical for real world deployment.

A major characteristic of osteoarthritis is the breakdown of articular cartilage, which creates a strong need for tissue-engineered cartilage constructs as a potential treatment. Successful cartilage tissue engineering requires increasing the expression of chondrogenic markers while decreasing the expression of osteogenic markers of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) in a bioreactor.

The upregulation of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is a key indicator of osteogenic differentiation in hMSCs, while RUNX2 suppression is a chondrogenic indicator. Elevated RUNX2 expression can serve as an early indicator of a shift from chondrogenesis toward osteogenesis. This project describes the design and development of a LNA/DNA nano-biosensor composed of two parts, a fluorescent locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe for sequence-specific detection of RUNX2 expression in hMSCs and a complementary DNA quencher.

A shared mRNA region common to RUNX2 coding variants was identified and selected as the probe target sequence. The LNA probe was designed to be complementary to this sequence and was labeled with the fluorophore ATTO-425 at the 5’ end, while the complementary quencher strand was labeled with Dabcyl at the 3’ end. To enhance specificity and resistance to nuclease degradation, LNA monomers were incorporated at every third nucleotide position within the probe sequence. In the absence of target mRNA, the fluorescence remains quenched due to the proximity of Dabcyl to ATTO-425. Upon separation of fluorophore and quencher, the fluorophore binds to RUNX2 mRNA and generates a measurable fluorescent signal when excited with a laser.

Probe performance was evaluated through optimization of the probe-to-quencher ratio and fluorescence testing in the presence of synthetic target sequences. Once those tests were completed, cell viability testing was conducted to confirm biocompatibility and functionality of the nano-biosensor in live cells. Following validation, the nano-biosensor can be incorporated into our tissue bioreactor system, alongside complementary LNA/DNA nano-biosensors, to monitor RUNX2 expression in parallel with other chondrogenic markers.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women, equating to over 190 million globally. Patients usually suffer from severe, debilitating pain with unclear, complex underlying mechanisms that urgently require investigation. In vivo models, specifically mouse models, are frequently used to study immune pathophysiology, pain behaviors, and effective disease-modifying treatments in endometriosis. However, mouse strains with different genetic backgrounds could significantly impact endometriosis research. As endometriosis is both immune and hormonally regulated, immunological differences between strains of mice could lead to diverse findings. Behavioral studies related to mechanical sensitivity can also differ between strains. The mouse strain C57BL/6 is commonly used as a model for endometriosis, but they generally exhibit higher levels of mechanical hypersensitivity, potentially resulting in inconclusive results in pain-related behavioral studies. In contrast, SV-129 mice exhibit lower mechanical sensitivity than C57BL/6 mice and remain underutilized in endometriosis research, suggesting potential advantages for pain-related behavioral studies. This project proposes to evaluate the SV-129 strain as a compatible preclinical model for understanding immunopathophysiology and pain-related behaviors in endometriosis. To induce endometriosis, endometrial tissue must be surgically injected into the peritoneum to form endometriosis-like lesions. Following induction, lesion development, peritoneal immune responses, and endometriosis-associated hyperalgesia will be assessed before (day -1) and after lesion induction (days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 42) to capture both acute and chronic disease features between the two strains. Lesion numbers, morphology, and markers of macrophage infiltration, neurogenesis, and vascularization will be examined to confirm pathological consistency with established models. The dynamics of peritoneal immune cell populations will be characterized through flow cytometry analysis. Abdominal and hind paw sensitivity will be evaluated using the Von Frey test to determine the local and systemic hypersensitivity, respectively. Additionally, the peripheral sensitization will be assessed by examining pain-associated markers in the dorsal root ganglion. Together, these outcomes will determine whether SV-129 mice could be used as an improved model for studying pain mechanisms and therapeutic efficacy in endometriosis. This work will also help researchers in selecting the proper mouse strains for their future endometriosis research.

The reindustrialization of the United States necessitates large amounts of energy. Although significant investments in nuclear power, renewable sources, and natural gas plants have been made to meet these requirements, issues persist. The chemical and petrochemical industries account for 40% of industrial energy consumption but lack reactors capable of using electricity cost effectively in general applications. Induction heated chemical reactors (IHCR) are a promising, cost-effective option to address these needs. However, no agreed upon approach for IHCR design exists. Both stable materials and accurate modeling equipment are needed if this promising technology is to be implemented across industry. Induction heating uses rapidly alternating electric currents through a coil (upwards of 10,000 times per second) surrounding a metal susceptor to efficiently generate heat. Using iron foam susceptors, heat is generated in close proximity to the reaction sites, which improves efficiency. When interacting with the reaction environment however, iron can oxidize and/or corrode, causing it to gradually lose its magnetic properties during the heating process and therefore harming long-term heating efficiency. In this project, we examine the addition of a silicon carbide coating over an iron foam susceptor to reduce oxidation while guaranteeing constant heating performance. Determining whether the foam is fully coated uses techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) mapping and reaction testing. A COMSOL Multiphysics model was created to simulate the heating and reaction in the IHCR to allow accurate comparisons to experimental results. The model will be useful for equipment scale-up calculations to industrial standards without needing individual testing of design variations. Insulation thickness and coil distance were also modeled and optimized for maximum efficiency. This project supports industrial implementation of IHCRs while furthering academic research into energy efficient systems.

Mental health stigma remains prevalent today, often reflected through negative stereotypes, attitudes, and perceptions that individuals and communities hold toward people experiencing mental-health challenges or seeking support. These stigmatizing beliefs can create significant barriers to people who seek help, particularly within diverse racial and ethnic communities. This issue is especially relevant among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) college students, who navigate culturally shaped beliefs about mental health. College students represent a unique population in which students come from culturally diverse backgrounds. College also marks a crucial time period of growing independence, self-discovery, and responsibility. It is necessary to further understand how different factors such as one’s first-generation status, socioeconomic background, and cultural experiences may further shape how AAPI students perceive and address their mental health needs and whether they view seeking help as acceptable or attainable.

This study examines perceptions of mental health stigma and their influence on attitudes toward mental health and help-seeking behaviors among AAPI college students enrolled at Washington State University. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this research aims to investigate how perceived and internalized stigma influence the willingness to seek help through digital platforms, family and friends, and mental health professionals. Data will be collected through an anonymous Qualtrics survey using both quantitative and qualitative items, distributed using convenience sampling methods.

Overall, findings of this study will contribute to understanding early barriers that prevent students from seeking help, informing the need for culturally responsive resources, campus support efforts, and future pathways for addressing mental health stigma within underserved AAPI communities.

Mummified remains preserve human history as well as microbial ecosystems that continue to evolve after death. The microbial DNA preserved in the ancient mummies allows researchers, scientists,and archaeologists to capture scientific evidence of post-mortem microbial colonization's across millennia. Research involving mummified remains aims to develop, test and standardize methods that keep human remains intact for long-term study and display. Different environmental factors are important in understanding complex ancient methods that were used to keep these remains in pristine condition. Researchers have been attempting to duplicate ancient methods in hopes of preserving ancient artifacts. The long-term dynamics and methods of mummified remains have been misunderstood. Modern microbes from handling, storage, and environmental factors can obstruct authentic ancient signals. Ramesses II’s mummified remains are a perfect example of how ancient methods and environmental factors allowed researchers to have a good understanding of the materials and substances used in the mummification process. Ramesses II's body was packed and covered with natron, a natural occurring salt mixture (sodium carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate). Other methods used include tree resin, plant oils, and bitumen. A clear understanding of the embalming materials can allow researchers to have a better handling process to preserve these ancient artifacts as much as possible. Ramesses II (Seti I) is important because it is the most well-preserved mummy ever discovered. His facial features, hair and overall condition are pristine, which is unusual for a mummified remain that's over 3,000 years old. The condition of Seti also gave researchers and scientists a better insight of ancient Egyptian medicine. Examinations of the mummy revealed signs of arthritis, dental wear, and heart disease. This discovery allows concrete evidence of health conditions experienced by Egypt's most powerful leaders. Together, these results demonstrate that ancient embalming techniques not only preserve some of the most pristine physical remains of Ramesses II but also influence the long-term adaptation of the associated microbial communities. Understanding the importance of preservation allows researchers to shape microbial survival over time.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells, which can be found in bone marrow and other tissues within the body, can be studied to understand what proteins make up healthy cartilage tissue. In studying the protein composition of human mesenchymal stem cells, we can connect the proteins involved in healthy tissue back to their genetic transcription factors, and work towards mimicking those genetic codes in lab-grown stem cells. In the lab, tissue samples are collected from both healthy and diseased human cartilage and compared to stem cells grown in the lab designed to mimic cartilage tissue. The samples are put through a process of sample collection, immunostaining, and fluorescent microscopic analysis. Beginning with harvested tissue samples suspended in wax, thin slices are extracted onto glass slides to undergo an immunostaining procedure involving seven different solutions. The samples are left to incubate before being analyzed under a fluorescent microscope. Under the microscope and altered light, different proteins are made more visible. 3D modeling is also utilized to understand the layers of articular tissue, including the superficial and deep zones. So far, we have observed SOX9 and RUNX2 proteins. The SOX9 protein and RUNx2 proteins are transcription factors that play a major role in the master gene that codes human articular cartilage. The SOX9 protein shows up in healthy tissue, while the RUNX2 protein has been more prominent in diseased tissue. The goal of this research project is to understand the protein makeup of healthy cartilage tissue to find the transcription factors related to those proteins in human genes. So far, there has been success in identifying different proteins on the surface and deeper zones of cartilage tissue. The long-term goal of the research is to use genetic factors to grow cartilage implants that can be implanted in osteoarthritic joints, finding a more natural cure for osteoarthritic diseases. This project is in collaboration with multiple other labs including the Gozen, Dong, Bonassar, and Driskell Lab groups. This research has been recognized as an NSF-supported project, with the award number 2225528. Grants from the NSF have been given to WSU and Cornell to pursue this research.

Enantioselective formation of C–C bonds in synthetic organic chemistry is an important approach to establishing molecular complexity, particularly in the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant small molecules. While aldehydes and ketones are readily accessible functional groups, there are limited applications of Cu for the enantioselective formation of C–C bonds at the central carbon of these functional groups. Herein we report experimental and computational efforts towards developing a Cu-catalyzed dicarbofunctionalization of N-tosylhydrazones for the formation of two new C–C bonds involving an alkyne and a ketone as reaction partners. The proposed mechanism for the transformation of interest involves initial formation of a Cu acetylide and subsequent reaction with an N-tosylhydrazone to generate a Cu carbene. This intermediate is then proposed to undergo an enantioselective migratory insertion for generation of an alkyl Cu intermediate and the first new C–C bond. Density Functional Theory calculations were performed towards evaluating the energetic feasibility of the reaction of interest.

Racially and ethnically minoritized students face unique academic, social, and emotional stressors during the transition to college that may influence their life satisfaction. Previous literature on college student well-being and life satisfaction often draws broad undergraduate samples from all years of study (Jenkins et al., 2013; Allan et al., 2023) and rarely examines how life satisfaction changes among racially and ethnically minoritized students during the critical first-year transition or identifies factors that influence these associations (McNaughton-Cassill et al., 2021). Building upon our prior work (Herber et al., 2025), this longitudinal study examines changes in life satisfaction among racially and ethnically minoritized college students during and after their first academic year.

The project collected intensive longitudinal data from 78 first-year college students from racially and ethnically minoritized backgrounds (65.4% Hispanic/Latinx, 17.9% Asian American, 15.4% Black/African American) attending Washington State University. During fall or early spring semester of the first year, students completed a baseline survey assessing life satisfaction, emotional support, stress, demographic information, and other related variables. A follow-up survey given in summer included the same measures and additional questions regarding academic performance. Scales were sourced from the Center for Epidemiological Studies, including the Perceived Stress Scale and College Student Stress Scale. Additional questions were drawn from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), such as the Emotional Support and General Life Satisfaction scales.

We hypothesize that life satisfaction will remain stable or increase by the end of the first academic year, reflecting students’ resilience and successful adaptation to college. We expect that higher end-of-year academic performance and higher baseline levels of emotional and social support and self-efficacy will predict end-of-year life satisfaction. We will also examine whether contextual factors, including socioeconomic status, first-generation status, family support, and financial aid status, moderate these associations. Findings will advance understanding of adjustment processes among racially and ethnically minoritized students and inform institutional practices that promote student well-being and success.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD)is responsible for 70% of cattle feedlot deaths, with a morbidity rate of 50% resulting in an economic loss to the beef cattle industry of over $1B annually. The disease is initiated by death of macrophages in the lung due to a toxin produced by the bacterium Mannheimia heamolytica, which binds to CD18 protein on the cell surface. In the genome of ruminants such as cattle, an ancient three-nucleotide mutation in the CD18 gene eliminated the ability for the encoded protein to cleave from the surface of macrophages, thereby making the cell vulnerable to M. heamolytica toxin. The overarching goal of this project is to edit the CD18 gene in the cattle genome to a form that will confer resistance to M. haemolytica toxin susceptibility. First, a CRISPR-Cas9 editing strategy was devised to alter the CD18 gene and tested in cattle fibroblasts in vitro, which revealed an efficiency of 87.5%.  Next, to advance with a cell capable of giving rise to live animals, the strategy was tested in zygote-stage cattle embryos produced by in vitro fertilization. Genotyping analysis of the resulting multicellular embryos revealed a 23.1% efficiency of editing the three-nucleotide susceptibility mutation in the CD18 gene. Lastly, additional rounds of CRISPR-Cas9 in vitro zygote editing were performed, followed by transfer of the embryos into uteri of recipient female cattle. If successful in achieving pregnancies, live offspring generated from these embryos that possess edited versions of the CD18 gene can be tested for resistance to M. heamolytica toxin. Ultimately, the engineered genetic resistance could be bred into beef cattle populations across the United States for dissemination of a solution to BRD, thereby saving the cattle industry billions of dollars annually while simultaneously reinforcing food security.

Detecting supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) through electromagnetic observations remains a major challenge in time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy. One promising avenue is identifying significant periodic variability in quasar light curves. In this study, we assess how the statistical significance of a periodic signal—quantified using the Bayes Factor (BF)—evolves with increasing observations. We simulate quasar light curves that include a periodic signal overlaid with realistic photometric noise and stochastic variability modeled as a damped random walk (DRW). Observation baselines span 1 to 10 years, increasing in yearly increments, and mimic the cadence and sampling of upcoming surveys like the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Using Bayesian model comparison, we evaluate the algorithm's ability to recover the injected periodic signals and track how confidence in detection improves with additional data. To quantify false-positive rates, we also simulate DRW-only light curves to assess the probability of incorrectly identifying periodicity. We expect genuine periodic signals to become increasingly significant with time, while false detections diminish as more data are collected. This work provides a robust statistical framework for SMBHB detection and helps define parameter regimes where such binaries are most likely to be confidently identified in future surveys.

Financial literacy is defined as an individual’s knowledge of financial skills and the capability of applying financial concepts effectively throughout their life. This study aims to investigate the generational gap of financial literacy within the Latinx community and identify the barriers that prevent older generations to receive equal amounts of financial knowledge. Comparing the older generation of Latinx to the younger generation, there is a prominent gap between their knowledge. This knowledge and skill set are important as it can define an individual’s future when it comes to their own finances. For this research, qualitative analysis through the form of focus groups will be used to examine personal experiences from both the younger and older generations. Further analysis will help identify the key factors and barriers that prevent older generations from understanding financial concepts. With the use of Richard Delgado’s Critical Latinx Race Theory (2002), the study will be using its framework to examine the racism, nativism, and systemic inequalities that shape a Latinx individual’s experience. This study allows for an understanding on the barriers that many Latinx individuals face on a day-to-day basis and will contribute to the ongoing conversations of high rising economic anxiety and fear. Outcomes from this study can inform both older and younger generations on knowledge of financial literacy, allowing for our society to break those barriers for the Latinx community and address the generational gap and social inequalities.

The goal of the experiment was to determine the amount of sugar content in feeding substrate for optimal luminescence (hence, optimal gene transcription). Drosophila melanogaster are a commonly used fly species in genetic and neurological research due to simple genetic makeup (only 4 chromosomes), allowing easier pinpointing of transcription pathways. To model human PPAR (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor) transcription, this study employs the GAL4/UAS genetic transcription pathway in Drosophila for targeted gene expression. Expression is measured with luminescence, which the flies produce upon feeding on a light-producing substrate called luciferin. PPAR signaling is a critical regulator of energy balance and metabolic health, with dysregulation linked to several human diseases. PPAR (namely PPARalpha) has potential for future research in neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s. PPARalpha activation clears amyloid-beta (Aβ) and promotes neuroprotective factors like BDNF. The current findings suggest sugar content allows a higher peak in luminescence, as well as faster initial slope to the peak and more rapid decline, than control food. However, contrary to the initial thought, higher sucrose content does not always correlate to higher luminescence readings. There is an optimal range at around 5% sucrose in the luminescence substrate (and 5% sucrose in the food prior to testing), suggesting that Drosophila prefer a touch of sweetness to their food, as they eat it quicker, and glow brighter with this feed than any other test/ control group. Also, male and female differences show that females metabolize the luciferin substrate at lower rates overall, with some key exceptions (expanded upon during the project). Further research would look at how these discrepancies between male and female gene transcription might play a role in neurodegenerative disease. Another area of further study could be gene transcription differences among varying ages of Drosophila, another factor to consider when studying neurodegenerative decline.

Wi-Fi deauthentication attacks remain a practical denial-of-service (DoS) threat by exploiting unprotected management frames to disrupt client connectivity. In this work, we introduce a software-defined testbed to quantify the resilience of contemporary Wi-Fi networks against classical deauthentication injection attacks. We experimentally evaluate four wireless security configurations: open networks, WPA1, WPA2 with Protected Management Frames (PMF), and WPA3. Using controlled experiments, we measure client disconnection rates, packet injection volume, and time-to-disruption under each configuration. Our results show that open and WPA1 networks are fully susceptible to deauthentication, while WPA2 with PMF and WPA3 exhibit complete resistance under the tested conditions. Packet-level behavior is analyzed using Wireshark, and attacks are orchestrated using standard wireless auditing tools including aircrack-ng and mdk3. These findings confirm the effectiveness of management-frame protection and highlight the continued risk posed by legacy or misconfigured wireless deployments.

The discovery of complicated caustics in the scattering of light by acoustically levitated oblate water drops in air [Marston & Trinh, Nature (1984)] has motivated decades of research related to the relationship between the shapes of wavefronts and the associated wavefields. These caustics subsequently became known as “generalized rainbows” [Marston, Optics Letters (1985)] and by the 1990s several wavefield properties had been analytically calculated. The research is relevant to understanding acoustical as well as optical wavefields. Unfortunately, the various ultrasonic acoustic levitators ordinarily used in these experiments involve metal vibrators and reflectors which require delicate tuning to achieve stable levitation of drops. The shape of the drop is determined by the vertical ultrasonic standing wave amplitude [Marston, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (2024)]. An alternative array-based ultrasonic levitator design is easier to deploy for various purposes [Marzo, Barnes, Drinkwater, Rev. Sci. Instrum. (2017)]. In the present research we demonstrate that generalized rainbows of oblate water drops can be viewed and recorded using a modified design of the TinyLev levitator. For ease of adjustment of the vertical ultrasonic standing wave amplitude, a high-quality stereo power amplifier is used to excite the array. The amplifier sine-wave input is controlled by a finely adjustable potentiometer. Hyperbolic umbilic and cusp generalized rainbow patterns were recorded.

There is a growing understanding in the contemporary world that different cultures value(d) and portray(ed) gender in diverse ways, and feminist archeological scholarship has emerg ed to combat male-centered and patriarchal interpretations of rock art. However, archeologists are still generally very resolute when labeling certain figures as male or female despite the presence of ambiguous or contradictory motifs. This research aims to identify these gendered motifs and begin deconstructing interpretations of gender in Northwest Plains rock art, enabling consideration of nonbinary or third genders within local communities. I use an index of gendered motifs and features present in Plains rock art to analyze and question the binary gendering of figures and archaeological sites. I argue for the consideration of nonbinary figures in Plains rock art as well as the critical examination of previously gendered sites. I stress that this consideration should extend to archeological sites worldwide and emphasize the importance of de-centering binary concepts of gender in archeological practice.

This poster examines how weaving acts as an embodied and experience based way of producing knowledge by recreating a backstrap loom and a warp-weighted loom to make woven pieces. Textiles are everywhere in human life and despite the embodied activity and time required are often rendered invisible. This project focuses on the process of making, the results achieved, and what sort of meaning emerges when the weaver, loom, and yarn come together.

Drawing on Tim Ingold's (2013) core idea of “thinking through making” with maker and material in correspondence, a new form emerges. The different elements of weaving from yarn tension, loom structure, and bodily activity all impact the outcome. Knowledge comes through repetition and practice, learning to respond and adjust based on sensory feedback. Warp-weighted looms have a vertical tensioning system while backstrap looms incorporate the weaver’s body into this process. Each of the loom types requires different physical demands and ways of operation and produces different types of fabric.

This project presents the results of weaving comparative samples and exploring how each loom design affects practice. Technical details and reflective documentation were recorded, tracking skill development through embodied engagement with the looms. This data is used to reflect on past textile production and how technological differences among weaving technologies impacted weavers lived experiences.

In this project, menadione was employed to promote endogenous ROS production by inhibiting the electron transport chain and allowing electrons to react prematurely with oxygen in the mitochondrial matrix. Preliminary results show that the application of menadione is less toxic to cells compared with hydrogen peroxide and doesn't significantly interact with ROS probes. We hypothesize that by minimizing treatment toxicity and interactions with ROS probes, pharmacological induction of oxidative stress will allow for better studies of Coxiella's manipulation of ROS during infection; a key element of its obligate intracellular lifestyle.

The goal of our research is to explore the development of undergraduate science students' experimental design and critical thinking skills while enhancing their confidence and attitudes toward science. Recent literature from Innovations in Higher Education suggests that students in courses focused on multimodal learning and critical thinking experience greater career success and improved problem-solving in interdisciplinary settings. Stakeholders in science education, including AAAS and Vision and Change, advocate for undergraduate science education through authentic experiences that reflect scientific practices, such as data analysis and hypothesis development. The CREATE approach (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze data, Think of next Experiments) is one such method that fosters students' Reading to Reason in Science (RtRiS), combats misinformation, and promotes critical thinking. We hypothesize that coursework designed to engage students with primary literature and apply content knowledge will enhance their scientific critical thinking and confidence.

Consenting students from both an introductory biology course and a cell and molecular biology course completed the survey during each of the last two fall semesters. The cell and molecular biology course uses the Teaching Real Data Interpretation through Modeling (TRIM) framework to guide students' engagement with primary literature, whereas the introductory biology course teaches foundational concepts in cell biology and inheritance. Students participated in a survey via Qualtrics using the CREATE survey, which included a Likert-scale questionnaire on attitudes and skills, as well as an open-ended section to assess critical thinking in experimental design.

Preliminary results reveal demographic differences in CREATE survey scores between females and males, as well as a significant positive change in students' attitudes and skills after an intervention course in cell and molecular biology. Our findings suggest that classroom interventions positioning students as scientists to grapple with the complexities of primary scientific literature can positively influence their critical thinking and attitudes toward science. Future analysis of open-ended responses will further explore students' development in applying critical thinking to their own experimental designs.

As of recent times, anthropogenic activity has been influencing the survivability and population dynamics of both apex predators, predators with little to no natural predators, and mesopredators, predators that are preyed upon by apex predators. This, along with other factors such as environmental conditions and prey availability, could influence the spatial and temporal differentiation found between apex and mesopredators along with population dynamics, causing ecological imbalance and inter-species conflict. Places such as Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where human-predator interactions and conflict are common and seasonal conditions differ greatly, this issue can become even more prevalent. Understanding how anthropogenic activities and other environmental factors may be altering the behavior of predators can in turn reduce the concerns that arise from ecological imbalance.

This project used collected grid-system camera trap data to analyze the spatial movement data of predators (lion  Panthera leo, African leopard Panthera pardus, spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta, striped hyena Hyaena hyaena, caracal Caracal caracal, black-backed jackal Lupulella mesomelas, large-spotted genet Genetta maculata, and common genet Genetta genetta) along with domesticated dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and Humans (Homo sapiens) within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This was done by identifying and counting the number of individuals of a species per camera, summarizing these findings for each species of focus, and then using statistical methods and GIS mapping to see if these findings are significant and examining how these findings look across the entire landscape. Once data was polished and organized, multiple species were removed for lack of data within study area, which were lions, caracal, and both species of genet.

Results found that one of the wildlife species, spotted hyena, which is an apex predator in the study area, was found to significantly change their movement patterns across the two major seasons, wet and dry. Additionally, spotted hyena and other focal species were compared across both seasons and to human development and found similar movement patterns across all the species, with the species that showed significant differences seasonally also being found to move closer to human development. However, the sample size was small, so results must be interpreted cautiously.

The HYdrogen Properties for Energy Research (HYPER) center has developed a micro-scale (1-2 Liters/Hour) hydrogen (H₂) liquefaction facility for cryogenic experiments by optimizing heat exchangers for a closed-cycle cryocooler integrated into a hydrogen dewar. Existing H₂ liquefaction systems using heat exchangers, such as 3D-printed tubes, forced fins, or heat pipes, have achieved H₂ liquefaction rates of 0.2-1.5 Liters/Hour. However, these solutions are incompatible with the geometric, experimental, and free-convection requirements of the present test stand. To meet these requirements, we developed axial fin arrays in aluminum 6061 and copper C110, optimized through a parametric study of fin efficiency, surface area, and materials for both free convection and film condensation, in tandem with liquid nitrogen pre-cooling as the liquefaction system. The H₂ liquefaction performance of this system will be quantified by monitoring the H₂ mass flow rate needed to maintain constant dewar pressure and validated against a scale measuring the total mass in the dewar. This data will then be used to validate the optimization model.

Chronic wounds associated with diabetes are frequently complicated by persistent bacterial biofilms, which limit antibiotic effectiveness and delay healing. Our lab has developed an electrochemical bandage (e-bandage), a flexible, three-electrode system (working, reference, and counter electrodes) powered by a custom built micropotentiostat that can electrochemically generate antimicrobial oxidants at the wound-contacting surface. By selecting the applied potential, the working electrode can produce either hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or hypochlorous acid (HOCl). While electrochemical generation of these agents is promising for controlling biofilms, the mechanical reliability of e-bandages during wear (bending, stretching, friction, and water exposure) has not been systematically evaluated and is a key step toward practical use.

This project develops and applies a benchtop test protocol to quantify the mechanical stability of two e-bandage formats (2.5 × 2.5 cm and 5 × 5 cm). e-Bandage is mounted on skin-mimicking substrates and garment-based fixtures wrapped over anatomically relevant curvatures to emulate placement on mobile body sites. Samples are subjected to controlled cyclic deformation and abrasion while monitoring: i) adhesion and delamination, ii) cracking or tearing of conductive layers, and iii) changes in electrical integrity (e.g., resistance/impedance and the ability to maintain stable electrode operation during deformation). By enabling these mechanical screening without direct skin contact, this work reduces dependence on human testing, accelerates design iteration of electrochemical bandages, and supports future translation of e-bandage technology for hard-to-treat diabetic wound infections.

Due to their unique energy charge properties applicable for commercial magnets, catalysts, and optics, rare earth elements (REE) are highly prized for their high-tech applications.  Despite this commercial interest, there are very few deposits, and REE separation is difficult, making it important to further understand the kinetics and thermodynamics of REE ore formation. In this study, we set up a chloride-rich, calcium fluoride system bearing REE solution to mimic hydrothermal systems and synthesize REE-F-CO3 ores. The goal of our study is to better understand why and how these ores form, in order to find geographic locations for REE extraction. We used characterization methods such as powdered X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to quantify and characterize the synthesized minerals. Our findings suggest that the incorporation of REE into the minerals formed under these conditions decreases as the atomic radii decreases. We also demonstrate that it is possible to estimate the amount of heavy rare earth elements (HREE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) incorporation based on the average atomic radii using thermodynamic modeling. These results are significant because they give us information on the geographical conditions for fluocerite to be favored, as well as a better understanding of the incorporation of REEs into fluocerite.

Overview: Rural athletic training programs are critical for student health and career longevity, yet they frequently face funding instability and low visibility in underserved areas. To address this disparity, this project evaluated the efficacy of strategic communication through a service-learning partnership between The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and Pullman Regional Hospital (PRH). The primary objective was to design a sustainable and repeatable marketing and awareness campaign for PRH’s Regional High School Athletic Training Program, which serves Pullman, Potlatch, Colton, and Garfield-Palouse high schools.

Methodology and Approach: 25 student researchers operated as public relations consultants to bridge the gap between hospital goals and community engagement. Over the fall 2025 semester, teams invested approximately 23 hours per student that included direct client consultation, strategy sessions, and independent production. Together they generated 60 unique deliverables. Teams utilized a multi-channel approach, integrating digital tactics with traditional engagement tools. Specific outcomes included the creation of social media campaigns, infographics, and targeted fundraising mechanisms like business pitches, recurring gift email appeals, and event-based engagement tools such as branded merchandise and experiential tactics such as a sponsored coin-toss script customized for each program.

Outcomes: The project yielded significant outcomes regarding the application of social science theories to real-world advocacy. A central lesson learned was the critical nature of ""emotional messaging"" and ""brand cohesiveness"" in converting passive audiences into active donors. Students reported that the process of tailoring content to specific rural target markets refined their ability to ensure authentic community representation for each distinct high school. Students also noted the value of gaining technical proficiency in content creation tools like Adobe Creative Cloud Express and Canva while managing complex team dynamics. Beyond the acquisition of new skills, the experience highlighted a vital realization: strategic communication serves as a mechanism for equity, elevating the voices of underserved programs. These materials are slated for implementation by PRH over the coming year, demonstrating that when students apply academic concepts to community needs, they foster essential community investment in student well-being.

This study evaluates whether major agricultural policy shifts can be detected using GIS by analyzing long-term changes in corn and wheat production across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas from 2008 to 2024. Using USDA Cropland Data Layer (CDL) imagery, a 17-year time series was developed to quantify acreage trends and spatial persistence patterns. Across the four-state region, total corn acreage increased from approximately 17.0 million acres in 2008 to 22.5 million acres in 2024, representing a net gain of roughly 5.4 million acres. In contrast, wheat acreage declined from approximately 17.0 million acres in 2008 to 15.0 million acres in 2024, reflecting a regional reduction of nearly 2.0 million acres. Corn persistence values were highest in eastern Nebraska and eastern South Dakota, where multi-year averages exceeded 9–10 million acres annually, while wheat remained concentrated in drier western Kansas and North Dakota.

National Land Cover Database (NLCD) data were incorporated to identify non-cropped areas and landscape constraints, while ethanol plant density, precipitation normals, and water proximity layers were used to evaluate infrastructure and environmental drivers. Results indicate that corn expansion aligns spatially with ethanol processing infrastructure and higher precipitation zones, suggesting strong policy and market influence. Meanwhile, wheat persists in moisture-limited areas where climatic constraints reduce corn competitiveness. These findings demonstrate that geospatial analysis can quantify policy-driven land use change, revealing measurable shifts in cropping patterns totaling millions of acres over less than two decades.

Adverse maternal health outcomes such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and severe maternal morbidity, remain significant public health concerns. These outcomes are influenced by a combination of biological, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. Understanding these relationships through quantitative analysis can improve risk assessment and inform preventative strategies in maternal healthcare. This project aims to develop and analyze statistical models that identify and quantify factors associated with adverse maternal health outcomes using publicly available epidemiological data.

The primary objective is to apply multivariable logistic regression techniques to evaluate how maternal characteristics, socioeconomic conditions, and access to prenatal care influence pregnancy-related risks. Data will be obtained from publicly available maternal health datasets such as the CDC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Relevant outcome variables representing adverse maternal health events will be identified, along with predictor variables including maternal age, body mass index, prenatal care timing, insurance status, and selected socioeconomic indicators. The dataset will be cleaned and prepared for analysis, including addressing missing values and conducting exploratory data analysis.

Multivariable logistic regression will serve as the primary analytical framework for modeling binary health outcomes and estimating associations between predictors and adverse events. Model coefficients will be interpreted using odds ratios and confidence intervals to assess the magnitude and statistical significance of risk factors. Model performance will be evaluated using goodness-of-fit measures and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and sensitivity analyses will be conducted to test the robustness of findings. Potential interaction effects among key variables will also be explored.

This research will provide quantitative insight into factors associated with maternal health risks and identify potential disparities related to demographic and socioeconomic factors. The project will demonstrate how applied mathematics and statistical modeling can contribute to women’s health research. The results will be presented through statistical summaries, visualizations, and a research poster outlining methodology, findings, and implications for future interdisciplinary research.

The WSU Nuclear Science Center has a 1-Megawatt TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics) Nuclear Reactor which is used to irradiate samples with neutrons to produce radioactive isotopes for various clients. To quantify the number of neutrons emitted from the reactor core or the neutron fluence, cobalt doped aluminum wire is used. However, cobalt wires are primarily used for high neutron fluence irradiation. With clients requesting shorter irradiation times, different materials are needed to measure the neutron fluence at shorter irradiation times. This poster will discuss the use of gold doped aluminum flux wires for the measurement of neutron fluence rates for short-term irradiations.

A potato may look perfectly healthy aboveground—but hidden pathogens in the soil can damage the tubers growing below the surface long before harvest. Powdery scab is a serious potato disease caused by a microscopic soil organism called Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea. This disease creates rough, scabby bumps on potatoes that reduce marketability. Even worse, the pathogen can carry potato mop-top virus, which causes internal tuber necrosis and reduces both yield and quality. The pathogen forms long-lasting resting structures (called sporosori) that can live in soil for many years. Even very small amounts in soil can lead to severe disease and economic losses for farmers. Because this pathogen survives in soil, it is important to test the soil before planting potatoes. However, common laboratory tests like qPCR are expensive and require specialized equipment and training. This makes routine testing difficult for many growers and laboratories. In this study, we developed a simple, low-cost method for detecting the pathogen in soil using basic laboratory tools. Our approach uses density gradient centrifugation with colloidal silica (LUDOX HS-40) to separate sporosori from soil particles. The spores can then be counted under a microscope. We tested this method using soil samples containing known pathogen concentrations (10 to 10⁴ sporosori per gram of soil) and compared the results with standard quantitative PCR (qPCR) testing. We also grew potatoes in greenhouse soils containing different levels of the pathogen to see how soil contamination relates to disease development. We measured root galls, tuber scabs, and overall plant health. Our results show that this new method reliably detects the pathogen at low levels (10² per gram of soil) and exhibits substantial reproducibility, with performance comparable to qPCR. This protocol has strong potential for routine soil monitoring and field-level disease risk assessment. Future improvements will focus on optimizing filtration steps and enhancing spore detection efficiency.

Background: The “Trump Effect” refers to the impact of Donald Trump's candidacy and presidency on the U.S. society, particularly in the rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric that has significantly affected the Latinx immigrant community. The children of immigrants are further affected as they often play the role of language brokers where they must translate and interpret language and culture for their family. As they become college students, they continue to act as language brokers and experience these responsibilities while managing academic pressures. The anti-immigrant political climate can exacerbate stress and anxiety for these students and their families. The current study aimed to explore if college students' language brokersexperience moderate to high stress, particularly linked to the hostile political climate fostered by the “Trump Effect.”  

Method: A total of six female Latinx college students who serve as language brokers for their immigrant parents participated in this study. We employed a mixed methods design, incorporating both qualitative interviews and quantitative stress measure, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10; Cohen et al., 1988). We used inductive and deductive thematic analyses to code the interview narratives.

Results: Six key themes emerged from the qualitative analyses: fear of deportation, political climate stress, cultural dissonance, language brokering responsibilities, family pressure, and resilience/coping. Participants reported a persistent fear of deportation and stress from the political climate, which heightened their vigilance and awareness of cultural differences (Nienhusser & Oshio, 2018; Logan, 2025). All participants reported moderate stress, aligning with the qualitative findings (Fernando et al., 2023; Offidani-Bertrand, 2023).

Conclusions: Participants reported moderate levels of stress, with narratives illustrating appreciable stress and emotional distress tied to anti-immigrant political rhetoric, shifting laws, and family-related concerns. This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by highlighting the experiences of first-generation college students who balance personal responsibilities with academic demands, showcasing, both challenges and resilience. Their experiences also signify the need for more research, policy change, and institutional support to mitigate the impacts of anti-immigration and political hostility toward immigrant families and their children. 

With Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education increasingly functioning as a flexible teammate, we must update our learning architectures to foster genuine collaboration between humans and machines. In this work, we present the AI Group Coordinator, a Virtual Teaching Assistant (VTA) built on a Multi-Agent System (MAS) to interact as a pedagogical and conversational AI agent. The framework incorporates specialized agents to grade student work against rubrics and design constructive, actionable feedback, which serves as the foundation for strategic grouping. To facilitate dedicated small group discussions, the system supports three flexible grouping modalities: autonomous student selection, manual teacher assignment, or optimized AI-driven grouping based on submission content and divergent perspectives. Furthermore, the VTA identifies collaborative learning patterns by providing both whole-class and group-level summaries of submissions. Within these summaries, the system is designed to identify prevalent student misconceptions and design specific pedagogical directions with tailored prompts to guide the discussion. Importantly, we prioritize a human-in-the-loop workflow where teachers retain their agency to review, revise, and approve group formations

With cannabis legalization spreading across the United States, there is a growing number of middle aged and older women, who report using cannabis to manage symptoms associated with menopause. Menopause comes with large endocrine and metabolic changes, specifically loss of ovarian hormones that are known to influence drug metabolism and body composition. With aging and estrogen being independent factors altering pharmacokinetics and endocannabinoid function, cannabis use in menopause could produce different behavioral and physiological symptoms than in youth individuals. Further understanding of these effects will show therapeutic or adverse effects in menopausal populations.

To explore this, we conducted a study using mouse models to investigate menopause-related symptoms following cannabis exposure. We looked at 4 groups of mice that differed in age and ovarian status: (OVX, ovaries removed) at postnatal day 90, sham surgery at postnatal day 90, OVX at 18 months and sham surgery at 18 months. The groups completed a 30-minute exposure session in which they received a 3 second puff every two minutes of either VEH (100% polyethylene glycol -400) vapor or CAN (150mg/ml whole plant cannabis extract dissolved in PEG-400) vapor. In order to assess known effects of cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists (lowered body temperature, reduced pain sensitivity, and decreased movement) we recorded body temperature, hot-plate withdrawal latency, and locomotor activity directly after vapor exposure during a time point 30-minute group. An additional 0 time point group was euthanized immediately following exposure, and blood was collected via cardiac puncture. Immediately following the completion of behavioral testing, the 30-minute time point group was euthanized and blood was collected. The collected samples were measured via mass spectrometry to measure THC, 11-OH -THC, and THC-COOH. Lastly, to confirm the effectiveness of the ovariectomy in the mice, uterine weight was collected. Based on previous studies in our lab and others, we expect to see lower locomotor activity, body temperature, and pain sensitivity in those exposed to the cannabis vapor.  We expect increased weight and behavioral sensitivity to the cannabis vapor in the OVX mice versus sham. Lastly, we would expect reduced cannabis vapor metabolism to be reflected by our pharmacokinetic data.

Human Development 403: Families in Poverty integrates service-learning as a creative, high-impact component within a fully online Global Campus course, connecting academic content to real-world community needs. Students design and produce creative deliverables, including informational infographics, resource guides, outreach materials, and program support tools, based on needs identified by community partners serving families experiencing poverty. These student-created resources with volunteer contributions, form the creative core of the course by linking theory, practice, and applied problem-solving. Through these projects, students apply course concepts related to family systems, structural inequality, and community support networks while contributing tangible resources that benefit community organizations.

Service-learning has been shown to enhance student engagement, learning retention, and civic development by promoting experiential knowledge application (Astin & Sax, 1998; Brunson-Pitt, 2021; Kuh, 2008). Additionally, research suggests that community-engaged learning strengthens students’ sense of belonging and institutional connection, particularly in nontraditional or online learning environments (Ho et al., 2025; York & Fernandez, 2018). In HD 403, students complete up to 10 hours of service with local or regional organizations addressing food insecurity, housing instability, and access to essential resources. Structured reflection activities support students in connecting their service experiences to course content and broader systemic issues affecting families in poverty.

The Center for Civic Engagement provides partnership coordination, student guidance, and ongoing support throughout the service-learning process. Outcomes indicate that students develop professional competencies, increased confidence, and deeper understanding of poverty’s structural dimensions, while community partners benefit from expanded outreach capacity and practical program resources. This project demonstrates that creative service-learning models can effectively integrate experiential learning into fully online courses, strengthening connections between theory and practice while promoting meaningful student, community, and disciplinary impact.

Environmental stressors rarely occur in isolation, yet many experimental designs still examine them one at a time. To accurately identify the biological effects of climate change, and the environmental challenges it imposes on ecosystems, it is essential to study stressors as interacting factors rather than isolated variables. We explored these interactions using the marine harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus californicus, which inhabits supratidal rock pools. This system naturally experiences multiple, rapidly fluctuating stressors that have intensified under modern climate change. Among the most influential of these are temperature and salinity, which frequently shift together and exert strong selective pressures. To understand how these interacting stressors shape whole-organism physiology, we exposed copepods to a range of combined salinity and temperature conditions throughout development and assessed their performance after maturation. Because fecundity is a key indicator of fitness, we quantified offspring production per egg sac across treatments. Our results revealed differences in adult fitness depending on the developmental stress environment, emphasizing the importance of stage-specific exposure. These findings show that experiencing interacting stressors during development can alter adult stress tolerance, potentially influencing population resilience and the broader ecosystem processes in which these organisms play a role.

Deep learning models in computational pathology often achieve high internal validation accuracy yet remain vulnerable to non-biological cues from datasets, known as “short-cut learning”. In the context of medical imagery, these spurious cues can arise from differences in staining intensity, scanner settings, or any other subtle details that correlate with diagnosis but do not reflect tumor biology.

While shortcut learning is well documented in medical imaging models, existing studies predominantly characterize shortcut reliance after training using static robustness tests. Relatively little work has investigated how reliance on spurious cues emerges during training and whether common training strategies meaningfully alter these dynamics. We address this by introducing a controlled signal acting as a spurious cue then mapping the evolution of shortcut dependence over time in a large dataset of 100,000 colorectal tissue images.

By quantifying baseline performance across varying injection patterns, we track shortcut reliance over training epochs using two metrics: (i) the proportion of predictions that change when only the controlled signal is swapped, and (ii) the earliest epoch at which this exceeds a predefined threshold. We further evaluate whether early intervention techniques can reduce peak shortcut dependence without sacrificing baseline accuracy. By producing shortcut emergence curves under a controlled spurious signal, we provide a dynamic audit of shortcut acquisition in histology models and offer a potential framework for comparing training regimes with respect to robustness against non-biological cues.

The ongoing opioid epidemic represents a major public health crisis, characterized by high relapse rates. A critical driver of this compulsive cycle is the negative affective state associated with withdrawal, yet the specific neurobiological mechanisms linking withdrawal symptoms to subsequent relapse remain poorly understood. The paraventricular thalamus (PVT) has emerged as a key node in the neuronal circuits of opioid use disorder, uniquely positioned to integrate interoceptive and motivational signals. However, it remains unknown if the specific PVT neurons that encode the aversive experience of withdrawal are re-engaged to drive heroin seeking. To test this hypothesis, we combined heroin self-administration in male and female rats with viral Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (TRAP). We utilized this strategy to express a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombinase under the cFos promoter, allowing permanent access to withdrawal-activated PVT ensembles for chemogenetic manipulation. Rats underwent heroin self-administration for 12 daily sessions under escalating fixed-ratio requirements. To genetically isolate the withdrawal-encoding ensemble, we precipitated withdrawal with naloxone two hours after the final session and administered 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) 20 minutes later. This procedure induced Cre-dependent expression of the inhibitory DREADD hM4Di selectively in PVT neurons activated by the withdrawal state. To determine whether this ensemble is necessary for heroin seeking, rats underwent a cue-induced heroin seeking test after 21 days of abstinence. We found that chemogenetic inhibition of the TRAP-labeled PVT ensemble with the DREADD ligand J60 reduced cue-induced heroin seeking compared with vehicle-treated controls. These findings identify a discrete population of PVT neurons activated during withdrawal that is required for later heroin seeking, suggesting that withdrawal and relapse processes converge within the PVT. By isolating and causally manipulating withdrawal-encoding circuitry, this work highlights novel circuit-level targets to disrupt the withdrawal-relapse cycle and improve therapeutic strategies for opioid use disorder.

The presence of language barriers presents additional challenges for law enforcement, especially for situations such as intimate partner violence (IPV), where communication is not only needed for investigative purposes but also for ensuring safety. Officers recognize that difficulties in communication due to language barriers may influence outcomes, which can create conflict and frustration. Furthermore, victims of IPV report that language barriers lead to feeling dismissed and alienated, creating more obstacles in seeking police help. Given that language barriers negatively affect victims and officers, the present study assesses how officers navigate these communication barriers in IPV incidents and how that may influence incident outcomes, including arrests and victims being given resources. Drawing from a population of IPV contacts involving police (n=247), this study applied Systematic social event modeling (SSEM) was used to analyze unredacted police body-worn camera footage from a mid-sized police agency in Washington state. The findings aim to improve understanding of how agencies can overcome language barriers to better serve and support their communities, ensuring equitable treatment for all community members. 

Cheddar cheese is one of the most widely consumed cheese products, and its demand continues to increase. However, producers face significant challenges related to spoilage in aged cheeses, particularly the late blowing defect (LBD).

Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis is a non-starter lactic acid bacterium (NSLAB) associated with LBD during cheese ripening. If introduced during manufacturing, Plb. wasatchensis can survive the cheesemaking process and persist throughout aging. Approximately six months into ripening, starter cultures have depleted most available nutrients, leaving compounds such as ribose. Plb. wasatchensis can utilize ribose for growth, leading to gas production that causes LBD.

To better understand potential contamination sources, this study evaluated the survivability of Plb. wasatchensis on stainless steel, a primary contact surface in dairy processing environments, over 28 days under ambient storage conditions. The impact of surface condition (new vs. worn) on bacterial stability was also examined. Our results indicate that Plb. wasatchensis can survive on stainless steel surfaces for up to 28 days, although bacterial counts decreased over time. Notably, bacterial counts were higher on worn surfaces compared to new surfaces.

These findings provide insight into the survival behavior of Plb. wasatchensis on dairy processing contact surfaces and highlight the importance of effective sanitation and control strategies to prevent contamination and spoilage.

Each year, the International Horn Society hosts the International Horn Symposium at a different institution around the world. This last summer it was hosted at James Madison University in Harrisonburg Virginia by Ian Zook. The International Horn Symposium is the single largest opportunity for horn players of all ages and skill levels to collaborate and learn from some of the greatest musicians of our time with featured artists performing every night of the five day event. Beyond the amazing opportunities to get to hear the best horn players in the world, there were also a myriad of lectures and masterclasses given by renowned professionals on topics ranging from "The Horn in Wind Music by Southeast Asian Composers," given by Martin King of WSU, to "How to Listen Properly" by Patrick Hughes from The University of Texas at Austin, and "Building a Practice Routine," by Randy Gardner formerly of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and one of the greatest horn pedagogues alive today. Along with all of the opportunities to experience professional horn playing, IHS also holds numerous competitions for the attending students to create experiences that are applicable to a further career in music. Some of these opportunities include masterclasses, solo competitions, and mock-auditions. I ended up competing in the mock audition wherein all participants were given a list of 10 excerpts to prepare, only 4 of which would be selected to be played during the audition. The format was meant to imitate what a real blind audition for a professional orchestra or ensemble would look and feel like with the added benefit that the adjudication panel giving written feedback consisted of professional horn players including Hae-Ree Yoo who currently serves as the Principal Horn of the WDR Sinfonieorchester Cologne. I also had the opportunity to trial top of the line horns from nearly every horn maker in the world due to the amount of vendors that come to IHS, and that ability to compare horns side by side helped me narrow down my preferences and gave me the opportunity to purchase my own professional horn.

This creative scholarly project examines service-learning as a high-impact educational practice that connects academic coursework and co-curricular programming with authentic community needs across Washington State University’s Pullman and Global campuses. Service-learning has been widely recognized as a pedagogical approach that enhances student learning, retention, and civic responsibility by promoting active, experiential participation in community-based activities (Astin & Sax, 1998; Kuh, 2008). This paper explores how structured service-learning facilitated through the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) foster experiential learning, strengthen civic responsibility, and support professional skill development.

Service-learning addresses challenges in higher education by creating opportunities for students to apply academic knowledge in real-world contexts while promoting classroom learning retention and engagement through action-based learning experiences (Brunson-Pitt, 2021; Celio et al., 2011). Additionally, participation in service-learning has been shown to strengthen students’ sense of belonging and institutional connection, which are critical factors influencing student persistence and success (Ho et al., 2025; York & Fernandez, 2018). The paper highlights multiple service-learning models, including course-embedded community projects, individual volunteer placements, and university-wide engagement events. These models were collaboratively designed with faculty, staff, and community partners to align community priorities with course learning outcomes.

Implementation involved coordinated partnerships to establish project goals, define service activities, and prepare students through orientations emphasizing ethical engagement and community awareness. Assessment were structured reflection activities, including guided discussions and written reflection narratives, to show evidence of experiential learning and knowledge integration.

A qualitative thematic analysis of student reflections from Pullman and Global campuses was conducted to examine student learning outcomes. Findings indicate that service-learning participation enhanced students’ self-awareness, communication skills, teamwork abilities, and civic responsibility. Students reported increased awareness of social issues, including poverty, food insecurity, and community advocacy, while demonstrating growth in professional confidence and collaborative problem-solving. Reflections also highlighted interdisciplinary learning opportunities and strengthened connections between academic knowledge and real-world applications. Additionally, community partners reported increased organizational capacity and strengthened partnerships with the university. Student volunteer contributions further provided measurable economic and social value, with volunteer service estimated at $41.70 per hour in Washington State.

Spermatogonia stem cells (SSCs) make the decision to either self-renew to produce another SSC or to differentiate to produce spermatozoa, which is driven by different intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Previous studies by our lab have shown that a germline knockout of the common RUNX family cofactor CBFβ leads to a decline in the germline and deficits in sperm production. These phenotypes indicate that Runx genes play roles in both self-renewal and differentiation. Furthermore, among the RUNX family members, only RUNX1 and RUNX3 are expressed in the germline. While the specific roles of RUNX1/3 in SSCs are not fully defined, one goal of our studies is to understand which extrinsic factors act upstream of RUNX proteins. To explore this, we treated primary cultures of undifferentiated spermatogonia with growth factors that are known to play roles in SSC maintenance, sperm production, or regulate Runx genes in other cell types, including retinoic acid (RA), glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), bone morphogenic proteins 2 and 4 (BMP2 and BMP4), and wingless- type MMTV integration site family 3a (WNT3a). Thus far, we have treated cultures with RA, FGF2, and BMP4, followed by RNA purification, and performed qPCR to measure Runx1 and Runx3 expression in response to the factors. Preliminary results indicated that after the RA treatment, Runx1 expression was inhibited while the expression of Runx3 increased. Also, the expression of both Runx1 and Runx3 increased after being treated with FGF2 and decreased after being treated with BMP4. Ongoing experiments will treat cultures of spermatogonia with additional factors to understand what remaining extrinsic cues regulate Runx expression. Our ongoing studies provide further insights into factors that impact male fertility.

With the effects of climate change altering the duration, intensity, and impact of wildfires, there is a mounting push for wildfire research in civil engineering. However, there is very little research dedicated to developing tools that can assist engineers and contractors in assessing the stability of a slope in a timely manner, prior to any failures occurring. Furthermore, with any tools developed, they are predominantly used in research rather than as a means to inform governing bodies and direct the decision-making process. Therefore, this study aims to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) to assess the stability of slopes in connection to transportation infrastructure damage as a result of wildfires and any secondary events (such as debris flows). This study will assess the connection between wildfire damage to transportation infrastructure by analyzing slope collapses found in literature. Utilizing the metrics from those studies, I will generate training data to develop the ANN so that it will output factors of safety (FoS). To verify the reliability of the ANN, I will check the results against those found in literature through the use of the root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R). With the ANN outputting reliably, I will perform a cost-analysis to connect any associated debris flow risk and transportation infrastructure damage to the costs of inaction. From this study, we anticipate the ANN to offer a means of minimizing the long-term risks and exuberant costs associated with wildfire damage as it pertains to geotechnical and transportation engineering.

Immunomodulatory biologic medications have transformed the treatment of chronic immune-related diseases, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and psoriasis, since their introduction in the 1980s and 1990s. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported a modest increase in both melanoma skin cancers (MSC) and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) among patients receiving biologic therapies, including TNF-α inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, and interleukin-targeted agents (Kreher et al., 2023). However, while previous histological studies have focused primarily on acute or paradoxical skin reactions to biologic therapy, little is known about the chronic tissue-level effects of long-term biologic use. This study aims to compare skin architecture surrounding cancerous lesions in patients with and without prolonged biologic exposure. By assessing five defined histological variables, we seek to identify potential structural differences in the dermis that may correlate with elevated cancer risk. Ultimately, this work aims to clarify how long-term immune modulation may influence skin structure and cancer surveillance, contributing to safer and more personalized biologic therapies. 

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing, WAAM, is a promising metal additive manufacturing process capable of fabricating large-scale structures and is particularly well suited for the repair of such components. Mechanical components in industrial systems frequently experience wear, cracking, and material loss, which traditionally necessitate costly replacement. WAAM offers a flexible and efficient approach for repairing complex geometries while restoring structural integrity. In this study, WAAM was implemented as a controlled repair strategy to restore damaged regions, with subsequent evaluation of mechanical performance and failure characteristics to assess the effectiveness of the repair process.  Damaged sections of aluminum specimens were first machined to remove defects and create a clean, well-prepared substrate surface. Compatible filler wire was then deposited layer by layer using WAAM to reconstruct the lost material. Process parameters were systematically optimized to ensure arc stability, controlled heat input, and strong metallurgical bonding between the deposited material and the base metal. Following deposition, post-processing operations were performed to achieve the required dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Tensile specimens were extracted from both pristine and repaired regions to compare mechanical strength and assess repair integrity. Microstructural characterization was conducted using optical and electron microscopy to evaluate bonding quality and phase evolution under varied processing conditions. This study establishes a baseline WAAM repair methodology that will inform future work on repairing complex components requiring advanced tool path design.

As climate change and limited water availability increasingly constrain agriculture, improving crop water-use efficiency has become a priority. Structural properties of the plant cell wall influence water and gas movement. Increased porosity, i.e. the amount of space between cell wall polymers and decreased tortuosity, i.e. the winding path molecules must travel through the wall have been shown to correlate with increased mesophyll cell wall conductance and improved net water-use efficiency. Increased mesophyll conductance has been previously observed in rice plants overexpressing acyltransferase 10 (OsAT10). OsAT10 overexpression alters hydroxycinnamic acid (HCAs) composition by increasing the incorporation of para-coumaric acid (pCA) and decreasing ferulic acid (FA) esterified to the xylan backbone. Because callus cultures offer shorter growth times and lower costs than whole plants, we used a rice callus suspension system to investigate the biochemical and structural consequences of OsAT10 overexpression. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of HCAs showed that OsAT10-overexpressing calli exhibited a statistically significant increase in pCA and a statistically significant decrease in FA, resulting in a reduced FA:pCA ratio, consistent with observations in whole plants. However, compared with plants, OsAT10 calli displayed pronounced changes in overall wall composition. Cellulose content was substantially lower than in whole plants, and compared to wildtype calli, significant reductions were observed in glucuronic acid, rhamnose, arabinose, and xylose, in OsAT10-overexpressing calli, indicating broader alterations in polysaccharide composition. To examine structural effects, calli were cultured in media containing heavy isotope ¹³C glucose and analyzed using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). Relaxation time constants were measured for specific carbon sites within cell wall polymers. OsAT10-overexpressing calli showed decreased relaxation times, consistent with increased molecular mobility and hydration, suggesting greater accessibility of wall polymers to water. These finding support the interpretation that changes in HCA composition can modify cell wall architecture, increasing hydration and potentially porosity. Together, these results demonstrate that altering HCA composition through OsAT10 overexpression leads to both biochemical and structural remodeling of rice cell walls and further provides new insight into mechanisms that may contribute to improved water-use efficiency in crops and highlights potential targets for engineering climate-resilient plants.

Isobutene is required in various chemical derivatives, such as plastic components and fuel additives, demanding a constant industrial supply of the chemical. Currently, steam cracking naphtha is most common way of producing isobutene, generating a mixture of different isomers that require further separation. Alternatively, biomass conversion to acetone, then to isobutene has become a more attractive process economically and environmentally. Previous works have found that the Zn/Zr metal oxide generates a desirable selectivity for isobutene production from acetone. However, fast catalytic deactivation leads to nearly zero production of isobutene in less than one hour, hindering the application. As an alternative mixed metal oxide, we propose utilization of the ZnAl₂O₄ spinel as a catalyst for the acetone to isobutene reaction. Spinels provide chemical and thermal stability and tunable structure with a balanced acid-base pair. Aluminum and Zinc provide dual Lewis acidity, while the oxygen provides Lewis base properties. Results show ∼87% of selectivity for isobutene, which is comparable to Zn/Zr metal oxide, except ZnAl₂O₄ sustains an order of magnitude higher activity while maintaining stability for more than 6 hours. Characterization demonstrated balanced acid-base properties and stabilized diacetone-alcohol intermediates during acetone to isobutene reaction, keys to superior activity, selectivity and stability.

Prior research shows that exposure to high heat increases aggressive behavior and may heighten impulsive responses. These findings align with research revealing that heat exposure leads to changes in the levels of brain monoamines including serotonin, dopamine, and nonadrenaline, which are closely tied to emotion regulation and impulsive behavior engagement. This may present a particular issue for individuals high on neuroticism, a trait that involves weaker emotion regulation behaviors during cognitive appraisal tasks. A recent study using an experimental heat induction exercise found that heat exposure amplified impulsive aggressive behavior among individuals high in trait impulsivity. Given the shared features between trait neuroticism and impulsivity, we aimed to test whether neuroticism would also predict impulsive aggression in these data. We hypothesized that trait neuroticism would moderate the effect of heat exposure on impulsive aggressive behavior. Participants were a diverse group of healthy adults (aged 18-35, N=79). Individuals completed a baseline survey which included the Big Five Inventory to assess neuroticism. Participants then completed two 50-minute sessions in an infrared sauna, one at a control temperature at 72F and one at a hot temperature at 110F. While in the infrared sauna, participants completed the RC-RAGE aggression task, requiring people to ignore a provocation and carry on with a menial task, an act which relies on emotion regulation ability. Counter to our hypothesis, neuroticism was not a significant moderator of the effect of heat on impulsive aggression. However, these findings may reflect task specific outcomes. While neuroticism shares some features with impulsivity, the effects of heat on aggression may rely on a different process. In this case, the primary regulatory behavior is to stop oneself from engaging in maladaptive action, rather than regulating emotions directly. Future work is needed to investigate whether neuroticism does hinder emotion regulation strategies while participants undergo heat stress.

Plant cells form a partition called the cell plate to successfully divide daughter cells during a process called cytokinesis. Cell plate construction occurs within the final stages of cell division by the phragmoplast, a secretory module composed of cytoskeleton, membranes, and short chains of carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. Missteps in cytokinesis can have severe developmental consequences or even be lethal. Receptor proteins, such as receptor-like kinases in plants, can receive and transmit chemical information between cell membranes, and activate proteins through phosphorylation. These kinases are crucial regulators of the hormones that fine-tune cell division. Exploring receptor kinases associated with cytokinesis in plants is a gateway to understanding controls behind successful plant growth. My research focuses on the imk23 gene family encoding Leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinases that are active in cytokinesis within the root apical meristem (RAM) of Arabidopsis thaliana. These genes are expressed in the RAM where cell plates form and plays a role in regulating RAM size, yet their precise controls remain unknown. It is well-understood that plants manage root and RAM length through mechanisms of hormonal signaling. To understand the functional significance of these genes in RAM growth, the seeds of double-knockout imk23 mutants were grown on medium supplemented with hormones and analyzed alongside control species Col-0. Roots were imaged with photography and microscopy, and the images were used to measure root length, RAM length, and RAM cell lengths using ImageJ and Prism software packages. Outcomes of the analysis will be presented at the showcase for undergraduate research and creative activities.

In order to accurately study human behavior, it is essential to examine the differences, similarities, and nuances across individuals from diverse cultures and groups. In recent years, the field of psychology has highlighted the racial disparities embedded within the discipline. Psychology is not only a predominantly White field in terms of professionals, but also in its research samples. Foundational work has relied heavily on predominantly White populations for its findings, creating a significant issue of generalizability, as we cannot assume that such findings are universally accurate or culturally applicable across all groups. Additionally, previous research suggests that minority groups report higher levels of mental health stigmatization and are more likely to delay seeking care for psychological concerns. With these issues in mind, the present study sought to examine the correlational relationships among cultural identity, mental health stigmatization, and help-seeking behaviors. We hypothesized that there would be (1) a positive correlation between cultural identity and mental health stigmatization, in addition to (2) a negative correlation between cultural identity and help-seeking behaviors. Participants (n = 43) were asked to provide demographic information and complete three psychological measures assessing each variable: the Ethnocultural Identity Behavioral Index (cultural identity), the Stigma Scale (mental health stigmatization), and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help–Short Form (help-seeking behaviors). Pearson correlations were conducted among the variables and revealed no statistically significant relationships. However, these findings are preliminary, and the sample size was moderately small. As data collection continues, analyses with a larger sample may provide greater statistical power to detect potential relationships.

Humans adapt and cope with many types of stressors such as an upcoming test or a stubbed toe. However, overlarge amounts of stress can be detrimental to our mental and physical health. In response to these stressors, every organism reacts with a discreet set of behaviors. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social stress combined with physical pain changes stress based behavior in mice. The method of the experiment involves triggering Indiscriminate Social Defeat Stress combined with a painful injection; observed behavior is then recorded via an ethogram. The data is categorized for behavior, frequency and duration and compared to relevant data from an animal experiencing only social or physical stress. This project proposes that the combination of stressors will result in a qualitative, but not quantitative change in the behavioral pattern between physical (a large amount of freezing behavior) and social (anxious behavior) stress. The combination of stressors will produce an observable, quantifiable decrease in freezing behavior and an increase in defensive or aggressive behavior. This hypothesized result would indicate that the stressors combined to cause greater stress and the body responds to this increased load by changing behavior in such a way as to reduce the body's exposure to one of the stressors, or that both stressors are mitigated partially. A negative result, no change in behavior with an additional stressor, would indicate the body engages in a behavior that mitigates the most severe stressor and this mechanism would be an avenue for further research. The results of this research will elucidate how behavior changes when a social and physical stressor acts on the same organism and provide insight into the general process of how behavior has evolved to respond to stress.

Spring Wheat (SW) acres totaled 495,000 in 2024 across the State of Washington bringing in $113M. Wheat production consistently ranks in the top five commodities that Washington state produces. SW comprised approximately 20% of all 2024 wheat production in the state. Growers choose SW as part of their three-year rotation between winter wheat, and a Spring pulse or canola.

One of the major problems with producing SW across low and high precipitation zones is that Spring grassy weeds like Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and downy brome/cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) emerge around the time SW is seeded. This creates an overly competitive environment for SW to begin in and leads to substantial yield loss for growers.

As many growers transition to conservation or reduced tillage, the burden of control is placed on chemical means instead of being shared with mechanical methods. Contact herbicides like roundup (active ingredient glyphosate) have been successful in controlling emerged weeds prior to planting, however, this creates an optimum environment for developing herbicide resistance. The residual herbicide and soil adjuvant trial is investigating the proper rate, timing, and active ingredients that can give growers control of grassy weed emergence over an extended duration through the Winter and early Spring prior to planting SW.

Preferences for books, genres, and character archetypes begin to develop in childhood and continue to develop as we age. Readers’ preferences depend in part on their age, the popularity of the book or author, and how relatable they find the protagonist or story. Readers’ preferences may also depend on their prior experiences – namely, whether readers have experienced adversity or trauma. More than half of U.S. adults have experienced at least one type of abuse, neglect, or severe household challenge during childhood. It is possible that some people who experienced childhood trauma seek out specific types of genres and character archetypes as a protective coping mechanism. The goal of this study is to determine whether specific types of childhood traumas impact adults’ preferences for literature genres and character archetypes. We conducted a survey with a census-matched representative sample of 400 U.S. adults using a valid and reliable retrospective measure of childhood trauma and measures of genre and character preferences. We tested two null hypotheses: H₀₁: there is no association between types of childhood trauma and preference for specific book genres; and H₀₂: there is no association between types of childhood trauma and preferences for character archetypes. For H₀₁, we found no association between genre preference and total trauma scores. However, we found that people who experienced any emotional abuse (by clinical scale criteria) were more likely to prefer fiction over non-fiction relative to people with no abuse. We also found people who experienced any physical neglect (by clinical scale criteria) were more likely to prefer fiction over non-fiction relative to people with no physical neglect. For H_02, we found several associations. People who prefer detectives as an archetype have lower total trauma scores. People who experienced any emotional abuse were less likely to select detectives, rebels, or hero/heroines as preferred archetypes. In addition, people who experienced any sexual abuse were less likely to select underdog as one of their preferred archetypes. These results suggest some association between specific types of childhood trauma and reading preferences in adulthood, which could be used to inform future therapeutic interventions such as bibliotherapy.

With significant increases in frequent cannabis vaping and feelings of loneliness among adolescents in the past decade, it is urgent that the long-term effects of cannabis and social isolation during adolescence are investigated. Stressors such as drugs and social isolation during adolescence may disrupt development of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and cause long-lasting deficits in emotional regulation and social behaviors. To investigate potential impacts of adolescent social stress and cannabis exposure during adolescence on mPFC-dependent behaviors in adulthood, mice were single or pair-housed starting at postnatal day (p)22, then exposed to whole plant cannabis extract (150 mg/ml) or vehicle (polyethylene glycol 400) vapor for 30 min. daily from p33–p46 (n=10/group) under the same housing conditions. After 10 drug-free days, behavioral tests were conducted to assess anxiety, social behavior, and impulsivity.

Preliminary weight data analysis showed a significant effect of Day (p<0.0001) and a Day × Housing × Drug interaction (p<0.0001), reflecting that cannabis effects on adolescent weight gain were dependent on housing condition. Elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) results showed no significant effects of housing or drug on anxiety-like behavior. However, EPM total movement revealed a Drug × Housing interaction (p=0.0145), with vehicle-cohoused animals more active than vehicle single-housed (p=0.0238) and cannabis-cohoused groups (p=0.0219). OF total movement also showed a housing effect, with vehicle-cohoused animals more active (p=0.0244). Analysis of social memory indicated a housing effect (p=0.005): post-weaning isolation significantly increased the duration of social interaction and impaired social recognition but no significant drug effect (p=0.45). In contrast to reduced movement during anxiety tests, vehicle single-housed mice showed elevated homecage activity, suggesting context-dependent effects of housing and drug on activity. Collectively, these preliminary results suggest that housing condition significantly shaped outcomes. Cannabis effects were dependent on housing condition across weight gain, anxiety test-related activity, and homecage activity. These findings imply that post-weaning housing condition is a critical determinant of behavioral and drug responsiveness, indicating that cannabinoid effects cannot be interpreted independently of the social environment in which animals are housed.

College campuses are frequently framed as progressive, inclusive spaces that promise equal access to education and opportunity. This perception, however, masks the reality that campuses are deeply structured by historical power relations, institutional priorities, and design traditions, continuing to benefit the male experience. Far from being neutral backdrops for learning, campus environments actively produce and regulate behavior that normalizes male presence while positioning female students as conditional occupants who must continually negotiate visibility, safety, and legitimacy within academic and social spaces. Therefore, in what ways do college campuses function as gendered environments that privilege male experiences while requiring female students to adapt, self-regulate, or compensate?

This challenges the assumption that disparities in participation, confidence, or belonging are the result of individual shortcomings rather than systemic and spatial conditions. Female students are routinely expected to modify how they move through campus, how they speak in classrooms, and how they occupy shared spaces in response to environments that prioritize openness, competition, and visibility. Meanwhile, male students are more readily afforded spatial freedom, authority, and comfort, particularly within central academic buildings, social hubs, and male-dominated disciplines. We argue that there is meaningful equity that cannot be achieved through policy or representation alone, but must be spatially enacted. By interrogating how campus environments advantage male experiences while burdening female students with adaptation, this study calls for a reimagining of higher education spaces.

Bovine anaplasmosis, a severe production limiting disease, is becoming increasingly difficult to control. The pathogen targets red blood cells, causing the infected bovine to become anemic, resulting in abortions and fatality. Transmitted through ticks, A. marginale is genetically diverse, allowing numerous strains to establish a long-term persistent infection and evade the host immunity, allowing for multistrain infection. Multistrain infection leads to within host competition, shifting pathogenic traits and transmissibility. In tropical and subtropical regions where A. marginale prevalence is 95% to 100%, most animals harbor up to 6 strains. In contrast, temperate regions' prevalence tends to be lower, and multistrain infections were thought to be uncommon; however, our previous research found an unexpected amount of multistrain A. marginate in a Kansas cattle herd.  Still, we face many knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence of multistrain infection in temperate regions. To start to address this knowledge gap, we genotyped three A. marginale infected animals from different herds in  Mississippi. The strain composition was determined using msp1a via the tandem repeats. In the Kansas herd, 7 animals had an average of ~4 genotypes (min 2, max 6) per animal while 3-5 animals in Mississippi had an average of 1.3 (min 1, max 2). In the Kansas herd, we found the herd had vastly different genotypes, a pattern we are seeing in the Mississippi herds. Currently we have three animals from three different herds genotyped, with four more herds available to provide more insight. This work is the first step in understanding how multistrain infections could influence pathogen phenotypes such as transmissibility and virulence.

Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) can be used as cell mimics in synthetic biology. These structures are composed of a lipid bilayer membrane assembled into spheres that can reach 50 microns in diameter or more. In this project, we have: (1) developed methods to stabilize GUVs, (2) immobilized them on a planar substrate, (3) incorporated functional transmembrane proteins (TMPs) into the bilayer, and (4) designed experiments using confocal fluorescence microscopy to quantify TMP function. The TMPs of interest are water channels (AQP-4), which respond to an osmotic gradient, and a small-molecule transporter (MRP2), which operates by hydrolyzing ATP. Presented here are the chemical compositions of different GUVs, how they are stabilized for long periods of time, and how they are made. Also presented is an imaging study describing the mechanical properties of the GUV, methods we developed to insert TMPs into the GUVs, and assays that measure the dynamics of TMP function.

Emerging adults are well-known for spending large amounts of time looking at screens. Prior research has shown that adults who spend more time on their screens report higher scores of depression and anxiety (Deyo et al., 2023; Madhav et al., 2017). Research also shows that spending time outdoors can reduce anxiety and depression in adults (Jimenez et al., 2021). The present study examines the relationship between undergraduate students’ non-school related screen time, their time spent outdoors, and mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social connectedness. Student participants were also asked to rate the accessibility of outdoors spaces near them. Participating students completed this survey for research credit through their Human Development 101 course at the Pullman and Vancouver campuses (n = 112, MAge= 19.08 years, SDAge = 1.06 years). As hypothesized, students who reported higher screen time spent less time outdoors, r(110) = -0.21, p < .029. Students who reported more time outside also reported having lower scores of anxiety (r(107)= - 0.15, p = .056 ) and loneliness (r(101)= -0.17, p = .036), with higher ratings of higher social connectedness (r(107) = 0.19, p = .022). However, there was no correlation between higher screentime and worse mental health outcomes in the present sample. There was also no correlation between ratings of the accessibility of outdoor spaces and the amount of time spent outside. Data collection is currently ongoing to reach a sample size that is sufficient for statistical power to detect small effect sizes. In the final analytic dataset, we will include local weather conditions (e.g., average daily high temperatures and precipitation by campus location) to determine if undergraduates’ screen time and outdoor time are affected by the seasons. Our interim findings suggest that spending time outdoors can be beneficial for undergraduates' mental health. Future research should explore which aspects of being outdoors are associated with improved mental health and causally test if interventions teaching undergraduate students about the benefit of being outside can lead to an increase in students’ outdoor time and better mental health outcomes.

An important contribution to inflammation is necroptosis, a regulated form of cell death. Necroptosis causes cell membrane rupture and release of inflammatory molecules which reshape tissue environments and may be beneficial or harmful depending on the context of disease. A key protein responsible for necroptosis is mixed-lineage kinase like protein, MLKL. When activated, this protein disrupts the cell membrane, leading to membrane rupture. While this protein’s role in necroptosis is understood, its kinase domain and binding partner may contribute to alternative cellular functions unrelated to cell death. Current literature hypothesizes an important role for MLKL in regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial stress as well as mitotic division. To investigate MLKL’s role beyond the executor of necroptosis, we will need to utilize a knock-out cell line and compare ER and mitochondrial stress as well as the mitotic ability between MLKL wild-type (WT) cells and MLKL knock-out. Currently, we are developing a MLKL KO cell line in mus musculis fibroblast L929 cells and verifying knock-out status through immunoblotting and sequencing. To test ER and mitochondrial stress differences between KO and WT cells, we will perform immunofluorescence imaging of the ER and mitochondria for structural differences and test their ability to handle stress through eliciting an unfolded protein response through cycloheximide. To test the proliferative ability of MLKL KO cells, we will perform a growth assay wherein we measure cell numbers as they dived, in addition we will perform live-cell imaging to watch cell division take place – ultimately concluding if there are differences in the ability for cells to grow with and without MLKL. Our overarching goal is to define alternative functions of MLKL and its potential secondary role in disease and normal cellular functions.

BACKGROUND: Electronic medical records (EMRs) are valuable sources of clinical information for research, yet a major portion of these open-text datasets are unstructured, presenting significant challenges for secondary analysis. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand how open-text EMR data from a longitudinal dataset can be organized to identify and descriptively report conditions of interest.

METHODS: Open-text EMR data were extracted from a longitudinal dataset consisting of 16,174 entries representing clinical conditions across 2,222 individuals. A systematic data cleaning process was implemented to categorize documented health conditions. Conditions were grouped based on physiological systems affected to ensure consistency across records and support data for secondary analysis. In an Alzheimer's disease and related Dementia (ADRD) dataset that attempted to exclude acquired brain injury (ABI), open text was used to confirm whether all were excluded. From this longitudinal database, our research questions were 1) of this sample, how many self-reported ABI, and what are the most common co-occurring conditions?; and 2) do people with self-reported ABI have more co-occurring conditions than people without? Results are reported descriptively, and chi-square tests were used to compare groups.

RESULTS: 311 individuals self-reported ABI. The most frequently reported co-occurring condition domains in people with ABI ranked from highest to lowest were musculoskeletal, sensory, cardiovascular, endocrine/reproductive, and neurocognitive conditions. Individuals with ABI did not show a higher overall prevalence of co-occurring conditions than individuals without ABI (p>.005). Musculoskeletal, sensory, substance use, sleep-related conditions, and ADRD were reported evenly across groups, while no additional condition domains showed increased prevalence among individuals with ABI (p>.005).

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that systematic organization of open-text EMR data supports reliable sample identification within a longitudinal dataset. Individuals with ABI appeared to represent a healthier sample than those without a reported ABI, suggesting that the exclusion criteria removed individuals with more complex health issues typically seen in ABI populations. Consequently, findings have limited generalization and may not accurately represent health outcomes in ABI populations. Integrating systematic open-text review can enhance identification accuracy, yielding datasets that better reflect population complexity.

Prymnesium parvum are toxic single-celled algae that was traditionally believed to be a single species but is actually a cryptic species complex. It is found globally and causes harmful algal blooms that have proven fatal for various aquatic species. Strains of P. parvum are morphologically indistinguishable, but form three evolutionarily distinct species, referred to as A-, B-, and C-type clades. Each type produces a unique variant of the toxin known as prymnesin. Standardizing species identification for strains is increasingly necessary, as accidental misidentification of strains has already occurred in P. parvum research and caused significant confusion within the scientific community. Previously, identifying strains required full genome sequencing. This sequencing can be costly and time-consuming, often slowing research. The Wisecaver lab developed a PCR-based method to differentiate between the clades, which involves extracting DNA, using restriction enzymes to cut the DNA, and visualizing different banding patterns in gel electrophoresis. This method greatly reduces wait times and is more convenient than previous sequencing-based methods. Future research aims to apply this technique to genotype 22 currently unidentified strains isolated from recent algal blooms in Texas. We predict that most strains will be A-types or B-types, since these have been observed in Texas blooms before. This stream-lined differentiation method reduces the likelihood of mix-ups, and keeps research moving smoothly and with integrity. Continued success of the PCR-based method of clade differentiation will help researchers explore the diversity of Prymnesium parvum, encourage additional research on differences between clades, and contribute to developing more effective and reliable methodology with well-trusted results.

What does it mean when every day looks the same?

We analyzed 15 months of smart home sensor data from 33 older adults living independently, tracking their movement patterns through motion sensors installed in their homes. Each person generated hundreds of daily activity profiles. Where they spent their time, when they moved between rooms, how their days compared to each other.

We discovered that some participants lived nearly identical days. One person's daily pattern repeated with 100% similarity across the entire study period: kitchen in the morning, living room in the afternoon, bedroom at night, every single day. Others lived varied days, never repeating the same pattern twice.

The finding: How similar someone's days are to each other correlates with their cognitive performance. Participants with higher accuracy on a working memory task (the N-back test) tended to have more varied days. Those with lower accuracy showed more repetitive patterns. This relationship held even after controlling for how often people completed the cognitive tests.

The surprise: The correlation explains only about 15% of the variance. Two people with nearly identical cognitive test scores can have opposite daily patterns; one perfectly routine, one constantly varying. Cognition matters, but something else matters more.

What the sensors can't see: Whether routine represents peace or prison. Whether a person chose to live the same day, or whether constraint; physical, social, environmental, shaped their pattern. The sensors trace the shape of a life; only the person can say what living inside that shape feels like.

This work suggests that day-to-day behavioral patterns, passively captured by smart home sensors, may offer a window into cognitive aging; but also reminds us that behavior is more than cognition. The 85% we can't explain likely includes physical capacity, social connections, life circumstances, and choices invisible to our instruments.

Implications: Smart home monitoring could help detect early cognitive changes, but interpreting what routine means requires understanding the person, not just counting their movements.

Our cells rely on a hidden regulatory code that determines when and where genes are expressed. Transcription factors (TFs) are the master regulators of gene expression, but it is not fully understood how TFs interpret regulatory programs encoded in our DNA. Tens of thousands of genes and noncoding regions make up our genome all with unique expression programs. There are approximately 1600 TFs encoded in our genome; each cell type can express hundreds at a time, suggesting a complex, multilayered code. It has even been suggested that the sequence provided by our genome alone is insufficient to decode the complexity. To overcome this limitation, scientists have turned to synthetic biology. Studying millions of artificial DNA sequences is powerful; however, it is time and resource intensive. I hypothesize that creating artificial TFs provides a more efficient way to decode the regulatory syntax of our genome. TFs bind thousands of loci and can be readily synthesized. By creating “Frankenstein” transcription factors, we can affect and study thousands of regulatory changes efficiently. To do so, I transfected plasmids, encoding my Frankenstein TFs into human cells. Then, using a nascent sequencing method we captured changes genome-wide. My preliminary data shows that the engineered transcription factors have a major impact, perturbing thousands of loci. This indicates the notable potential of Frankenstein TFs to aid the understanding of fundamental processes. Ultimately, our findings have the potential to advance our understanding of gene regulation, bringing us closer to answering the question: what makes us human?

Current literature on students’ academic performance often emphasizes factors such as academic services, socioeconomic status, environment, mental health, and others. However, these studies often omit a fundamental aspect of personal identity: faith and religion. This research addresses this gap in the literature by analyzing the difference in academic performance between students who actively participate in a religion and those who do not, while identifying specific religious practices that have the greatest effect on students’ performance.

An anonymous survey was distributed across WSU campuses to collect students’ self-reported cumulative GPA, religious identity, and frequency of participation in 20 common religious practices. Data collection resulted in 349 observations, from which a Religious Practices Score (ranging from 20-60) was calculated based on participants’ level of involvement. The resulting median score was found to be 20, whereby the original 349 responses were split into two separate datasets: Religious (score ≥ 20) and Non-Religious (score < 20). Welch’s t-test was then used to determine that there was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups’ GPAs based on a significance level of 0.05.

Further analysis was conducted on the Religious dataset to evaluate if there were individual religious practices that significantly affected students’ GPAs. From the 20 religious practices evaluated, 5 were found to be statistically significant at α = 0.05: meditation, reading sacred texts alone, memorizing sacred texts, participating in communal meals/offerings, and seeking guidance from a religious mentor. Of these, memorization had the largest absolute effect on GPA, resulting in a change of -0.159 GPA points when other factors were held constant. Despite these findings, a substantial portion of variance in GPA remained unexplained; this alongside low general correlation levels indicate that this sample’s religious scores do not have a large impact on GPA alone and should rather be considered in conjunction with other factors that may affect students’ performance. These limitations should be considered when interpreting the strength and implications of the results.

Environmental stimuli trigger the retrieval of strong cocaine-predictive contextual memories. The dorsal raphe nucleus plays a role in regulating the strength of these memories by interacting with several other brain regions that are important for addiction. Cocaine-memory reconsolidation requires the activation of intracellular signaling cascades and the expression of immediate early genes, like Zif268, a marker for neuroplasticity. The purpose of this study is to identify dorsal raphe afferent brain regions that undergo plasticity upon contextual-drug memory (DM) retrieval compared to control memory retrieval (CM) in rats. This research will increase our understanding of molecular events involved in memory retrieval. We infused a retrograde adeno-associated virus expressing a green fluorophore into the dorsal raphe to label these afferents. Male and female Sprague-Dailey rats were then trained to self-administer cocaine in a distinct environmental context followed by extinction training in a novel context. Next, we briefly reintroduced the rats to the cocaine-predictive context to recall their drug memories. We collected brain tissue 60 minutes later to visualize the extent of co-expression of GFP and Zif268 immunoreactivity throughout the brain. Our preliminary results indicate that the dorsal raphe receives dense inputs from the anterior cingulate cortex and moderately dense inputs from the prelimbic cortex, the infralimbic cortex, the lateral orbital cortex, and the parabrachial pigmented nucleus. The prefrontal cortex exhibited the highest level of Zif268 expression in response to memory retrieval as well as the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus which have bidirectional direct connections with the dorsal raphe. Comparison of cell counts across the CM and DM groups are underway to determine if retrieval of cocaine memories elicits plasticity in these brain regions. This system may be responsible for updating the strength of maladaptive contextual drug memories, consequently regulating context-induced drug craving and relapse.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits describe a pattern of low empathy, low fear, and reduced response to punishment that can be observed in some children. These traits have been linked to increased risk for later behavior problems and involvement with the justice system, and are often viewed as fixed or unchangeable. However, research from developmental and prevention science suggests that CU-related behaviors can emerge early, vary widely across children, and remain influenced by environmental conditions and early intervention. Understanding how these traits develop can help clinicians and youth-serving systems respond more effectively.

To address this issue, this project presents a structured, systematic review of the literature and research focused on children and adolescents. This review synthesizes findings on early behavioral indicators, developmental patterns over time, emotional and motivational differences, and environmental factors that influence outcomes for youth. Included studies examine how caregiving quality, parenting practices, consistency, and timing of intervention influence developmental trajectories. The review also evaluates prevention and intervention approaches that emphasize structure, positive reinforcement, and supportive relationships rather than punishment-based strategies.

Across studies, CU-related traits were often observable early in childhood and were associated with increased risk for later conduct problems. However, outcomes varied substantially depending on caregiving environments and the presence of early, supportive intervention. Research suggests that punishment-focused approaches tend to be less effective for some children with elevated CU traits, likely due to reduced sensitivity to threat or distress cues. In contrast, interventions that emphasize positive reinforcement, consistency, and relationship quality demonstrate improved behavioral outcomes, even among higher-risk populations. Supportive environments emerged as key protective factors that help explain why some children with similar traits do not progress toward persistent antisocial pathways.

Overall, these findings support a prevention-oriented framework that emphasizes early identification, ethical screening, and reinforcement-based support rather than punitive responses. Rather than framing CU-related traits as fixed pathology, the reviewed literature highlights the role of environmental context and intervention timing in shaping developmental outcomes. These results have implications for education, child welfare, behavioral health, and juvenile justice systems, where developmentally informed, non-punitive approaches may reduce escalation and long-term system involvement among at-risk youth.

Z-Form Nucleic Acids (Z-NA) are Pathogen and Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMP / DAMP). During HSV-1, Orthopox, and Influenza viral infections, ZRNA sequestration has been shown to affect disease outcomes.

Z-NA is induced by certain viral infections, and ultraviolet-C radiation. Additionally, these treatments are known to induce transcription elongation.

Z-NA comes in two forms, ZDNA and ZRNA. Possible ZDNA sites can be identified through thermogenomic analysis. ZRNA has more stringent formation requirements, only being able to form with certain secondary RNA structures.

Our previous research has shown that the majority of sites with ZDNA formation ability is located in non-coding regions, whose function could be explained by Downstream of Gene Regions (DoGs), where once transcribed could act as a PAMP/DAMP, warning the cell.

Our experimental design involves cross referencing thermogenomic analysis for possible ZDNA sites, with secondary RNA analysis of nascent RNA sequences from archived viral infection experiments.

As we near the completion of our analysis, we seek to determine if our experimental analysis is able to find previously mapped ZRNA areas, and to identify what differences occur between treatments.

Postharvest storage environments for crops such as potatoes are maintained at a low temperature, a relative humidity (90–95%) environment with adequate ventilation to preserve quality. However, when using sensors for crop monitoring, excess humidity can lead to condensation, which can damage the sensors. To prevent condensation inside the sensor unit, an automated sensing and ventilation system was developed. A single-board computer, a digital humidity-temperature sensor, and an NPN transistor were used to build a fan system that activates when humidity exceeds a predefined threshold. High-humidity conditions were simulated to evaluate the system’s real-time responsiveness and data logging performance. In parallel, spectrum data from a field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) sensor system were processed to generate FAIMS dispersion plots. These plots captured volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission patterns, which are associated with early signs of potato spoilage. These plots were converted to images, and a processing pipeline was designed to extract and analyze spatial VOC signatures that may aid in detection. The FAIMS data processing aims to assist in identifying spoilage-related VOC patterns through image-based analysis and applications of machine learning approaches for early detection. Future work includes integrating the automated ventilation system into postharvest storage applications, incorporating additional fans to improve air circulation, and applying machine learning techniques—such as k-means clustering—for VOC pattern classification.

Previous studies have indicated a potential cognitive benefit of introducing auditory stimuli to individuals with ADHD. This study aims to evaluate which forms of audible stimuli are effective at improving cognitive performance and to what degree cognitive abilities are influenced. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups based on responses to a pre-survey questionnaire regarding voluntary self-disclosure of ADHD diagnosis and ADHD medication usage. Group 1 will be individuals with a disclosed formal ADHD diagnosis and Group 2 will consist of individuals without a disclosed diagnosis.

All participants will complete a series of brief cognitive tests using a combination of Go/No Go questions and Digit Span tests. Each participant will be assigned 4 tests in a randomly selected order, and during each test (1 of 4) audible stimuli will automatically play.

The results of these tests will be analyzed using statistical analysis to determine if there is any impact on score achieved based on the audible stimuli presented. A comparison will also be done between scores on Group 1 and Group 2 to compare if the variable of having a disclosed formal diagnosis of ADHD impacted the results. It is hypothesized that individuals with ADHD will have increased cognitive abilities when background noise is present, in comparison to a control group subject to the same condition. The results of this study will provide valuable information for improving classroom performance of students with ADHD, as well as the potential for further exploration of non-pharmaceutical options for treating ADHD.

Incubation of craving refers to the time-dependent intensification of reward seeking that emerges with prolonged abstinence. This phenomenon has been shown for multiple rewards, including drugs such as cocaine, sucrose, and a high-fat diet (HFD), and may contribute to the high rates of relapse observed in both substance use disorders and dieting. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures that constrain plasticity and stabilize inhibitory control, have been implicated in the incubation of cocaine craving; however, their role in food-seeking behaviors remains largely unexplored.

We have previously shown that voluntary exercise throughout abstinence prevents the incubation of craving for HFD. In parallel, our lab has shown that exercise influences PNN expression in male rodents following HFD consumption in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC). Together, these findings suggest that exercise may attenuate the incubation of craving by modulating PNNs within the PL-PFC, suggesting a potential mechanistic link. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that PNN remodeling in the PL-PFC contributes to the incubation of HFD craving and that voluntary exercise mitigates this process.

To test this, adult male rats self-administered high-fat diet pellets for 10 days and were then assessed for cue-induced food seeking on abstinence days 1 and 30. Afterwards, immunohistochemistry was used to stain for PNNs, which were subsequently analyzed for intensity and number. Preliminary results show that PNN number and intensity in the PL-PFC are increased in rodents following 30 days of abstinence from a HFD compared to naive animals and animals not given an abstinence period.

Ongoing studies will test whether exercise throughout abstinence blocks changes to PNNs compared to sedentary animals, which may help to explain the influence of exercise on the incubation of craving. Additional studies will test whether pharmacological degradation of PNNs during abstinence influences incubation of craving for HFD. Together, this work will give insight into whether changes in PNNs throughout abstinence are correlative or causative.

Academic burnout has emerged as a pervasive and systemic issue within higher education, affecting an estimated 75% of students worldwide and 82% of students in the United States. Characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism toward academic work, and reduced academic efficacy, burnout extends beyond temporary stress and significantly impacts student performance, retention, and long-term well-being. At Washington State University, this statistic suggests that approximately 24 out of every 30 students in a typical classroom may be experiencing burnout. These numbers reveal not an isolated struggle, but a structural condition embedded within contemporary academic systems.

This research investigates the causes, lived experiences, and institutional consequences of academic burnout, positioning it not only as a mental health concern but also as a structural and environmental design issue. Contributing factors include heavy course loads, financial stress, competitive campus culture, social comparison, poor sleep quality, and limited access to institutional support. Burnout is strongly associated with lower GPAs, increased absenteeism, higher dropout consideration rates, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Qualitative student testimonies further reveal feelings of paralysis, hopelessness, emotional numbness, and long-term aversion to continued education.

Through data synthesis and spatial analysis, this study reframes burnout as a product of both academic pressure and environmental design. If universities function as systems that prioritize productivity and outcomes, then student well-being must be intentionally integrated into those systems. The research explores spatial and institutional interventions including biophilic design strategies, restorative counseling spaces, adaptable learning environments, and socially supportive “third spaces.” These interventions aim to reduce cognitive overload, foster emotional recovery, and encourage community connection.

Ultimately, this project argues that academic burnout represents a critical breaking point in higher education. Addressing it requires interdisciplinary solutions that combine research, mental health advocacy, and spatial design innovation. By rethinking how campus environments function, institutions can shift from reactive support models toward preventative frameworks that prioritize resilience, sustainability, and student success.

People are becoming more vulnerable to heat. Previous literature links personality traits to differences in behavioral, psychological, and physiological patterns, including responses to environmental stressors like heat. However, the relationship between trait impulsivity, comfort, and heat remains underexplored. In the current study, we examined how trait impulsivity relates to affective experience and comfort during a heat-induction experiment. To test this, participants (N = 78) were exposed to hot (110°F) and ambient (72°F) temperatures in an infrared sauna across two 50-minute sessions. Comfort and affect were measured at four timepoints. Results from a mixed-effects regression revealed that individuals higher in trait impulsivity had higher negative affect overall (ß = 4.23, p < .001), but had less change in their reports of negative affect in the hot condition compared to those low in trait impulsivity (ß = -1.77, p = .02). Additionally, no significant interactions were observed with comfort based on trait impulsivity. Interpreting this, it appears that individuals higher in impulsive tendencies may have more negative emotions overall, but report less change in regard to thermal stress. While these results are interesting, these findings do not show any differences in negative affect changing across time, based on condition. While total trait impulsivity is an excellent overall marker of behavioral tendencies, it can be broken down further into three distinct facets (attentional, motor, and non-planning) that may reveal differences in impulsive behaviors between individuals. Preliminary analyses revealed that those higher in non-planning impulsivity experience more NA regardless of condition (ß = 2.33, p = .009), however this relationship appears to weaken during heat exposure (ß = -1.84, p = .005). We will conduct additional analyses assessing how each facet may predict changes in comfort and affect across conditions. Examining impulsivity through its individual components will provide further insight into how specific impulsive behaviors may influence comfort, affect, and self-regulation within hot and ambient conditions. Heat restricts psychological resources, reduces complex cognition, inhibits thermoregulation, and increases impulsive behaviors. Therefore, it is essential for research to examine the impact of individual differences in response to environmental stressors.

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading bacterial cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide and displays a high degree of antimicrobial resistance. C. jejuni is a commensal organism in poultry, which serves as the primary reservoir for human infection. Acute C. jejuni infection involves bacterial invasion of intestinal epithelial cells and is accompanied by intense inflammation driven by host cell signaling pathways. A key event in this process is increased secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8), which requires activation of the MAP/ERK signaling pathway through ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Previous studies indicate that secreted bacterial effector proteins, known as Campylobacter invasion antigens (Cia), play critical roles in host cell invasion and inflammatory signaling. In particular, the effector protein CiaD is proposed to activate the MAP/ERK pathway and promote IL-8 expression. We hypothesized that CiaD contains a specific functional domain required for ERK1/2 activation.

To test this hypothesis, human epithelial cells were infected with C. jejuni wild-type and mutant strains, including a CiaD deletion mutant, a complemented strain, and domain-specific mutants. Protein complexes involved in bacterial invasion and inflammatory signaling were isolated, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation was analyzed alongside measurements of IL-8 secretion. CiaD-deficient and domain-mutant strains exhibited reduced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and decreased IL-8 production relative to wild-type and complemented strains.

These findings demonstrate that CiaD is required for efficient activation of ERK-mediated signaling and inflammatory responses during host cell invasion. Overall, this research supports a model in which CiaD regulates host MAP/ERK pathway activation to promote IL-8 expression and inflammation during C. jejuni infection. Improved understanding of this mechanism provides insight into bacterial pathogenesis and may inform the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Air contains approximately 1% argon. Samples for irradiation in the WSU Nuclear Science Center are sealed under air. Since argon can be activated by the WSU nuclear reactor, a radioactive gas is generated which creates a safety problem if the samples’ containments were to rupture. The purpose of this study is to reduce the amount of radioactive argon created as a byproduct of irradiation by purging samples with nitrogen gas prior to insertion into the reactor. The samples were purged at three different flow rates for two different purge times. Purge experiments show that a higher flow rate can reduce radioactive argon created by the reactor in shorter preparation times. It was also found that effects of purge times eventually plateau where additional time is not beneficial. The best flow rate and time for reactor samples were determined by this work.

Understanding economic characteristics and their relationship to societal issues helps pinpoint and provide better strategies to alleviate the issues. Many studies go into how these characteristics affect people more generally, while less research focuses on the Western U.S. at the county level. This research examines the economic characteristics of counties in the Western U.S. (Washington, Idaho, California, Nevada, Oregon, and possibly others to be included) and explores the relationship between these characteristics and suicide rates in the region. Examples of characteristics include median household income, unemployment rate, percentage of population with bachelor's degree or more, etc.

All the data came directly from government websites. What was analyzed first was the economic disparities and comparing counties to each other. Next, what's analyzed are these same characteristics and how they correlate to suicide rates, and compared counties suicide rates to each other as well.

Results found California counties to have a significantly different economic structure than others, meaning that median household income, unemployment rate, and other economic characteristics had commonly significantly different numbers than the numbers for counties in the other four states. Results also found that Southern California counties have low suicide rates compared to all the other counties in the data. Lastly, real equivalized income had a moderately strong positive correlation with suicide rate, while labor force participation and average household size had a moderately strong negative correlation with suicide rate.

Nearly one-sixth of the global population relies on cattle as a fundamental source of food security and livelihood, and the rising global temperature is a direct threat to the survival of the livestock. As global temperatures climb, the skin is the primary site for forced adaptation. By using genetic markers and directing breeding toward climate-resilient aesthetic, such as the sweat glands size and density, we can make biological traits that are required for animals to maintain homeostasis in a changing climate. While it is known that within skin, sweat glands play a role in thermoregulation and maintenance of the body’s internal temperature, how sweat gland size, density, and cellular We hypothesize that sweat glands size, density, and cellular composition are dynamic traits that evolve to aid thermoregulation in changing climates. To better understand the mechanisms of climate adaptation, we performed a histological comparison comparing the sweat glands of cattle (Bos taurus) across various age groups and breeds, including Highland and Steer. To deconstruct these adaptations, we utilize single-cell RNA sequencing to compare the cellular composition of human and bovine sweat glands. Building on this molecular foundation, we investigated the developmental aging of these mini organs to determine how physiological requirements shift in response to environmental pressure. Our analysis revealed a critical correlation between skin thickness, gland size, and age. We observed that as cattle mature, increasing skin thickness at specific anatomical locations serves as a protective buffer. Furthermore, our findings will contribute to a broader understanding of how animals respond to climate change and provide valuable information for sustainable agriculture practices. This study will bring us one step closer to genetically modifying livestock that can survive our changing climates, thus ensuring livestock production and safeguard global food security for a future world with an ever-warming temperature.

Significant research has been conducted over the last two decades on the human gestational period and how obesity, insulin resistance, and exercise can all influence phenotypic changes in offspring. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been shown to increase risk for offspring metabolic dysfunction and obesity, but also significant neurologic changes such as increased risk of autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mixed emotion/conduct disorders, decreased intelligence quotient (IQ), worse working memory, and slowed postprandial brain activity. The leading hypothesis for the cause of these changes is that when exposed to resistance to insulin, a hypothesized stimulator of spinogenesis in the hippocampus through Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) x Tropomysin related Kinase B (TrkB) signaling, infants are unable to develop the proper dendritic spine density needed for cognitive function.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, exercise during the gestational period has been shown to increase BDNF levels, neuronal and non-neuronal cell count in the hippocampus, hippocampal neurogenesis, learning/memory, and is shown to have protective effects against the detrimental neurologic changes associated with a high-fat diet and stress exposure in offspring. The purpose of our proposed study is to gain an understanding of how insulin resistance during pregnancy affects offspring's physical hippocampal development and whether exercise provides a recovery mechanism for these changes. We propose a mouse model of drug-induced insulin resistance via blocking the insulin receptors with the insulin receptor antagonist S961 to eliminate confounding variables from a high-fat diet during pregnancy. Offspring will only be included in the treatment if insulin resistance is observed in the mother via blood glucose measurements in response to sugar intake. Additionally, to assess the protective effects that may be associated with exercise, we propose running a cohort of drug-induced insulin-resistant mice on a treadmill once daily during pregnancy. Between these two cohorts, we hope to analyze the hippocampal spine density of offspring to determine whether the insulin resistance itself is contributing to the observed neurologic changes and if the increased BDNF expression through exercise is able to exhibit protective effects for offspring.

The decontamination of electronic systems is a critical process for the maintenance and longevity of sensitive equipment. The effectiveness of a cleaning agent depends heavily on its physical and chemical properties. This project investigates how the cation identity involved in the crosslinking agent influences the properties of guar gum-based decontamination gels designed to remove particles without damaging delicate circuitry. Guar gum is a plant-derived polymer comprised of long molecular chains that, when combined with borate ions, undergoes a process of chemical cross-linking. These borate ions act as molecular bridges that tether the polymer chains into a network, transforming a liquid solution into a cohesive, solid-like gel.

Initial generations of the gel utilized sodium borate; however, these formulations consistently exhibited poor water retention, resulting in surface seepage that could compromise electronic components. To address this, subsequent research moved toward lithium and potassium borates, which had better water retention characteristics. At low borate concentrations, the mixture remains a transitional sticky liquid where cross-linking is incomplete. As the concentration increases, the material reaches an optimal cohesive state. However, exceeding this window leads to over-saturation, where the gel becomes crumbly and brittle. Notably, potassium borate was found to reach this cohesive state at around half the concentration required for other salts. This shows that the formulation determines the working window of the gel and its physical structure. This poster will provide a foundational framework for upcoming quantitative testing, including viscosity measurements and cleaning trials, to determine the most effective composition for a high-performance, domestically produced decontamination technology.

The integration of technology into mindfulness practice has gained increasing attention, particularly with the emergence of immersive devices like the Apple Vision Pro. With its spatial computing capabilities, the device offers an immersive environment that could enhance focus, engagement, and relaxation, key elements of effective mindfulness practice. However, little research has examined its impact on students' experiences, attitudes, and overall mindfulness outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and attitudes of undergraduate students using the Apple Vision Pro to support their mindfulness practice.

This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to investigate how undergraduate students perceived the role of Apple Vision Pro in their mindfulness practice. Participants were recruited from a university setting and engaged in guided mindfulness sessions using the device. The research explored themes such as usability, perceived effectiveness, potential distractions, and emotional responses to immersive mindfulness experiences.

Findings from this study will contribute to the growing discourse on digital mindfulness by highlighting both the benefits and challenges of using immersive technology for mental well-being. Insights gained may inform the development of future mindfulness applications, guide technology-based wellness interventions, and offer recommendations for optimizing immersive experiences to support students’ mental health.

Artificial intelligence systems are increasingly being given direct control over computers — not just answering questions, but autonomously executing commands, managing files, and interacting with networks. This shift raises an urgent question: what new security risks emerge when AI operates with unrestricted access to a computer system, including at the kernel level?

This research presents an empirical study of security threats in AI-native operating systems, where Large Language Models (LLMs) are granted administrative (sudo) privileges on a live Linux environment built around a custom kernel. To conduct this study systematically, we developed JARVIS, an Arch Linux-based evaluation framework featuring a custom Linux kernel with an alpha AI hardware driver, and a dynamic SuperMCP orchestration layer that allows AI agents to autonomously discover and utilize system tools — closely simulating how AI capabilities are expected to expand in real-world deployments.

Our methodology examines AI security behavior across three escalating privilege levels: a sandboxed baseline with standard user permissions, an unrestricted environment with full administrative access, and an externally connected environment enabling live web interaction. Through framework design and initial analysis, we identified four threat categories unique to AI agents that traditional security models do not adequately address. First, natural language imprecision can be exploited to enable unauthorized privilege escalation. Second, AI-generated tool discovery dynamically expands the attack surface in ways that are difficult to predict or monitor. Third, individually harmless operations can be chained together to produce malicious outcomes. Fourth, users tend to lower their security vigilance when interacting with AI systems they perceive as trustworthy or human-like.

The inclusion of a custom kernel driver introduces an additional dimension: AI agents operating with hardware-level awareness, where the boundary between software intent and hardware instruction becomes mediated by probabilistic inference rather than deterministic logic. These findings suggest that conventional OS security — designed for deterministic, rule-following programs — is fundamentally mismatched with probabilistic, self-modifying AI agents. Current contributions include a threat taxonomy, reproducible evaluation methodology, custom kernel integration, and an open-source platform. Full empirical results including documented attack vectors are expected upon project completion.

The presence of children during intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents presents a unique challenge for law enforcement. This study examines how the presence of minors affects police interactions and decision-making when responding to IPV calls. Existing survey and interview data document the variability in referrals among police officers when responding to IPV incidents. However, there is a lack of observational research examining how the presence of minors influences whether and how police officers make referrals. To fill this gap, this study analyzes a population of unredacted body-worn camera (BWC) footage from a midsize Washington State police agency. Using Systematic Social Event Modeling (SSEM), this study extracted duration, service type, manner, and quality of officer provision of resources to victims of IPV with children present on scene. Analysis revealed variability in the frequency and nature of referrals by officers.

Additive manufacturing of functional polymer composites is a promising avenue for producing low‑cost, lightweight components. These printed parts exhibit unique characteristics compared to conventional polymer composites, for example, PLA/carbon‑fiber composites can display piezoresistive behavior; yet many of these functional properties remain largely unexplored. Piezo resistance is the measurement of the change of electrical resistance within the material of an object when it experiences mechanical stress or strain. As the material experiences mechanical loading (stress and strain), its electrical resistance increases until it reaches its maximum yield strength. Understanding how 3D print parameters affect piezo resistance can enable industries to leverage both structural and piezo resistance properties for applications such as structural health monitoring sensors that use deformation as electrical signals. With the different parameters of 3D printing, such as print height, angle, and speed, that can affect the composite part structure, it is important to ask how piezo resistance varies from different 3D print characteristics that affect part structure?

In this research, we use an Instron machine to apply tensile stress to tensile specimens made of nylon reinforced with short carbon fibers. We then measure changes in piezo resistance as the specimen strains to its maximum yield strength. Each specimen varies in layer height, print speed, and print orientation, allowing us to analyze how different print parameters affect piezo resistance. To measure the piezo and mechanical properties of the tensile specimens, 4 leads were attached using silver epoxy and connected to a data logger and an Instron tensile testing machine. After further data analysis, we can monitor both the stress-strain relationship and the change in piezo resistance. These unique piezoresistive properties enable integrated sensing capabilities for structural health monitoring in additively manufactured components, with potential applications ranging from cryogenic storage systems to biomedical devices and personal protective equipment.

Exposure to drug-associated environmental cues results in the retrieval of drug memories and triggers drug relapse in cocaine users. Interestingly, drug memories are also destabilized upon retrieval and interference with their reconsolidation into long-term memory storage can attenuate cocaine memory strength and prevent drug relapse. We have previously shown that inhibition of neural activity in the dorsal hippocampus cornu ammonis region 3 (dCA3) immediately after memory retrieval disrupts cocaine-memory strength. Conversely, inhibition of the dorsolateral septum (dlS), a brain region that receives monosynaptic inputs from the dCA3, enhances cocaine-memory strength in a sex-dependent manner. Here, we investigated the role of the dCA3-to-dlS neural pathway in regulating cocaine-memory strength in a rat model of drug addiction. Based on our earlier findings in the dlS, we hypothesized that the dCA3-to-dlS pathway is an inhibitory feedback circuit. Thus, inhibition of this pathway using deschloroclozapine (DCZ), an agonist for an inhibitory G protein-coupled designer receptor, would increase contextual cocaine memory strength and consequently augment context-induced drug-seeking behavior. Contrary to our hypothesis, DCZ-induced inhibition of the dCA3-to-dlS circuit reduced drug-seeking behavior in male rats with no effects in females. Together with our previous findings, these results indicate that dCA3 inputs to some neuronal populations in the dlS are necessary for retaining cocaine memories in male rats. However, the dlS as a whole may be a locus for the bidirectional regulation of cocaine memory strength. Furthermore, dCA3 inputs to the dlS may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of cocaine-use disorder.

Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent behind whooping cough, represents a resurgent threat to public health. Once responsible hundreds of thousands of annual cases in the United States, the scale of pertussis outbreaks have been greatly reduced by the advent of widespread vaccination. However, a large proportion of mostly unreported asymptomatic & mildly symptomatic individuals in combination with the relatively rapid waning of vaccine-acquired immunity has undercut this progress. Resultantly, recent decades have played host to an overall increasing occurrence of pertussis. Despite optimistic data from the COVID/post-COVID period, 2024 continued this trend, reaching a nearly four-decade highpoint in cases globally and a twelve-year high in the United States.

With increasing public skepticism around the use of vaccines in combination with shifting policy and economic conditions reducing access to healthcare, it appears likely that already suboptimal vaccine coverage will come under increased strain. As such it’s critical to understand how changes in overall vaccination may influence outbreaks of pertussis. This study seeks to offer insights into future outbreaks occurring within Washington State through the use of a compartmental epidemiological model. By placing focus on municipalities, the model accounts for multiple geographically distributed yet ultimately interconnected populations, which in combination with the use parameters drawn from existing literature allows for detailed simulation of pertussis transmission within WA state. These simulations reveal how changes in vaccine coverage alter outbreak size and persistence. Findings that provide a framework for anticipating future pertussis activity and supporting effective vaccination policy.

Spermatogenesis is a highly coordinated developmental process that requires precise regulation of germ cell differentiation in the seminiferous epithelium to produce mature sperm. This crucial process is supported by Sertoli cells, which provide a controlled microenvironment and structural support that regulates germ cell fate through specific signaling pathways. Proper progression of spermatogenesis depends on controlled temporal activation and suppression of specific pathways to ensure germ cell self-renewal, differentiation, and maturation. Components of the NOTCH pathway are present in the testes and show varied temporal and spatial expression in both germ and Sertoli cells. Since specific NOTCH receptors may have different ligand affinities, these interactions may regulate distinct processes during spermatogenesis. However, the precise temporal and spatial regulation of NOTCH signaling components during postnatal testicular development remains poorly understood. We hypothesize that Sertoli and germ cells differentially express NOTCH receptors and ligands throughout spermatogenesis, resulting in stage-specific interactions. To test this hypothesis, mouse testes were collected at distinct postnatal days (2, 9, 19, 29, 39, 49, 59, and 69) to represent transitions from neonatal germ cells into functioning spermatogenesis. A testicular synchronization protocol was implemented to allow assessment of expression at distinct stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle. Both synchronized and unsynchronized adult testes were examined to confirm that observed expression patterns were not artifacts of synchronization. Testicular tissues were examined using enzymatic and fluorescent immunohistochemistry with NOTCH receptor and ligand specific antibodies in combination with established cell markers to differentiate cell types. This approach enabled visualization of the spatial and temporal distribution of NOTCH signaling components within the seminiferous epithelium across developmental stages. We anticipate that distinct NOTCH receptors and ligands will display unique spatial and temporal expression patterns through spermatogenesis, with subsets showing coordinated co-expression consistent with functional interactions at specific stages of the cycle. These findings will contribute to a clearer understanding of spatial and temporal regulation of the NOTCH signaling pathways in testicular development, which receptors may influence specific germ cell regulator processes and its overall influence on male fertility.

Adolescent cannabis use is extremely common, as nearly one-third of U.S. 12^th graders report use within the past year. Cannabis use during this developmental period is highly comorbid with neuropsychiatric illness risks, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Prenatal environmental risks, like prenatal exposure to infection, are also linked to later neuropsychiatric vulnerability, intriguing the possibility that early immune activation may affect adulthood behavioral outcomes through interaction with adolescent cannabis exposure. This study examines whether maternal immune activation (MIA), a rodent model of prenatal infection exposure, can alter cannabis self-administration in adolescence, as well as whether the combination of MIA and adolescent cannabis use can affect anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive flexibility in adulthood. To test this, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received either PolyI:C (to initiate the MIA) or saline as a control on gestational day 15 to induce MIA. In adolescence (postnatal days 28-49), offspring self-administered either cannabis or vehicle vapor before undergoing behavioral assessments in adulthood. Preliminary results show that while cannabis self-administration increased across sessions, there are no significant differences in adolescent self-administration across sex and MIA exposure. In adulthood, no significant differences were found in trials to learn a task or in errors made during learning, as measured via a cognitive flexibility assay. However, there does appear to be a trend for MIA males who received cannabis in adolescence to have fewer trials to criterion and fewer errors on the assay when compared to control animals, indicating that they are performing better on the assay. This suggests that cannabis may potentially have positive effects on cognitive flexibility, but that these effects are sex-dependent and only arise when in the presence of MIA. While these results are null, the analyses are taken from a small sample size and are underpowered, limiting the interpretability of the data. Ongoing work aims to increase sample sizes to elucidate any potential significant results. Additional ongoing work seeks to investigate whether MIA and/or cannabis self-administration impacts anxiety-like behaviors on the elevated plus maze assay. If results are significant, the possibility of adolescent cannabis exposure and MIA leading to increased adulthood anxiety raises.

Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) algorithms are the underlying fabric of web video streaming, whether it's Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, or anything else. They use a variety of input variables, such as a user's network speed, cached video buffer length, and more, and determine what quality the video should be played at. While this maximizes user experience, platforms often fail to play nicely with each other, meaning one client device may unnecessarily ""hog bandwidth."" This is common in small households, where multiple people streaming TV shows can cause large slowdowns. By gaining a deeper understanding of how each platform works, it may be possible to minimize this unfairness. However, each streaming platform's algorithm is different, and nearly all are closed-source proprietary software. This means that it is nearly impossible to reverse engineer a mathematical definition of each algorithm using classical methods.

This research aims to characterize and model these ABR algorithms through a black-box dynamical system controls perspective, utilizing recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to model the behavior of these streaming services. By artificially modulating network bandwidth over time, we have gathered extensive data on how an algorithm reacts, and have trained an RNN that replicates the behavior using machine learning. We have gathered data that shows the trained model can accurately replicate the behavior of the closed-source YouTube ABR algorithm. The data was gathered over a variety of video types, and with a large set of input characteristics. Given various input criteria (bandwidth, buffer, etc), the trained RNN model predicts the video quality the same as the solution of the ABR algorithm. Therefore, rather than reverse engineering the actual code, we have effectively copied the behavior using non-traditional machine learning based methods. For future work, we plan to build on existing research that uses classical dynamic control methods on these trained RNN models at the network router level, to automatically optimize bandwidth to each client to ensure network fairness.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for every 1 in 5 deaths. CHF typically falls into two categories, ischemic (IS) and non-ischemic (NIS). IS follows hospitalization from myocardial infarction, leaving the heart visibly scarred; NIS often occurs genetically like in cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, a key protein for normal cardiac function is myosin regulatory light chain (RLC). RLC is a protein that binds to the neck of myosin along the heart muscle. Phosphorylation of RLC (RLC-P) by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is vital for healthy cardiac contraction and stabilizing cross-bridge interactions between sarcomeric thin and thick filaments. These interactions allow the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body efficiently. Consequently, RLC-P increases calcium sensitivity during contraction, hence decreasing calcium amount needed to generate force. Thus, augmenting the force produced by contractile mechanisms. Since cases of compromised RLC-P are commonly seen in both forms of CHF, this project aims to determine the optimal method for quantification of RLC in diseased human cardiac phenotypes. Three cardiac tissue conditions were utilized for this study: donor, IS, and NIS. We hypothesize that determining the vital RLC-P quantification method will assist in optimizing future cardiac mechanics experiments with human CHF-afflicted tissue. And subsequently, aid in analysis of calcium-activated force production in CHF conditions using human tissue. To assess this, SDS-PAGE gels were run and then stained with PRO-Q Diamond (phosphorylation stain) and SYPRO Ruby (total protein stain) to assess changes in in vitro protein phosphorylation. To compare this technique with another biochemical assay, we used Phos-tag gel electrophoresis. We hope to compare these two assays in assessing RLC phosphorylation. Future directions may involve investigating and quantifying in vitro de-phosphorylation and re-phosphorylation in other sarcomeric proteins; such as cardiac myosin binding protein-C and cardiac troponin I.

Vision is important for sensing and transmitting information from the environment to the brain, allowing us to understand and interact with our surroundings and guide behavior. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are a third type of photoreceptor that express melanopsin and project to different brain regions to influence both non-image-forming behavior and image-forming vision. Recently, it has been found that M1-ipRGCs contribute to the proper refinement of retinogeniculate projections in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), which transmits information from the retina to the visual cortex. ipRGCs are important to start retinal waves, which drive the release of dopamine and can influence refinement of eye projections. However, it remains unclear how dopamine signaling affect eye-specific segregation in the dLGN. In this project, we aim to determine how dopamine D1 receptor knockout (D1 KO) influences projections from the retina to the dLGN during development, while using wild-type, ipRGC-ablated (Opn4DTA), and albino mice (lacking tyrosinase) for comparison. This will be done by first injecting the anterograde tracer cholera toxin B (CTB) into the eyes of mature mice and then collecting the brain for imaging. Based on previous literature, we expect to observe an increase in overlap between the ipsilateral and contralateral projections in the dopamine D1 KO, indicating poor segregation refinement. These results will help us understand the role of dopamine and ipRGCs in circuit development, as well as how other developmental factors influence proper eye-specific segregation.

More than one-third of college students reported experiencing stress that adversely affected their academic performance during the past academic year. Summative assessments, specifically exams, are known to elicit the highest levels of acute stress in higher education settings. Our goal is to understand students’ perceptions of stress, identify resources they believe would help alleviate exam-related stress, and ultimately assess whether these resources actually reduce perceived exam anxiety. We also aim to examine whether there are differences in exam anxiety across demographic groups. It has been demonstrated in different contexts that women and other minority groups may have heightened anxiety due to assessments and, therefore, be at a performance disadvantage when it comes to high-stakes exams (Hsu & Goldsmith, 2021).

In this study, we collected survey data on exam anxiety from consenting life sciences students and asked them about the resources they thought would alleviate exam stress. The survey included a Likert-scale instrument to measure exam anxiety, as well as open-ended questions to gather insights into the resources students would like to see incorporated into their courses. Additionally, we collected self-reported demographic data. We used T-tests to examine differences in anxiety between demographic groups, and we employed inductive qualitative coding, conducted by two researchers, to analyze open-ended students' responses regarding their exam stress and resources they believed would help their exam anxiety.

Our analysis showed statistical differences in anxiety between demographic groups. We also found that students overwhelmingly viewed instructor-curated resources (e.g., study guides and practice exams) and flexibility in exams (e.g., group exams, time frames, etc.) as the most important resources.

Here we report practical tools that instructors can readily implement into their courses to both equal the ‘playing field’ around assessments while having the potential for students to become more prepared for exams, ultimately increasing exam scores.

Our future directions include incorporating supports from our data into a large enrollment life science course. We will assess students’ pre- to post-anxiety and examine exam scores. In addition, we aim to measure changes in students’ self-perceptions regarding science and to examine predictors of STEM persistence, such as belonging and science identity.

Three-dimensional (3D) apparel simulation supports sustainability by reducing physical prototyping and enabling study without repeated handling of fragile textiles. Traditional exhibitions of historical dress require substantial space, strict control of light and humidity, and time-intensive mannequin mounting, while each handling increases the risk of damage. These challenges limit the visibility and accessibility of many university apparel collections, including the Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles (AMDT) collection at Washington State University (WSU), which is underutilized due to space and resource constraints. Virtual reconstruction offers a practical alternative by enabling pattern-accurate study, reusable teaching assets, and public-facing digital displays without conservation risks. Historical apparel collections are rarely represented in virtual reconstructions, despite the widespread adoption of computer-aided design (CAD) tools in industry and research.

This study developed and tested a sustainable, low-contact workflow to virtually reconstruct two historical garments from the AMDT collection at WSU using CAD tools, including Browzwear VStitcher for 3D simulation. The selected garments were documented through photography and non-invasive measurements, and construction details were recorded, including seams, grainlines, stitch types, seam allowances, and support layers. Historical patterns were drafted to preserve balance, grain direction, and shaping, and an avatar approximating the original body proportions was created for the simulation. The garments were digitally assembled, material parameters were tuned using available libraries and substitutes when needed, and simulation accuracy was validated by comparing key circumferences, lengths, and balance against recorded measurements, supported by fit and strain maps and grain-alignment visual analysis. The completed outputs formed a teaching-ready visual narrative from documentation to drafting to simulation to validation. The outcomes demonstrated that CAD-based reconstruction can reduce conservation risks, improve accessibility, and provide a reusable workflow for future coursework, research, and public-facing digital exhibitions.

The understanding of sex differences in behavior patterns and anxiety characteristics in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are poorly understood. Previous work suggests that women are more susceptible to stress-induced relapse and are more likely to drink alcohol for negative reinforcement (mediated by limbic circuits) whereas men are more likely to drink alcohol for positive reinforcement reasons (mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC] and nucleus accumbens shell [NAcSh] circuitry). Therefore, we hypothesize that females will exhibit more anxious phenotypes during peak acute withdrawal, but activation of mPFC-NAcSh projections will result in more locomotor activity in males due to decreased anxiety phenotypes leading to more time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze (EPM). To test this, a chemogenetic approach was used to activate or inhibit the corticostriatal circuit during acute alcohol withdrawal while completing the EPM assay of anxious phenotypes. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats received an injection of a control Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) into the NAcSh along with an excitatory or inhibitory DREADD virus into the mPFC to specifically target mPFC projections to the NAcSh. After recovery, half of the rats were exposed to chronic intermittent alcohol vapor (CIA; 14 hours on/10 hours off) for six weeks to induce dependence, while the other half acted as room air controls. After these six weeks, rats received an injection of the DREADD agonist (DCZ) during peak acute withdrawal (approximately 7 hours after the vapor turns off) to either activate or inhibit this circuit during EPM. Although preliminary results indicate that inhibiting this circuit impacted anxiety phenotypes and locomotor activity in a sex-specific manner, there was no control DREADD group to be able to definitively interpret these results to provide a baseline measurement. Therefore, this project aims to add an inactive control DREADD cohort to compare these previous results to. These data could help better understand the brain circuitry underlying alcohol-withdrawal related symptomology and ultimately contribute to the development of sex-specific and/or personalize treatment for AUD.

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used to summarize and interpret written documentation, yet their reliability in high-stakes educational contexts remains insufficiently examined. Special-education behavioral records, including behavior logs and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), contain safety-relevant details, explicit constraints, and structured timelines that require precise interpretation. Distortions such as invented supports, omitted safety restrictions, timeline errors, or unsupported causal inferences may introduce misleading information into decision-making workflows, potentially resulting in harmful or misinformed outcomes if left unexamined.

This study presents a controlled evaluation of publicly available LLMs on fully synthetic special-education behavioral materials designed to reflect real-world variability without using identifiable student data. Under identical prompts and testing conditions, models generate structured summaries that are evaluated at the claim level against predefined ground truth. Performance is measured across factual accuracy, omission rates, unsupported claims, and overconfidence. Errors are further analyzed using a domain-specific taxonomy that captures failure patterns particularly consequential in behavioral documentation contexts.

Rather than assessing general benchmark performance, this project systematically characterizes how LLMs behave in a documentation-driven domain where interpretive inaccuracies may carry meaningful practical consequences. By identifying recurring failure patterns and quantifying domain-relevant error types, this study contributes empirical evidence and applied guidance to support safer, more responsible integration of AI tools in special-education documentation workflows.

A College Chemical Escape is a research-driven investigation into substance misuse among college students, examining how academic culture, psychological stress, and neurobiological vulnerability converge during a pivotal developmental stage. Rather than treating substance use disorder (SUD) solely as an individual failing, this project reframes it as a patterned response to systemic pressure and transitional instability regulated within college life.

Based on national data, longitudinal studies, and neuroscientific literature, the project analyzes findings on prevalence, cognitive “enhancement” behaviors, Greek life consumption patterns, polysubstance use, and comorbid mental health conditions. Nearly half of students meet criteria for SUD during their first three years of college, yet the majority do not seek specialized care, revealing a persistent treatment gap. Alcohol, cannabis, and prescription stimulants are frequently used not only recreationally but as perceived tools for stress management, belonging, productivity, and emotional regulation.

The project further examines how chronic stress alters reward circuitry, heightens reinforcement sensitivity, and weakens executive control, increasing susceptibility to compulsive use. Particular attention is given to the developmental vulnerability of late adolescence, when impulse regulation systems are still maturing, and risk-taking behaviors intensify. Social norm misperceptions, competitive academic culture, and the normalization of binge drinking amplify this vulnerability.

This project contributes an original interdisciplinary perspective by positioning student substance misuse as a recognized public health issue, as well as a cultural and developmental phenomenon shaped by stress, performance expectations, social belonging, and mental health conditions. It calls for a shift within the systematic models in higher education.

Transforming carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change, into ethanol offers a promising way to convert a harmful greenhouse gas into a valuable product. Ethanol is widely used as an industrial solvent, a fuel additive, and -of course- in beverages. Beyond its practical uses, the chemical reaction that produces ethanol from CO₂ is scientifically significant because it involves forming a carbon–carbon bond—a difficult step in this transformation.

One of the main challenges lies in steering the reaction toward ethanol rather than undesired products like methane (CH₄). Methane is typically formed when a methyl group (CH₃) reacts with hydrogen. To make ethanol (C₂H₅OH), however, the methyl group must instead combine with an oxygen-containing molecule such as carbon monoxide (CO). This requires a delicate balance.

Our catalyst system addresses this challenge. It consists of equal parts iron and rhodium supported on silica, with a single layer of amino-functionalized phosphonic acids. Each component plays a specific role. Iron promotes the formation of carbon–carbon bonds, while rhodium promotes hydrogen addition. What sets this catalyst apart is the phosphonic acids. These molecules influence the reaction in two key ways. First, the phosphonic acid group pulls electrons away from the metal cluster, tuning its reactivity. Second, the amine group (R–NH₂) interacts with reaction intermediates, helping guide the process toward ethanol.

These effects have already been shown to favor CO formation and suppress methane formation in the reverse water–gas shift, a reaction that is thought to be important to CO₂ to ethanol formation. By promoting more CO and fewer methyl radicals, our catalyst is designed to increase ethanol production and reduce unwanted byproducts.

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menses accompanied by the depletion of ovarian follicles, resulting in declining levels of estrogen in women. This natural process induces symptoms like weight gain, uneven fat distribution, sleep disturbances, dysregulated temperature, and irritability. Cannabis use has become increasingly popular among menopausal women, yet its significance to metabolic effects within this population is poorly understood. The endocannabinoid system plays a critical role in energy distribution, metabolism, and adiposity, which are altered during menopause. Ovariectomy (bilateral removal of ovaries) is often used in preclinical research to reduce the circulating levels of estrogens and mimic aspects of menopause. Aiming to test the ability of cannabis altering menopause-induced metabolic side effects, young adult (postnatal day 90) ovariectomized (OVX), and sham surgery (SHAM) female mice were exposed to 21 days of daily vaporized cannabis (CAN), vehicle (VEH, PEG-400), or room air sessions. Metabolic characteristics were tracked starting one week prior to OVX or sham surgery and throughout the 21 days of vapor exposure. Measurements included body weight, body composition, activity level in home cage, and pellets consumed daily. Following euthanasia, uteri and gonadal fat pads were weighed. Our preliminary data indicate that OVX surgery was successful, as uteri weighed significantly less in OVX compared to SHAM mice. Ongoing data collection will clarify whether cannabis modifies the effect of OVX on these outcome measures. Further data collection and analysis will allow further exploration of how cannabis interacts with menopausal metabolic shifts. This interaction can ultimately provide insight into potential adverse effects or therapeutic remedies for menopause aged females.

Attachment Theory is a widely utilized theory that examines how someone emotionally regulates, approaches relationships, and responds to negative stress throughout their life. Attachment Theory is relevant and useful in a diverse array of applications today because of its ability to categorize adults into different attachment styles, which explain how a person throughout their lifetime enters and sustains relationships. Attachment theory, being a strong tool to observe innate social and emotional traits in people, leads to the consideration that there could be correlations between attachment style and conscious behaviors.

A foundational element of behaviorism, and how behaviors are conditioned in people, is B.F. Skinner’s development of Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning utilizes the addition or removal of appetitive (reward) or aversive (punishment) stimuli to encourage or discourage different dimensions of behavior, intending to create permanent habit shifts in people’s lives. Operant conditioning techniques are applied in people’s daily lives, whether they are specifically aware of it or not. Despite it being accepted as a foundational and effective behavior modification technique, operant conditioning can produce negative effects if applied inappropriately. Power-dependence theory illustrates that the use of punishment can lead to the opposite of the desired results in conditioning, due to built resentment and a negative connotation towards both the conditioning and the conditioner; however, a complete lack of punishment and full reliance on reward can lead to a large loss of effectively sought results.

With a better understanding of why people’s responses vary to different operant conditioning techniques, the use of these conditioning techniques can be applied more effectively. The hypothesis of this study is that people with an avoidant attachment style will be more responsive to punishment, due to their stable view of relationships and independence, whereas people with a more anxious attachment style will be more responsive to reinforcement, due to their desire to aim for approval and avoid loss. By exploring potential intersections between the two theories, this study aims to explore a potential relationship between a person’s attachment style and their personal response to different operant conditioning techniques.

This project is centered around the preserved specimens used by the School of Biological Sciences for student instruction. These specimens are primarily housed in the Eastlick Hall teaching collection and the Charles R. Conner Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Many of those specimens are known to contain elevated levels of arsenic but present extremely valuable learning experiences for students. The main purpose of this investigation is the way that those specimens are handled by students, particularly considering the associated health risks and possible damage to specimens.

The manner in which this problem was explored involved three steps. Firstly, a direct sample was made from known or suspected arsenic-contaminated biological specimens to understand how severe the issue is. Secondly, students in classes handling specimens were given a questionnaire to discuss how many and what kind of safety precautions they were trained on in classes handling specimens. Thirdly, a literature review was conducted to see what existing steps other museums or governmental bodies have recommended for proper safe handling of animal specimens.

From this information, a few informal suggestions were applied to improve the handling of specimens for student health and prolonged integrity of specimens.

We developed an open-source, low-cost, automatic bioreactor system for converting organic waste into useful chemicals and fuels, such as methane and carboxylic acids, to substitute fossil-derived hydrocarbons and mitigate climate impacts. Automated lab-scale bioreactor systems are traditionally expensive, costing between $10,000 and $60,000 per unit. They also require proprietary sensors and control software, limiting the possibility for expansion and customization, which are often needed in research. The low-cost alternatives, on the other hand, are labor-intensive, as they typically require manual feeding, data logging, and controlling chemical conditions (e.g., pH). The manual operation also results in varying reactor conditions and low data resolution due to infrequent condition adjustments and long logging intervals.

To achieve low-cost automation while maintaining reliability, we designed an Arduino-based system, controlling a suite of sensors and valves, and developed modular software that can be easily modified and expanded based on users’ needs. Each unit can control 3 reactors, suitable for replicated experiments. After a successful trial of a testing unit, we have expanded into 4 parallel units that can control 12 reactors simultaneously. Figure 1 shows the design of a single unit. It integrates simultaneous measurement of pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP), real-time logging of sensor data and system events, queue-controlled valve activation with built-in safety interlocks, and an LCD-based user interface with intuitive joystick input. The material costs of the prototype unit totaled around $200, excluding the pH and ORP sensors, which are between $100 – 200 each. We believe such a design can be readily adopted by researchers, waste managers, and engineers for a broad range of uses - such as biotechnology development, design validation, and control strategy validation.

Figure 1. The right panel shows the design diagram for the system—an LCD screen, an SD module, a joystick, 6 valves, and 6 probe monitor modules all connected to an Arduino.

Next, we plan on transitioning from a breadboard-based design to a printed circuit board (PCB) to reduce system size, wiring complexity, and cost. Additional development will integrate base fluid volume control and fault detection and implement automated substrate feeding to further reduce manual involvement.

In 2025, the WSU horn ensemble got funding to attend the Northwest Horn Symposium in Eugene, Oregon, which occurred April 25-27th. During the 3-day event, the WSU horn ensemble did many things that benefited our musicianship, horn playing, and general music knowledge. We attended many concerts by well-known horn players in the northwest area, attended group workshops to help our horn playing, tried out many different horns, listened to professional presentations, and represented Washington State University at a concert by performing an impressive setlist. Some of the presentations we listened to included “Gallay as a composer”, “The Horn in Wind Music by Southeast Asian Composers”, “Horn Improvisations”, and “Gerbian Lessons for Horn Pedagogy”. The horn symposium was also very focused on learning the natural horn, which means the horn is being played with no valves, just the hand in the bell. Many of us before this did not know how to play the horn without the use of valves. This was a major skill for us to learn, and we still use it following the symposium.

Sexual assault is predominately perpetrated by male offenders with female victims, this is a social invariant that has not been questioned much by research, contributing to the limited access of resources and support for victims who do not fall under the “norm”. The dominant explanation for this invariant is based on the pervasive nature of traditional gender roles, in which women are expected to inhabit a passive, weak role, leaving men to be either protectors or predators. The existing research on female sex offenders and/or male victims of sex offenses has focused on establishing typologies of victims and their experiences. In this research project, I use legal cases to find patterns of differences between the ways in which female and male sex offenders get treated in the justice system as well as well as how male victims are constructed using newspapers to identify relevant cases. I expect to find that female sex offenders are treated more leniently than male sex offenders, but also that male victims of sex offenses are constructed as having more agency than female victims.

The design and development of inexpensive catalysts for the selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of bio-oils is crucial for the continued production of renewable biofuels. A key component in designing such catalysts is understanding the various reaction routes and kinetically relevant elementary steps over such catalysts under experimentally relevant conditions. Here, we study the tautomerization of phenol over an alkali-promoted Fe(110) catalyst exposed to a water environment, comparing this mechanism with direct C-O bond cleavage. We found that the size and electronegativity of the alkali metal is a deciding factor in its ability to both donate charge to the Fe catalyst, thus mitigating potential surface oxidation, and aid in the HDO of phenol. Cs, compared to K and Na, is found to donate the most charge to the Fe surface, even in the presence of the water environment. The alkali atoms, due to their hygroscopic nature, attract the water molecules towards themselves, mitigating their interaction with the metal surface. In fact, the presence of this water cluster creates a new, concerted mechanism for tautomerization, in which the hydrogen atom within the hydroxyl group interacts with both the nearby water molecule as well as the surface Fe atoms. Kinetic evaluation of the elementary steps shows that the more dominant products during HDO of phenolics at 350 °C on alkali-promoted Fe(110) surface are from the direct C-O bond cleavage mechanism, rather than either the metal-assisted or the concerted tautomerization mechanisms. This hints at tautomerization being inhibited under these conditions, favoring direct C-O bond cleavage, which creates a more facile pathway for favorable benzene production.

Black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) and white-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii) were once abundant across western North America. However, populations in both species have greatly declined across their range, especially in Washington. These declines have been attributed to early depredation control, altered predator communities, habitat loss, and climate change. Therefore, our study aimed to identify habitat characteristics associated with the occupancy of both species of jackrabbits using camera trap data images collected in two study areas in eastern Washington, Yakima Training Center (YTC) and Sagebrush Flats Wildlife Area (SBF). At each camera trap, we also measured features that could influence detection of jackrabbits and used remotely sensed GIS layers to determine vegetation, topography, landscape use, and other habitat variables. We created candidate occupancy models from these variables using statistical software programming, RStudio, and the fit of competing models were ranked using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC). Habitat characteristics that best predicted occupancy varied by study area and season. At Yakima Training Center, winter occupancy was positively associated with vegetation gaps (25-100 m) but negatively associated with shrub cover and bare ground. Fall occupancy was best explained by food-related models, but in the opposite direction expected, increasing with decreasing shrubs and perennial and annual forbs and grasses. For white-tailed jackrabbits at YTC, occupancy revealed a quadratic relationship with elevation, peaking at about 725 m. At SBF, winter occupancy increased when water sources, shrub edge, and roads were closer and elevation higher, but declined with the cover of shrubs, litter, bare ground, and small gaps. Spring occupancy also increased with nearby water and roads, but declined with elevation. Their probability of occupancy was also higher in shrublands and farmlands than grassland. Our models will expand the limited knowledge available for wildlife managers on jackrabbit ecology, distribution, and habitat selection in the sagebrush steppe in eastern Washington. Additionally, these findings could inform a review of the state conservation status (e.g., Threatened or Endangered) of both jackrabbit species.

Muscle contraction is a highly coordinated process driven by the precise interaction of hundreds of proteins. When these proteins become dysregulated, it can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, a common and often lethal heart disease that results from abnormal force generation within cardiac muscle. At the core of this process are sarcomeres, the basic contractile units of muscle fibers containing overlapping thick and thin filaments whose interactions drive contraction. The thin filaments are composed of actin and actin-binding proteins such as Leiomodin-2 (Lmod2) that can bind to the end and to the sides of thin filaments. To study how Lmod2 binds to the sides of thin filaments and to determine the role of this binding in muscle contraction, the C-terminal fragment of Lmod2 was purified. To isolate the sequence of interest, cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage was used. Cyanogen bromide cleavage sites were introduced and removed through site-directed mutagenesis, and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the presence of the correct mutations. This DNA was used to transform BL21 (DE3) E. coli cells, and protein expression was verified by SDS–PAGE. This process was repeated to introduce a total of four sequential mutations. The mutated protein of interest was then mass expressed in BL21 (DE3) E. coli cells, lysed via sonication, and purified using nickel-NTA affinity chromatography and dialysis. Future work will use this purified fragment in actin-binding assays to characterize Lmod2 side-binding interactions and clarify its role in thin filament regulation.

The age structure of the global population has shifted dramatically in recent years. Improvements in healthcare and reduced fertility rates have contributed to a growing proportion of older adults. As of 2018, adults aged 65 and older outnumbered children under age 5 for the first time in history. Because aging is associated with cognitive decline, this demographic shift highlights the need to identify potential strategies that may be implemented to increase the quality of life for these older adults.

According to Attention Restoration Theory (ART), exposure to natural environments promotes restoration from cognitive fatigue, thereby improving attentional functioning. However, previous research on age and nature exposure has produced contradicting results, with national trends suggesting older adults in urban areas have greater cognitive function than their rural counterparts, contradicting ART predictions. These differences may reflect disparities in healthcare access and education, complicating the rural-to-urban comparison when examining effects of nature exposure.

To address these limitations, the current study focuses on a more specific measure of environmental exposure—neighborhood greenspace quantified by tree canopy coverage. The Cognition, Aging, & Temperature (CAT) study recruited adults over the age of 50 with cognitive functions ranging from normal to mild cognitive impairment (n = 70). Participant ZIP codes were used to estimate tree canopy coverage as an objective index of greenspace exposure.

Cognitive performance was assessed using standardized neuropsychological evaluations. Primary analyses will focus on attentional performance (e.g., sustained attention and attentional control), assessed via WAIS-IV Digit Span Forward and Backward, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and Oral Trails A. Secondary analyses will examine executive functioning (e.g., cognitive flexibility, planning, monitoring) via D-KEFS, Oral Trails B, NAB categories, Clock Drawing, and the 5-Point Test. Attentional outcomes were designated as primary due to their central role in ART, while executive functioning outcomes were designated as secondary to assess broader cognitive effects of greenspace exposure.

This project aims to clarify whether greater neighborhood greenspace is associated with improved attention and other related cognitive outcomes in older adults. Understanding these relationships provides potential interventions and insights to support healthy cognitive aging in a rapidly growing older population.

Spermatogenesis is a coordinated developmental process responsible for the continual production of spermatozoa. This process depends on the continuous crosstalk and regulation between germ cells and Sertoli cells to facilitate germ cell proliferation and maturation within the testis. In the seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cells act as key regulators by forming the blood-testis barrier, supplying nutrients and excreting signaling cues that help establish and maintain the germ cell niche. Developmentally, the Notch signaling pathway has been shown to be a key regulator of cell fate decisions, however its specific role in the testes and how it regulates germ cell differentiation is not completely understood. Delta-like non-canonical ligand 1 (DLK1) is known to bind to Notch receptors and has been associated with regulating stem cell differentiation in multiple tissues. DLK1 has also been shown to be expressed during early phases of spermatogenesis. To investigate this, we will use an NGN3-Cre driven knockout mouse model to delete DLK1 in undifferentiated spermatogonia. For this, testis will be collected from Ngn3+ DLK1 (fl/fl) (DLK1 cKO) and (Ngn3^- DLK1 (fl/fl) control mice and stained to investigate how the loss of DLK1 from germ cells impacts spermatogenesis. We will use a testis synchronization protocol where mice are given a daily oral dose of bisdichloroacetyldiamine (BDAD) to prevent the initial synthesis of retinoic acid within the testis between 2-9 days postpartum. Afterwards, mice are provided a dose of retinoic acid (RA) resulting in a synchronized spermatogonia differentiation. The testis will then be collected 18 hours after RA administration in both the DLK1 cKO and WT animals and stained to look at the morphology and immunohistochemistry of Stra8 expression, a known marker of differentiated spermatogonia. This will allow for a more focused investigation of how the loss of DLk1 influences self-renewal and differentiation decisions of spermatogonia. Overall, we hypothesize that the conditional knockout of DLK1 and its regulatory role within the Notch pathway during the early stages of spermatogenesis will result in an increased amount of spermatogonia.

Attempts to synthesize Th(IV) from Th(IV)Cl₄DME_x and two equivalents of Na^Et3TerNH (^Et3Ter = 2,6(2,4,6-Et₃C₆H₂)₂C₆H₃) was expected to produce Th(IV)(^Et3TerNH)₂Cl₂; however, the product differed from the bis-amide. Stoichiometric ligand additions to the metal center proved difficult as multiple products were observed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Although X-ray diffraction-quality crystals have not been obtained, the use of an internal standard allowed ligand quantification on the metal center by ¹H NMR spectroscopy as Th(IV)(^Et3TerNH)₃Cl and Th(IV)(^Et3TerNH)₂Cl₂. Finding the optimal reaction solvent and temperature was challenging for this project since the ligand to metal center stoichiometry was a dependent factor. The optimized solvent conditions were toluene at room temperature over four hours which produces the most Th(IV)((^Et3TerNH)₂Cl₂. Work is underway to reduce Th(IV)((^Et3TerNH)₂Cl₂ with KC₈ to synthesize the proposed Th(II) “synthon” Th(IV)(^Et3TerNH)_2.. The synthesis of the Th(II) “synthon” will give insight into low-valent thorium compounds.

For over a millennia jellyfish have inhabited the oceans and, are common ancestors to many species that reside on the planet, but there still resides a knowledge gap in their how their tissue develops through time. Though they lack true tissues, much information can be gleaned from learning about how they develop. We analyzed three different Moon Jellyfish at different parts in their development. Here, we present a comparative histological analysis of jellyfish at different times in their development. We focus on cellular organization and connective tissue composition. Tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) to assess overall tissue architecture and cellular morphology, and Herovici stain was used to differentiate between mature and immature collagen in connective tissues. Microscopic analysis focuses on tissue layering, density of specialized structures, and patterns of collagen distribution in each organism. This data will give us insights into how these jellyfish’s skin develops throughout their development, and further research could reveal how they are adapting to rising sea temperatures.

This research examines the historical evolution of American tariff policy and evaluates the economic implications of the United States’ recent trends. U.S. tariff policy has shifted throughout its history, from revenue generation, to industrial protection, then to reciprocal trade liberalization, and now recently back towards protective measures.

In our nation’s infancy, tariffs served primarily as a source of federal revenue. Legislation, such as the Tariff Act of 1789, provided the young government with essential funding before the establishment of systems like the Federal Income Tax. However, following the Civil War and the rise of industrialization, tariff policies focused more on protection of domestic industries from foreign competitors. While measures like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act were intended to stabilize domestic markets, high tariff rates contributed to retaliatory trade policies and shrinking of global trade during the Great Depression. In response, U.S. trade policy shifted in the mid 20th century towards free and open trade. The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act marked a turning point by granting the executive branch authority to negotiate tariff reductions. This led to lower trade barriers and more economic interdependence, fueling more global trade. The 2016 and 2024 elections, however, signaled another shift. Under President Donald Trump, tariffs were raised to address trade deficits and protect domestic industries, particularly against Chinese imports. This research argues that while tariffs have historically provided short-term economic or political benefits, periods of economic growth in the United States have generally blossomed from policies favoring trade openness. By analyzing these historical transitions, this study assesses whether renewed protectionism represents a corrective strategy or a departure from long term American economic development.

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in men; 1 out of 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with approximately 375,000 casualties annually worldwide. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a protein overexpressed on prostate cancer cells, thus making it an ideal target for cancer imaging and treatment. Targeting systems that selectively bind to PSMA are used to deliver imaging tools or therapeutic drugs directly to the cancer cells while limiting the adverse effects on the healthy tissue surrounding it. This study focused on the optimization and development of a new PSMA targeting molecule (FPO42) for use in the development of a new generation of PSMA-targeted chemotherapeutics. The Berkman group has previously demonstrated that PSMA-targeted small-molecule drug-conjugates (SMDCs), such as CTT2274, are effective at treating prostate tumors in a mouse model. In order to simplify the synthesis of such SMDCs, a PSMA-targeting molecule, such as FPO42, with better spectral properties was needed. The preparation of FPO42 involved a multi-step organic synthesis to the specific prostate cancer cells. Individual reaction steps were systematically evaluated to improve overall efficiency and yield. Some of the optimization strategies included refinement of reaction conditions and streamlined purification techniques to reduce material loss. The resulting reaction synthesis provided a reproducible molecular pathway that generates a PSMA-targeting molecule for future use in the next generation of SMDCs.

Cocaine use disorder remains a serious public health concern, and no approved medications reliably prevent relapse. A central challenge in treatment is the persistence of powerful drug-associated memories, as environmental cues linked to cocaine use can trigger intense craving even after prolonged abstinence. Understanding how these memories are stored and maintained in the brain is essential for developing better treatments.

This project focuses on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a key region for decision-making, impulse control, and relapse. Within this mPFC, parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons regulate local circuit activity and coordinate network rhythms that support memory processing and communication across brain regions. Many PV neurons are enwrapped by perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures that stabilize synaptic connections and restrict plasticity in the adult brain.

Our previous findings show that enzymatic removal of PNNs in the mPFC disrupts cocaine-associated memories in rats when those memories are reactivated. We hypothesize that removing these structures reduces PV neuron activity and disrupts coordinated brain rhythms that are linked to memory processing, thereby reopening a window for therapeutic modification.

To test how distinct reactivation conditions alter mPFC circuit function, male and female rats underwent 14 days of cocaine self-administration under a fixed-ratio 1 (FR1) schedule to establish stable drug intake. After acquisition, animals experienced either a standard FR1 reactivation or a variable-ratio (VR5) reactivation protocol designed to engage memory updating processes. Twenty-four hours post-reactivation, whole-cell electrophysiological recordings from mPFC slices assessed intrinsic properties, firing dynamics, and inhibitory synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons and fast-spiking interneurons (generally surrounded by PNNs). Preliminary results reveal that VR5 memory reactivation selectively enhances inhibitory synaptic transmission in males, with no comparable effect in females, suggesting sex-dependent circuit adaptations in memory regulation.

By elucidating how specific mPFC cell types and extracellular matrix components stabilize persistent drug memories, this work identifies cellular and temporal targets for intervention. Strategies that transiently increase cortical plasticity, such as enzymatic modulation of PNNs or pharmacological manipulation of inhibitory tone during memory reactivation, may enable selective weakening of drug-related memories and inform new neurobiological treatments for relapse prevention.

Pests are a significant threat to agriculture, as they can inflict damage and transmit pathogens, reducing crop yield and quality. Landscape heterogeneity and multiple suitable hosts enable vectors to survive and disperse, increasing the risk of pathogen transmission. An important pest of cereal production is the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer) which can infect wheat and corn, two major commercial crops in Washington, and transmits Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus and High Plains Mosaic Virus. Corn is likely to act as a green-bridge crop for the mites, allowing them to persist into the growing season after their primary host, wheat, has matured and dried. Relying on wind currents, they can disperse to nearby corn fields, allowing for the transmission of both viruses to corn Due to the mites’ dispersal range ability to transmit multiple viruses, heat tolerance, and the viruses’ effect on the host, this viral complex has been associated with millions of dollars in annual wheat yield loss and international trade complications for corn. Growers rely on cultural practices like breaking green-bridges and planting resistant varieties when available to reduce viral infection. Since asymptomatic infections are common to this system, we looked to identify the optimal growth stage to visually identify symptomatic corn. To identify this, we collected vegetative tissue samples from asymptomatic and symptomatic corn plants at twenty, forty, and sixty days after planting. Each sample was tested for both viruses using RT-PCR and ELISA. Molecular assays detected 229 positive plants for HPWMoV across sampling periods, with HPWMoV detections increasing over time. Overall, 33.6% of HPWMoV-positive plants were asymptomatic. The highest proportion of asymptomatic infections was observed at 40 days after planting. The decline in asymptomatic infections at later sampling dates indicates that symptom severity increased as the season progressed potentially reflecting changes in vector abundance over time. These findings indicate that visual detection is more reliable later in the season as symptom expression increases. Identifying when infections become symptomatic improves field monitoring and supports timely management decisions to reduce the impact of this mite-virus complex.

Research on leadership tends to highlight a Western perspective. This study aims to fill this gap by examining leadership effectiveness in addressing community-identified needs across multiple Kenyan organizations. Previous research shows that culture is a tool that can be used by a community leader to increase their impact. Having cultural knowledge can create more efficient and impactful leaders who deeply understand the challenges their communities face. Leaders who operate with a collectivist mindset are often more direct and supportive, which can make a team stronger. Through a study abroad partnership with EDU Africa, several organizations were chosen for us to work with and learn from. Grounded theory was used throughout the process to analyze results and develop questions. Leadership rooted in collectivist values and internal capacity building was found to be more sustainable across organizations. Effective leadership emphasized consistency, trust, and long term investment in local expertise over outside authority.

Rare Earth Elements (REE), like the lanthanides series, are gaining recognition as an important component promoting the advance of sustainable transportation and technology. To support the growing demand of a nonrenewable resource, as well as to efficiently mine REE, understanding the conditions in which they most abundantly form, as well as how they interact and incorporate with surrounding elements, becomes increasingly important. As the most abundant element in the Earth, the interaction between iron and REE is important to consider. In this research, we aimed to quantify the incorporation of REE fluorides in common ores.

We recreated the natural synthesis of REE in the Earth’s crust by simulating a hydrothermal reaction. Sealing the reactants in a titanium autoclave while heating in a hot oven prevents the expansion of the gases, and superheats the water, reflecting the natural process taking place in the pressurized underground. After purifying and separating the results, we analyzed the liquid phase and solid phase using characterization techniques including XRD, XRF, and SEM, comparing both the incorporation between the two phases, as well as the influence of Iron on incorporation in general. This data gave us information about the elemental composition (XRF), the molecular structure/shape (XRD), and the larger-scale particle shape (SEM), which we used to identify distinctions between different reaction conditions.

Our results showed interesting correlations between the incorporation of certain REE with and without iron. In particular, we found an interesting distinction between how the lighter and heavier REE were incorporated. By understanding the reaction conditions for REE formation in the presence of common ores like iron, we can better understand where to mine them naturally. This information would greatly improve the efficiency of REE mining, and enable society to proceed with production of the sustainable technology that uses them.

Undetected and Delayed Diagnoses: Narrowing Down Universal Primers for New World Orthopoxvirus Detection

With the increasing incidence of Mpox and related orthopoxvirus outbreaks, critical gaps in rapid, field-deployable diagnostics at the veterinary-human interface are highlighted. Many species belonging to orthopoxvirus are zoonotic in nature, with veterinary clinics often being the first points of contact. Due to the current lack of accessible tools for early decisions, a robust, PCR-based diagnostic assay targeting conserved genomic regions of orthopoxviruses must be developed. This will enable broad-spectrum detection across species. There is a genealogical split between viruses found in the Americas — New World (NW) orthopoxviruses — and those found in Europe, Asia, and Africa — Old World (OW) orthopoxviruses. There are currently several universal PCR primers developed for detecting strains of OW orthopoxviruses, but when it comes to NW orthopoxviruses, the universality of existing detection methods comes into question. This study aims to create a proper way of detecting NW orthopoxviruses through the testing of 30 different universal primers. First, systematic literature review was done to define the primer-specific PCR conditions, including annealing temperatures and reaction parameters, for each of the 30 universal primers. In-silico PCR was performed to establish which primers can be utilized for amplification. Through in-silico PCR, it was found that 12 of the 30 primers could amplify both the NW and OW orthopoxviruses. However, none of the 30 primers could amplify NW raccoonpox. Future experiments will use SYBR Green-based qPCR along with gel electrophoresis to define the assay’s detection limit for specific viral genomic targets. Developing reliable diagnostic testing for a veterinary clinical setting improves zoonotic disease management.

The tax-exempt status of a nonprofit hinges on a simple deal: public service in exchange for transparency. Unfortunately, that deal is often one-sided. Even though large nonprofits have the resources and staff to file accurate paperwork, many submit Form 990s that are essentially hollow. From missing executive pay to vague program expenses, these omissions aren't just clerical errors; they make real public oversight impossible

This research investigates the scope and patterns of omissions in 990 filings from Washington State nonprofits with annual revenues exceeding $3 million. The guiding question is: what information are these organizations systematically withholding, and what does this reveal about governance transparency and reporting in the nonprofit sector in Washington State?

This study looks at 990 filings across Washington’s healthcare and social service sectors to identify exactly what is being left out of public view. Research will include tracking several key metrics- from executive compensation to asset accuracy- to see where transparency breaks down. By pairing quantitative data on missing forms with a qualitative look at vague reporting, the research can pinpoint which organizations are meeting their transparency obligations and which are systematically failing.

This research contributes to original scholarly work by providing evidence-based documentation of nonprofit regulatory failures. While nonprofit governance is well-studied, framing these omissions through a criminal justice lens- as failures in institutional accountability and public oversight- is novel. At the end of the day, this isn't just a governance problem; it’s a matter of institutional integrity and fraud prevention.

This work will be shared through peer-reviewed publications in nonprofit governance and criminal justice scholarship, direct presentation at the WSU Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities conference, and outreach to state-level nonprofit regulatory bodies. The goal is moving nonprofit accountability from an academic observation to actionable policy consideration.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder with a higher prevalence in females and is characterized by visceral hypersensitivity. Visceral hypersensitivity is a disorder of gut-brain interaction in which nerves in the digestive tract become oversensitive, causing the brain to interpret normal sensations as discomfort or pain. Accumulating evidence suggests that sensory signals originating from the gastrointestinal tract are received by the basolateral amygdala (BLA) via the gut brain axis. The BLA is integral to the processing of emotions, sensory input, and associative learning; thus, the BLA is likely to contribute to emotion-related visceral reactions. Yet it is unknown how BLA activity contributes to the development of visceral hypersensitivity in IBS. We hypothesize that the BLA is reactive to sensory signals from the colon and that the history of IBS will amplify BLA neuronal activity in response to sensory stimulation of the colon. To test this hypothesis, an IBS mouse model was established by utilizing intracolonic administration of trinitrobenzene sulfuric acid (TNBS) to induce transient colonic inflammation, followed by a full recovery period. In vivo fiber photometry was employed to measure the calcium dynamics of BLA neurons in response to colon stimulation before and after TNBS. The response of BLA neurons was evaluated to three different sensory stimulations in the colon: mechanical (distension), chemical (capsaicin), and osmotic (bile salts) pre- and post-TNBS. Changes in calcium dynamics were compared across groups, and it was observed that BLA calcium dynamics increased in response to mechanical and chemical stimulation of the colon, however, this effect was independent of TNBS. Initial findings suggest colonic stimulation activates BLA neurons, yet the effect of IBS history on this response requires further research. Overall, the research advances understanding of gut brain axis neural circuity involved in the symptoms of IBS. These findings may propose novel future therapeutic strategies that are aimed at targeting IBS complications.

Cleaning gels are highly popular off the shelf materials for cleaning household materials. We have shown that these cleaning gel materials are effective in cleaning radioactive contamination off sensitive electronics. Although these materials are capable radioactive decontamination materials, the physical properties that make these materials effective are unclear. This poster describes the rheology of these cleaning gels, comparing them to household foods to better understand how cleaning gels interact with an electronic surface.

In the U.S., there are insufficient resources for individuals struggling with mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. The California CARE Courts, created in 2023, is a new program that aims to aid individuals struggling with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. I ask: Do mental health and criminal justice professionals believe that the San Francisco CARE Court meets its objective of providing treatment to individuals struggling with mental health disorders? Why or why not? To answer this question, I will interview professionals and take field notes of public meetings about the CARE Courts.

Microbial communities within soil play a central role in nutrient cycling, soil structure, and organic matter decomposition. Due to this relationship, they serve as a strong indicator of overall soil health. These relationships are well known; however, how they correlate with electrochemical signals such as current is far less understood. Many microbial functions generally rely on electron transfer, using electron donors and acceptors to help carry out respiration. Specific microbes can receive and donate electrons using solid-state donors and acceptors, such as electrodes. It is these microbes that we are highly interested in, because electrochemical signals have been used to monitor their activity and growth over time. Considering this, our goal is to correlate measurable real-time electrochemical signals to the initial microbial activity in soil. Accurately measuring microbial activity with a bioelectrochemical sensor could be important for quick measurements of microbial activity in soil that can inform of soil health. To simulate a change in initial microbial activity, healthy soil and triple autoclaved soil were blended at different percentages before running bioassays or electrochemical experiments. Our findings indicate a linear trend between enzyme activity and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis as a proxy for microbial activity when compared to the soil’s maximum current density. Unexpectedly, our electrochemical measurements indicate that this trend is only linear within a range of healthy soil mixed with autoclaved soil. This could be due to the autoclaving process used, which typically causes the breakdown of complex carbon sources, making them more readily metabolized and thus further enriching any electrochemically active microbes within the soil. Overall, our findings determined that a soil’s maximum current density is an indicator for its total microbial activity and nutrient makeup, without requiring additional information on specific microbial compositions.

USB-based HID attacks exploit the implicit trust operating systems place in Human Interface Devices (HIDs). This project demonstrates a BadUSB-style attack using a Raspberry Pi Pico that emulates a keyboard to deploy a Python TCP keylogger onto a Windows 11 system. The implementation builds on open-source HID payload frameworks, embedded-hardware research such as IRON-HID, and publicly available keylogging architectures. This paper analyzes USB trust assumptions, describes the attack pipeline, reviews research on embedded USB exploitation, and presents preliminary findings from real-system testing.

The adolescent period represents a critical time of brain development, and daily cannabis use during this period is becoming increasingly common. Prior research has linked cannabis exposure during adolescence to impairments in executive functioning, such as cognitive flexibility. However, the neural mechanisms driving these impairments are not well understood. Cognitive flexibility is supported by the dynamic activity of parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and ongoing studies in our lab indicate hyperexcitability of PV interneurons in the mPFC of rats that were exposed to vaporized cannabis during adolescence. However, the long-term impact of adolescent cannabis exposure on the activity of mPFC PV interneurons during flexible decision making remains unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of vaporized cannabis exposure during adolescence on cognitive flexibility and associated recruitment of mPFC PV interneurons during correct vs. incorrect trials in an operant-based attentional set-shifting task. Adolescent male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=8-12/sex/group) received daily non-contingent vaporized cannabis extract (63.9% THC; extract diluted to 150 mg/ml) or vehicle (polyethylene glycol-400) exposure from postnatal day (P) 35-55 (3-s ‘puff’ every 2 min for 60 min). On ~P58, rats received unilateral microinfusions of a PV enhancer virus (AAV.PHP.eb-S5E2-dTom-nlsdTom; 300nl/side) into the prelimbic (PL) subregion of the mPFC. After a two-week washout period, cognitive flexibility testing began, and fiber photometry recordings of peak Ca2+ fluorescence in PV cells were conducted during the shift and reversal phases of the task. Preliminary data indicate that adolescent cannabis exposure produces significant deficits in set-shifting (but not reversal learning) performance, and this corresponds to increased activity of PV interneurons in cannabis-exposed rats specifically after a correct (but not incorrect) response. Thus, adolescent cannabis exposure may impair cognitive flexibility in adulthood via altered recruitment of PV interneurons in the mPFC. Altogether, these findings highlight potential circuit-level targets for mitigating the enduring cognitive consequences of adolescent cannabis use.

The transition to college is a major time of change in many young people’s lives. Many new undergraduates will experience moving, attending a new school, establishing an academic major, and developing new friendships simultaneously. During this time of great change, many undergraduates turn to fraternities and sororities to fill their needs for social relationships. Over one-fifth of undergraduates at WSU (22%) are involved in fraternities and sororities (WSU Admissions, 2026). Although involvement in Greek life can provide support for new students’ social, academic, and leadership outcomes (Even & Smith, 2018; Walker et al., 2015), some prior research has found that members of Greek life demonstrate higher levels of engaging in risky behavior and increased risk of life-long mental health problems (Burns, 2015; Michael, 2015). The goal of the present study is to compare the mental health outcomes of Greek and non-Greek affiliated WSU students, using a sample enrolled in an introductory social science course. Greek-affiliated students were also asked to describe the benefits and challenges they experienced as members of their organizations. A total of 112 undergraduates have participated in the study to date (n=112, Greek=31, non-Greek=81; M_Age=19.08 years, SD=1.06).Greek-affiliated students had significantly lower depression scores (M=8.22 vs. M=12.2, t(49.8)=3.04, p < .01), lower loneliness scores (M=38.3 vs. M=43.7, t(57.9)=2.33, p < .05), and higher social connectedness scores relative to non-affiliated students (M=32.0 vs. M=26.3, t(57.4)=3.48, p < .001). Our preliminary findings suggest that in the present sample, Greek-affiliated students reported more positive mental health outcomes. We will also present the results of our emergent, thematic coding of students perceived benefits and challenges to Greek-life affiliation (e.g., social time together; supportive community; high financial costs). Our results have important implications for undergraduate students and universities on the potential benefits of Greek affiliation, in contrast to prior research that has demonstrated significant risks. However, future research is needed to determine if these associations vary developmentally (e.g., for first-years versus later-years) and the specific features of Greek life that predict mental health benefits.

In Washington State, migrant students are identified as a high-risk population with Migrant students frequently navigating food insecurity, economic instability, language barriers, and family obligations that disrupt their educational trajectories. While targeted programs exist to create equity for these students only half receive priority and further only 57% receive educational support reveal large gaps in migrant student access to these programs. While existing research documents these structural barriers, far less research examines how programs specifically designed for migrant students support their transition into higher education.

This study explores how the Dare to Dream program specifically supports migrant students’ transition to and experiences in higher education by centering student perspectives. Dare to Dream seeks to strengthen students’ educational aspirations, confidence, and knowledge of college pathways through mentorship and meaningful campus exposure. Using a qualitative approach, this study examines how participants describe the program’s role in shaping their college aspirations and decision-making processes, as well as which program components students identify as most supportive. By highlighting migrant students’ lived experiences, this research underscores the importance of targeted support programs in promoting college readiness, persistence, and long-term educational opportunities for migrant youth.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet many diagnostic methods remain invasive, costly, or difficult to access. The Eye2Heart project explores an alternative approach by investigating how signals from the eye—such as blood flow and pressure—can reflect the overall behavior of the cardiovascular system. Because the eye is one of the few places in the body where blood vessels can be observed noninvasively, it offers a unique window into the health of the heart.

This research focuses on developing a mathematical model that describes how blood flows between the heart and both eyes simultaneously. Earlier versions of the model considered only a single eye, which limited their ability to capture the natural symmetry and interaction present in human physiology. The dual Eye2Heart model expands on this work by representing both eyes and their shared connection to the heart, creating a more realistic and comprehensive system.

The model is built using equations that describe how blood pressure and flow change over time based on physical principles and known physiological behavior. These equations are implemented computationally using Python and MATLAB, allowing simulations of how changes in heart function or vascular properties might influence blood flow to the eyes. By testing different parameters and conditions, the model can be used to explore how cardiovascular abnormalities may produce measurable effects in ocular circulation.

The goal of this work is not to replace clinical diagnostics, but to provide a foundational tool that supports future research into noninvasive cardiovascular screening techniques. By improving the realism and flexibility of mathematical models linking the heart and eyes, this project contributes to ongoing efforts to better understand complex physiological systems using computational methods. Ultimately, the dual Eye2Heart model serves as a steppingstone toward future studies that may help clinicians detect cardiovascular disease earlier and with fewer invasive procedures.

This research-driven design project investigates loneliness and social isolation in higher education as systemic, spatially reinforced conditions rather than temporary emotional states. Titled Loneliness and Social Isolation in Higher Education, the study examines prevalence, risk factors, behavioral patterns, and mental health impacts among U.S. college students, drawing from national data including the Healthy Minds Network. Findings indicate that nearly two-thirds of college students report feeling lonely, and those experiencing loneliness are four times more likely to experience severe psychological distress. Despite campuses being socially dense environments, many students report feeling invisible, disconnected, and unsupported.

The project distinguishes between loneliness an internal, subjective emotional state and social isolation an observable behavioral condition characterized by limited interaction. This distinction reveals that increasing social activity alone does not guarantee belonging. Vulnerable populations, including first-generation, commuter, transfer, international, low-income, racial/ethnic minority, and LGBTQ+ students, experience disproportionately higher rates of isolation due to structural and transitional barriers. Early patterns of avoidance, reduced campus mobility, and limited engagement in communal spaces often become reinforced over time.

Beyond emotional outcomes, loneliness directly affects academic performance, retention, and overall campus satisfaction. Students experiencing isolation are more likely to disengage from coursework, avoid group-based environments, and consider withdrawing from university. The research identifies isolation as multi-dimensional academic, social, and psychological each shaped by spatial conditions such as circulation, visibility, thresholds, and access to informal gathering spaces.

Positioning isolation as a design problem, the project proposes spatial strategies that prioritize autonomy, choice, and layered levels of interaction. Rather than promoting constant social intensity, the design intent focuses on lowering the social risk of participation through flexible environments, transitional “in-between” spaces, and low-pressure pathways to engagement. By reframing loneliness as an environmental and structural challenge, this project argues that thoughtful spatial intervention can support presence, encourage gradual connection, and ultimately foster a stronger sense of belonging within higher education environments.

This study explores the use of kerfing, a precision relief-cutting technique to enhance the flexibility of biobased materials and expand their potential for architectural and design applications. Biobased materials such as wood, bamboo, cork, and bioplastics are derived from renewable natural sources and are increasingly valued in sustainable architecture. Although these materials possess inherent flexibility, this quality is often reduced when they are processed into rigid sheets, limiting their ability to accommodate complex geometries and curved forms. This research investigates how predefined relief-cutting patterns, applied through laser cutting rather than traditional kerfing tools, can reintroduce controlled flexibility without causing material breakage or deformation.

Five kerfing geometries—linear, diamond, triangular, wave, and radial—were examined to evaluate their effects on the structural performance of chipboard and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Experimental testing focused on bendability, bending capacity, and resilience under pressure using 10 × 4-inch samples. Each test was repeated ten times under consistent laboratory conditions to ensure reliability. Preliminary results indicate that wave and linear kerfing patterns significantly increase material flexibility while maintaining structural integrity. In contrast, radial kerfing demonstrated limited bendability and greater susceptibility to fatigue over repeated loading.

This research highlights kerfing as a simple yet effective strategy for expanding the design potential of wood-based and cork materials in architecture and furniture design. By correlating bending performance with kerf geometry and material properties, the study contributes to sustainable design practices through material efficiency and adaptability. The second phase of the research will further evaluate kerfing capacity by varying cut size, pattern placement, and material thickness to refine performance outcomes and design applications.

The goal of this project is to use m-line spectroscopy, an optical technique, to find the refractive indices (material dependent bending of light) and thicknesses of polymers that have been deposited onto glass substrates.

First, polymers are uniformly deposited onto substrates using a spin coating device. Polymers are spun thinly, to micron level precision, so advanced techniques are needed in order to accurately measure this depth without disturbing the film.

To do this, we use a precisely tuned continuous wave laser, aimed at a prism that has a polymer sample on glass beneath it, with a glass fiber below that. This sandwiching technique allows for the generation of a ‘wet spot’ which is the direct interface between the prism and film. When the beam is tuned, then aimed at the wet spot with proper orientation, a dark line is visible in the reflected image, due to light coupling into the system instead of reflecting back out. This is the m-line.

Depending on the characteristics of the polymer, multiple m-lines may be visible. We built a simulation to predict how many we could expect to see.

By measuring the brightness of the reflected light at different points on the m-line, using different colored beams to get different spectra, we can deduce the refractive index and thickness of a thin film to high precision.

With these characterized polymers, our lab will be able to build a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR), by layering precisely cut polymers according to their refractive indices, which we will use to analyze nonlinear optical phenomena.

Scope/Context: Female genital mutilation (FGM) continues to affect millions globally, yet the reasons individuals and communities support or oppose it are deeply entrenched. This research investigates the social attitudes and cultural reasoning surrounding FGM, synthesizing insights from anthropology, communication studies, and historical analysis to illuminate the forces that sustain or challenge the practice. By examining both perspectives, including those of communities that defend FGM, this research uncovers the social and cultural logic underlying a deeply contentious practice.

Research Approach: Using a social sciences framework, the research focuses on patterns in cultural beliefs and ethical reasoning. Sources were analyzed to highlight how social norms, gender expectations, religion, and community identity shape support for FGM, and to show the arguments and approaches taken by those who oppose it. The synthesis shows how tradition, social pressure, and identity interact with human rights discourse.

Significance and Insights: This research provides a deeper understanding of FGM by revealing how social and cultural factors shape support for and opposition to the practice. The insights gained have relevance for scholars, educators, and policymakers concerned with health, gender equity, cross-cultural communication, and the relationship between social norms and human well-being

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is widely underdiagnosed despite its prevalence, prompting community-based health fair screenings as an accessible detection tool. Understanding screening outcomes and intervention barriers is critical for developing public health strategies that address untreated hearing loss. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to understand health fair hearing screenings and their impact on people with hearing loss.

METHODS: We held a community clinic that offered free hearing assessments with immediate pass/fail results. All participants received individualized counseling on their results; a subgroup completing a follow-up interview 2-3 weeks later discussing whether they made any changes in behavior related to their hearing screening. All hearing screening results were retrospectively scored to determine the severity of hearing loss. Our research question was: Does severity of hearing loss affect people's decision to change their behavior related to hearing loss?

ANALYSIS: We conducted a chi-square test for group differences, an analysis of variance test (ANOVA) to compare group means for hearing loss and behavior change, and a multilinear regression to explore factors that affected behavior change.

RESULTS: A multiple linear regression examined predictors of self-reported change. The overall model showed a moderate association (R = .476), explaining 22.7% of the variance (R² = .227). However, the adjusted R² was low (.063), suggesting over-specification relative to sample size. Severity rating was the only significant predictor (B = −0.339, β = −.324, p = .049, 95% CI [−.676, −.002]). Each one-unit increase in severity was associated with a 0.34-unit decrease in reported change, controlling other variables. No other predictors were statistically significant. The results showed that the severity of health fair hearing screenings may function as a barrier to behavior change.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that individuals with more severe hearing loss likely need more structured follow-up, caregiver engagement, simplified recommendations, implementation supports, repeated counseling, and possible motivational scaffolding. This project contributes to this research by demonstrating the importance of health fairs and outlining future improvements as structured follow-up protocols based on severity levels, simplified referral instructions, and multilingual materials.

Ferroptosis is a form of iron-dependent cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids and has emerged as a critical process linking lipid metabolism to oxidative cell death. Understanding how lipid metabolism influences ferroptosis remains an open question, specifically regarding the enzymatic pathways that modify oxidized lipid intermediates. In Caenorhabditis elegans, dietary supplementation with dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) induces germ cell death, consistent with ferroptotic mechanisms, providing a genetically controllable in vivo system to investigate how specific lipid-modifying enzymes regulate ferroptotic sensitivity. My project focuses on the role of two predicted epoxide hydrolases, CEEH-1 and CEEH-2, in regulating DGLA-induced ferroptosis. Epoxide hydrolases catalyze the conversion of lipid epoxides into diols and may therefore influence the stability of oxidized lipid species involved in ferroptosis. Genetic and pathway-based evidence suggests that CEEH-1 and CEEH-2 function redundantly within the same metabolic pathway, raising the possibility that loss of a single enzyme may be insufficient to disrupt pathway activity. A central question guiding this work is whether the modification of DGLA-derived lipid species by epoxide hydrolases is required for ferroptosis initiation. To address this, I am generating a ceeh-1;ceeh-2 double mutant strain to determine whether simultaneous inhibition of both enzymes alters susceptibility to DGLA-induced ferroptotic germ cell death. Following molecular confirmation of double mutants, the nematodes will be subjected to dietary DGLA treatment, and reproductive outcomes will be quantified through sterility assays as an indirect measure of ferroptotic sensitivity. This work aims to test whether enzymatic modification of DGLA-derived lipids by epoxide hydrolases is required for ferroptosis initiation in C. elegans.

The development of autonomous flying microrobots presents significant challenges due to the integration of two demanding functions at the mm-to-cm scale: flight and control. At the insect scale, sustained flight is subject to stringent thrust-to-weight constraints and requirements because sufficient aerodynamic force must be generated for takeoff, propulsion, stabilization, and navigation control. The achievement of autonomy further complexifies the task because it necessitates the integration of onboard power. The most common electrically powered small-scale actuators—i.e., piezoelectric and dielectric elastomers— require high voltages and, as a consequence, complex and relatively heavy power electronics. These characteristics constitute the main reason behind the lack of reported progress regarding sustained untethered flight at the insect scale. We hypothesize that this challenge can be overcome through the development of new actuation methods based on shape-memory alloys (SMAs). SMA-based actuation has three main advantages for microrobotic applications; (i) high-work density; (ii) driving voltages compatible with Li-Ion batteries; and, (iii) drivability with high-energy-density fuels. However, one major drawback of SMA actuation is limited bandwidth (∼ 40 Hz), which is not compatible with high-frequency flapping-wing flight such as that observed in bees, flies, and hummingbirds. Considering all these factors, we propose drawing inspiration from butterflies to achieve SMA-based autonomous insect-scale flight, as these animals exhibit low frequency gliding behavior of about 10 to 15 Hz. To this end, we will design and build a robotic butterfly driven by a novel propulsion system conceived to maximize thrust production. We will follow a heuristic approach according to which new experimental tools will be introduced to perform an iterative development of systems and structures, such as wings and transmissions.

According to NIAAA, 28 million people struggle with, and 178,000 people die annually due to alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the United States alone. AUD is an inability to cease or moderate alcohol consumption. Although neurobiological mechanisms underlying AUD have been researched extensively, mechanisms explaining sex differences regarding alcohol dependence have not. Men with AUD report drinking alcohol in-line with positive reinforcement reasons (mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) & nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh)), whereas women with AUD report drinking for negative reinforcement (mediated by the amygdala). We hypothesize the mPFC and NAcSh is necessary for the development of alcohol dependence in males, but not as important for females. To test this, a chemogenetic approach was used to activate or inhibit this circuit during alcohol self-administration. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer 10% alcohol prior to undergoing stereotaxic surgery. Rats received an injection of a retrograde viral vector containing Cre recombinase into the NAcSh along with a Cre-dependent excitatory or inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) virus into the mPFC to specifically target mPFC projections to the NAcSh. Once recovered, rats were split into two groups: Exposure to chronic intermittent alcohol vapor (CIA; 14-hour exposure/10-hour absence) for 6 weeks to model dependence, or room air controls. After these 6 weeks, rats received an injection of the agonist for the DREADDs (DCZ) or a vehicle (saline/DMSO) during peak acute withdrawal (7 hours after vapor turned off) to activate or inhibit mPFC-NAcSh circuitry. Overall, female rats self-administered more alcohol than male rats and CIA exposure increased alcohol consumption in both sexes. Inhibition of this circuit increased self-administration in CIA males; however, activation did not alter alcohol consumption regardless of sex and CIA exposure. These findings suggest that inhibition of this circuit causes decreased self-control regarding alcohol consumption specifically for males who are alcohol dependent. This prompts the need for further research looking at these circuits more in-depth and across multiple contexts along with the possible need for individualized treatment based on sex for AUD and alcohol dependence.

Adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience persistent challenges with narrative discourse, affecting productivity, cohesion, and content. Through this study we focus on whether an art-based visual prop could support narrative performance in adults with TBI. Narrative samples were collected from 24 adults, including 12 individuals with TBI and 12 adults without TBI. Participants with TBI created an individualized art-based mask representing their lived experience with their TBI and produced a one-minute oral narrative describing its meaning while referencing the mask. Control narratives were drawn from the TBIBank and consisted of one-minute personal event descriptions without visual supports. All narratives were transcribed using CHAT and analyzed with CLAN to examine discourse productivity (c-units, words per c-unit), cohesion (ties and errors), and content (type-token ratio and noun frequency). Through the independent t-tests, they reveal that participants with TBI produced significantly more c-units than controls, with no group differences in words per c-unit or cohesion. Though the TBI group demonstrated reduced content, including lower type-token ratios and fewer nouns. Through these findings, we can suggest that the use of an art-based visual prop may build support within certain aspects of narrative productivity and cohesion in adults with TBI, with some persistence of content challenges. These results underline the potential value of visually supported, creative storytelling approaches for enhancing meaningful communication and building further enhancement of self-expression in individuals with TBI.

Programmed cell death maintains tissue balance and immune defense. While apoptosis is well characterized, necroptosis, a regulated, inflammatory form of cell death, has recently gained attention. This pathway is primarily mediated by RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL. Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in cell growth and immune regulation, but its potential role in necroptosis remains unclear. This study investigates whether TGF-β induces necroptosis in THP-1 cells, a human monocytic cell line. Cells were treated with TGF-β and collected at 2, 4, 8, and 16-hour timepoints. A positive control (zVAD, BV6, and TNF-α) was used to confirm necroptosis activation, and untreated cells served as negative controls. Western blotting was performed to detect phosphorylated MLKL (p-MLKL), a marker of necroptosis, and total RIP proteins using an anti-RIP antibody. Cell viability was assessed with a Cell Titer-Glo assay after 20 hours. The positive control displayed strong p-MLKL expression and ATP loss, validating necroptosis. TGF-β-treated cells showed variable p-MLKL expression across timepoints and unchanged ATP levels relative to negative controls, suggesting that TGF-β does not trigger significant cell death under current conditions. These findings may indicate that TGF-β induces a signaling response without driving full necroptotic execution, or that it promotes cell division that offsets death. Future experiments will quantify p-MLKL and test higher TGF-β concentrations to clarify its role in necroptotic signaling and cell viability.

Modern cryptography increasingly needs to remain secure even in the presence of quantum computers. A key tool in cryptography is an argument of knowledge, a protocol that lets someone prove they possess secret information (a “witness”) without revealing it. Many complex systems are built by running such protocols one after another, a process called *sequential composition*. In classical settings this composition is well understood, but in the quantum world it becomes much harder because quantum information cannot be copied or perfectly rewound, making it difficult to reliably extract the hidden witness from a potentially malicious participant.

Our research studies when and how these quantum-secure arguments of knowledge can still be safely combined. we introduce a new conceptual framework called state-repairable extraction, which captures when it is possible to extract a witness from a quantum prover while largely preserving the prover’s ability to continue interacting in the protocol. Intuitively, even though measuring a quantum system can disturb it, our framework ensures that the remaining state can be “repaired” well enough to support further executions.

Using this framework, we prove general theorems showing that any protocol with state-repairable extraction can be composed sequentially many times with only a small loss in security. This means complex, multi-stage cryptographic systems can be built from simpler quantum-secure components in a modular and scalable way. We also demonstrate that several important existing post-quantum protocols already satisfy this condition, which immediately strengthens their security guarantees.

Overall, this work provides a unifying theory for composing quantum-secure proof systems and helps bridge the gap between abstract quantum cryptography and practical, large-scale secure applications.

Soccer, as a cultural form that mirrors the society we live in, reflects the broader sociopolitical realities that shape everyday life. Given its complex social and symbolic position, this study asks to what extent soccer represents the divisions that pervade society, or perhaps serves as a medium through which prosocial values are contested, negotiated, and reshaped within political realities. In other words, how does soccer operate in a world permeated by culture wars that frame social life through the binaries of liberal and conservative, forming what may be a limited basis for moral judgment between right and wrong?

Previous studies (e.g., Gang et al., 2023; Numerato, 2016) recognize that soccer can serve as a stage where fandom generates and circulates distinct value systems that transcend conventional sport discourse. These observations have led scholars to imagine the soccer stadium as a manifestation of Habermas’s public sphere, suggesting its capacity to extend soccer’s prosocial function beyond sport. Yet unlike Habermas’s ideal of rational and inclusive discourse, the communicative space of the stadium is fragmented, shaped by competing moral visions and social hierarchies. The relationships that emerge in defining the legitimate meaning of soccer are intertwined with broader cultural, economic, and political forces, including neoliberalism and contested constructions of inclusion and civic virtue.

To explicate soccer as a social totality that mirrors contemporary political experience, this study examines a soccer fandom in Spokane, Washington, a politically divided city in the Pacific Northwest. Its core supporters’ group publicly identifies with left-leaning values, such as opposition to social and gender-based inequalities, which form a central part of its organizational ethos. A critical case study employing Carspecken’s qualitative approach provides depth for analysis. Guided by Bourdieu’s notion of field, the Spokane soccer scene is conceptualized as a social arena where diverse actors struggle to define the legitimate meaning of the game and the moral values attached to it.

Preliminary observations reveal that soccer fandom in Spokane reflects, rather than transcends, the broader political divisions shaping civic life. Ultimately, soccer functions not as a politically neutral or uniformly progressive space, but as a microcosm of civic polarization.

Previous research has shown pronounced acute motor coordination impairments from cannabis use, however, the effects of chronic cannabis use on motor function and motor learning are less described in the literature. With cannabis being the most widely used illicit substance, it is imperative to investigate the sustained effects of cannabis on motor learning. In this experiment, adolescent female (postnatal day 35) and adult male (postnatal day 70), C57BL/6NCr mice were exposed to either 300 mg/mL whole plant cannabis extract or vehicle (Polyethylene glycol 400) for 30 minutes daily for 14 days. Previous findings show cannabis use results in hypothermia, antinociception, and locomotor hypoactivity. To assess these effects, we performed a behavioral assay consisting of body temperature, hotplate withdrawal latency, and locomotion at two timepoints, on days 1 and 14 of exposure. In addition, all mice underwent a session in the Behavium, a linear track apparatus to identify discrete changes in locomotor behavior. Following exposure, mice underwent a 10-day washout period, followed by another session in the Behavium and five days of accelerated rotorod training to assess motor learning. In adult male mice, we saw a significant interaction between treatment and day where cannabis-treated males showed decreased weight gain across days compared to the vehicle-treated males. In adolescent females we saw a main effect of time on body weight, consistent with growth, but no main effect of treatment. We also found a main effect of treatment on body temperature in the adolescent female group but no effect of timepoint, relative to the exposure. Surprisingly, cannabis treated females presented with higher post-exposure temperatures compared to the vehicle group. In contrast, there was no effect of treatment or timepoint on body temperature in the adult males. The withdrawal latencies for hotplate test did not indicate a main effect of treatment or time for either male or female groups. In the rotorod task, we observed a main effect of trial but not treatment in both male and female groups, with mice showing improvement in rotorod performance across trials.

Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an overly expressed protein on prostate cancer cells, thus making it an ideal target for selective drug delivery. While PSMA targeting molecules are ideal for cellular specificity, controlled drug delivery still remains a problem in improving therapeutic efficiency and minimizing damage to healthy cells. This project explores the development and synthesis of a new protecting group for use in the synthesis of a tumor-activated linker in the chemical structure of PSMA-targeted small-molecule drug-conjugates (SMDCs). A key challenge in the organic synthesis of this linker is the proper selection of orthogonal protecting groups that can be mildly removed in the final step thus ensuring the structural integrity of the drug-linker module, which represents one-half of a PSMA-targeted SMDC. This new latent protecting group was designed to be stable during the various synthetic steps but could be conveniently and mildly activated and removed in one final global deprotection step. This latent protecting group is sulfide-based and, upon oxidation to the sulfone, it becomes cleavable under mildly basic aqueous conditions, sparing the final drug-linker module from degradation. The synthetic efforts reported here were focused on the design and construction of a model substrate bearing the new latent sulfide protecting group side chain, with particular emphasis on the purification, stability, and oxidative activation and cleavage under mild conditions.

Segregation of daily activity patterns (termed ‘temporal niche partitioning’) is often critical for coexistence between species in complex systems. Temporal niche partitioning is well documented across many assortments of interacting species (predator-prey or competitor pairs), where activity at different times of day may permit coexistence, or limit negative interactions. Seasonality has been demonstrated to be a driver of changes in temporal niche partitioning in many systems; however, it is seldom accounted for in studies analyzing complex systems. This study examined temporal niche partitioning among the terrestrial mammalian guild in tropical forests of northern Guatemala, focusing on species use patterns around key water sources. We used camera trapping data (collected from remote cameras) to document when and where species accessed water sources, and how patterns of activity changed over the course of the dry season. We hypothesized that decreasing availability of water as the dry season progressed would lead to decreased temporal partitioning over time, as individuals were forced to access the few permanent water sources left on the landscape. The analysis focused on seven species: Jaguars (Panthera onca), Pumas (Puma concolor), Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), Margays (Leopardus wiedii), Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii), Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), and White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari). Jaguars and pumas were interpreted as apex carnivores (dominant competitors), and ocelots and margays were interpreted as subordinate carnivores. Baird’s tapirs were interpreted as prey for jaguars, and the peccary species were interpreted as prey for jaguars and pumas. We examined the degree of overlap of daily activity patterns between species pairs during the early, middle, and late-stage dry season. We also implemented a time lag analysis (where we examine how closely in time two species appear at a water source) as a function of days since the beginning of the dry season to examine the potential for interactions. Understanding how water restriction impacts temporal niche partitioning has implications for competitive interactions in this biodiverse tropical forest. Given that the likelihood of drought in our study area is increasing as the climate warms, knowledge of how and when water sources are used is a key conservation and management need.

Due to climate change, people are experiencing extreme heat more frequently than ever. Exposure to high heat increases negative affect (aggression, anxiety, and stress). However, there is little research that explores the underlying processes contributing to heat-related negative affect. One model, the Emotion Construction Theory, views emotions as context-dependent experiences constructed from past experiences, core affects, and interoception. Within the Emotion Construction Theory, the goal of regulation is to modify the emotional experiences and allow for flexibility in their construction, rather than controlling fixed emotional responses. We applied this theory to explain participant responses during an experimental heat stress induction study, where 80 participants completed a series of cognitive tasks and were subjected to moderate heat for 50 minutes. At multiple points during the experiment, participants reported emotional states and comfort levels. At the end of the study, they reported strategies they employed to manage their thermal discomfort and experiences. We wondered which strategies participants employed were more effective overall at regulating emotions during the procedure, and how this impacted reported comfort and emotions. The Emotion Construction Theory stages (core affect, exteroceptive, conceptual knowledge, executive functions) will be used as a framework for coding the reported regulation strategies and the stage at which each strategy is applied. Doing so will help develop insight into the strategies people may be using and identify which strategies lead to better overall affective outcomes. Preliminary analyses showed no significant change to negative affect in the heat, which is surprising given previous literature. We hypothesize this may be related to strategy selection. For example, if people indicate more time distracting themselves by attuning to the cognitive tasks, they may have less change in negative affect, as distraction shows promise for protecting negative affect, but not positive affect.

Radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancer; however, over 90% of patients who receive this treatment develop some variation of radiation burns. These burns disrupt normal wound healing processes and involve dysregulation of key inflammatory and fibrotic signaling pathways, including TGF-β. Current research has found that nitric oxide and TGF-β1 are involved in inflammation and proliferation of wound healing. TGF-β usually suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting cell division and promoting apoptosis; however, TGF-β promotes tumor cell growth when mutations make them resistant to its inhibitory signals. New treatments have been researched to block TGF-B signaling, but have not been approved to figure out right dose. Nitric oxide synthase isoforms, iNOS and eNOS, are expressed at different stages of wound healing, with iNOS peaking during early inflammation and eNOS contributing later during tissue remodeling and angiogenesis. Through this research, we aim to investigate how selective inhibition of iNOS or enhancement of eNOS at specific stages of wound healing influences TGF-β expression and activity. These findings could inform the development of targeted therapies to improve wound healing and reduce radiation-induced skin damage.

Research in the field of point-of-care (POC) sensing aims to address global healthcare concerns while aiming for affordable and highly functioning alternatives to commercially available devices. POC sensors reduce patient stress from unnecessary practices, provide constant monitoring, and prompt reliable identification of different illnesses. Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) offer a robust ability of adaptability, reliable and fast analysis with high sensitivity and selectivity for various analytes. Conventional methods for ISEs fabrication rely on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which poses a challenge with respect to mass production. Additive manufacturing, such as 3D Printing, offers a refined approach for ISE fabrication due to precision, rapid fabrication, customization, and cost-effectiveness.

Using a Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printer, a customized solid-contact transducer can be fabricated which can then be paired with a hydrogen ion-selective membrane, printed using stereolithographic (SLA) 3D printer, resulting in a fully 3D-printed solid-H ISE. Through varies characterizations including Nernstian behavior, selectivity analysis, long-term stability tests, water layer tests, and shelf-life the developed fully 3Dp-H-ISEs will be characterized. Since 3D printing provides the customization ability to fabricate various geometries or intricated designs, the 3D-printed sensors can be optimized and incorporated into many different microfluidic devices for various applications where monitoring the pH is essential.

Personality disorders (PDs) are detrimental as they can affect things like interpersonal relationships, response to treatments, and mortality rates (Tyrer et al., 2015). Considering this, a large amount of research has been done on PDs, but less on those that fall in cluster C. Cluster C PDs refer to those characterized by anxiety, fear, and a need for order and control and include avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) (Massaal-Van der Ree et al., 2022). Given that cluster C personality disorders are defined as involving dysfunction in self-concepts, it is not surprising that researchers have investigated the role of self-concept in cluster C disorders. However, most of this research investigating the self in cluster C disorders has not measured the self-concept appropriately. Specifically, self-researchers have discovered that people possess a family of selves, multiple self-concepts that are each associated with specific others (e.g., self-with-mom, self-with-friend, self-with-partner, etc.) (Baldwin & Dandenaeu, 2005). Regarding the research that has been done on the role of self-concepts in PDs, it almost exclusively has focused on early maladaptive schemas which assesses global self-concepts unattached to relational contexts (Kunst, 2020). The Relational Self-Schema Measure (RSSM) is a relatively new self-concept measure that does assess multiple self-with-other representations (Scott et al., 2021). Specifically, respondents identify the four people they most think about or interact with and for each of these persons assesses how the self-experiences four factors: relatedness satisfaction, control satisfaction, autonomy frustration, and self-esteem frustration. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cluster C PDs and RSSM factors as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression. By using a cross-sectional research design, I will measure PDs using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and anxiety and depression through the AD-27, respectively. All cluster c PDs were generally found to have negative correlations with control and relatedness satisfaction and positive affect and positive correlations with autonomy and self-esteem frustration, distress, and anxiety.

Migrant farmworkers play a critical role in sustaining the United States food system, yet their health and well-being remain largely overlooked. This research project examines how sociopolitical factors, including immigration policies, public attitudes, and structural invisibility, shape the health outcomes of migrant farmworkers and their families. Existing research shows that farmworkers experience disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards such as pesticides, extreme heat, and physically demanding labor, while also facing significant barriers to healthcare access and mental health support. However, less attention has been given to how public perception and invisibility reinforce these health disparities.

Frameworks of Social Determinants of Health, Structural Violence, and Immigrant Invisibility, this study employs a qualitative case study. Data will be collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with migrant farmworkers and U.S. residents. Interviews with farmworkers will focus on health experiences, workplace exposure, and barriers to care, while interviews with U.S. residents will examine perceptions of migrant labor and immigration.

Although data collection has not yet begun, expected findings include themes of structural vulnerability, limited access to healthcare, environmental exposure, mental health strain, and a disconnect between farmworkers’ essential labor and the protections they receive. By examining the lived experiences of migrant farmworkers and contrasting them with public perceptions, this study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how systemic inequality shapes health outcomes. Ultimately, this research aims to inform public health discussions, policy development, and advocacy efforts focused on enhancing the visibility, safety, and well-being of migrant farmworker communities.

During summer 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to Aqui Terme, Italy, and take part in the InterHarmony International Music Festival. I attended this festival with other flute students from WSU, as well as Dr. Sophia Tegart, assistant professor of flute. As a music performance major in flute, this festival was an incredible experience for me to receive feedback on my playing, work alongside other musicians from different places, and be inspired by the history of western art music that is present in Italy.

Attending InterHarmony allowed me to perform and work on one of the pieces that I played for my Junior Recital in October of 2025. I believe the festival greatly added to my success in the recital. I also received one on one lessons with Dr. Tegart, which was a great way to hone my skills over the summer. I had the privilege of participating in a masterclass with a flute professor from Colorado State University, and I also learned a lot from watching other students participate in masterclasses.

Italy is a very important location in the history of western art music. While there, I was able to bolster my knowledge of music history and see some of the places that were critical to the development of classical music as we know it today. Italy is the birthplace of Opera, and other beloved musical forms like the Sonata and Symphony were both greatly influenced by Italian composers. Guillaume Dufay’s Nuper Rosarum Flores is a landmark composition, which was premiered at the opening of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. I was able to visit this historic location during my trip.

The advancement of solar cell knowledge would allow for more efficient and sustainable energy technologies along with larger scaling and higher cost efficiency due to the printability of modern solar materials. The main issue holding this field back is that the thermodynamics of nano-phase separation is important but not thoroughly studied, specifically with the usage of Chloronapthalene. To help solve this problem we would need to build a thermodynamic phase diagram between two hyper-performance molecules along with a high-boiling-point solvent additive. To do this I make films of different concentrations and anneal them at a variety of temperatures, before checking them for phase separation. Depending on the concentration and temperature it could have positive or negative effects on the crystallization of my solutions. Upon establishing the thermodynamics of phase separation, we will be able to build a phase diagram that will help engineer the ideal phase separation for high performance devices.

Circadian rhythms are internal biological clocks that organize daily patterns of sleep, activity, and physiology. In many species, including humans, males and females often differ in sleep timing and overall activity levels. However, it is not well understood whether these sex differences are consistent across genetic backgrounds or whether they depend on variation within core clock genes. In this study, we examined whether natural variation in the circadian gene timeless influences sex-specific locomotor activity patterns in Drosophila melanogaster. The timeless gene exists in multiple isoforms, including tim-L and tim-sc, which are associated with different seasonal states of the clock. Using a Drosophila Activity Monitoring (DAM) system, we recorded locomotor activity in male and female flies expressing either tim-L or tim-sc under a standard 12-hour light:12-hour dark cycle. Activity was continuously measured and analyzed by comparing daytime and nighttime activity distributions across genotypes and sexes. Across experiments, a clear pattern emerged. Although all groups displayed robust daily rhythms, the extent of the sex difference depended on the timeless isoform expressed. Flies carrying tim-L showed a noticeable divergence between males and females in day versus night activity distribution. In contrast, tim-sc flies exhibited relatively similar activity patterns between sexes. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant effect of sex, but importantly, this effect varied by genotype, indicating that sex differences in circadian behavior are not fixed and instead depend on the molecular state of the clock. These findings suggest that genetic variation within a core circadian gene can shape how biological sex influences daily behavior. Because circadian rhythms play an important role in sleep regulation, mood, and metabolic health in humans, understanding how sex and genetic background interact may help explain why vulnerability to circadian disruption differs between individuals. Overall, this work highlights the importance of considering both sex and natural genetic variation when studying biological rhythms.

Lead-free double halide perovskites have emerged as efficient, defect-tolerant candidates for next-generation nuclear radiation detectors, providing a promising alternative to environmentally problematic lead-based perovskite systems. Their suitability arises from intrinsically high resistivity, strong tolerance to point defects, and tunable optoelectronic response, all of which are critical for achieving low electronic noise and high detection sensitivity. However, practical deployment remains limited by stability challenges under thermal load, illumination, humidity, and oxygen exposure, which can induce phase transitions, ion migration, or chemical degradation and thereby degrade detector performance and operational lifetime.

To address these limitations, this project investigates compositional engineering in the mixed-halide double perovskite series CsAgBiClxBr6-x as a strategy to enhance structural and environmental stability. By systematically varying the halide ratio, we probe how lattice symmetry, ionic size mismatch, and charge distribution govern framework robustness and resistance to degradation pathways. This approach enables the identification of compositions capable of maintaining structural integrity across relevant operating environments.

Materials are synthesized using a solvent-free mechanochemical route, in which precursor powders are ground together under controlled conditions to promote solid-state reaction and phase formation. The absence of solvent minimizes unwanted side reactions and allows precise control of stoichiometry. The resulting products are characterized structurally to evaluate phase purity and crystallinity using X-ray diffraction, enabling direct comparison of stability across compositions.

The comparative analysis reveals how subtle halide substitution modulates lattice stability and degradation resistance. These results provide a mechanistic basis for rational optimization of lead-free double halide perovskites and support the development of durable, high-performance materials suitable for practical nuclear radiation detection applications.

In 2005, the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence created the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) to improve victim safety, effectively provide services, and gauge offender risk. The LAP has been shown to have numerous benefits, including informed sentencing, bail, and prosecution decisions, as well as increased resource seeking by victims, stronger victim advocacy support, and decreased future occurrences of violence. These benefits led to widespread adoption by police agencies across the United States. Though some Washington departments have integrated the LAP in their interactions, state law (RCW 10.99.33) does not require agencies to adopt the program, leading to inconsistencies across jurisdictions. The current study aims to identify if, and in what circumstances, officers naturally ask questions resembling the LAP when responding to intimate partner violence (IPV), even when not mandated. The data were collected using systematic social event modeling (SSEM) from unredacted police body-worn camera footage from a mid-size police agency in Washington, comprising 1,313 videos across 247 IPV incidents. Analyses assess whether officer investigation into LAP concepts vary per the violence disclosed and demographics of the involved parties. Findings will identify the conditions under which LAP questions may help officers recognize multiple facets of risk, accounting for natural variability among officers.

Plants produce lipids that are used as food, biofuels, cosmetics, and sustainable alternatives to petroleum products. The accumulation of these lipids is constrained in plants by fatty acid synthesis, a key metabolic bottleneck in seed oil production. In dicotyledonous plants such as the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, the initiation of fatty acid synthesis is mediated by the chloroplast localized heteromeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase enzyme complex (htACCase) which consists of the carboxyltransferase and biotin carboxylase catalytic subunits. These subunits have been shown to be regulated by members of the Carboxyltransferase Interactor (CTI) and Biotin/lipoyl Attachment Domain-Containing protein (BADC) family, respectively. Therefore, following the successful cross of the cti1 cti2 cti3 and badc1 badc3 mutant lines to produce the cti1 cti2 cti3 badc1 badc3 (badc/cti) mutant line, changes in plant physiology and lipid metabolism were examined. During vegetative stage, the badc/cti line demonstrated altered shoot growth including decreases leaf size and chlorophyll content. Further analysis of leaf lipids demonstrated concurrent loss of badc and cti proteins effected the accumulation of total leaf lipids as well as changes in fatty acid composition consistent with altered chloroplast development. Root development was reduced in the badc/cti mutant and, unexpectedly, more severely in the cti1 cti2 cti3 mutant which has not been previously reported. Seed development was also affected with badc/cti lines producing the largest seeds but no appreciable increase in oil per seed. Fatty acid composition was further analyzed and found to be significantly different from either badc or cti parent line but indistinguishable from WT. Overall, our results suggest that BADC and CTI proteins coordinate the regulation of fatty acid synthesis and the subsequent loss of this regulation has pleiotropic effects on both plant establishment and seed oil accumulation.

This PoxSearch database is designed to collect, organize, and provide access to data extracted from a wide range of Poxvirus-related research papers. Its goal is to facilitate efficient searching, filtering, and comparative analysis of data within the Poxvirus research community. By centralizing information into a structured and queryable format, the database aims to support data-driven insights into Poxvirus research. It builds upon data collected using the protocol described in Project ArHa (Simons et al., 2025), which provides a structured foundation for integrating, searching, and comparing Poxvirus-related data within our database. By incorporating human surveillance data in project-PoxSearch, we can also develop models to predict viral emergence.

The database is built in Python using the Django web framework, ensuring scalability, security, and ease of maintenance. The current version is under active development for a future public release, with the current focus being searching and downloading of the compiled datasets. Once complete, this resource will serve as a comprehensive and accessible repository to accelerate Poxvirus-related research and collaboration across the scientific community.

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) convert chemical energy stored in organic-rich sediments into electrical energy by coupling microbial oxidation at an anode to oxygen reduction at a cathode. In an SMFC, the anode is buried in anoxic, reducing sediment, while the cathode is positioned in the oxygenated water above. Microorganisms growing on the anode oxidize organic matter and transfer electrons to the anode; these electrons flow through an external circuit to the cathode, where oxygen is reduced. As electrochemically active biofilms develop on both electrodes, electron transfer and electrode reactions become catalyzed, improving current output. However, SMFCs are not widely used in practical applications because they typically generate low and variable voltages and power. Our long-term goal is to optimize SMFC operation and develop a power management system (PMS) that can harvest and regulate SMFC energy for useful low-power applications. This initial study focuses on SMFC construction, proof-of-concept power generation, and PMS design to power light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Two SMFCs were operated in 1.5-gallon jars filled halfway with garden soil and Palouse River water (Pullman, WA). A custom 3D-printed frame maintained consistent electrode placement. Each SMFC was connected to a dedicated PMS that accumulated energy and periodically discharged it to an LED load. We monitored cell voltage over time to track system development. As the SMFC matured, voltage increased gradually, consistent with successful electrochemically active biofilm development and energy harvesting. In one setup, the PMS powered four LED bulbs once the voltage reached approximately 395 mV, and the LEDs continued flashing until the voltage dropped to about 80 mV. This repeating charge–discharge behavior demonstrates that SMFCs can store energy through a capacitor and PMS and deliver intermittent power. Overall, these results show that low-cost SMFCs can generate sufficient energy to intermittently power small devices, supporting their potential for sustainable, low-power applications.

Anthropogenic sensory pollution can affect wildlife by disrupting natural cues. Avian species often rely on auditory cues from their mates and offspring and are important for behaviors like incubation and feeding, which affects reproductive success. Additionally, other anthropogenic disturbances related to land cover and roads could affect survival and long-term population trends.

The goal of this project is to understand the effects of sensory pollution and habitat disturbance on cavity nesting bird species in the Palouse region of Washington near WSU. We aim to determine whether noise pollution affects local bird species’ behaviors including nest site selection, clutch size, chick growth and chick survival. We hypothesize that noise levels affect chick health, with higher levels of noise and closer proximity to disturbance decreasing chick growth and survival due to interruptions of behavioral rituals.

In the summer of 2024 and 2025, we monitored and maintained 97 human-made nest boxes across the WSU Arboretum and Steffen Center. We recorded species type, clutch size, chick measurements, and fledge success. When chicks were 7 and 12 days old we assessed fat score and measured weight, wing length, tail length, and tarsus length. We recorded the noise levels at each box to analyze the correlation between noise and chick survival and size. Based on preliminary data, we predict that house wren chicks in boxes exposed to higher noise levels will have smaller body measurements and that chicks in boxes located closer to walking trails will have lower survival rates.

31 boxes in which eggs were laid were inhabited by house wrens (HOWR), 12 by tree swallows (TRES), 6 by black capped chickadees (BCCH),1 by Bewick’s wrens, and 1 by western bluebirds. Given a relatively large sample size, we expect HOWR chick measurements to show trends corresponding with our hypotheses.

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are obligate rock-dwelling, climate-sensitive alpine mammals. These small mammals depend on crevices formed by rocks within talus slopes for refuge from predation and thermal extremes, rock promontories for surveillance, and for caching their food in haypiles for winter. Despite the importance of rocky habitat to thousands of species, characteristics of rocky habitat are often omitted from models predicting habitat selection and suitability for mammals, because field measurements are difficult and sites inaccessible. A recent development in handheld photogrammetry has allowed measurements of rock patches at sub-millimeter scale. We used this approach to measure rock size and shape and evaluate their effects on the abundance of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) in Mount Rainier National Park. At 25 talus patches, we conducted audio and visual surveys for pikas three times during the summer to estimate the number of pikas present and collected high resolution images of the patches with an iPad on a selfie stick. Using remote sensing techniques that integrate overlapping images and identified individual rocks from the images, we are determining rock size (area, perimeter, volume) and shape (circularity, elongation, flatness). We will build generalized linear mixed models to assess which rock characteristics most influence pika abundance. We hypothesize that sites with medium-sized (0.25-0.5m), angular (less circular) rocks will create more crevices, positively influencing pika abundance compared to sites with small or very large, circular rocks. Our research will inform future management critical for supporting pika populations within the national park, such as identifying conservation priority habitats, and understanding how activities (including visitor experience and infrastructure projects) might affect pika abundance.

Plus-size women represent a substantial segment of the U.S. apparel market. However, well-fitting plus-size garments remain limited, in part because traditional design methods rely on regular-size measurements, and many pattern drafting systems do not match plus-size body characteristics. Fit dissatisfaction also affects clothing longevity and sustainability. Therefore, improving garment fit can reduce returns, extend wear, and minimize waste. Meanwhile, 3D apparel simulation is widely used in industry and research to enable digital patternmaking and virtual fitting, reducing physical iterations and material use. Material libraries further allow more consistent, data-informed design decisions. A simulation-based workflow can also shorten lead time and offer more efficient decision-making before physical prototyping. However, validated and repeatable simulation-based approaches for plus-size fit development remain limited.

This study developed and tested a low-waste, 3D simulation–driven workflow to improve fit and sustainability in plus-size apparel using Browzwear VStitcher, an advanced computer-aided design (CAD) platform. A plus-size model was recruited, body measurements were collected, and an avatar was created for 3D simulation. Digital patterns were drafted from landmarks to achieve balanced proportions and improved garment fit, then the fit was refined through virtual fittings. Fabric parameters were also tuned using physical fabric testing, library presets, and iterative adjustments to match drape behavior in 3D simulation. Simulation accuracy was evaluated by comparing key circumferences, lengths, and balance against the model's body measurements. Physical prototypes provided an additional validation check for the digital workflow. The outcomes demonstrate a documented and repeatable methodology that can reduce physical prototyping and material use while supporting inclusive, sustainability-oriented apparel product development.

Apex predators and mesopredators coexist through complex temporal and spatial divides that are increasingly influenced by human activities. This study examined the temporal activity patterns and who-follows-who dynamics among lions (Panthera leo), spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), and striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) in Ndutu, Tanzania. Using camera trap data and temporal analysis, activity patterns and related dynamics were investigated. Four key patterns were identified that shape the interactions within this system. Spotted and striped hyenas exhibited significant temporal niche separations, actively operating at significantly different times to minimize direct encounters despite spatial niche overlap. Based on our findings, human presence instills fear, altering temporal activity patterns in all mesopredator species surveyed. All predator movements reduced significantly during seasonal mass migration of wildebeest from December to March, implying behavioral shifts in response to prey abundance changes. Lastly, spotted hyenas demonstrated following behavior towards lions, likely caused by an interest in exploiting kleptoparasitic opportunities from lion kills. These findings point to the multifaceted nature of apex predator-mesopredator coexistence dynamics, where interspecies avoidance, following, and human disturbances collectively shape apex predators’ and mesopredators’ behaviors. Knowledge of these interactions shed light on the complex interplay between species, anthropogenic disturbances, and ecological changes that shape carnivore activity in Tanzania.

Currently, discovering stable and active catalyst structures is challenging due to alloy surfaces being able to adopt many competing atomic arrangements. In this work, we investigate the structural diversity of the copper “29” oxide surface oxide at two different stoichiometries (Cu₁₆O₁₁ and Cu₁₆O₁₂) when atomically dispersed Pt and Rh are deposited on the oxide structure. The motivation for the deposition of these atomically dispersed metals is the extraordinary reactivity that was observed experimentally for these systems in the low temperature oxidation of CO [1]. Due to the complexity of these surface oxides [2,3] we utilize global optimization algorithms as implemented in the Atomic Global Optimization X Package (AGOX) [4]. Starting from a chemically plausible initial geometry, AGOX was used to explore the potential energy landscape of Cu₁₆O₁₁ - Pt and Cu₁₆O₁₂ - Pt through iterative candidate generation, relaxation, and energy ranking with an algorithm called Global Optimization with First-Principles Energy Expression (GOFFEE). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, performed using the Vienna Ab-Initio Simulation Package (VASP), were employed to evaluate candidate stability and identify low-energy motifs through an accelerated machine-learning approach. The machine learning search for Cu₁₆O₁₁ - Pt and Cu₁₆O₁₂ - Pt allowed us to find a complex energy landscape and confirmed that the original copper 29 geometry structure was in a stable state. AGOX itself provides a foundation for future studies of catalytic activity trends, adsorption behavior, and structure–property relationships.

References:

1. Nature Catalysis 1 (2018) 192-198.
2. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 120 (2016) 10879-10886.
3. Journal of the American Chemical Society 146 (2024) 15887–15896.
4. Journal of Chemical Physics 157 (2022) 054701.

In many classes, students know the answer they need is “somewhere in the LMS,” but finding it can take longer than it should. Instructors face the same problem from the other side: they frequently answer the same questions and spend time writing first-round feedback that is often repetitive. As an undergraduate project, we explored whether a carefully constrained AI tool could automate parts of this workflow while keeping instructors in charge of final grading.

We built a working prototype that connects to a Learning Management System (LMS) and organizes course information into two simple dashboards (one for students and one for instructors). Students can ask the system “What’s due next?”, “Where is the rubric?”, or about materials posted by faculty such as PDF handouts, lecture notes, or other resources. Instead of guessing, the assistant first searches the course’s own materials (assignments, announcements, and instructor-provided documents) and then answers using the retrieved information. The system also reports what course item the answer came from in order to keep responses grounded in the posted content. On the instructor side, the system generates a draft grade and written feedback for a submission, but it is designed as a starting point: the instructor can accept it, edit it, or reject it if they want.

In pilot tests with real course content, the assistant answered common student questions (deadlines, rubric details, and where to find materials) and cited the specific course item it pulled from. If the relevant information wasn’t present in the retrieved materials, the assistant explicitly said it couldn’t confirm the answer.

On the instructor side, the grading tool produced a draft numeric score and structured comments that were easy to approve. Across paraphrased versions of the same response written in different styles, the scoring pattern was stable; more detailed, well-organized answers tended to score higher than minimal ones.

Overall, our findings support an instructor-in-the-loop, retrieval-first design as a practical way to add generative AI to an LMS. Next steps include broader LMS integrations and deeper work on privacy and fairness safeguards.

Spermatogenesis describes the testicular process in which male germ cells develop and mature. The foundational stem cells within the postnatal testis are spermatogonia, which can functionally delineate into either a self-renewal or differentiation trajectory. The regulation of these cell fate decision is modulated by Sertoli cells, the only somatic cell type within the seminiferous epithelium. Additional cell types that provide support and facilitate spermatogenesis from outside the tubule include the Leydig cells which produce testosterone and stimulate the production and maturation of spermatozoa, the peritubular myoid cells that assist in testis contraction, endothelial cells that facilitate vascularization and macrophages that provide immunity. To successfully facilitate germ cell development, these various cell types must have a way to communicate. This level of cellular programming is mediated by signaling pathways like the Notch Signaling Pathway and the Activin–SMAD pathway. The Notch Signaling Pathway uses ligands such as delta-like homolog 1 (DLK1), a protein highly expressed in spermatogonia and Leydig Cells, that was recently proposed to also act as an antagonist to the Activin-SMAD pathway. This research focuses on mapping the location and expression of the Activin-SMAD receptor that DLK1 is thought to interact with, ACRV2B. Enzymatic immunohistochemistry will be used to determine the location and relative expression of ACVR2B at different time points throughout spermatogenesis. Additionally, fluorescent immunohistochemistry will be used to co-localize DLK1 and ACVR2B within the testis. Lastly, the expression of ACVR2B will also be investigated within a Cyp17iCre-DLK1 conditional knockout mouse model (Cyp17iCre-DLK1 cKO) to see if the absence of DLK1 changes the spatial or temporal expression of the receptor. Overall, we hypothesize that if DLK1 is facilitating regulatory processes through the ACVR2B receptor, DLK1 and ACVR2B expression will be spatially and temporally coordinated within and between interacting cell types throughout spermatogenesis. Furthermore, we propose that the altered expression of DLK1 in the Cyp17iCre-DLK1 cKO mouse will also change the expression patterns of ACRV2B in Leydig interacting cells. Overall, this research uses the testis to identify and stimulate areas of cellular communication, providing a foundational baseline for further research.

Metal porphyrins (MPs) are important biobased materials used in modern science and technology. They have extensive applications in catalysis, medicine, as electro-optical materials, molecular junctions, and sensors. In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of cobalt(II)-meso-tetra(3,5-dioctyloxyphenyl)porphyrin and cobalt(II)-5,15-bis(3,5-dioctyloxyphenyl)porphyrin. We show preliminary data of their adsorption properties on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), a substrate often used in electronic devices. Free-base porphyrins were synthesized through acid-catalyzed condensation of pyrrole with 3,5-dioctylbenzaldehyde, followed by metalation using cobalt acetate to generate cobalt-meso-tetra(3,5-dioctyloxyphenyl) porphyrins. Compounds were characterized by 1H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) was used to investigate self-assembly properties of the MPs on HOPG. Results of this work contribute to the understanding of the chemical structure–surface relationship in porphyrin assemblies relevant to their function in molecular electronics, sensing, and catalytic applications.

Challenge-based YouTube content, including popular creators such as MrBeast, has become a significant source of entertainment and social modeling for adolescents. These videos influence youth attitudes and behaviors, particularly through emotional engagement and parasocial relationships. Algorithmic amplification further increases repeated exposure. A structured review of peer-reviewed literature in media studies and social psychology highlights research on adolescent media engagement and behavioral modeling, focusing on how social norms influence youth.

The literature indicates that high-stakes challenge videos promote favorable attitudes toward competitive and risky behaviors while reinforcing social norms and perceived capabilities. Adolescents actively interpret content and consider the results of what they observe, which shapes their behavioral intentions. Parasocial relationships with creators further increase susceptibility to imitation. Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior shows how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control contribute to intentional engagement with challenge-based content.

Two evidence-based recommendations are proposed. Media literacy education should be integrated into school curricula to help youth critically evaluate digital content and understand creator motives. Parents and guardians should actively engage in discussions about online content and model critical thinking, supporting adolescents in distinguishing entertainment from reality. These strategies promote safer engagement with digital media while preserving the creative and social benefits of online participation.

This research proposal examines the relationship between perceived social support and life satisfaction among undergraduate students at Washington State University. Participants would include students enrolled in Psychology 312: Research Methods in Psychology who would complete an online Qualtrics survey containing demographic questions, the shortened Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (Cohen et al., 1985), and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985).

The proposed study would use a Pearson’s correlation analysis to determine whether higher levels of perceived social support are associated with greater life satisfaction. Based on prior research, it is hypothesized that social support will show a strong, positive correlation with life satisfaction.

Understanding this relationship may contribute to positive psychology research and help inform future studies examining causal relationships or broader populations. The findings may also support the development of interventions aimed at improving well-being, particularly for individuals with limited social support.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disorder affecting between 7% and 16% of North Americans. The debilitating nature of IBS symptoms including abdominal pain are associated with elevated levels of anxiety and depression due to their prominent impact on daily life events. A large body of clinical studies have revealed gastrointestinal pain perception in IBS patients intensifies the response to stress, a symptom known as visceral hypersensitivity. This effect is mediated by the brain-gut axis, but the specific brain regions involved in stress and visceral hypersensitivity are poorly understood. This study investigates neural activity in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) in stressed mice after visceral pain. We hypothesize the NTS and BLA are modulated by visceral inputs from the afferent pathways originating in the colon; leading us to propose visceral sensitivity to colon distention will be enhanced by stress. Male C57BL/6J mice (8 weeks old) will be exposed to chronic stress or to a control treatment of gentle handling for 10 days. Daily sessions of restraint stress will be one hour in duration in a plastic restrainer. Prior to colon distension, anesthetized mice will undergo a saline colon wash to reduce fecal contents that may interfere with catheter insertion. For colon distension, we will insert a collapsible balloon 1cm from the anus and inflate to 15mm for 10 seconds. Mice will be euthanized by transcardiac perfusion. The formalin fixed tissues will be sectioned and collected for immunolabeling of c-Fos, a marker of neural activation, to quantify distension-reactive neurons within the NTS and BLA in response to colon distention across stress groups. We expect to observe higher expression of c-Fos in stressed mice after colon distention suggesting stress linked hyperactivation within the BLA and NTS . Further understanding is fundamental for the development of effective clinical therapies for treating stress-induced intestinal symptoms such as visceral hypersensitivity.

Tungsten (W) is an emerging environmental contaminant widely used in industrial applications, yet its effects on aquatic biogeochemical cycles remain poorly understood. Due to its chemical similarity to molybdenum (Mo), tungsten has the potential to disrupt key microbial processes by substituting for molybdenum in enzymes essential for nitrogen and carbon cycling. Specifically, molybdenum is a critical cofactor in nitrate reductase and methyl-coenzyme M reductase, enzymes required for nitrate reduction and methanogenesis, respectively. We hypothesized that in aquatic sediments, tungsten exposure inhibits methanogenesis and methane oxidation by interfering with these molybdenum-dependent pathways.

To test this hypothesis, we conducted controlled laboratory incubation experiments using sediments collected from Lacamas Lake, in Southwest Washington, a system characterized by active methanogenic activity. Sediments were amended with multiple chemical forms of tungsten, including sodium tungstate, meta tungstate, and metallic tungsten powder, and incubated under replicated treatments. Methane production and oxidation were quantified using gas chromatography. Additionally, difluoromethane was used to selectively inhibit methane oxidation and distinguish between gross methane production and consumption. Oxygen concentrations were continuously monitored using micro-sensors, pH, and redox potential were measured at the end of each experiment.

Results from the first 12 days of incubation showed that the two soluble tungsten compounds (sodium tungstate and meta tungstate) significantly inhibited both methane production and methane oxidation, while metallic tungsten had no observable effect. However, net methane accumulation did not differ significantly between treatments and controls, indicating that net flux measurements alone may obscure important underlying microbial dynamics. By the final 48 hours of the experiment, oxygen depletion inhibited methane oxidation across all treatments, and the inhibitory effects of tungsten on methanogenesis were no longer apparent, suggesting either potential microbial adaptation or system rebalancing after the first 10 days.

These findings demonstrate that tungsten can alter key microbial processes controlling methane cycling in aquatic sediments and that its environmental impacts depend strongly on chemical form and redox conditions. This work highlights the importance of considering emerging metal contaminants in assessments of greenhouse gas emissions and aquatic ecosystem function.

Uridine is a pyrimidine nucleoside that is a critical central metabolite involved in many biochemical processes and regulatory pathways. Recently, several studies have suggested that uridine supplementation can cause effects ranging from reduced inflammation, increased cellular proliferation, or increasing a hunger response. Perhaps most importantly, uridine may have the ability to rejuvenate aged cells, increasing both viability and quality. Because the reproductive system is one of the first systems in the human body to experience a significant decline in function from aging, there is interest in applying uridine to enhance the human reproductive period or quality. In humans, an earlier decline in reproductive health, such as seen in early-onset menopause, is correlated with an increased risk in developing dementia and several cancers, suggesting that reproductive health is closely tied to the health of other body systems. Because of the severity of the effects associated with early-onset menopause and the fact that most prior research has been performed only in cell cultures, we utilized the Caenorhabditis elegans organism to study the effects of uridine on reproductive systems. C. elegans are excellent for observing the effects of uridine, as it is known that the reproductive structures are significantly susceptible to effects of dietary metabolites. Rapid growth rates make reproductive quality assays much shorter than other models as well, all the while providing an excellent model to hopefully be translatable to humans. When supplemented with uridine, we saw a significant increase in the number of viable offspring produced by C. elegans during their reproductive period, suggesting that uridine is increasing the quality of the gametes. This observation is more pronounced with increased uridine doses, indicating a dose dependent effect. We only observed an increase in viable offspring when uridine is supplemented during the actual reproductive period (day ~3-12). Additionally, supplementing uridine during the developmental period of the nematode had no effect on reproduction, suggesting strong safety and efficacy for the treatment. As a result, uridine may be a promising treatment for preventing early-onset menopause in humans, which could drastically improve the quality of life in aging women.

Text messages, like any genre, have their own expectations and rules. Texting as a social interaction comes with its own norms and expectations, and this extends to the use of punctuation. Punctuation is used in written communication to connect clauses, indicate the end of a sentence or a question as well as showing where letters have been omitted and whether a statement is a quotation. Yet, in texting the use of punctuation changes. While previous research has explored gender connections and perceptions in computer mediated communication (CMC), this study aimed to collect a corpus of text message data cataloguing the ages, gender identities, and social relationships of participants to not only observe who is using what punctuation, but also how that punctuation use may change as the identities of the participants change. Screenshots of text message conversations were collected from participants along with the demographic information above. These conversations were transcribed and analyzed for the quantity of punctuation, including overall use and each punctuation mark found (e.g. period, comma, quotation mark, etc.). Punctuation use was then observed within each identity group (e.g. female, age group, etc.). Finally, the omission of punctuation was observed, for example the omission of periods at the ends of sentences. Chi-square analysis will be applied to indicate whether there is any statistical significance.

Sexual violence on college campuses is often discussed in terms of individual behavior. Still, research shows that the built environment and institutional systems also play a significant role in shaping both actual safety and perceived safety. This project examines how interior design decisions influence fear, reporting patterns, and access to support among college students, particularly women.

National data consistently show that most college-aged survivors do not report sexual assault to law enforcement, and only a small percentage receive assistance from victim service agencies. At the same time, research demonstrates that fear of sexual violence affects students’ daily behavior, including avoiding certain campus spaces, limiting participation in evening activities, and reducing engagement in academic and social opportunities. Importantly, this fear often exists even among students who have not personally experienced assault. Environmental cues, peer experiences, awareness of incidents, and institutional response patterns shape it.

This project explores how campus interiors, such as residence halls, study areas, and shared community spaces, can either increase vulnerability or promote safety. Drawing from Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles and research supported by the National Institute of Justice, our group will analyze how lighting, visibility, circulation patterns, spatial clarity, and access to reporting resources influence both risk and perception. Features such as unobstructed sight lines, clearly defined public and private zones, visible support offices, and integrated emergency systems can reduce isolation and strengthen informal supervision.

Rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals to protect themselves, this research argues for structural prevention. By embedding safety infrastructure directly into the physical environment, campuses can create spaces that support accountability, transparency, and equal access to education. The goal is to demonstrate that interior design is not only an aesthetic discipline but also a measurable tool for advancing safety and equity in higher education.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved remarkable performance across a wide range of tasks, yet adapting them efficiently remains a major challenge due to their enormous parameter sizes. Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) is an effective parameter-efficient fine-tuning method that freezes pretrained weights and learns low-rank update matrices to approximate task-specific adjustments. Although LoRA significantly reduces the number of trainable parameters compared to full fine-tuning, it applies low-rank updates uniformly across selected layers without considering the varying importance of features, tokens, or intermediate representations. Moreover, for billion-parameter LLMs, low-rank adapters can still require millions of additional parameters, which may be unsuitable for low-power edge devices with limited computational capability, memory capacity, and bandwidth.

To address these limitations, we propose Selective LoRA, which introduces structured selection mechanisms to enhance efficiency, robustness, and interpretability in model adaptation. The core idea of Selective LoRA is that not all hidden features or inputs contribute equally to task adaptation. Instead of uniformly applying low-rank updates in an input-agnostic manner, Selective LoRA dynamically regulates the number of active low-rank adapters based on input difficulty. For example, for simpler inputs, Selective LoRA activates only a minimal subset of low-rank adapters, while more complex inputs trigger a larger subset. This adaptive behavior is implemented through learnable gating mechanisms that modulate the contribution of LoRA update matrices during training and inference.

Preliminary experiments indicate that input difficulty-aware Selective LoRA achieves performance comparable to standard LoRA while significantly reducing fine-tuning time and memory consumption on edge GPUs such as the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano. In this project, conducted under the guidance of Prof. Abhishek Moitra from the School of EECS, we will evaluate Selective LoRA across multiple state-of-the-art LLM architectures, large-scale datasets, and diverse application domains. We also plan to open-source the Selective LoRA framework to support the broader AI community and advance parameter-efficient fine-tuning for deployment on resource-constrained edge devices in areas such as robotics, healthcare, and agriculture.

The “Liberation Day” tariffs of the second Trump Administration triggered a series of retaliatory trade actions with China, most importantly an increase in import tariffs and the end of de minimis treatment for small imports. The rapid expansion of the Japanese VTuber industry in the United States offers a unique opportunity to test the limits of protectionist trade policy. This study investigates whether the intense brand loyalty characteristic of this industry allows firms to override the demand shocks typically associated with these protectionist policies. To empirically evaluate this proposition, I constructed an original dataset by manually aggregating public financial disclosures from COVER Corp and historical pricing data from the “hololive production OFFICIAL SHOP” and “BOOTH.pm.” Focusing on the pricing and sales of limited-edition merchandise, goods hypothesized to be highly price-inelastic due to fan loyalty, this analysis employs a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) econometric model to evaluate the differential impact of the tariff on merchandise sales. This model also controls for fluctuations in talent rosters, historical tariff rates, and linear time trends. Ultimately, these results aim to demonstrate the severe inelasticity of fandom-driven merchandise, providing critical insights into how niche digital economies can successfully mitigate the effects of aggressive trade barriers.

An organism’s ability to tolerate environmental change in more than one parameter is essential. In some cases, exposure to multiple stressors can actually improve tolerance. For example, when environmental temperature and salinity increase concurrently, certain osmolytes may enhance macromolecular stability and improve survival. The splash pool copepod Tigriopus californicus lives in an environment where temperature and salinity both fluctuate drastically. Copepods exposed to high salinity levels exhibit increased heat tolerance. This response is potentially driven by the accumulation of osmolytes such as proline, which has been shown to rise under elevated salinity in this species, or by other protective molecules. We investigated the effect of enriching several known osmolytes on heat tolerance in T. californicus by quantifying changes in median lethal temperature (LT₅₀). To achieve this, environmental salinity was kept constant while experimentally manipulating concentrations of specific osmolytes (e.g., proline, taurine, TMAO) within copepods, after which animals were exposed to an acute heat ramp. Our results to date indicate there could be an effect of osmolyte enrichment on acute heat tolerance. Identifying the molecule with the strongest impact on LT₅₀ will guide future experiments exploring how it influences thermal preference and heat tolerance in T. californicus. This study illuminates mechanisms by which simultaneous exposure to two stressors can non-additively affect physiological performance.

Lithium-ion battery cathode materials face an inherent trade-off between energy density, safety, cost, and long-term stability. Nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) is widely used in cathode materials because it provides a good specific capacity of 275 mAh/g, and favorable rate capability, which enables high performance, compact cells. 𝐿𝑖𝐹𝑒𝑃𝑂4 (LFP) however, is an attractive option because it offers better thermal, structural, and interfacial stability, leading to a better cycle performance typically ~5000 cycles compared to ~2000 cycles for NMC cathodes. Due to the better cycle performance and lower overall cost of materials LFP offers many advantages but is constrained from its lower specific capacity of 170 mAh/g. The objective of this work was to evaluate how blending LFP and NMC in a cathode would affect the electrode’s thermal and cycling stability, and electrical performance. To address this, several blends of the two materials were created and compared against pure NMC and LFP cathodes. The electrochemical testing was done through cycle testing, rate capability testing, and cycling stability along with SEM imaging before and after cycling. Through testing, the blended NMC-LFP cathodes exhibited improved electrochemical stability compared to pure NMC, while delivering higher capacity than LFP . Capacity retention rate during extended cycling was enhanced relative to NMC, indicating reduced degradation in the blended system. Despite the inclusion of the cheaper LFP component, rate capability testing showed performance comparable to that of the NMC, which suggests a potential cost saving strategy. Blending NMC with LFP provides a practical pathway to balance energy density, stability, and cost in lithium-ion cathode design. The improved stability relative to NMC, combined with higher capacity than LFP and comparable rate capability to NMC, highlights the effectiveness of the blended approach. In addition to performance benefits, partial substitution of NMC with LFP reduces reliance on nickel and cobalt, offering a clear opportunity for material cost reduction without compromising power capability.

Repeat breeder cow syndrome (RBC) has been defined as an animal with regular estrous cycles who have had three or more inseminations without achieving a successful pregnancy, leading to infertility. The overall objective of the present study was to compare the transcriptome profile in the endometrium tissue during the follicular and luteal phase between cows with normal fertility and cows affected by RBC. A total of 12 multiparous Holstein dairy cows in lactation, clinically healthy, were used. They were classified into two groups: 1) cows within the first 100 days postpartum, confirmed pregnant at the end of the study after one or two inseminations (Control, CT; n=3); and 2) repeat breeder cows with over 350 days in milk that previously failed to conceive after more than 3 inseminations (RBC; n=9). Endometrial samples were collected using the Cytobrush method. RNA was isolated from the cells using a Quick-DNA/RNA Miniprep kit and whole RNA was sequenced using Illumina sequencing and a 3’ end counting approach. A total of 20,141 genes were identified with at least 10 or more post-quality trimmed read counts annotated to the bovine genome (Bos taurus). During the follicular phase, a total of 49 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed, consisting of 4 downregulated and 45 upregulated transcripts. A statistically significant upregulated gene was ULBP21 (a gene involved in immune recognition), and upregulated transcripts included TFF1, TFF2, and the long non-coding RNA H19. Conversely, HP (Haptoglobin) and LOC101902555 were significantly downregulated. In the luteal phase, a total of 8 DEGs were identified (2 downregulated, 6 upregulated). This phase was characterized by the significant upregulation of NPPC, NTS, and WNT5A, while HP remained significantly downregulated. In conclusion, repeat breeder cows display differences in endometrial gene expression, particularly involving immune signaling and regulatory pathways that are critical for uterine receptivity. These transcriptomic changes suggest a disrupted endometrial environment that may impair embryo–maternal communication and contribute to subfertility in repeat breeder cattle.

The human microbiome—the collection of microorganisms living in and on our bodies—plays a critical role in health and disease. Although more than 100,000 human microbiome datasets are publicly available, most studies analyze only a single population, body site, or disease. As a result, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how the microbiome varies globally across different regions and health conditions.

The goal of this project is to identify and organize publicly available human shotgun metagenomic datasets and analyze them using a standardized, reproducible computational pipeline. Shotgun metagenomics sequences all genetic material in a sample, allowing researchers to examine the full diversity of microbes present. This project systematically identified 3,762 publicly available research projects and extracted key information including body site, geographic origin, and health status. Most datasets focus on the gut (59.83%), followed by oral (5.80%), respiratory (3.65%), blood (3.02%), skin (2.48%), and vaginal (1.58%) microbiomes. Geographically, the majority of studies originate from Asia (34.05%), North America (20.41%), and Europe (19.22%), with substantially fewer from Africa (2.84%), Oceania (2.34%), and South America (1.73%). The data also displays a large range of health conditions including inflammatory, metabolic, cardiovascular, neurologic, oral, and infectious diseases.

Given the large scope of available data, this analysis focuses on Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in adult patients (ages 18–78) from Ireland, Israel, and the United States. A total of 217 gut microbiome samples will be processed and compared between individuals with Crohn’s disease and healthy controls across regions. By building a reproducible workflow and organizing thousands of studies, this project contributes toward a more unified, global understanding of microbiome research and highlights geographic and disease-related gaps in current data. Ultimately, this work supports more inclusive and large-scale microbiome analyses in the future.

While studies have demonstrated stress-buffering effects of animals on humans’ salivary cortisol reactivity to laboratory stressors, these paradigms lack generalizability to common stressors encountered by college students. Moreover, prior research studies have not examined the specific effects of key components of human animal interaction (e.g., duration of physical contact or petting) on salivary cortisol reactivity and recovery from a stressor, which has implications for physiological dysregulation. In the final session of a four-week workshop series geared toward reducing Test Anxiety (TA), students were guided through a stress-induction and release exercise while randomly assigned to receive a) TA-related content without dog exposure (n = 70), b) combination of TA-related content and petting dogs (HAI-E; n = 89), or c) petting dogs without TA-related content (HAI-O; n = 78). Four salivary samples were collected from which AUC cortisol parameters were calculated. Interactions between each dog and student were videorecorded and coded for frequency, duration, intensity and type of physical contact (e.g., petting, touch, sitting)( α = .94).

Regression analyses suggested that greater duration of petting during TA induction showed greater buffering of cortisol output (β = -0.42, p <0.001), while duration of physical contact between dog and students during TA induction showed a trend for marginally buffered cortisol output (β = -0.04, p = 0.08). Greater petting duration during TA induction and release showed enhanced recovery in terms of cortisol output (β = -0.18, p = 0.03), while duration of physical contact only did not. These findings provide support for the buffering and recovery effects of petting dogs in the context of TA induction, which are not matched by mere proximity or passive physical contact.

While the transition to college is broadly marked by high stress and change (Fruehwirth et al., 2023, Arnett, 2015), racially and ethnically minoritized students experience unique challenges during this period. Previous literature on sleep and social support has focused on general populations (Dickman et al., 2024, Vacca et al., 2025) with limited attention to first-year college students during transition to college, particularly those from minoritized backgrounds. This gap is critical, as sleep quality and social support may influence each other dynamically during this transitional period. The present study examines potential bi-directional associations between daily fluctuations in sleep efficiency and perceived social support among racially and ethnically minoritized students during the transition to college.

The study collected longitudinal data from 78 first-year college students from racially and ethnically minoritized backgrounds (65.4% Hispanic/Latinx, 17.9% Asian American, 15.4% Black/African American) attending WSU. During the Fall or early Spring semester, students completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol via smartwatches, responding to four daily surveys about perceived social support. Sleep was objectively measured via smartwatch actigraphy, with machine learning algorithms deriving nightly sleep duration and sleep quality.

We hypothesize that there are bidirectional associations between sleep quality and social support. Specifically, higher sleep quality will predict greater perceived social support the following day, while greater daily social support will predict higher sleep quality the following night. We will also explore whether experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination during the day moderate these associations. Findings will contextualize the biological and social dimensions of college adjustment among racially and ethnically minoritized students and may inform targeted interventions during this critical transition period.

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading bacterial cause of food-borne illness worldwide, and severe infections can lead to development of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes paralysis. A major concern is that C. jejuni has become increasingly antibiotic resistant. Infection is characterized by the secretion of high levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-8 (IL-8) from human gut cells. The aim of this research project was to determine if secretion of IL-8 from host cells during C. jejuni infection requires the movement of Extracellular signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (Erk 1/2) into the cell nucleus to promote the inflammatory response. We hypothesized that blocking Erk 1/2 nuclear translocation would reduce IL-8 secretion and reduce the severity of C. jejuni infection. To test our hypothesis, multiple methodologies were utilized. First, human INT 407 epithelial cells were treated with EPE peptide, which blocks the movement of Erk 1/2 into the nucleus (nuclear translocation). The EPE peptide binds to Importin-7 in host cells, which usually facilitates movement of Erk 1/2 into the nucleus. The cells were then infected with C. jejuni, and supernatants were collected and tested via an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify amount of IL-8 released by host cells. Alongside the ELISA, bacteria-cell invasion assays were used to determine if the EPE peptide reduced the number of bacteria internalized into cells. Confocal microscopy was used to compare levels of Erk 1/2 in the cell nucleus in infected and uninfected host intestinal cells, as well as in cells treated with the EPE peptide. Similarly, Western blot analysis was used to test levels of activated Erk 1/2. The confocal microscopy and Western blotting results proved that there were lower levels of ERK 1/2 in the nucleus of cells treated with EPE peptide. Alongside these results, the ELISAs and invasion assays showed that blocking Erk 1/2 nuclear translocation reduces both Il-8 secretion levels and C. jejuni invasion. Ultimately, this provides a basis for future studies to develop novel therapies to treat Campylobacter infections without antibiotics.

Current literature explains the relationship between Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) status and lexical features via discourse analysis, a qualitative approach to studying meaning and units of language. Current research identifies a relationship between cognition and TBI. However, there is no current literature that examines the relationship between speech and language features (SLF) and violence-related TBI (VR TBI). The present study explores differences in SLF across no TBI, general TBI, and VR TBI groups. Further, it examines whether VR TBI can predict SLF and the SLF differences presented by individuals with VR compared to other groups.

A mobile health screening event was held to provide point-of-service results, including several risk factors for cognitive decline. This included depression, sleep, history of TBI, cardiovascular diseases, and others. This study focuses on the injury mechanism of self-reported TBI history using the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method (OSU TBI), which included an interview. Participants also completed a speech and language assessment, which included a recorded picture description discourse task, the Modern Cookie Theft picture, a diagnostic tool that assesses cognitive, communicative, and visual deficits. Codes for the Human Analysis of Transcripts (CHAT) was used to transcribe the audio. Computerized Language ANalysis (CLAN) software was used to complete discourse analysis of language features, which include content, cohesion, and fluency. Participants were sorted into three groups based on their responses: no TBI, TBIs from other injury mechanisms (i.e., falls, car crashes), and VR TBI. One-Way ANOVA, MANOVA, and Post-Hoc analyses were conducted to evaluate and identify group relationships.

Preliminary results indicate a significant cognitive differences across groups F(1, 2) = 3.47, p = .034. Further, the TBI mechanism significantly predicted specific SLF, accounting for 15-18% of the variance. The mechanism of injury is associated with differences in cohesion, semantic features, and fluency. Post hoc mediation analysis identified stress and self-efficacy as significant contributors to the model when predicting SLF in individuals with VR TBI. This study provides clinically meaningful insight into the relationship between unique SLF and VR TBI. In addition, the results of this exploratory study reveal that the injury mechanism affects people differently.

Introduction: The Stroop task is a commonly used task that measures inhibitory control, an aspect of executive function. The Stroop task requires participants to inhibit a prepotent response (e.g., inhibit saying ‘happy’ to a smiley face) in favor of making a requested response (e.g., say ‘sad’ to a smiley face). Previous research suggests that the emotional faces in the happy-sad task interfere with participants’ inhibitory control abilities, leading to more errors. It is noted that children and adults make significantly greater mistakes on happy-sad than day-night (Kramer et al., 2015; Lagattuta et al., 2011). The goal of this study was to test whether mapping happy to sad and sad to happy prior to the task improves performance on the happy-sad Stroop task.

Methods: Forty emerging adults participated in this study. Participants completed a happy-sad and day-night version of the Stroop task. Participants were randomly assigned to either a happy-sad mapping condition or an up-down mapping condition. Prior to completing the happy-sad task, participants encountered a mapping activity where they mapped the word happy to a sad face, the word sad to happy face, or the word up to a picture of an arrow pointing down and vice versa as the neutral mapping activity. If mapping happy to sad improves inhibitory control on the happy-sad task, we should expect improvement on happy-sad only in the happy-sad mapping condition.

Results: Participants performed relatively similar for both the up-down and happy-sad mapping conditions, but participants made more errors on happy-sad task than the day-night task This is consistent with published literature, yet there are no differences based on the mapping condition.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that practicing mapping opposite responses – whether it’s happy to sad or up to down – improves performance on Stroop tasks in which participants must make the opposite response, such as the Stroop.

Poacher fishes (Agonidae) are a family defined by their bony armor. Unlike the flexible scales possessed by many fishes, poachers are encased in rigid plates that overlap in rows. Uniquely, when viewed in the hoop direction, rows appear as distinct geometric rings which can be dissected out both digitally and physically. These rings vary across species in both number and arrangement of plates, forming octagons, hexagons, and squares. The diversity in row count and overlap across species implies different ring designs may be specialized for different functions. To test this, we 3D-printed models of poacher armor rings as regular polygons with flexible joints at either the center or corners, varying the number sides to match the diversity seen in nature. We used a material testing system to compress the models to a locking position, recording force displacement curves for each model. We found that, across most shapes, models with central joints, which most closely match poacher scale morphology, require more force to reach a locked position than models with joints in the corners. This means the models that closely resemble fish, despite being contradictory to conventional engineering design, resist compression better. Poachers are not fast swimmers and thus hide under rocks, compressing themselves, but due to their scales’ resistance, they can prevent damage to their soft internal structures.

Latinos/as in the United States (U.S.) are one of the fastest growing demographics. Indeed, estimates suggest that nearly one in five Americans is Latino (Ramos 2025). Nearly two-thirds of Latinos/as are native-born and one-third of all Latinos/as are foreign-born (Funk and Hugo Lopez 2022). Among the Latino/a foreign-born population, Mexican nationals make up the largest ethnic group and about three-fourths are documented immigrants (Funk and Hugo Lopez 2022). The state of Washington is undergoing a demographic shift wherein more Latino/a immigrants are growing old than ever before. However, we have very little research that captures the experiences of this aging population. Past research makes clear that Latino/a immigrants are likely to endure racism, face language barriers, and experience exploitation in the workplace. Moreover, a significant number of Latino/a immigrants work in agricultural work, which is an employment sector that traditionally does not provide health insurance and pathways for upward mobility. Thus, this project aims to take stock of the existing literature on this population and share some preliminary data on older Latino/a immigrants in Washington State. This project will reveal how “aging in the fields” creates hardships for Latino/a immigrants by limiting their options for retirement.

The commercial aviation sector aims to achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050, with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) serving as a major pathway toward this goal. SAF blends with conventional jet fuel must meet a set of specifications found in ASTM D7566 to be considered ‘drop-in’, meaning they may be used in existing aircraft engines without requiring modifications to the aircraft, engine, and fuel pump hardware. The objective of this work is to evaluate nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) O-ring interactions with an extensive set of neat hydrocarbons including n-alkanes, iso-alkanes, aromatics, olefins, and cycloalkanes, covering the molecular weight range and chemical structures, and exceeding the scope of previous elastomer–fuel compatibility studies in compound diversity. O-ring compatibility is known as a critical ‘drop-in’ property in fuel systems because irregular or insufficient swelling can affect sealed connections and increase the risk of fuel leakage. O-ring volume swell is measured using optical dilatometry, an established soak-test method used in previous elastomer-fuel compatibility literature. Current analysis focuses on identifying relationships between hydrocarbon properties and the swelling behavior of the O-ring. Using these results, trends between NBR O-ring swelling and molecular properties are analyzed, building a strong foundation towards future efforts to predict O-ring swelling from compositional information of fully formulated fuels.

Seasonal adaptations are a critical survival mechanism in organisms, and they are initiated by the interpretation of environmental cues such as daylength and temperature. In the animal model Drosophila melanogaster, circadian clock components, such as the period (per) and timeless (tim) genes, are essential for regulating seasonal adaptations. Daylength integration seems to be given by the light-dependent degradation of the TIM protein. In the brain, blue light hits the photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME (CRY), which binds to TIM and marks it for degradation, resetting the clock. At the same time, temperature integration is driven by the expression of core clock genes. As the temperature drops, the expression of the canonical tim-Long (tim-l) isoform is reduced, while two major cold-specific isoforms are induced: tim-cold (tim-c) and tim-short and cold (tim-sc). Recent studies from our lab have demonstrated that this isoform exchange in the brain is crucial for reproductive seasonal adaptations; however, the regulatory mechanisms of the clock genes in peripheral organs remain poorly understood, and it is unclear whether local regulation contributes to seasonality. TIM is expressed in the ovarian follicle cells with key functions in reproductive outputs. Interestingly, TIM levels in the ovary are not affected by light due to the absence of CRY expression in this tissue, making the ovary a “light-blind tissue”. However, D. melanogaster is an ectotherm, and temperature could still affect tim splicing locally in the ovaries. Building on this evidence, our study aimed to investigate the role of local alternative splicing of clock genes in regulating seasonal reproductive adaptations in the Drosophila ovary. We hypothesize that temperature provides a seasonal signal, and the splicing of the tim in the ovaries acts as the thermometer, giving the ovaries a local seasonal timer. Using semiquantitative and quantitative real-time PCR, we showed that the tim-sc isoform is expressed in the ovaries of Drosophila melanogaster. Consistent with previous results, tim expression doesn’t show daily variations. Whether tim-sc is related to a functional role of the isoform in the ovaries remains to be studied. Further work remains to provide critical insight into the molecular basis of seasonal reproductive plasticity.

This project focused on designing an outpatient behavioral health clinic for the Willow Creek Foundation in Pullman, Washington. The goal was to create a welcoming, therapeutic space that supports patients, families, and staff while promoting holistic healing and community connection.

Throughout the semester, we conducted research, developed programming, and designed spaces that emphasize intuitive wayfinding, family-focused care, sensory-sensitive environments, and positive distractions. Safety, accessibility, and privacy were key priorities, ensuring compliance with ADA standards, HIPAA guidelines, and universal design principles.

We incorporated behavioral-health-appropriate furniture from manufacturers including Allsteel, Steelcase, and Herman Miller to create functional, supportive, and flexible environments for patients ranging from age 10 to adulthood. Using Revit and Enscape, we modeled, visualized, and refined our design solutions, strengthening our skills in 3D design and presentation.

The final design balances patient needs, staff efficiency, and community integration, including adaptable spaces, collaborative staff areas, and sensory interventions. This project challenged us to think critically about how interior design can influence mental and behavioral health, and it provided an opportunity to apply creative problem-solving in a real-world context.

The Environmental Archaeology Research Laboratory in the Department of Anthropology was given a collection of 46 projectile points found on the Nez Perce Reservation on the Snake River in the Columbia Plateau. The goals of this research are to 1) identify the projectile point types using established typologies for the Columbia Plateau, and 2) use the projectile point typology to give us a time frame of occupation on the land and explore change in technology over time. Thirty-eight of these points were analyzed using classification methods based on Lohse 1985, Lohse and Schou 2008, and Lohse 1995. Thirty-one out of the thirty-eight analyzed were able to be classified and sorted into fifteen distinct Columbia Plateau point types. The seven that were not classified were either incomplete or fragmented, making it difficult to get proper measurements and attributes, or they did not fit in a specific category of Columbia Plateau points. The points analyzed and classified were found to be correlated with archaeological periods spanning the past 13,000 years. The earliest point type identified is the Windust type, which is correlated with the Western Stemmed Tradition period that has a distribution of ~13,000-11,000 years ago. The latest point types identified are the Columbia stemmed C, Oxbow, Desert Side-notched Sierra, Wallula Rectangular, Columbia Corner-notched B, and Columbia Stemmed A types. Each of these is correlated with the Late Archaic period spanning 2000 years ago to the time of European contact. The classified point types were used to establish a timeline of occupation on the Snake River and discuss the history of the Nez Perce Tribe on this landscape, as well as investigate changes in tool production and use marked by the shift from larger points used for spears to smaller ones used for arrows over time.

Neonates exposed to substances while in utero impacts the first several weeks of extrauterine life due to the withdrawal symptoms the infant experiences. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) occurs when infants are exposed to substances in utero and experience an abrupt withdrawal from the substance after birth. The eat-sleep-console (ESC) protocol was created for NAS infants to aid in the management of withdrawal symptoms after birth, as well as to improve parent-infant bonding during this high-stress time of a child’s life. This study will provide evidence that the ESC protocol improves outcomes for infants and families, encouraging its adoption as standard practice in all hospitals. The previously used Finnegan scale will be compared to the ESC protocol to quantitatively compare their effectiveness in infants undergoing withdrawal. A confidential survey will be sent out to a local organization for families using ESC to explain their experience with a withdrawing infant. The expected findings may show that prioritizing the use of ESC results in overall better outcomes for neonates with NAS, including parent-infant bonding. Outcomes may suggest that more hospitals should move towards implementing the ESC protocol as a policy for each NAS infant. A projection for the research will be gathering and providing resources for rural hospitals to care for NAS infants instead of sending them to larger urban hospitals.

Every cell contains the same DNA blueprint, but what makes a heart cell different from a brain cell is which genes are turned "on" or "off." This process, called transcription, is controlled by proteins called transcription factors (TF’-s). For decades, scientists believed TF’s were simple switches, acting as either activators that turn genes on or repressors that turn them off. However, our lab discovered that most TF’s can act as both an activator and a repressor, depending on where it sits on the DNA. This indicates a spatial regulatory grammar is encoded in our DNA, meaning that the position at which the TF binds relative to the transcription start site can determine whether it activates or represses transcription. Myresearch focuses on a TF called KLF4, which has a dual function in human health. It can prevent tumors by stopping uncontrolled cell growth, but in certain contexts, it can flip switches to promote cancer. KLF4 levels are thus critically regulated. After studying the spatial grammar, I investigated the regulatory sequence of KLF4, the promoter. I noticed that KLF4 appears to bind to its own promoter in an abnormal position. While KLF4 usually binds as a strong activator, in its own promoter, KLF4 binds a special region suggesting it functions as a repressor. Therefore, I hypothesize that KLF4 autoregulates through this direct feedback mechanism to maintain its critical balance within the cell, that when disrupted, leads to cancer. More excitingly, I also identified other TFs with a similar regulatory structure suggesting this new potential autoregulatory mechanism is widely used in human gene regulation. To test this, I will use CRISPR gene-editing to precisely mutate the autoregulatory KLF4 binding site in human cells and an advanced sequencing technique developed in the Duttke lab (csRNA-seq) to capture real-time changes in both KLF4 and gene expression throughout the whole genome. By comparing these mutated cells to healthy (wild-type) ones, I can determine if KLF4’s binding position is the key to its own regulation. Understanding this autoregulatory concept of the spatial grammar will provide a new map for how gene regulation manifests in cancer.

Indigenous communities experience persistent health inequities rooted in policies and research practices that have historically extracted, misrepresented, or excluded Indigenous knowledge. Because quantitative health research informs policy decisions, funding allocation, and public health interventions, the way data are designed and interpreted carries significant consequences. Yet quantitative methods are often treated as neutral, reinforcing inequities when dealing from Indigenous governance and priorities. The Indigenous-Centered Quantitative Analysis Toolkit for Equity (ICQuATE) project addresses this challenge by reimagining quantitative health research as a tool to advance Indigenous data sovereignty and health equity.

As undergraduate researchers on the ICQuATE team, we conducted a scoping review to examine how Indigenous-centered quantitative methodologies are currently implemented in health research. We systematically reviewed peer-reviewed studies that incorporated Indigenous frameworks, community leadership, or Indigenous data governance into quantitative study design and analysis. We assessed how researchers defined health outcomes, developed or adapted measurement tools, engaged Indigenous communities throughout the research process, and interpreted findings.

Our review found that Indigenous-centered approaches move beyond deficit-based narratives to emphasize community strengths, relational accountability, and cultural context. These studies demonstrate that scientific rigor and community partnership are mutually reinforcing. However, inconsistent methodological reporting highlights the need for clearer standards to guide equitable practice. These findings inform the development of the ICQuATE toolkit, which will provide practical guidance for conducting rigorous, community-engaged quantitative health research aligned with Indigenous priorities and committed to advancing health equity.

Keywords: Indigenous health; quantitative research; health equity; scoping review; community-engaged research

Herbicide dose-response assays are routinely implemented to compare herbicide resistance among weed biotypes, which requires plant biomass to estimate the dose that reduces growth by 50% relative to untreated plants (GR50). The Phenospex TraitFinder is a highthroughput, non-destructive, digital phenotyping system that can collect data from 7 spectral parameters and 13 morphological parameters, including Digital Biomass (DB). The DB parameter is of particular interest as a replacement for destructive biomass collection, but unlike true biomass, DB is a measurement of plant volume as it is calculated as the product of 3D Leaf Area and Plant Height (PH) Mean. While DB is highly correlated with true biomass, digitally collected plant volume data has not been implemented for dose-response assays or assessed for accuracy relative to biomass data. Additionally inaccurate PH measurements impact the a accuracy of DB measurements. Thus, this study sought to assess the accuracy and utility of DB and 19 remaining parameters in dose-response assays by comparing dose-response curves and GR50 estimates generated from digital data and fresh biomass (FB) data. Pre-emergence dose-response assays using fomesafen and atrazine were implemented with common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.). At 21 days after treatment, manual measurements of FB and plant height (PH) were collected following digital data collection. Correlation analysis indicated high positive correlations (r = 0.97, P < 0.05) consistently occurred between digitally collected data and their equivalent manual measurements. Comparisons of the dose-response curves indicated that 3D Leaf Area, DB, Convex Hull Area, Projected Leaf Area, and Voxel Volume Total generated highly similar curves and GR50 estimates relative to FB data. Small differences (approximately 1.06 to 1.77 mm) between manual and digital PH measurements were identified with the paired t-test, but since DB consistently produced similar dose-response curves and GR50 estimates relative to FB, these differences did not impact the accuracy of DB measurements. Without requiring manual biomass collection, turnaround time for doseresponse and other phenotyping assays decreases and allows faster sharing of research. Furthermore, herbicide-resistant plants can be preserved for phenotyping at later growth stages, tissue collection, and to produce progeny for future experiments.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries boast superior safety and reduced cost in comparison to lithium-ion batteries, through their inherent non-volatility and relative earth abundance. The cost efficiency of aqueous zinc-ion batteries can be compounded by modifying the cell to an anode-free configuration—utilizing a current collector made of copper or carbon which serves as an anode for zinc to reversibly plate and strip on the surface. This configuration significantly reduces wasted material, since most Zn batteries use a metal foil anode with up to 90% of the active material not participating in battery chemistry.

However, the reversibility, energy density, and capacity fading of these batteries are dampened by the growth of dendrites and slow diffusion kinetics. This can be mitigated using magnetic fields coupled with alkylated ammonium bromide complexing agents. In this improved system, disk magnets will be implemented behind the electrodes, supplying an inexpensive method for mixing the electrolyte and suppressing dendritic growth during battery operation without the need for additional energy input. Furthermore, a complexing agent will be introduced to the cathode slurry and zinc-bromide electrolyte. By manipulating the chain-length of the complexing agent, the diffusion of ions can be controlled to optimize coulombic efficiency and stabilize the system.

The anode-free zinc-bromide battery configuration exhibits the qualities desired in a safe, cost-effective, efficient grid scale application. This can be attributed to the non-volatility of aqueous electrolytes coupled with energy-efficient disk magnets and inexpensive carbon-based materials. Overall, this configuration will boast increased coulombic efficiency in concurrence with reduced capacity fading.

This creative project focuses on improving robot safety using a Virtual Reality (VR) device to assist in motion planning. While the current implementation uses VR, the system is designed to support future augmented reality (AR) integration by keeping robot data and visualization components modular. The goal is to visualize a robot’s behavior along with its joint angles and swept volume to determine if it is safe to proceed with a task. If a task is unsafe due to a collision, additional constraints can be added for the robot to replan its path and avoid hazards. Without clearly defined and visualized constraints, robotic systems can potentially cause permanent damage to themselves or their surroundings, making careful planning essential.

The idea for this project emerged from an undergraduate robotics course in which a team controlled a Franka Research 3 (FR3) robotic arm using a VR device and mirrored the robot’s motion in a Unity-based simulation. During this course project, students were responsible for ensuring that the robot was placed and operated in a safe area to avoid collisions. After discussing the setup procedure with a faculty mentor, it became apparent that no existing platform addressed these safety hazards, which could lead to unintended collisions.

This challenge presented an opportunity to create an interactive tool for complex robotic applications. Effective human-robot interaction requires clear communication, but understanding robotic motion is difficult because robots are multi-dimensional and can move freely through space. VR technology enables realistic robot visualizations by allowing users to observe movements in three-dimensional (3D) space. A key feature of this project is visualizing swept volume, which represents the total space a robot occupies as it moves from one position to another. This visualization helps users better understand spatial requirements and detect potential collisions before execution. The outcome is a simulation environment that overlays safety-critical information onto a VR display, allowing users to virtually manipulate robot motion and determine if a task can be safely performed. This work is supported by an Undergraduate Research Fellowship for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Normal embryo and placenta development rely not only on maternal factors but also on epigenetic information carried by sperm. Despite a long‑standing focus of maternal impacts on offspring health, growing evidence shows that paternal epigenetic signals play an essential role in embryo development, placental growth, and overall fetal health. One key paternal epigenetic mark, trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3), is retained at specific genomic regions in mature sperm and is thought to guide early developmental gene regulation. Our ongoing research investigates how loss of sperm H3K27me3 influences embryo and placental development. To test the functional importance of this epigenetic mark, we used a sperm‑specific Prm‑Cre driven Kdm6b overexpression (OE) mouse model, which disrupts H3K27me3 deposition during late spermatogenesis. Double‑positive Prm‑Cre and Kdm6b‑OE males were bred with wild-type females, and conceptuses were collected at gestational day (GD) 12.5 to evaluate developmental outcomes. At GD12.5, embryo survival was comparable to that of controls; however, many embryos exhibited congenital abnormalities, suggesting disrupted developmental programming. This study focuses on GD12.5 placentas from double-positive sires to determine whether placental structural defects, including reduced labyrinth area and atrophy, are present, which may play a role in the developmental defects observed in the embryos. This research highlights a critical role for the sperm epigenome in supporting healthy pregnancy outcomes and fetal development through placental formation.

Studies show that many adults are not aware of how to implement fall prevention in an effective manner. Aligning this study with fall prevention by using a mental contrast with implementation intentions (MCII) helps older adults independently understand ways that can potentially influence the fall prevention beliefs and behaviors. The Health Belief Model (HBM) helps by introducing useful ways to explore changes in participants’ health beliefs that can influence increased changes in behavior, whether the patient had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or not.

The goal of this project was to see if MCII changed older adults' behavior in regard to their environment for preventing falls. To address this goal, we looked at how participants responded to questions about their perspectives on fall prevention. Then, we coded the interviews based on the different elements of the HBM. We used mixed methods--we took survey questions before the intervention and after, and we used those responses, along with their interview responses, to complete our analysis.

In the study, identifying the fall prevention elements involved increased changes in cues to action and self-efficacy across all participants with the health belief model involved. Qualitative analyses explained these changes before, during, and after interventions, highlighting cues to action as the most frequently referenced construct across groups. Self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and knowledge significantly impacted the patients' cues to action, meaning the elements were the reason why participants chose to acknowledge fall prevention tactics.

MCII may be a valuable tool for fall prevention programs by supporting confidence and follow-through when perceived barriers are present. By using mixed methods (survey, interview, qualitative analysis), we were able to find that older adults (both patients with TBI and those not afflicted by TBI) were able to understand fall risk and intervention through the help of the Health Belief Model.

This research investigates eating disorders within higher education and explores how intentional design strategies can help improve and ultimately reduce their impact on college students. The project examines both the severity of eating disorders and the untapped potential for spatial intervention across college campuses, positioning design as an active participant in student well-being rather than a passive backdrop to it.

Eating disorders are among the most life-threatening mental health conditions today. Every 52 minutes, someone dies as a result of an eating disorder. In the United States, 28.8 million people will experience one in their lifetime, contributing to more than 10,000 deaths each year. Anorexia nervosa carries the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. On college campuses, the proportion of students at risk has nearly doubled over the past decade, rising from 15 percent in 2013 to 28 percent by 2020 and 2021. On a campus of 20,000 students, nearly 6,000 may be struggling.

Eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and ARFID—are deeply intertwined with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, chronic stress, loneliness, and identity formation. The transition into higher education disrupts routine, removes familiar support systems, and intensifies social comparison. For many students, controlling food becomes a way to control uncertainty in an unfamiliar environment. Academic performance declines, GPA drops, and withdrawal rates increase. Shame divides and isolates. Misconceptions surrounding body size, gender, and cultural norms further delay diagnosis and treatment, reinforcing invisibility and stigma.

While expanding access to counseling, early screening, disability accommodations, and education are critical institutional responses, this research argues that the built environment must also be recognized as a contributing factor in mental health outcomes.

This project proposes design solutions grounded in trauma-informed principles that prioritize choice, predictability, flexibility, and sensory awareness. Quiet rooms and decompression spaces reduce sensory overload. Privacy-focused seating and semi-enclosed areas minimize social exposure. Sensory-calm environments support emotional regulation. Integrated wellness spaces embedded within academic buildings normalize mental health care and reduce stigma. By reimagining campus environments as supportive, flexible, and restorative, design becomes not only aesthetic, but preventative, compassionate, and healing.

Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by a tendency to experience negative emotions. Nihilism is a philosophical belief that life is meaningless. Prior research has found that there is a relationship between neuroticism and level of hopelessness (Chochinov et al., 2006). However, limited research has examined the direct relationship between neuroticism and existential nihilism. The proposed study would examine the correlation between the personality trait of neuroticism and nihilism through a survey methodology. The survey would consist of the NEO Personality Inventory focusing on neuroticism and the Existential Nihilism Scale for beliefs on nihilism (Costa & McCrae, 1992; Forsythe & Mongrain, 2023). Given out to university undergraduates and individuals online. The data will be evaluated with Pearson correlation and regression analysis to assess the association between neuroticism and life beliefs, including nihilism. This study can provide insight into how personality traits contribute to and shape life beliefs.

• Chochinov, H. M., Kristjanson, L. J., Hack, T. F., Hassard, T., McClement, S., & Harlos, M. (2006). Personality, neuroticism, and coping towards the end of life. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 32(4), 332–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.05.011
• Costa, P. T., Jr., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). Revised NEO personality inventory (NEO PI-R) and NEO five-factor inventory (NEO-FFI) professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources.
• Forsythe, J., & Mongrain, M. (2023). The Existential Nihilism Scale (ENS): Theory, development, and psychometric evaluation. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 45, 865–883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-023-10052-W

This remodeled building located on S Grande Ave, Pullman, WA has been repurposed as an eighteen and lower outpatient therapy office. The idea of this design was to normalize the importance of emotional health in youth. The youth have been ignored with their medical needs because of society's idea on therapy and seeking help. It is seen as a personal problem that should be delt with alone and that is a misconception that should be corrected starting with impressionable youth. Many go through life without a healed mental state that will forever follow them because of the negative ideas towards therapy.

Spatial design also plays an important part of an interior. Reading through many research papers on impatient and outpatient facility's I found many correlating topics that pertain to the idea of creating a space that puts the clients at ease. One of these topics that I spent the most time improving in my work is wayfinding and room placements. Patients commonly express how they feel lost and disoriented in certain buildings due to poor design. Clients come into clinics already stressed so decreasing this stress by using wayfinding can improve the client's overall health and feeling towards the building. Wayfinding is the term for using visual landmarks to differentiate from one area from another. We see this most often with bathroom signs.

In my research I decided to follow the idea of Biophilic design. In short biophilic design is bringing nature back into the indoors. We as a society we have become used to separating outside from inside by building unnatural toxic material walls that we then spray with chemicals to keep plants and important fungi that keep plants from flourishing. We began our short journey as a species outdoors in nature. Our bodies are programed to feel safe and healed with nature. In studies it has been proven that using plants and materials that mimic the outdoors have increased healing time and improved moods positively. As this clinic is based on improving and healing young impressionable minds using this theory is beneficial for my design.

Psychological stress, posture, neck pain, and proprioception (the sense of body position) are each known to influence motor control; however, their interactive effects remain poorly understood. Acute psychological stress has been shown to alter cervical muscle activation and postural sway, potentially through increased muscle co-contraction and stiffness. Given the critical role of cervical proprioception in head positioning and postural control, stress-related postural alterations may have downstream effects on proprioceptive accuracy and musculoskeletal discomfort. This study aims to investigate the effects of acute social-evaluative stress on head posture, postural sway, and cervical proprioception in healthy adults.

Participants will undergo baseline assessments of cervical proprioception using a head repositioning task quantified through lateral photographic analysis with reflective markers placed on anatomical landmarks. Postural sway and head–neck posture will be continuously recorded using a goniometer. Acute stress will be induced using the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), a validated protocol that elicits psychological stress via time pressure and negative evaluative feedback. Cervical proprioception will be reassessed following the stress task to evaluate stress-related changes in head repositioning accuracy. Subjective stress and discomfort will be assessed using Visual Analog Scales before and after stress induction.

We hypothesize that acute stress will result in increased forward and flexed head posture, reduced postural sway, and decreased cervical proprioceptive accuracy. Additionally, we expect stress-induced postural changes to exacerbate proprioceptive deficits. Understanding how acute stress interacts with posture and proprioceptive function may help identify modifiable factors contributing to neck pain and motor control impairments, informing preventative and rehabilitative strategies for stress-related musculoskeletal dysfunction.

Adolescent suicide remains a critical public health concern in the United States, with youth and young adults accounting for a disproportionate share of suicide-related deaths. As social media platforms become central sites of adolescent connection and identity formation, questions remain about how algorithmically-curated content shapes vulnerability to suicidal ideation among a teen audience.

This research examined the relationship between social media content, particularly on TikTok, and the reinforcement or escalation of suicidal ideation among adolescents. Drawing on peer-reviewed research and thematic analyses of highly viewed suicide- and self-harm-related content, it synthesizes evidence that platform algorithms may amplify emotionally distressing, glamorized, or validating narratives that are especially influential for youth who lack offline support or effective coping strategies.

Applying Bowlby’s attachment theory and subsequent work on attachment styles in digital environments, it is argues that adolescents with anxious or insecure attachment patterns may be particularly susceptible to seeking emotional regulation and validation through online engagement. When combined with dopamine-driven reinforcement and limited parental mediation, algorithmic exposure can distort self-worth, hinder emotional development, and normalize maladaptive coping behaviors.

The implications of this research extend beyond platform design debates to include the roles of caregivers, educators, and community-based support systems. Findings underscore the need for trauma-informed interventions that integrate media literacy, parental engagement, and early identification of suicide risk. For parents and caregivers, this includes developing awareness of how algorithmic content may shape adolescents’ emotional regulation, self-esteem, and coping behaviors, as well as fostering open, non-stigmatizing conversations about social media use and mental health.

Evidence-based programs such as Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) and Mental Health First Aid are presented as scalable strategies for strengthening family and community capacity to recognize warning signs and respond effectively. By bridging psychological theory, digital media research, and applied prevention efforts, this study contributes to social science discussions of youth well-being in algorithmically mediated environments and highlights practical pathways for safeguarding adolescent mental health across home, school, and community contexts.

Latino immigrant agricultural workers experience an increased number of workplace hazards and discrimination compared to other demographics. This project focuses on the Latino immigrant agricultural worker community in my hometown of Wapato, Washington. Within the community there is a popular notion that one must make themselves indispensable because jobs are not a guarantee. This prevalent notion is a contributor to the high rates of workplace hazards because an employer may see this attitude and take advantage of this attitude, resulting in harsher labor conditions and an increase in workplace related injuries/illnesses. Through a series of interviews with these immigrant agricultural workers and their relatives, I provide firsthand accounts that provide a glimpse into these issues and how it affects the livelihood of these people and their families. I also consider the root of the issue, and possible avenues for resolution.

As Washington and the broader Northwest add more wind and solar generation while electrifying transportation, buildings, and industry, the power system is becoming more dependent on resources that can respond quickly and sustain output when renewable generation dips. Long-duration energy storage is increasingly important for maintaining reliable, affordable electricity during peak demand, extreme weather, and rapid supply changes. Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH), often described as a “water battery”, can store large amounts of energy by pumping water uphill when electricity is abundant and generating power later when it is needed. Beyond shifting energy from low-demand to high-demand hours, PSH can support reliability by providing fast balancing support and helping restart the grid after major outages.

However, PSH is not a plug-and-play solution, and its value depends on local conditions. Feasibility is shaped by site design (elevation and reservoir configuration), water and environmental constraints, community impacts, transmission and interconnection access, long permitting timelines, and whether planning and market rules recognize the full set of services PSH can provide.

As an undergraduate intern at the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF), working under the guidance of a mentor and informed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory resources, this research will explore three questions:

1. What is PSH, and when does PSH make the most sense for Washington’s power system needs?
2. How do PSH benefits and limitations compare with other storage options, including grid batteries and demand response?
3. What Washington-specific opportunities and pathways could support a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future?

Providing comparison using consistent, plain-language criteria: storage duration, response speed, sitting requirements, environmental and community tradeoffs, implementation timelines, and grid integration needs.

The outcome will be an accessible, Washington-focused decision framework that clarifies where PSH is most promising, where it may be a poor fit, and what practical steps could reduce risk and improve outcomes, directly aligning with INEF’s mission to translate complex systems into clear, actionable choices for decision-makers, at a time when Washington must meet the current growing electricity demand and reliability needs while balancing tradeoffs across major resources (hydropower, nuclear, renewables, and transmission) in the years ahead.

Ammonia production is the foundation of the global agricultural industry; however, producing ammonia is an energy- and cost-intensive process. The International Energy Agency reported that ammonia production accounts for 2% of global energy costs per year, as splitting nitrogen into ammonia requires a high material input. The enzyme nitrogenase, found in the filamentous cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, fixes nitrogen into ammonia at ambient conditions, and therefore is a promising chassis for metabolism-driven ammonia production.

Anabaena is a cyanobacteria capable of differentiating into nitrogen-fixing heterocysts in environments lacking nitrogenous compounds. Heterocysts and photosynthesizing vegetative cells organize into a filament, sharing metabolites with neighboring cells in a complex multicellular metabolic network. Studying the organism’s metabolism in the context of its community filament is key in building this new process; therefore, we are designing and testing high-fidelity genome-scale metabolic (GSM) models of Anabaena to investigate how it could be used as the foundation for a cost- and energy-efficient ammonia production process for a sustainable nitrogen economy.

My project consists of creating a high-fidelity GSM model of an Anabaena filament that includes cell differentiation and metabolite diffusion between both cell types. Filament modeling was chosen rather than traditional methods to accurately determine realistic ammonia production and to pioneer multicellular modeling research. First, I verified the base dual-cell GSM model developed by previous researchers by curating its gene, reaction, and metabolite annotations. I developed GSM models for both Anabaena cell types using information derived from the base model to populate a virtual filament with the appropriate cells.

We enhanced the quality of each model by inspecting exchange reaction connectivity and performing reaction network analysis. Then, I developed a community growth simulator for in silico experiments in growth rate determination, and the simulation predicted growth rates within 13% of published in vivo values. This acts as an additional measure of filament model fidelity.

Several key challenges were identified, such as difficulty in determining metabolite diffusion parameters, performing simultaneous multi-model optimization, and designing in silico community structure. My summer research activities concluded with a development roadmap that systematically addresses each challenge and proposes potential solutions.

Introduction: Error-monitoring (EM) reflects the ability to detect and correct errors and contributes to everyday decision-making and strategy use. EM is a component of higher-order cognitive processes called executive functions (EF). Research shows that “old-old” adults (75+ years) exhibit steeper EF decline than “young-old” adults (60–74 years). This study compared young-old adults (YOA) and old-old adults (OOA) in EF and EM and hypothesized poorer performance by OOA.

Methods: Participants were 125 cognitively healthy older adults divided into sex and education matched YOA (n = 84, M_age = 67.40, 77% female, M_edu = 16.87) and OOA (n = 41, M_age = 80.24, 71% female, M_edu = 16.68) groups. EM was measured using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), a remotely administered go/no-go task. Participants tapped for non-target letters, withheld responses to target letter, and verbally self-corrected identified errors. Performance measures included total errors, self-corrected errors, and microslips (errors caught before committed). The proportion of self-corrected errors relative to total errors measured EM. Cognitive composites of attention, language, EF, and memory were created from standardized neuropsychological measures. Independent sample t-tests compared YOA and OOA across EM, performance measures, and cognitive composites

Results: YOA (M = .80) showed better EM than OOA (M = .65) with a medium effect (d = .55). YOA (M = 11.39) also made fewer total errors than OOA (M = 15.56) (d = -.47). Groups did not differ in self-corrections or microslips. YOA outperformed OOA in EF and memory but groups did not differ in attention or language. Better EM was associated with higher EF (r = .30), and more errors were associated with poorer EF (r = -.28).

Discussions: YOA performed better than OOA in EM, total errors, EF, and memory. In contrast, self-corrected errors and microslips were similar across groups, suggesting OOA recognized errors but made more errors overall. This pattern and the association between better EM, less errors, and stronger EF aligns with the literature showing that EF supports error-detection and adaptive adjustments in older adults. Findings have implications for assessment and clinical recommendations as EM and EF are involved in everyday decision-making.

Despite various research on alcohol use and misuse, two out of five college students are categorized as binge drinkers, which contributes to 1,825 deaths per year. (Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2014) There is a significant gap in understanding the factors that might relate to risky alcohol consumption. Narcissistic personality traits and impulsivity may be two such factors. This quantitative study aims to fill the gap in the research on personality risk factors for alcohol use and misuse, using an ecological framework. (Guy-Evans, 2025) From this framework, peers represent an important microsystem that influences individual behavior. Moreover, because narcissism is associated with concerns regarding social status (Poorthuis et al., 2019), and young adults may be relatively impulsive (McGowan et al., 2022), such individuals may be particularly influenced by peers who encourage them to engage in similar behaviors.

Approximately 100 participant-peer dyads will be recruited from Washington State University in fall 2026, ranging from ages 18 to 24.

Participants will complete a series of questionnaires assessing their personality traits, including the Narcissistic Personality Inventory as a measure of narcissism and the UPPS-P scale as a measure of impulsive tendencies. Alcohol use and consumption will be assessed by the AUDIT test. Participants will also recruit a peer who will complete a measure of their own alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use. Data will be analyzed via a correlational and regression analysis.

It is expected that higher levels of self-reported narcissism and impulsivity will be correlated with greater self-reported alcohol use and misuse (H1). Higher participant self-reported alcohol use and misuse will be correlated with peer self-reported alcohol use and misuse, as well as peer-reported attitudes that favor alcohol use (H2). The relations of narcissism and impulsivity with alcohol use/misuse will be particularly strong for individuals whose peers engage in, and favor, alcohol use. (H3)

In summary, this study aims to examine the relation between narcissistic personality traits, impulsivity, alcohol use, and Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework amongst young adults.

Articular cartilage (AC), a specialized connective tissue, comprises chondrocytes within a complex matrix. This structure creates a smooth, lubricated surface for joint movement, efficiently transferring loads with minimal friction. AC lacks blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves. These characteristics prevent healing and repair of the native tissue, potentially leading to joint diseases like osteoarthritis. Despite current treatment options available to remedy symptoms of AC degradation, these therapies are suboptimal, failing to fully restore the complex tissue. Our lab’s AC tissue engineering technique explores how human mesenchymal stromal stem cells (hMSCs) respond to mechanical and biochemical stimuli, specifically examining their effect on chondrogenesis, a biological process of hMSCs differentiating into chondrocyte. This technique revealed that applying both mechanical and biochemical stimuli upregulated the gene SOX9 by at least 1.5-fold and up to 40-fold when compared to static cultures. Biochemical analysis of hMSC samples from the post-bioreactor experiment also showed elevated amounts of glycosaminoglycans and collagen. Collagen and glycosaminoglycans are fundamental elements of the AC extracellular matrix, offering both shear and tensile strength. Therefore, recreating a native joint environment through mechanical and biochemical stimulation within a specialized bioreactor promotes chondrogenesis and enhances the extracellular matrix components in native AC tissue, presenting a potential solution for osteoarthritis treatment.

Body mass index (BMI) is a widely used screening tool for assessing weight-related health risk; however, it does not account for body fat distribution and may perform poorly in short-stature populations. In rural Guatemala, chronic childhood undernutrition has contributed to widespread adult stunting, raising concerns about the accuracy of BMI for identifying cardiometabolic risk and the potential overclassification of obesity in this population.

This study compared BMI with measures of central adiposity—waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)—to assess associations with hypertension and elevated blood glucose and to examine potential bias in BMI classification in a short-stature population of adults aged 45 years and older in rural Guatemala.

Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, and hip circumference), blood pressure, and non-fasting blood glucose were collected from 109 participants during a rural medical clinic. Associations between anthropometric indices and cardiometabolic outcomes were examined to compare risk classification and concordance among measures. Body weight classifications were evaluated for agreement among indices. An allometrically adjusted BMI was derived to account for population-specific height–weight scaling in this short-stature cohort.

Central adiposity measures showed strong concordance, with WHtR identifying risk in nearly all individuals classified at risk by WHR. However, the high prevalence of short stature and obesity limited variability in BMI and waist-based measures, resulting in weak correlations with blood pressure and glucose. Standard BMI systematically overestimated adiposity in this population. After adjusting BMI for shorter height, it aligned more closely with waist-based measures and identified fewer individuals as obese, suggesting bias in the conventional BMI formula rather than true differences in cardiometabolic risk. No single anthropometric measure strongly predicted hypertension or elevated blood glucose; BMI showed modest association with blood pressure, WHR showed slightly stronger association with elevated glucose, and WHtR classified a large proportion of participants as at risk, limiting its discriminatory ability.

Common anthropometric measures may misclassify adiposity and poorly predict cardiometabolic risk in short-stature populations with limited body-type variability. Standard BMI appears to overestimate obesity in this context, highlighting the need for population-specific adjustments and complementary clinical measures to improve risk assessment.

This project introduces AutomataSim, a Python-based desktop application developed to simulate deterministic finite automata (DFA) through an interactive graphical interface. The system allows users to define automata using a simple domain-specific language (DSL), step through simulations, and visual state transitions using Graphviz.

Built on a layered architecture, AutomataSim includes secure user account management and persistent storage using SQLite. The application is designed as an educational tool to support student learning in courses that introduce automata theory and formal languages. By providing an interactive environment, AutomataSim helps bridge abstract theoretical concepts with intuitive visual representations, making these topics more accessible to learners.

Children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) demonstrate slower speech sound development compared to typically developing children. For example, a child may say “wabbit” for “rabbit” or “tup” for “cup.” Speech sound acquisition and phonological awareness are foundational skills for literacy development; however, children with SSDs may have difficulty demonstrating their phonological knowledge verbally due to speech errors.

In this study, we examined whether children with SSDs perform better on standardized assessments when their speech errors are taken into account compared to when they are not. Notably, many literacy assessments do not provide guidance on how to score verbal responses for children with SSDs. To address this gap, we analyzed scores from kindergarten, first-, and second-grade students on a common phonological awareness assessment, the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP).

Children were first scored using the standard CTOPP scoring procedure, which does not allow for speech sound errors. A second round of scoring was then conducted using the Scoring for Expressive Evaluation and Diagnosis (SEED) procedure, which accounts for a child’s consistent speech sound errors. A consistent error pattern was defined as the production of the same distinct phoneme error in 50% or more of opportunities for that speech sound. During re-scoring, children were given credit when their consistent speech sound errors would have otherwise resulted in a loss of points.

Findings from this study will support more accurate diagnosis by improving differentiation among rule-based, motor-based, and motor planning–based disorders. Additionally, the results will guide the selection of appropriate therapy approaches, allowing for more targeted treatment planning. Finally, this work may help predict and prevent future literacy difficulties, such as dyslexia, through the analysis of speech error patterns.

Neurons in the hypothalamus play a central role in regulation appetite, body weight, and energy balance. Hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons specifically suppress food intake and promote energy expenditure. Disruptions in POMC neuron activity are linked to obesity and metabolic disorders, yet the cellular mechanisms controlling their synaptic input and activity remain incompletely understood.

Our research investigates how endocannabinoid and nitric oxide signaling pathways regulate excitatory (glutamatergic) input onto the POMC neurons. Endocannabinoids are known to inhibit synaptic release and their production in the postsynaptic cell is calcium dependent. The neurotransmitter nitric oxide (NO) is also a retrograde transmitter, but its release from the postsynaptic cell usually potentiates presynaptic transmitter release. Recent work suggests that NO can serve as potential downstream mediator of endocannabinoid actions. To determine if this occurs in POMC neurons to regulate excitatory transmission to POMC neurons, we use a whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology in acute mouse brain slices to record synaptic activity from genetically identified POMC neurons while isolating glutamatergic excitatory currents.

Initial experiments used intracellular BAPTA, a calcium chelator, to disrupt calcium dependent endocannabinoid signaling. However, because nitric oxide production is also calcium dependent, the manipulation affected multiple signaling pathways simultaneously, making it difficult to isolate the specific contribution of nitric oxide.

To directly test whether nitric oxide signaling is sufficient to modulate excitatory synaptic transmission onto POMC neurons, we are currently applying an exogenous nitric oxide donor during recordings. We hypothesize that nitric oxide signaling will increase glutamatergic input onto POMC neurons, thereby upregulating their activity. In a complementary experiment, we have used an immunohistochemical approach to detect nNOS, the enzyme necessary for NO production in POMC neurons. Understanding how these intracellular signaling pathways regulate synaptic input at the cellular level may provide insight into neural mechanisms underlying appetite control and could help identify new strategies for treating obesity and related metabolic diseases.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), the augmentation of human thinking through technology, remains a rising concern in education. The increased prevalence of AI in the workforce makes its use essential in education to prepare students for their future careers. However, with its significant environmental impact and ethical ambiguity, AI is a growing concern amongst the general populace. As a society, we continue to throw things against the wall in an attempt to determine how to best implement this technology in our learning experiences. This project explores attitudes regarding AI through two separate studies. In the first study, students completed a survey that explored their positive and negative experiences with this technology in their classes. The survey contained three open-ended questions exploring various facets of AI, as well as advice for professors on how to utilize the technology to improve learning from the students’ perspective. In the spirit of reflective practice, the second part of this study involves the five co-authors comparing their personal experience in the social media project with these survey results. The five co-authors utilized AI to analyze data they collected for a social media case study, and reflected on their experience in this project. The combined results capture these positive and negative experiences students report having with AI, reflected with the direct experiences of the co-authors. The results of this study provide some advice and best practices geared towards professors on how to beneficially implement AI usage in their courses.

Adipose tissue is a dynamic organ essential for metabolism and endocrine signaling, and its structural changes throughout life are connected to age-related metabolic diseases and disorders. Quantifying these morphological changes remains challenging, as researchers employ a wide variety of methods without a single established standard. This study investigates age-related morphological changes in the adipose tissue of one-year-old female mice and concurrently evaluates the efficiency and accuracy of widely used image analysis tools, such as ImageJ and QuPath. Histological sections were analyzed to measure changes in adipocyte size and tissue organization with aging, with tools compared based on their application, data accuracy, and required user input. This work aims to clarify how adipose tissue changes during aging and to establish which software most effectively captures these changes in a reproducible and unbiased way. The findings are intended to provide practical guidance for selecting image analysis tools in future adipose tissue research.

Energy demand in the Pacific Northwest is increasing, pushing regions like the Tri-Cities to consider cleaner and more reliable energy sources. Traditional energy systems are reaching their limits. Small Modular Reactors are becoming a serious option, especially after reviewing available designs — the X-energy Xe-100 model stands out because it relies on passive, heat-based cooling even at high temperatures. The bigger challenge is how these reactors connect to today’s power grid. Through work with the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures, this project explores how Small Modular Reactors could support local energy needs while maintaining grid stability. Unlike large nuclear plants built in single massive facilities, SMRs are designed to expand gradually as demand increases. At the core of the Xe-100 is TRISO fuel arranged in a pebble-bed configuration, allowing heat to be managed safely without moving parts. The system cools itself without electricity, improving overall safety. The process of converting nuclear heat into electricity is illustrated through simplified reactor schematics and hand-drawn diagrams. A series titled “Pebbles to Grid” outlines five steps that show how heat from the reactor becomes usable electrical power. Because local energy needs vary, projected demand was compared with potential SMR output to evaluate how compact reactors could complement the existing grid rather than replace it. Initial findings show that Small Modular Reactors could provide consistent, carbon-free baseload power in the Tri-Cities. The project also highlights potential workforce growth and opportunities for partnerships between energy developers and local educational institutions. Many regions still rely on aging infrastructure, but research like this helps communities better understand next-generation energy solutions.

The project includes several simulation modules that are to be used in engineering labs to simulate real-world electrical systems. The goal is to enhance the learning experience of undergraduate engineering students. All projects use Arduino-brand logic controllers to operate, and have a power supply in an enclosure. The stoplight simulation has sensors mounted underneath to detect magnets (these are glued onto cars). The watertank simulation has a plastic bin as a reservoir and a jug as a storage tank to simulate the flow of water for storage. The mini-factory simulation has two independent sides that simulate different kinds of industrial motors. The elevator simulation allows one to move an elevator up and down over three levels based on button inputs. The industrial fan simulation is a portable module that is meant to cool electronics for the other simulations. The large factory simulation was purchased by the university from a company in Germany. It was documented and prepared for student use.

The simulations are built to meet three main criteria: to be cheap, long-lasting, and safe for use. Because of this, most of the modules were made of oak wood. One was built out of aluminum and steel. The large factory simulation was made of plastic. The simulations created by the team were tested physically and by computer simulation.

This autoethnographic study examines how geographic displacement influences journalistic decision-making, news values, and story development. Originally intending to report on local issues in California, the researcher unexpectedly traveled to Texas and was required to identify and develop new story opportunities while in transit. This shift resulted in two stories: a behind-the-scenes look at workers at Buc-ee's, and coverage of a veteran’s remembrance event connected to Wreaths for Vets.

Using reflective field notes and thematic analysis, this study explores how reporting in an unfamiliar cultural environment reshapes sourcing strategies, news judgment, and narrative framing. Findings indicate that geographic context significantly influences perceptions of newsworthiness. In Texas, strong visible community participation—particularly in support of veterans and military service—elevated the emotional resonance and public significance of events. Additionally, regional institutions such as Buc-ee’s functioned not only as commercial spaces but as cultural hubs, shaping story angles around labor, identity, and community presence.

The analysis highlights adaptability, rapid environmental scanning, and cultural awareness as essential competencies in mobile journalism. By examining real-time reporting adjustments outside established source networks, this study contributes to understanding how place-based identity and civic engagement affect journalistic practice. The findings suggest journalism education should emphasize flexibility and geographic sensitivity as core professional skills in an increasingly mobile reporting landscape.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxidation. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), dietary supplementation with dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) induces ferroptosis in germ cells, leading to sterility. The role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling in modulating ferroptosis sensitivity remains unclear. PERK, encoded by PEK-1 in C. elegans, is a key ER stress sensor that may influence cellular survival under oxidative stress.

This study investigated whether loss of pek-1/PERK alters susceptibility to DGLA-induced ferroptosis. Wildtype (N2) and pek-1 knockout (KO) worms were exposed to increasing concentrations of DGLA, and sterility was measured as a functional readout of germline ferroptosis. Comparing sterility rates between genotypes across DGLA exposures allows assessment of whether PERK contributes to resistance or susceptibility to ferroptotic stress.

I found that sterility increased in both strains with higher DGLA exposure; however, pek-1 KO worms displayed greater sterility compared to wildtype at matched concentrations. These findings indicate that PERK signaling plays a protective role against DGLA-induced ferroptosis in C. elegans, highlighting an interaction between ER stress pathways and lipid peroxidation–mediated cell death.

Indole is a compound produced by members of the gut microbiome and has been shown through multiple studies as a bacterial repellent. Many bacteria possess an evolutionary advantageous system known as chemotaxis, which enables to sense chemical gradients and adjusts their movements accordingly. Through this signal transduction pathway, bacteria can migrate towards nutrients and away from harmful compounds. Chemotaxis is also a critical pathogenic strategy used by Salmonella enterica to colonize the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Previous studies suggest that indole may have the ability to reduce the effects of harmful bacteria in the intestines through bactericidal effects and its role as a repellent signaling molecule. Understanding how pathogens respond to effectors is essential for identifying how bacteria colonize the GI tract. In this study, I investigate the ST chemotactic responses to different microbial populations. To test this, I am developing a high-throughput chemotaxis assay to measure bacterial movement in response to different microbial metabolites. I started with measuring ST chemotactic response to Escherichia coli, an indole-producing bacterium, and Bacillus subtilis, a non-indole-producing bacterium supernatant. I hypothesize that S. enterica will show a negative chemotaxis response towards E. coli supernatant due to the indole production, while showing neutral or positive chemotaxis towards B. subtilis. This research will provide insight into how chemical signaling influences pathogen behavior in the gut while contributing to understanding how the microbiome limits bacterial colonization.

This research examines the possibilities and the future effects of developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the Columbia River Basin, more specifically referencing the planned project between Amazon, Energy Northwest, and X-energy in Richland, Washington. Washington State seeks to further decarbonize its power production (e.g., CETA mandate) and, at the same time, meet the increasing energy demands. This study analyzes how the development of this technology intersects social challenges, policy, and the water-energy nexus. Other elements of this research include a review of the cooling technologies of SMRs. It compares the use of water-based cooling systems against other cooling systems, such as air cooling, which uses fans to cool the plants. This comparison considers the region’s strict rights and regulations that are designed to protect fish populations local to the area. The research also identifies the potential of “water neutral” methods to help manage the balance between reactor cooling and sustainable water use.

Additionally, this research project examines non-technical factors that may impact SMR deployment. It highlights a community’s perspective that has been shaped by the history of the Hanford Site. It also highlights Tribal rights, specifically in treaty rights and protection of food sources. The findings highlight the connection between SMR development and these social and environmental factors, showing how they can influence the possible use of this technology in the region.

Overall, the research is driven by having a systems thinking approach. This means looking at the development of SMRs as a large interconnected system and not just a piece of technology. By examining how cooling systems and power production interact with legal rights, regional history, and community concerns. This perspective helps in understanding how different parts of the energy system affect one another within the region. Initial results show that developing SMRs involves many factors, such as having enough water, efficient and sustainable cooling technology, community concerns, and Tribal rights.

Technology addiction has emerged as a growing concern in higher education, with increasing evidence that excessive digital engagement is contributing to declining academic participation, focus, and performance among college students. Recent data indicate that more than one third of college students meet criteria for technology addiction, with many experiencing reduced academic outcomes and cognitive challenges such as diminished attention span and difficulty retaining information. This project examines how rising dependence on digital platforms, especially social media and short-form content, is reshaping student learning behaviors and contributing to an ongoing engagement crisis across college campuses.

Research synthesized in this study shows that frequent exposure to fast-paced digital media can fragment attention, increase cognitive fatigue, and reduce tolerance for sustained academic tasks. The presentation also highlights behavioral trends following the COVID-19 pandemic, during which higher education rapidly shifted online, fundamentally altering how students interact with course material, instructors, and peers. Even after returning to in-person learning, engagement indicators such as collaborative participation and extracurricular involvement have not fully recovered.

The project further explores how technology habits influence sleep quality, emotional well-being, and classroom readiness. Findings indicate that poor sleep, often linked to nighttime device use, is strongly associated with reduced concentration, lower participation, and decreased academic performance. Rather than positioning technology as purely harmful, this research emphasizes that its impact depends on how it is used. Purposeful, structured integration of devices can enhance collaboration and learning, while passive or excessive use tends to undermine engagement.

To address these challenges, the project proposes evidence-based strategies including active learning environments, intentional device breaks, welcoming social spaces, and increased extracurricular opportunities. Together, these approaches demonstrate how educational design, institutional policy, and student habits can be aligned to restore meaningful engagement in higher education.

The global apparel market is witnessing a transformative shift toward multifunctional textiles, with the functional clothing sector projected to reach nearly $480 billion by 2026. Multifunctional apparel has gained significant attention due to its ability to meet rising consumer demand for lifestyle mobility, sustainability, and high-performance utility. Despite this momentum, a significant gap remains for sophisticated products that bridge high-fashion outerwear with the technical versatility of performance textiles. Existing hybrid solutions often fail to meet these standards, typically resulting in a lack of the refined aesthetics required for daily outdoor use. This research addresses this gap by developing a dual-functional garment system: a stylish, weather-ready jacket that transforms effortlessly into a high-performance blanket.

A primary objective of this project was to ensure the product excels in both of its essential end-use states. As a jacket, the garment provides a structured, protective silhouette engineered for outdoor mobility; when transformed, it offers expansive, thermal-regulating coverage designed for rest and recovery. Following a user-centered design methodology, the research began with a consumer survey to identify key features and purchase drivers. Feedback indicated a high demand for products that balance a professional appearance with superior thermal insulation.

The conceptualization phase utilized iterative prototyping to engineer a seamless transformation mechanism. This was followed by the development of physical prototypes using recycled fabrics to refine the garment's fit and structural integrity. To ensure professional-grade performance, various closure systems—including specialized zippers and magnetic fasteners—were tested for efficiency during the jacket-to-blanket conversion. The final design demonstrates a scalable solution for the “athleisure” and outdoor markets, proving that high fashion and extreme versatility can coexist. Beyond commercial viability, this hybrid system promotes a circular fashion model by reducing the need for multiple specialized garments, offering a versatile solution for both the modern consumer and potential humanitarian applications.

Despite being sequenced since the 2000’s, how the human genome and its non-coding regions encode gene regulatory programs is yet to be understood. Enhancers are one class of non-coding DNA and are regulatory elements that help control gene expression at promoters. Consequently, enhancers play a critical role in health and disease; however, their precise mechanisms are not understood. Currently, two competing models describe enhancer-promoter interactions. The localized model suggests a specific one-to-one loop between an enhancer and its promoter. In contrast, the compartment model suggests that enhancers and promoters gather in a shared area and non-specifically activate all genes within it. This study aims to explore these models and potentially categorize enhancers into one of these two models by utilizing gene-editing. Specifically, I leverage CRISPR-Cas9 to remove enhancers, followed by isolation of homozygous clonal populations. Using bioinformatics and nascent sequencing methods, I then map differences and quantify the changes in promoter and enhancer activities throughout the entire genome. I hypothesize that the number of genes and other enhancers impacted by their removal will allow for categorization of the enhancers and allow for testing these current models. Our preliminary findings suggest significant genome wide changes across all chromosomes, supporting the compartment model. The mechanisms controlling gene expression have wide implications for human health and disease and through decoding the ways that enhancers function within our genome, we get one step closer to therapeutic discovery.

This study aims to investigate the satisfaction felt after attending therapy. Therapy is meant to improve the mental wellbeing of attending individuals, but there are some who see no quality-of-life improvements. This in turn causes clients to be sent off to another therapist and could reinforce any negative self-thoughts they may have. To understand this situation at a deeper level, this research proposal suggests conducting a survey in regard to client satisfaction. This study would be conducted on college students aged 18 and older. Participants would complete the survey via Qualtrics through SONA. Aside from satisfaction with therapy, participants’ will also be asked about their mental wellbeing and demographics. Conducting a study such as this could be beneficial as it can inform current therapists about what techniques might be ineffective with clients. Another possible benefit to a study such as this could also help future research investigate the impacts of shifting therapists multiple times.

This research project focuses on the osteological documentation and analysis of fourteen human crania curated as teaching specimens in the Washington State University Department of Anthropology. Many academic skeletal teaching collections in the United States and abroad were assembled several decades ago with limited provenience or individual information. Considering new ethical standards regarding the handling and curation of human remains, this lack of individualization and provenience is considered dehumanizing to the individuals represented in the collections. There have thus been renewed efforts in academic fields that employ human skeleton teaching collections to identify aspects of these individuals’ identities. Information regarding these modern/historic individuals is lacking. Based on the acquisition of the collection several decades ago (i.e., prior to 1985), individuals may have been acquired as anatomical specimens from somewhere in South or East Asia. Due to the considerable biological diversity present across these regions, improving methods for assessing geographic origin using skeletal remains is an important challenge in forensic and biological anthropology. To provide additional details about these individuals, we are estimating aspects of their biological profile including age, sex and geographic ancestry through combined morphological and osteometric methods. These efforts provide insights into the acquisition history of these unknown decedents. Adding these personal details to the curated specimens will help restore some context, individuality and dignity to the individuals, while also providing education on the acquisition history of the anatomical specimens. The work thus contributes to the ethically responsible curation of these individuals’ skeletal remains.

The American Academy of Dermatology reports one in four Americans to experience skin diseases, decreasing the life quality of many both psychologically and physically. Skin surface texturing, or dermatoglyphics, are thought to contribute to overall skin health and function. However, when dermatoglyphics are formed during development as well as how their morphology are impacted by hair density and cycle remain poorly understood. Here, we explore how the hair cycle and hair density impact dermatoglyphic morphology. To investigate how hair density impacts dermatoglyphic formation, we used a transgenic mouse model with decreased hair density, resulting in longer and shallower dermatoglyphic ridges. To examine how the hair cycle influences dermatoglyphic morphology, we used a mouse model with a hair cycle delay. This resulted in deeper dermatoglyphic ridges. Finally, we observed how healthy dermatoglyphics appear in humans by taking live high magnification photos of a variety of live adult hands. Understanding how surface patterns and textures in our skin form and how they look on a healthy body can provide valuable insight to bettering therapeutics for diseases and wounds that alter the skin architecture’s surface.

Digital health literacy, the ability to accurately evaluate health-related information from online sources, is an essential skill in the current technological climate. Older adults often face barriers that limit effective use of internet resources for making informed health decisions, yet few studies have compared young-old (ages 50 to 69) and old-old adults (ages 70+) on online health information search and performance predictors. This study investigates age group differences and the role of demographic factors, cognitive status, self-efficacy, health literacy, and website credibility in predicting accuracy on an online health-search task. We hypothesized that the young-old age group would perform with greater accuracy on the health-search task compared to the old-old age group. We also expected website credibility, self-efficacy, cognitive status, and health literacy to predict search performance beyond age.

Participants (N = 189) were community-living older adults (age: M = 69.06, SD = 8.59; education: M = 16.83, SD = 2.05; 71.4% female) who completed a performance-based online health-search task (HST). The HST measures one’s ability to navigate the internet to efficiently find and evaluate health information. Participants also completed a cognitive screener, health literacy measure, and questionnaire evaluating self-efficacy in using trustworthy online sources to answer health-related questions. Website credibility was determined for each website used to answer the HST questions using specific criteria, which was summed to get a total score.

The young-old adults (N = 98) demonstrated higher HST accuracy (t = 2.39, p = .02), self-efficacy (t = 2.92, p = .004), and health literacy (t = 2.72, p = .007) than old-old adults (N = 91). A hierarchical regression was conducted predicting HST accuracy and age remained the only significant predictor (β = −.17, p = .014). Findings indicate age-related decrements in online health-search performance and suggest that age accounts for significant variance in HST performance, while psychosocial and cognitive status may contribute to other important aspects of online health-search performance not fully captured in accuracy-based outcomes alone. These findings signify the importance of identifying effective interventions that improve older adults’ online navigation skills to support their health-related decision-making using web sources.

Metallic thin films are used in aerospace, defense, and medical applications where material performance depends strongly on microstructure. This project examines how electrochemical parameters during electrodeposition can be used to control the microstructure of cobalt films deposited onto copper substrates. Cobalt was electrodeposited from an aqueous cobalt chloride bath using both current-controlled and potential-controlled conditions. The resulting coatings were analyzed using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to verify composition and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate surface morphology.

Clear differences in surface structure were observed as deposition parameters were varied, indicating that electrochemical conditions significantly influence cobalt deposition behavior. These changes are consistent with differences associated with hexagonal close-packed and face-centered cubic cobalt structures. Ongoing work includes electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to confirm phase differences and the development of an in-situ electrochemical cell to enable real-time monitoring of electrochemical experiments. This work demonstrates that cobalt microstructure can be tailored through controlled electrodeposition, providing a pathway for designing thin films with application-specific properties.

"Whispers of Worth" is the title of my research piece involving the heavy impact that receipts have on our daily lives. Not only do humans make billions of purchases every day, but a vast majority of these come with paper receipts. Upon working towards my ability to afford college, I worked at McDonald's for nearly 4 years. Every purchase made in store, through their app, delivery sites, etc., all printed at least one receipt. Many of the purchases printed two receipts- one for the lobby customers, one for the cashiers, as well as some specifically for the drink station. As someone who cares so deeply for the environment, I was appalled by how much waste is created by these garbage bags filling up, as well as the litter that is created. I have put together enticing pieces of information to elaborate my opinions on this issue, as well as the harsh reality that our planet faces. This impacts not only those of us who work in and study fashion, but it affects all of the peoples on this Earth. Anyone who has every made a purchase has a voice on this issue, and I look forward to expressing the seriousness that each receipt has!

In the 1930s, the Olympic region sat at the crossroads of federal conservation, park development, and growing tensions with the logging industry. Yet in the middle of these competing pressures, the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Mountaineers managed to build and maintain a rapport that rarely made it into official records.

My great‑grandfather, Lorance Perry “Shorty” Williams, was a Mountaineer and early Mountain Rescue volunteer, and the stories he passed down about working alongside CCC crews are part of what led me to this topic. His memories match what little the archives reveal: shared stewardship that was taken for granted and seldom documented.

A passage in Mountaineers and Rangers describes a Depression‑era “reservoir of goodwill” created through CCC work, and that phrase captures the informal trust I’m tracing. Additional evidence comes from a 1978 Tri‑County Tribune article noting that many CCC enrollees later returned to the Northwest to live permanently, suggesting that the region and its communities left a lasting impact on them. National Park Service reports also show that CCC labor and federal support helped connect conservation goals with outdoor recreation during a time of environmental and industrial tension.

My research asks: How did the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Mountaineers maintain rapport that bridged the shared stewardship of federal conservation for National and State Park development with the National Park Service and Forest Service, during environmental and logging industry tensions of the 1930s? I have begun working with WSU Librarian Chelsea Leachman, the Washington State Library, and the Mountaineers’ historical staff. I have identified primary mentions in the Mountaineer Annuals and located scholarly sources that frame the broader context. As the project develops, I hope to explore genealogical leads or interview CCC veterans’ families.

By following the fragments that remain – the unspoken connections, the in‑betweens, the “little something more” — I aim to uncover the collaborative partnerships that were very present but rarely recorded.

Although quadruped robotic platforms are being employed in research applications related to inspection, navigation, and autonomous systems, there is a lack of performance assessment. This research aims to design a simulation-based framework to assess the performance of a quadruped robotic platform. The main aim of this project is to determine how different parameters like the angle of incline, payload, and constraints affect the operation of the robotic platform without having to conduct extensive testing.

Stability analysis is carried out through modeling techniques that forecast variations in the center of mass, support polygon, and slope resistance based on payload changes. Navigation performance is verified through route simulation tests to determine the success of completion and interaction with obstacles. In addition, LiDAR sensor performance is verified by analyzing the accuracy and range of distance variation based on expected ranges. Simulation results are verified through limited physical experiments to compare actual performance with expected results. The proposed simulation and experimental technique allows for a systematic approach to analyze quadruped robotic systems and provides important insights into their effective use for research and autonomous applications.

Spermatogenesis is the process in which male germ cells develop from spermatogonia into mature spermatozoa in the mammalian testis. The initiation of this cellular transition depends on the synthesis of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) by the Sertoli cell and acts as a signal for undifferentiated spermatogonia to enter the differentiation pathway. During traditional physiological conditions, spermatogenesis occurs asynchronously, resulting in each stage of the seminiferous epithelial cycle being defined by a characteristic combination of germ cell types at specific developmental stages, and all stages being presence throughout the testis. This developmental asynchrony creates major challenges for studying stage-specific cellular and molecular events during spermatogenesis. To remove some of the developmental heterogeneity and simplify the treatment and response signals within the testis, a testicular synchronization protocol has been developed. An aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor (WIN 18, 446) is used to block the spermatogonia differentiation transition between days 2-9 postpartum, followed by the administration of retinoic acid (RA) to trigger all spermatogonia to enter the differentiation pathway at once. Current synchronization protocols rely on an intraperitoneal (IP) injection to deliver all-trans RA (atRA). While this method is effective, atRA is insoluble in water and highly light and air reactive, requiring solubilization in unfavorable solvents and leading to a short half-life. The objective of this study is to determine whether the administration of lipid nanoparticle encapsulated atRA (L- atRA), a more stable and soluble form of RA, could results in a more efficient atRA delivery, ultimately lowering the RA dose required to initiate spermatogonia differentiation, while also eliminating the need for specific solvents. The effectiveness of each synchronization protocol will be assessed through enzymatic immunohistochemistry of testis collected 18-hours after RA administration, using an antibody against STRA8, a known differentiation marker. We hypothesize that the increased bioavailability and stability of L- atRA will result in a more effective testicular synchronization, allowing for a decrease in the effective dose compared to the traditional administration of atRA. Overall, the proposed optimization of the synchronization protocol could improve the efficacy and efficiency of testicular synchronization, an important procedural tool used to decipher the complexities of mammalian spermatogenesis.

In astronomy, determining the distance of a specific object is of high importance as distance can map out cosmological structures and be used to derive various additional components of a specific object. RR Lyrae stars are older, pulsating, variable stars. These stars are a primary tool for distance determination and a reference for larger structures like the Milky Way. When observing these stars, different variables can be derived, particularly the period of pulsation, luminosity, or brightness, and metallicity, or the metal composition. Relations can be formed from these components, noted as Period, Luminosity, and Metallicity, or PLZ relations. In this project, we use information through data of a specific RR Lyrae star, SS Leo, to verify established PLZ relations, particularly in infrared photometric filters, and calculate its distance from Earth in parsecs. The distances from these relations are compared to the established parallactic distance obtained by the European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia mission. Data collection was conducted in a timeframe between January 2024 and August 2025 in which 111 observations of SS Leo were collected through the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT). Observations were done through four filters, the blue filter for period determination, visual, near-infrared, and infrared. Photometric data was obtained from data processing pipelines in a specific format denoted as the Point Spread Function Extractor (PSX). From this data, light curves were generated and the star's average period was extracted through minimization techniques to be 0.62634 ± 0.00017 days. With the same light curves, Fourier decomposition provided a metallicity value of [Fe/H] = -1.68. With all components accounted for, the PLZ relations were applied to get an weighted average distance of 1525 ± 68 parsecs. For each filter, the established Gaia distance of 1249 parsecs aligned closest with the visual and infrared filters, which yielded 1278 ± 91 parsecs and 1293 ± 110 parsecs respectively, while having the highest variance with the infrared filter that obtained a distance of 2005 ± 151 parsecs.

Climate change is significantly altering the Arctic landscape and trophic relationships. Arctic grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are characterized by their long hibernation periods, small body size, large drifting home ranges, and low body fat content, suggesting that the short Arctic growing season constrains well-being. In this ongoing study, we aimed to better understand the diet, behavior, and energetics of 12 Arctic grizzly bears during the entire active season (May-October 2025). We hypothesize that Arctic grizzly bear relative mass gain will have substantial individual and sex specific variation and will thus vary as a direct function of their diet content. We have begun to test this mass gain hypothesis by deploying GPS, video, and accelerometer collars to quantify behaviors and movements as well as measured body composition and mass change to gain insight into seasonal food resource. In 2025, mean body mass was 114.1 kg in May, 146.3 kg in August, and 155.3 kg in October, with substantial increases in body fat as the season progressed. Arctic grizzly bears consumed winter-killed carcasses or live prey in May, switched to vegetation following green-up in June, and then shifted their diet to focus on berries in early August to September. Time spent feeding was lowest in the months of May and June, then increased for the months of July and August coinciding with the hyperphagia period when feeding on berries. Bears also opportunistically consumed old ungulate carcasses, waterfowl, ptarmigan, and Arctic ground squirrels when available. These data will provide baseline information for a vulnerable population of grizzly bears undergoing climate driven changes.

Police officers frequently encounter emotionally charged situations during interactions with the public. This exploratory study examines the dynamics of domestic violence encounters by first documenting the frequency and nature of emotional expression, both positive and negative, observed during these interactions. Utilizing systematic social event modeling (SSEM) on 100 body-worn camera recordings from a Pacific Northwest police department, we identify event-level emotional cues displayed by all participants. We then examine how these expressions shape communication patterns, potential policy applications, and subsequent outcomes, including escalation, compliance, and victim safety. For example, does an officer's communication style change when faced with a highly emotional victim? This research advances a staged, theory-informed approach to understanding emotional dynamics in policing, with implications for trauma-informed de-escalation training and policy development.

During my undergraduate research, I tackled a problem in computational physics: simulating how waves travel through different materials that meet at a sharp boundary. Imagine sound waves hitting the edge where water meets air—the wave doesn't just pass through; part bounces back (reflection), and part continues forward but changes speed (transmission). My project modeled this mathematically using two simple wave equations side by side.

The setup involves two regions: on the left (x from xl to 0), waves move at speed a; on the right (x from 0 to xr), at speed b, where a ≠ b. The equations are:

∂u/∂t + ∂(a u)/∂x = 0 (left side)
∂v/∂t + ∂(b v)/∂x = 0 (right side)

The challenge? The sudden speed change at x=0 creates a “jump,” so standard computer simulations can become unstable or inaccurate. I designed a multi-block numerical scheme—essentially dividing the domain into two grids and linking them with special “coupling terms” at the interface. These terms ensure the solution stays stable over time and accurately mimics real physics.

Using numerical methods, I tested the scheme on various wave scenarios, measuring how well it captured reflection and transmission coefficients compared to exact theory. Results showed high accuracy even with coarse grids, proving the coupling works robustly.

This work honed my skills in scientific computing (using MATLAB/Python), linear algebra, and partial differential equations. It also deepened my appreciation for how math bridges theory and real-world applications, like seismic modeling or acoustic engineering. I'm excited to build on this in graduate studies, perhaps extending to nonlinear waves or 2D/3D domains.

The Stillwater Complex, a 2.7 Ga layered mafic intrusion located in south-central Montana, hosts a world-class reef-style Pd-Pt deposit known as the J-M Reef. The exceptionally high concentration of platinum group element (PGE)-enriched sulfides makes Stillwater globally significant for research into the formation of high-grade PGE deposits. This study investigates the role of crustal contamination in the mineralization of the Stillwater sulfide deposits by comparing sulfide geochemistry from the base of the intrusion and the J-M Reef. Geochemical monitors of crustal contamination and mineralization, such as S/Se ratios and PGE concentrations, were analyzed using in-situ methods (electron microprobe for major elements and laser ablation ICP-MS for trace elements). Pentlandite [Fe, Ni)₉S₈] in the J-M Reef is enriched in Pd, with concentrations reaching up to 1.5 wt% owing to Pd-Ni solid solution. Pentlandite at the base of the complex and from a mafic dike which cuts Stillwater ultramafic rocks was generally Pd-depleted (Pd < 10 ppm) and Co-enriched, with up to 1.5 wt. % Co compared to 0.5 wt% in the J-M Reef samples. The S/Se ratio is an important monitor of crustal contamination in sulfide ore genesis; unmodified mantle S/Se is generally taken as 2,850 to 4,350. The average S/Se ratio for J-M Reef sulfides was 783, in comparison with 3,665 for a sample from the Basal series at the base of the complex and 8,606 from a dike, likely related to Stillwater below the base of the complex. Elevated S/Se indicates crustal contamination in the dike sample. Sulfides in the Basal series sample generally exhibit uncontaminated S/Se ratios, aside from a few pyrite analyses with elevated S/Se. The J-M Reef generally exhibits a low S/Se ratio that may indicate S loss or Se gain, which has petrogenetic implications for the formation of PGE reef-type deposits. Collectively, sulfide trace element chemistry fingerprints crustal contamination in early Stillwater magmas and potentially indicates loss of sulfur at the magmatic stage of reef formation or during late-stage alteration of primary sulfide mineralization. This study provides insight into the role of crustal contamination and sulfur mobility in forming world-class reef-style PGE deposits.

On college campuses throughout the United States during Black student movements of the late 1950s to the 1970s, Black women made revolutionary transformations in the use of fashion as a method of power both as a reaction to nationwide discrimination and discrimination within their own organizations. In civil rights organizations, Black women faced scrutinization because of their Blackness within traditionally white institutions and additionally for being women in primarily male-led organizations.

Using fashion as a historical lens allows for the exploration of how conscious everyday choices can be forms of resistances against everyday discrimination. Fashion is not just a method of self-expression, it is a way to visually show connection within organizations and a way to gain soft power through the physical embodiment of complex ideology. In centralizing the role of Black college women and their work in Black rights movement, this project asserts that Black women did not just play a supportive role in national and college organizations but were integral in creating power for themselves and their community in the face of intersectional discrimination.

This project is informed by previous research conducted on the role of fashion within the Black liberation movements. This project also conducts intensive original research on how Black women made conscious fashion choices to create power for themselves and the assessment of the discriminatory practices in both collegiate and national communities. The sources used explore local student newspapers, interviews of key fashion figures, and ideological statements created by Black women. This project assesses how Black women transitioned from the assimilative fashions of the 1950s commonly referred to as “Sunday Best” fashions to the combative fashions of the Student Non-Violent Committee and the Black Power movement. Through understanding the role of Black women through a chronological approach of Black civil rights movements, power movements, and student movements this project analyzes the role of Black women in these movements and the evolvement of fashion towards active resistance.

Introduction: Substance use is a significant public health concern among emerging adults (ages 18-25). Emerging adulthood is a developmental period marked by increases in autonomy and for some individuals, experimentation with alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. In fact, emerging adults are more likely to initiate and increase substance use than any other age group (Lu et al, 2023); substance use during emerging adulthood is associated with a host if negative consequences (e.g., low academic engagement, anxiety, and depression). Peer health education is a prevention science strategy designed to improve knowledge, confidence, and harm reduction behaviors through peer-to-peer learning.

Methods: Pre- and post-survey data were analyzed from two peer-led harm reduction workshops offered to undergraduate students through Washington State University’s Health Education Program: Conscious Cheers (alcohol harm reduction, n = 140) and High Times, Low Risks (cannabis harm reduction; n = 86). Conscious Cheers participants reported their knowledge of standard drink size, confidence in creating a risk reduction plan, and comfortability utilizing campus resources before and after the workshop. High Times, Low Risks participants reported their knowledge of the T-Break method, awareness of a cannabis emergency situation, and protective strategies to reduce the risk of a cannabis emergency before and after the workshop. Paired-samples t-tests examined changes in students’ substance use-related knowledge, confidence, and awareness following workshop participation.

Results: Students demonstrated significant improvements across all outcomes. For Conscious Cheers, students’ intention to understand standard drink size, comfortability creating a risk reduction plan, and likelihood to use campus/community resources during a crisis increased from pre- to post-test (p’s < .001). For High Times, Low Risks, students’ knowledge of the benefits of the T-Break, awareness of the factors that may lead to a cannabis emergency, and likelihood to identify protective strategies to reduce the risk of a cannabis emergency increased from pre- to post-test (p’s < .001).

Conclusions: Peer health education workshops significantly improved harm reduction knowledge, confidence, and help seeking intentions among college students. These findings suggest that peer-led interventions may reduce substance use-related risk by strengthening protective factors. Longitudinal research is needed to assess sustained behavioral impacts.

The Sensor Fish, developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), mimics fish passage through hydropower structures while recording pressure, acceleration, and rotational velocity data to assess fish survivability through the turbines. After each Sensor Fish is assembled, they require accelerometer calibration to ensure field data accuracy. This project aims to modernize the current manual calibration table setup and improve accuracy and efficiency.

The current calibration table uses a crossbow style mechanism to induce around 95g of impact forces on a carriage holding the Sensor Fish and a reference accelerometer. Calibration requires three sequential tests aligned with the system’s X, Y, and Z axes. The current process involves manually pulling back the carriage with an Allen key and releasing it at a set point to generate impact and manually repositioning the mounting setup for each axis. The data is compared against the reference accelerometer, offset values are applied, and acceptance testing verifies that the values are within 5% accuracy. This process is labor-intensive and creates a bottleneck in the production of these units.

The modernization plan focuses on mechanical automation using a linear system with a sensor for distance to create repeatable pull-back distances and updating the old software to a newer modular system. The changes also include a new mounting system to allow for faster changes between the axes.

The expected outcome of the automation is that it will significantly reduce the calibration time per unit, improve repeatability through precise control, and increase daily throughput.

This modernization effort will change the calibration of the Sensor Fish from a manual, lengthy process to an automated, efficient process, directly supporting PNNL’s mission to assist with reducing environmental impacts from hydropower systems.

The global textile industry faces a critical challenge in garment recycling due to the prevalence of inseparable construction methods and mixed-material components. Traditional apparel often integrates permanent trims and blended textiles that contaminate recycling streams, making efficient material recovery nearly impossible. This research addresses these barriers through a circular design framework, developing a modular outdoor jacket designed specifically for ease of deconstruction and high-purity recycling.

The project aims to create a garment system where every detachable component is composed of 100% of a single fiber type (mono-materiality), ensuring that each piece can enter its respective recycling stream without contamination. The design features a multi-layered configuration consisting of an inner thermal vest and a long-sleeved outer shell. A key innovation is the garment’s modularity; a universal detachable hood can be integrated into either layer, while the outer jacket features interchangeable sleeve segments. These segments allow the user to transform the garment into a long-sleeve jacket, short-sleeve shell, or vest, extending the product's lifecycle through extreme customization achieving six to ten unique configurations.

To optimize the prototyping phase and eliminate material waste, the 3D simulation software Browzwear was utilized to model fabric drape, fit, and modular connectivity. This digital workflow demonstrates the feasibility of complex detachability and “Design for Disassembly” (DfD) before physical production begins. Furthermore, the research explores sustainable hardware solutions by 3D printing fasteners with eco-friendly filaments, such as PETG and bamboo-filled composites. These materials offer a durable, low-impact alternative to traditional metal or plastic trims that often hinder the recycling process.

The final outcome is a fully customizable, high-performance garment that proves aesthetic versatility and environmental responsibility can coexist. By isolating fiber types into detachable modules and utilizing 3D simulation to refine the design, this project provides a scalable model for a circular fashion economy, significantly reducing textile waste and promoting responsible consumerism.

Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death worldwide. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetically inherited cardiac that alters how the heart contracts, making it harder to pump blood around the body. There are many genetic mutations in the regulatory proteins that change how the cross-bridges can generate force; some of these mutations make the cross-bridges produce too much force which results in HCM. For the proposed set of experiments, we plan to investigate the D166V mutation in the myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) which is one of the proteins in myosin responsible for muscle contraction. We will use cardiac muscle tissue from D166V transgenic mice to test how this mutation changes muscle contraction compared to wild-type control mouse hearts. Some recent drugs are in development for the treatment of heart failure, one of which is called mavacamten. Mavacamten is a myosin inhibitor that was developed to treat obstructive HCM, which is also a form of HCM, but different from the D166V HCM. We hypothesize that mavacamten will reduce force production generated by the cross-bridges in the D166V transgenic mouse tissues which may act to normalize contraction to look more like contraction in the wild-type control cardiac tissue. To accomplish this study, we will dissect cardiac tissue from the D166V transgenic mice and chemically permeabilize the tissue so we can elicit cardiac force production with Ca²⁺-activating solution. We will test the force production changes in the presence and absence of mavacamten with the hope to show how mavacamten alters contraction in wild-type and D166V RLC cardiac tissue. This experiment will help us better understand how HCM mutations may respond to mavacamten treatment and whether this drug can be a useful therapy for heart disease.

This paper looks at how the bioarchaeological study of Indigenous skeletal remains should be performed in partnership with local communities and cultures to ensure a positive outcome that strengthens and broadens the study results and aims to rebuild and improve the relations with these communities. Ethical guidelines within anthropology and archaeology will be examined and translated into bioarchaeology, which has limited ethical constraints regarding the study and treatment of skeletal remains. Additionally, the pros and cons of Indigenous archaeology will be discussed, as well as the extent to which its methodologies should be employed in bioarchaeological research. By establishing Indigenous archaeological methods in bioarchaeological studies, an environment can be created that empowers the individual people and communities involved, strengthens the knowledge and understanding gained from collaborative research, recognizes the autonomy of all groups involved, and honors those who have passed on.

Federated Learning (FL) is a privacy-preserving approach to training AI models across large networks of users by eliminating the need to share or collect user data. This privacy-centered approach makes FL attractive for deploying AI solutions in information-sensitive domains such as healthcare and finance. However, traditional FL methods often suffer from inefficiencies in resource-constraint environments that include weaker devices (for instance old smartphones), as the model training process needs to wait and accommodate for these devices, ultimately slowing down the entire system. Asynchronous Federated Learning (AFL) addresses this by allowing devices to participate in model training while working at their own pace, resulting in faster training, reduced energy costs, and lower resource demands. Efficient AFL is a promising approach to bringing low-cost, privacy-focused AI solutions to large-scale production.

We advance efficient AFL through two key innovations. First, we developed a realistic simulation platform that accurately captures true real-world dynamics, unlike existing tools that lack the proper support. We plan to open-source this platform to foster broader research and accessibility in the field. Second, we introduce a lightweight quantization scheme (a type of data compression for AI models), which significantly reduces resource costs when compared to existing state-of-the-art methods. Extensive experiments on computer vision and natural language processing for LLM training show faster training speeds, lowering resource demands and making AI solutions more affordable. Our work demonstrates how efficient AFL can deliver high-performance, privacy-focused AI with reduced costs, encouraging the development of secure, sustainable, and scalable AI applications.

Puddling is a behavior many butterfly species display in which water, nutrients, and minerals are taken up through the proboscis from substrate and other moist surfaces. The need for thermoregulation via water may drive butterflies of mixed motive to puddle in water limited environments. The effect of insecticides on puddling butterflies is not well understood. Systemic pesticides, including chlorantraniliprole, have been detected in butterflies found at mass mortality sites in critical overwintering grounds. Chlorantraniliprole is an anthramillic diamide class insecticide with systemic and contact control pathways designed to target lepidoptera and coleoptera and persists in the environment long after application. This study exposed male monarch and mixed sex painted lady butterflies to artificial puddling stations inoculated with a chlorantraniliprole solution in the treatment group and distilled water in the control group. Time spent engaged in puddling behavior, time spent flying after engaging in puddling behavior, and mortality after experimental treatment period was measured. Time spent engaged in puddling behavior resulted in more time spent for the treatment group than the control group (p = 0.094). Additionally, time spent flying following puddling behavior engagement resulted in less time spent for the treatment group than the control group (p = 0.141). Finally, the mortality rate was 100% for the treatment group and 29% for the control group four days after the experimental period (sample size 14). Larger sample sizes and puddling behavior related to the systemic vs contact pathway of this chemical, which may have different effects on spatial distribution and temporal persistence in the ecosystem, are recommended considerations moving forward. Broadly, the implications of these trends may point toward the intersection of puddling behavior and pesticide presence in the landscape as a potential source of butterfly mortality.

Objective: Recently, the addiction field has shifted away from strictly considering abstinence-based definitions of recovery towards more holistic conceptualizations recognizing overall well-being as a meaningful indicator of success. Despite this shift, limited research has examined how internal and external recovery resources relate to well-being among individuals in recovery. Recovery identity represents internalized identity transformations of growth and outlook. Recovery capital considers elements of structural and environmental stability via personal health, community, finance, and access to resources. This exploratory study investigated the recovery process among individuals who self-identify as recovering from alcohol problems by examining relationships between recovery identity, recovery capital, and overall well-being.

Method: 190 adults (M_age = 39 years, 50% male, 65% White) with a history of alcohol problems residing in the U.S. were recruited through Prolific, an online platform, to complete a cross-sectional self-report survey assessing demographics, recovery identity, recovery capital, alcohol use history, and well-being. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships among recovery identity, recovery capital, and well-being. A moderation analysis was performed using PROCESS macro in SPSS.

Results: Recovery capital was not significantly correlated with recovery identity, r(188) = .07, p = .33, or well-being, r(188) = .01, p = .95. In contrast, recovery identity was positively associated with well-being, r(188) = .68, p < .001. When entered as simultaneous predictors via multiple regression recovery capital and recovery identity predicted well-being, F(2, 187) = 78.86, p < .001, explaining 45.8% of the variance; this effect was driven by recovery identity (b = .017, SE = .001, p < .001), as recovery capital did not explain additional variance (b = −.002, SE = .002, p = .428). Moderation analysis revealed no significant interaction between recovery capital and recovery identity on well-being (b = .004, SE = .003, p = .205).

Conclusion: Previous research suggests recovery capital provides a meaningful and holistic framework for understanding recovery status. However, these findings suggest recovery identity may play a more central role in overall well-being. As an expression of self-concept, recovery identity appears foundational, potentially guiding how self-defined recovery status translates into improved quality of life.

This project focuses on using data visualization to better understand trends and challenges within Washington State’s hospitality industry. Working in collaboration with the Washington Hospitality Association, our team analyzed industry data related to employment, business openings and closures, and economic performance over time. The goal of this project is to transform complex datasets into clear, interactive visuals that can support decision-making for industry leaders, policymakers, and business owners.

Hospitality data can be difficult to interpret when presented in spreadsheets or reports alone. Through this project, we used tools such as Power BI and data analysis software to create dashboards that highlight key patterns and changes across regions and time periods. These visualizations allow users to quickly explore trends such as workforce recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, variations in employment levels across counties, and shifts in business activity within the hospitality sector.

In addition to analyzing existing datasets, our team is currently working on processing new and more recent raw data to ensure the visualizations remain timely and relevant. This involves cleaning, organizing, and integrating updated data sources so they can be accurately represented within our dashboards. As this process continues, we will use the newly processed data to expand and refine our visualizations, allowing for more up-to-date insights and a deeper understanding of ongoing industry changes.

This work has practical applications beyond academic research. The visual tools created through this project can help organizations identify areas that may need additional support, track recovery progress, and communicate findings to stakeholders more effectively. Overall, this project demonstrates how thoughtful data visualization can bridge the gap between raw data and meaningful insight, making complex information easier to understand and use in real-world settings.