Vascular malformations (VM) are congenital malformations of veins, arteries, capillaries, and/or lymphatic vessels. They are primarily caused by post-zygotic activating mutations within oncogenes of the PI3K-MTOR-RAS-MAPK pathways. The major types of VM include capillary malformations (CM), lymphatic malformations (LM), venous malformation (VeM), and arteriovenous malformations (AVM). Identifying the molecular etiology of VM is important, as there are increasingly targeted medical therapies. However, current molecular diagnosis requires surgically excised tissues, as the causative mutations are somatic and not present in blood cells. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an emerging diagnostic analyte that is already in wide use in cancer diagnosis and prenatal genetic screening.  Given the role of mutant endothelial cells in the development of VM and their proximity to blood and lymphatic fluid, we hypothesized that mutant cfDNA will be detectable in plasma or cyst fluid from individuals with VMs. This project aims to develop a non-invasive methods to identify genetic causes of VM without surgery to reduce the costs and risks relating to surgical biopsy. Utilizing digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) technology, we are able to amplify cfDNA fragments to detect specific well known “hotspot” DNA mutations in PIK3CA, BRAF, TEK, and others. We continue to determine the sensitivity of allele-specific cfDNA analysis in individuals with known, tissue-based mutations from a retrospective cohort, and test prospective cfDNA from VM patients with unknown mutations using both ddPCR screening and/or a high sensitivity gene sequencing panel. Ultimately, our hope is to bring these techniques into the clinical arena to increase the possibility of medical therapies for individuals with vascular malformations.

Touch is an extremely important sense to any organism’s understanding of their environment. The anatomy of the touch system is well-characterized: sensory neurons project axons to the skin where they form complexes with many specialized cells. One such specialized skin cell is the Merkel cell, known for its ability to sense gentle touch and texture. Although Merkel cells have been well studied in rodents during adult stages, little is known about Merkel cells during development. The Rasmussen lab recently identified a novel population of zebrafish skin cells sharing many characteristics of mammalian Merkel cells. In both zebrafish and mammals, Merkel cells arise from basal keratinocytes, a stem cell population in the epidermis, during normal skin development. However, the precise mechanisms involved in this process remain unclear. Stem cells can undergo two types of cell division: asymmetric or symmetric division. I hypothesize that Merkel cells develop from asymmetric division of basal keratinocytes, which would allow the production of new Merkel cells while also maintaining a certain level of stem cells. To test my hypothesis, I examined the Merkel cell lineage during zebrafish scale regeneration (to simulate recovery after injury) which we have established as an experimentally tractable system to study Merkel cell differentiation. Testing of my hypothesis has been conducted through two methods: EdU labeling/antibody staining of Merkel cells and photoconversion of Merkel cells. Preliminary results suggest asymmetric division to be occurring, with no “doublets” of recently divided Merkel cells shown in either method to support the occurrence of symmetric division. My results provide novel insights into the lineage connecting basal keratinocytes to differentiation of specialized sensory cells in the skin. I hope these findings can be used to better our understanding of the restoration of touch systems after injury.

Skin is a very important organ that facilitates our sense of touch. The touch system is complex and versatile. For example, specialized cells detect a variety of tactile stimuli, including temperature, pain, and textures. Merkel cells are specialized skin cells responsible for detecting light touch and textures in most vertebrates. Despite being discovered over a hundred years ago, their development remains poorly understood. Zebrafish are a good model organism for studying Merkel cells because the fish skin is transparent and easy to image. In wildtype zebrafish, Merkel cells are distributed in clusters, corresponding to the location of scales. The ectodysplasin (Eda) signaling pathway regulates the formation of many types of skin appendages, including mammalian hair follicles and zebrafish scales. In eda mutants lacking scales, Merkel cells appear at a lower density and are uniformly distributed across the trunk. This suggests that blocking Eda-dependent scale formation inhibited Merkel cell development, but what would be the effect of altering scale shape and size? To address this question, we examined the skin of hagoromo mutant fish. The hagoromo mutation is a viral insertion that causes an overexpression of fgf8a, another important signal pathway for scale formation. By imaging transgenic zebrafish with marked Merkel cells and osteoblasts, we used ImageJ to calculate Merkel cell density, scale area, scale Feret’s diameter, and scale aspect ratio. We found that juvenile zebrafish with the hagoromo mutation had highly variable scale shapes and sizes. Interestingly, the clusters of Merkel cells expanded or shrank to match the new scale shapes in the mutants. However, there seemed to be no significant difference in Merkel cell density. We expect to see similar results in adult zebrafish. Our research will help us understand the development of Merkel cells, therefore helping us understand skin development in vertebrates better. 

There is often a stigma associated with bilingualism due to the mistaken belief that bilingual children develop language skills at a significantly slower rate than monolingual children. To combat this misconception, it is necessary to conduct research showing that bilingualism either helps or does not harm language acquisition when compared to monolingualism. This study attempts to meet that general need by determining how bilingual and monolingual children compare in metaphor comprehension. I decided to focus on metaphors because they can be challenging for children to interpret correctly, and I hypothesized that bilingual children would perform better on metaphor comprehension tasks than monolingual children because of their regular use of second labels. I investigated how 127 monolingual and bilingual children ages 2.5-4.5 years old responded to a set of metaphors by using a game-like format to gather data via Qualtrics. Specifically, I gave children a series of 10 metaphor questions in which they needed to choose which of two pictures best fit a provided metaphorical phrase. Children were also given 10 vocabulary questions derived from the metaphor questions to ensure that children knew the literal meaning of the words. Results showed that bilingual children performed slightly but significantly better than monolingual children on metaphor comprehension questions. Currently, I am also collecting data for a follow-up study to replicate and extend my findings. These results are important because they give us insight into how child language development differs between monolingual and bilingual children and counter negative stereotypes about bilingualism.

In the last two decades, Chinese state lenders have been responsible for $153 billion in loans to African countries. Acknowledging assertions in the literature that this lending has had tangible negative effects on debt sustainability in several of those African countries, my research project analyzes the effectiveness of this lending in improving welfare through the financing of energy projects. This represents a first step in answering the broader question of whether official Chinese lending to African nations, in its current state, is worth the accompanying risks.

Combining data from Horn, Reinhart, and Trebesch (2021), William & Mary's AidData Initiative, and other macro-level datasets on national electrification, I build a comprehensive picture of Chinese lending to African energy generation projects, as well as the long-term success of those projects and their effects on national energy outcomes. My analysis will be based in part on descriptive statistics generated from my dataset and in part on an econometric analysis run on the dataset that factors in costs, energy output, and national debt and labor metrics.

This research is expected to yield the result that while Chinese investment is largely effective and prioritizes sustainable energy generation projects, opportunities exist for more accommodative lending practices and greater domestic labor involvement in project implementations.

In the 1930s, Soviet ethnographic films often depicted the Sovietization of "the Orient," or the non-Slavic territories of the Soviet Union. The films, serving as propaganda, portrayed "the Orient" as undeveloped and in need of Soviet values. However, by the late 1960s and early 1970s, Soviet motion pictures discarded the propagandistic motive and portrayed the cultural assimilation of these territories satirically. Both the 1930s and 1960s-1970s -though the effects of the films during each era contradict each other- employ museum displays of the peoples of "the Orient" to gauge their assimilation into Soviet society. The latter era satirizes the exhibits of the earlier ethnographic films, ultimately portraying Sovietization as unavailing. I analyze Motyl's White Sun of the Desert (1970), which highlights the liberation of Central Asian women and Gaidai's Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967), a comedy about bride kidnapping in the Caucasus. Specifically, I examine how the two films utilize museum exhibits to comically stage "the Orient's" apparent need for Sovietization. In order to uncover why the films utilized exhibits, I compare these films to Soviet ethnographic films from the 1920s-1930s, including Vertov's Three Songs about Lenin (1934) and Kalatozov's Salt for Svanetia (1930). In my analysis, the films White Sun of the Desert and Kidnapping, Caucasian Style serve as docents for similar exhibits to those in the ethnographic films of the 1930s. Instead of highlighting the achievements of Sovietizing "the Orient," however, the films mock the ethnocentrism of the earlier films by portraying the orientalist tropes as enduring against Soviet cultural influences. By satirizing "the Orient's" cultural assimilation, the films contend that Sovietization was far from achieved. Ultimately, examining how the films of the 1960s-1970s satirized the attempt to fuse "the Orient" with Soviet culture prompts further analysis of how the narrative about its achievements contrasts with reality. 

Wildfire smoke contains fine, inhalable particles called PM2.5, as well as dangerous levels of heavy metals and other toxins. Wildfire smoke can increase emergency room visits for asthma and upper respiratory infections in kids, reduce immune function, lead to cardiovascular and lung diseases later in life, and create long-term cancer risks. When schools close from wildfire smoke, learning loss and lost school days can affect children’s health and wellbeing throughout the rest of their lives. Low-income kids could be left without access to learning resources, meals, or school support services. Installing, improving, and maintaining HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems is critical for mitigating exposure to smoke, as well as other emerging challenges. The state does not keep records of the ventilation systems in California’s 10,000 public schools or which schools might need additional support in funding their HVAC. I calculated the cost estimate of installing, maintaining, and upgrading HVAC systems to all K-12 schools in California. Methods I conducted include gathering data from the county Superintendent of education, emailing school admins listed on the California Department of State database, calling over 700 school districts for data collection, and consulting with HVAC contractors and other partners. The estimate for installation, maintenance, and upgrading cost is approximately $4.0 billion. The estimate will be used to advocate for further funding for wildfire preparedness for schools. Results will be used in the policy roadmap for implementing the Green New Deal for Public Schools in California and policy brief.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), usually belonging to the bacterial species E. coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae, are resistant to carbapenem antibiotics, which are often used as a last resort in treating infections. CRE is a growing public health concern as it spreads rapidly within certain settings like hospitals. Currently, limited research assessing the presence of CRE within environmental samples is available. Without this research, the abundance of CRE and therefore its threat to public health remains unclear, making mitigation strategies challenging. This study seeks to identify if CRE resides in the protected wetlands at the University of Washington Bothell campus. Because crows, specifically Corvus brachyrhynchos, provide an impeccable habitat for Enterobacter species, and because of the large crow population in this area, we want to find out if crows are bringing in any CRE strains to the wetland. To answer this question, samples of both wetland water and crow feces have been collected from strategic locations, and using selective plating potential CRE strains have been isolated. The isolated Enterobacter species have undergone a modified Hodge test with both meropenem and ertapenem. Isolates suspected to have resistance to either antibiotic are undergoing PCR with primers specific to the genes bla_KPC, bla_NDM, and bla_OXA, genes which are common culprits of carbapenem resistance. We plan to perform multidrug resistance testing to determine if our isolated strains are resistant to other antibiotics. After conclusion of this project, we will be able to say if crows could be responsible for bringing these antibiotic-resistant bacteria of clinical importance to the Bothell Wetlands, and what health risks they pose to the community.