Within the mainstream misogynistic and homophobic narrative of Chinese society, radical feminists and lesbians face significant challenges. But the issues each of these groups face and their communities are separate and seldom intersect. This project addresses this gap between lesbian and feminist communities while aiming to comprehend how individuals within them perceive themselves and each other. It also explores the possibilities for solidarity and greater communication between the lesbian community and the radical feminist community in China. Through interviews with Chinese radical feminists, lesbians, and lesbian feminists, this project aims to bridge the divides between Chinese lesbians and radical feminists and to facilitate discussions about negotiating different aspects of one’s identity.Both lesbians and radical feminists are engaged in reconstructing intimate relationships. With the current rise of feminism in China, lesbians are reevaluating gender roles in intimate relationships. At the same time, some radical feminists are exploring lesbian feminist ideas, such as gender separatism. This project draws on theories from the second wave of the feminist movement in the U.S and queer theories to highlight important conversations in contemporary China with the goal of stimulating discussions on envisioning intimate relations beyond the framework of a heteropatriarchal society. Preliminary analyses of interviews conducted in winter 2023 show that many radical feminists and lesbians have struggled to assert their identities and find belonging in a community. Additionally, the lack of platforms and offline spaces for gender and sexuality communities leads to the isolation of individuals. The project to be presented will offer a more detailed interpretation on the reasons behind such isolation and miscommunication between the two groups. On a broader level, this project aims to offer a perspective on how we can understand the relations between people and power dynamics in this current world.

Nectar feeding is an impressive ecological niche for a species to fill as it provides a high energy resource for the species, however, obtaining nectar efficiently and without damaging the flower, which will refill the reward, often requires unique specialized mechanisms that can vary among species. Both Anna’s hummingbirds (Calypte anna), from the United States, and White-naped honeyeaters (Melithreptus lunatus), from Australia, are species of birds that are considered primarily nectivorous and have developed morphology that is apt for nectivorous feeding mechanisms independently of each other. One common morphological feature between both species is their long tongue which has a bristled tip that has important nuanced similarities and differences between them. This research looks to analyze the morphological differences between these independently evolved mechanisms through comparing and contrasting the internal and external morphological features present in the tongues of Calypte anna and Melithreptus lunatus. These morphological comparisons are made from two methods; 1) comparing and contrasting external features through 3D models of the specimens tongues from CT scans compiled by using the program 3D slicer and 2) through using paraffin wax histology with hematoxylin and eosin staining to analyze internal cross sectional differences of tongue morphology between species. Understanding comparative differences like location of structures and which structures are present between these species, belonging to unrelated clades, provides insights into how this nectarivorous niche and associated feeding methods can be addressed in different species of birds that are in turn the main pollinators of coevolved plant species. Understanding these comparisons can add to the larger picture of how nectivorous species feed and what features are important enough for allocating energy towards development, as well as understanding plant-pollinator coevolution among continents.

According to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia – a major and growing cause of disability and dependency among older people globally. The Seattle AD Brain Cell Atlas (SEA-AD) project is a collaboration between the University of Washington (UW) and the Allen Institute for Brain Science (AIBS) aimed at discovering early vulnerable cell types in AD. In SEA-AD, we hope to further our understanding of the etiology and early progression of AD to ultimately identify targets for effective therapeutic intervention. Eighty-four participant brain donors with a postmortem interval less than 12 hours from the UW AD Research Center (12/84) and Kaiser Adult Changes in Thought (72/84) studies were included in the SEA-AD cohort. At the time of procurement, one hemisphere was frozen in super-cooled isopentane for transcriptomic analysis at AIBS; the contralateral hemisphere was fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for neuropathologic assessment at UW. The middle temporal gyrus, medial entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus were sampled, processed, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned for  immunohistochemical (IHC) studies. Seven antibodies, including duplexed stains, targeting amyloid b (6e10) and microglia (IBA1), pTau (AT8) and pTDP-43 (1D3), monoplexed a-synuclein (LB509), astrocytes (GFAP), neurons (NeuN), and triplexed histochemical stain: hematoxylin, eosin, and Luxol fast blue were deployed to assess the neuropathology associated with the presence and progression of AD and related neuropathologic changes. The data obtained from the quantitative assessment of the IHC staining is integrated with the transcriptomic data generated by the Allen Institute to enhance our understanding of the cellular vulnerabilities and associated molecular processes of AD. Public access to this neuropathological data through the SEA-AD resource potentiates research efforts to understand and identify the mechanisms of AD progression.

Biological tissues are a group of cells that have similar structure and that function together as a unit. In between these cells is the extracellular matrix (ECM), which provides structural support for resident cells. The makeup of the ECM consists of fibrous proteins, such as collagen, that are interlocked and cross-linked, following a nonlinear stress/strain curve and is considered viscoelastic. The dominant mechanism behind this response is the presence of largely elastic, spring-like straightening/uncrimping of fibrils. This can be thought of like applying a force to springs in parallel. Overall, this mechanism allows the ECM fibrils to align and elongate significantly under small loads, thereby aligning the cells. This, in turn, affects the overall tissue structure and its mechanical properties. We have developed a method for patterning a cell-infused collagen mixture as a three-dimensional tissue, and subsequently stretching it, in order to observe how the cells develop in a strained environment. Specifically, we have engineered two devices that fit within a 6-well plate: the tissue is patterned on the first device, and then transferred to the second for stretching. During each phase, the suspended tissue is incubated for a period of time in order to facilitate cell development and hydrogel gelling. Once the tissue has been stretched for a certain period of time, it is then removed from the device and imaged. Our modular design designates strain as an known and adjustable value, allowing us to relate it to the internal stresses of the tissue via Hooke's Law. We are able to identify the quantitative conditions that promote tissue alignment and maturation within the suspended tissue.