Societal industrialization and post-industrialization are associated with birth rate reduction. This decline coincides with the increase in accessibility to education, contraception, and employment for people with capacity for pregnancy. In a post-industrial society such as the United States, more people are electing to not parenting. However, an individual’s choice to remain childfree is still deviant from the expected social norms of female-presenting individuals. The mounting stresses of finances, political restrictions of bodily autonomy, and lifestyle lead many individuals to seek community and kinship outside the traditional understanding of family. We aim to describe the experiences and conceptualization of family of cisgender women, a demographic with presumed capacity for pregnancy, as well as a societal expectation of pregnancy and motherhood. Cisgender women of reproductive age, navigate the crux of societal expectation to reproduce while also experiencing factors that disincentivize traditional family-making and the increased accessibility to choose to remain childfree. Existing literature has looked into the reasoning of electing to not parent, however, there is a lack of research into understanding the individual’s schemas about family and their perceptions about their own autonomous decisions. The boundaries of societal expectations of kinship are evolving alongside the societal and political pressures that discourage people from having children. Therefore, we are conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews with cisgender women in Seattle to describe the conceptualization of kinship in a population with reduced barriers to remaining childfree and increased stresses that discourage people from having children. This research will illuminate how they understand and live the paradoxical pressures between the expectation of family-making and their decision not to parent and raise children.

In the paper "Planting Undetectable Backdoors in Machine Learning Models" by Goldwasser et al (arXiv:2204:06974), the authors establish the notion of "black-box undetectability" for machine learning models and prove it in many cases. This is a backdoor that is undetectable by merely looking at inputs and outputs of the model. The paper also introduces the concept of "white-box undetectability."  We aim to consider this stronger notion and outline how even with the knowledge of entire model weights, there may be undetectable backdoors in a model. More specifically, we establish an idea where one takes an innocuous model (say a Multi-Layer-Perceptron model) and enlarges it by adding "dummy" edges and using appropriate non-linear activation functions to effectively place a backdoor in the model. In our project, we establish a proof of concept by backdooring an MNIST classifier.

Ecological data from the Green River College main campus trails have recently shown a significant increase in fungi observations in recent months compared to previous years. In addition, the diversity of these fungi vary greatly in comparison to previous years, raising concerns of identification errors. This project works to manually sort fungi observed on Green River College into their proper taxonomic groups to observe the species abundance and diversity of September 2023-December 2023 compared to September 2024-December 2024. Results show that, although there were several errors with the initial identification of several species, the abundance, distribution, and variation of fungi had significantly increased in Fall 2024 compared to Fall 2023.

On May 19, 2015, President Obama released the "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators" to reduce pollinators' mortality rates when overwintering. This plan compelled honeybee researchers to search for trends in honey bee hives that did not survive the winter. The Varroa mite was one of the main focuses of this strategy as it has been shown to kill hives in the past. Here in the Puget Sound region, the Green River College Honeybees program verified that Puget Sound beekeepers face the same problems with Varroa; I joined the team in 2024. Given that Varroa has been problematic since the late 1980s, we wanted to research for another strategy. Managing honeybee colonies for Varroa infestations can improve survivability of honeybee colonies, but we had no information about how it affects honey production. In order to see the impact that different mite treatments had on a hive's honey production, we measured the hive's weight prior to treatment, along with the percentage of mites found in the hive. Here, we present data that demonstrates that if managed properly, not only can Varroa infestations be reduced, but honey production can be increased. What we did not expect, was that some treatments negatively affect honey production. This new methodology should provide more motivation for beekeepers to not only manage differently, but also work more collaboratively to prevent Varroa infestations from spreading. 

Most human activities engage multiple brain regions simultaneously, but our ability to study this is limited by our capability to run experiments. Electrophysiology is the data-collecting technique of placing electrode probes into the brain to record the electrical activity of neurons. Currently, researchers performing electrophysiology use one or two probes. However, to record activity across many regions, researchers must use multiple probes which introduce new kinds of challenges such as ensuring accurate and reproducible positioning of several probes to target specific areas in the brain, managing probe movements to avoid collisions with each other, and preventing probes from breaking during insertion. Brain-wide coverage will require five, ten, or more probes, amplifying the challenges researchers face with just one or two probes at a time. Over the past two years, I have been developing an automation platform that can solve these challenges in electrophysiology. A key innovation is the integration of a computer-vision-based probe tracking system being developed in collaboration with the Allen Institute. This probe tracking system ensures probes can be accurately positioned on brain regions repeatably and detect when probes fail to insert into the brain, so movements are stopped before damage occurs. The automation platform will also route and manage electrode probes during experiments, preventing collisions with each other and the rig. Together these improvements ensure that electrophysiology experiments can be performed in a reliable, safe, and reproducible manner, but perhaps the biggest improvement the platform provides is efficiency. On average, it takes 15 minutes to insert one probe into the brain, meaning brain-wide experiments using eight probes may need two hours to insert manually, increasing stress on subjects unnecessarily. With automation parallelizing the process, we can reduce insertion times from 15 minutes per probe to 15 minutes flat making brain-wide electrophysiology a viable tool in neuroscience.

Forest management systems have a dramatic impact on Puget sound ecosystems. Not only does lumber-focused forest management reduce habitat for animals, but the disturbance of the forest floor and removal of canopy cover also impacts many plants and fungi. This study compares moss communities under different states of forest management, exploring how the loss of shade and impact of human management affects the diversity of moss species. I have designated several sites based on their current conditions and state of management and have surveyed moss communities in each site for species richness and diversity. By comparing the data between sites, we can see trends in how moss communities respond to forest management and logging. All sites are based in the Green River College learning forest, which is managed by the college’s forestry program. This is a small fragment forest, but it is extremely diverse with well over 100 flower and bird species. It’s vital that we understand the effects of management on these smaller fragments as well as larger plots. Here we report the differences in moss communities based on taxonomy, sun exposure, and management treatment. By understanding trends in how moss communities are impacted overall, as well as seeing which species of moss are disproportionately affected, we can identify species that are more at risk from human impact. Moss is a vital part of our forests, from maintaining soil moisture and temperature to slowing erosion, it’s important for us to understand how these diverse plants are affected by forest management systems so we can better protect our forests and all the things living there.

The Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) is responsible for approximately 80% of agricultural pollination in the United States, making them an incredibly important resource. The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor), is one of the biggest threats to honey bee populations worldwide. The Honey Bee Research Team at Green River College has investigated these mite populations in the Puget Sound Region for the past decade. In the spring of 2024, I joined the Research Team and was taught the processes of determining the mite infection percentage in honey bee hives using the sugar shake method. If there were more than seven mites on a test sample of one hundred bees, it was time for treatment of the hive. If there was a 7% infection (7 mites on 100 bees) or more, 70.6% of the colonies died; if less than 7% infection, 96% of the colonies survived. While this data mimics data in the rest of the country, we report here a more detailed understanding of mite populations and why it is important to know when it is best to perform management and treatment. Having proper management practices is essential for the future of our honey bee populations as well as changing beekeeping culture. This research is still ongoing and has led to the question of what the most effective way for honey bees to survive a mite infection and survive over the winter. As research continues, new methods of treatment will be developed and tested.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an integral role in self-tolerance and the preventing autoimmunity by suppressing the immune response. As such, inducing Treg expansion is a promising avenue for treating autoimmunity. Previous studies have shown that treatment with an interleukin-2 (IL-2) mutein Fc.Mut24 causes more robust Treg expansion than wildtype IL-2 and is effective at preventing autoimmunity in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. In this study, we identified the synergistic roles of the T cell receptor (TCR) and IL-2 receptor in IL-2 Fc.Mut24-mediated Treg expansion, leading to the question of how TCR stimulation is affected during treatment. Classical dendritic cells (cDCs) present antigens to the TCR on Tregs, leading to an increased Treg population to suppress autoimmunity. This study aims to elucidate the role of interactions between Tregs and cDCs during IL-2 Fc.Mut24 treatment using in vivo mouse models. Through the uLIPSTIC (universal labelling immune partnerships by sortagging intracellular contacts) model, we reveal the effect of IL-2 Fc.Mut24 on the frequency of short-range and transient Treg/cDC interactions. Using Zbtb46-DtR bone marrow chimeras to deplete cDCs, we may begin to understand the extent to which cDCs are necessary for the robust Treg expansion typically seen during IL-2 Fc.Mut24 treatment. Preliminary results of cDC depletion do show reduced Treg expansion. We expect to find that IL-2 Fc.Mut24 promotes immunosuppressive Treg/cDC interactions in vivo, as indicated by increased frequency of interaction and cDC-dependent Treg expansion. The findings from this study will contribute to a greater understanding of how IL-2 mutein therapies mechanistically combat autoimmunity, potentially paving the way for identifying new applications to treat disease.

The MYH7 gene links closely to the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition marked by abnormal thickening of the heart’s left ventricular wall and impaired cardiac function. Pathogenic MYH7 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) account for ~40% of HCM cases. However, ~75% of known MYH7 SNVs are variants of unknown significance (VUS). While clinical and computational data can be used to classify the significance of MYH7 variants as pathogenic or benign, these data are sparse and often inaccurate. The Yang lab has established a β-MHC abundance assay that distinguishes clinically known pathogenic and benign MYH7 variants in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), enabling reclassification of many VUS. β-MHC abundance is not a well-established phenotype, whereas existing well-established phenotypes such as impaired contractility are not high-throughput. Therefore to validate the β-MHC abundance assay findings, I aimed to functionally assess a set of variants with normal or abnormal β-MHC abundances using orthogonal assays. Towards this, I generated transgenic hiPSC lines with heterozygous variants p.Ser866Phe and p.Leu863Pro (abnormal β-MHC abundance) and p.Leu881Met and p.Ser851Phe (normal β-MHC abundance) knocked into the endogenous MYH7 locus using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. These variants are evaluated for NPPA and NPPB expression using RT-qPCR, cell size using confocal microscopy, and contractility via traction force microscopy, and are compared to a wildtype MYH7 line as a control. VUS with reduced β-MHC abundance are expected to show increased NPPA and NPPB expression, increased cell size, and increased contractility. Conducting these tests could allow for more confident reclassification of these VUS and other MYH7 variants in the future. Pathogenic variants in MYH7 are clinically actionable, meaning that reclassification of VUS will inform earlier medical interventions that improve health outcomes for patients that develop HCM.

Founded in 1989 as a joint effort between Boeing, the University of Washington's School of International Studies, and the Jackson Foundation, the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) sought to bridge the gap between academic subject experts and policymakers to develop U.S. policy toward the Asia-Pacific. But to understand the NBR, one needs to explore the context in which it was conceived. Through analyzing policy publications, communications, and digital sources in the context of sociological analyses of the think tank, this thesis argues that the NBR was influenced by the "end of history" thesis, which declared that liberal democratic capitalism had triumphed over communism, and advanced this concept by encouraging the growth of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), an intergovernmental forum also founded in 1989 concerned with expanding free trade in the Asia-Pacific. In effect, through APEC, the NBR helped disseminate the "end of history" thesis as well as the language of globalization that defined U.S. foreign policymaking toward Japan. This research details the ways in which NBR interacted with academia, government, and business and the role of the think tank in U.S. foreign policymaking during a period of rapid change in the international order. 

Political satire is often viewed as a form of indirect political expression commonly employed in authoritarian states like China. When social media is heavily regulated, satire serves as a rhetorical tool to circumvent censorship. However, satire might vary across various types of political discussion, including housing, unemployment, and the overwork culture. While prior research has extensively examined political satire and censorship in China, there is little research comparing how satire functions differently across political discussion themes. This study hypothesizes a correlation between themes of political discussion and the role and characteristics of satire in political discourse by analyzing content on Zhihu, a Chinese Q&A platform. Specifically, it examines (1) the correlation between discussion themes and stance to assess whether satire is a necessary feature for expressing dissent, (2) the prevalence of satire, measured by the proportion of satirical posts within each theme, and (3) the relationship between linguistic ambiguity and satire to determine whether ambiguity is a key strategy for evading censorship. The methodology consists of three main steps: (1) Construct a dataset by creating a random sample from a list of select political discussion themes and scraping the top discussion forums, recommended by the platform's algorithms, to ensure the sample reflects the overall user experience. (2) Qualitative text annotation based on the post's stance, ambiguity, and the presence of satire. (3) Applying natural language processing techniques to examine cross-topic variations in the use of satire and other rhetorical strategies. This approach facilitates a systematic exploration of how different types of public political discussions utilize satire to evade censorship. This research contributes to the broader understanding of political discourse under authoritarianism, offering insights into how citizens navigate the boundaries of permissible speech. 

A child's self-identity, social identity, and group identity are crucial to their emotional and cognitive development. One's self-identity is shaped through familial relationships, cultural background, and social identity. However, stereotype threat (ST)--when individuals fear confirming negative stereotypes about their social or cultural group--can create significant obstacles and hindrances to child identity development. The concept of ST was first introduced by Claude Steele and Joshua Aronson (1995), who found that Black students underperformed on exams when reminded of racial stereotypes. Research links to ST lower self-esteem, reduced academic performance, and impaired emotional resilience in children. This presentation reviews research regarding the impact of social identity and gender stereotype threats on children, specifically young girls' self-perception, academic achievement, and social development. Gender ST operates as a mechanism to reinforce gender roles within our society. Our review of the research suggests that through cyclical reinforcement of gender ST, women's motivation and success are negatively impacted, leading to systemic gender-based oppression. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the impact of gender ST and how to mitigate the consequences. This is crucial in creating inclusive and supportive learning environments that promote positive identity development and emotional resilience in children. 

Grand strategy in the U.S. has historically meant setting its eyes overseas. Defying tradition, this task report examines how major shifts in domestic policy can continue to influence international spheres while simultaneously improving the situation at home. There is growing consensus that there is instability-economic, environmental, political, security-brewing in every theater of the world; the time to exercise strength at home and collective global strength abroad is now. Through reform in economic strategy, addressing the U.S.'s role in the climate crisis, strengthening U.S. institutions to enhance political discourse and human rights, and reassessing the infrastructure of the U.S. military, the United States can reinforce its position as a global leader and acknowledge the necessity for shared power in the 21st century. Americans are finding themselves in an increasingly multipolar world state, where competitors become more capable and influential by the day. This report aims to examine the reflection of U.S. domestic policies on an international scale, while accounting for past and current actions that undermine the core values of what it promotes. When addressing the way in which a world power such as the U.S. can maintain its status as an international leader, it must first begin by addressing pivotal concerns at home and abroad, and enhancement in military infrastructure to meet the dynamic demands of the 21st century and thrive abroad. 

CdCr₂X₄ and ZnCr₂X₄ (X = S, Se) spinels are ferromagnetic semiconductors, with reported bandgaps between 1.3-2.5 eV. With the advent of spintronic devices, a renewed technological interest in materials with coupled magnetic and optical properties has caused a resurgence in the study of these magneto-optically active spinels. Despite prevailing interest in their magnetic structure, the semiconductor luminescence of these materials is not well studied. We have prepared these materials in-house to study the magneto-optical coupling of this bandgap transition. We are also beginning to prepare these materials as nanocrystals for the first time as a way of accessing alloyed and shelled varieties. We started by synthesizing the non-magnetic In³⁺-based analogous sulfide and selenide spinels as nanocrystals, establishing a starting point to prepare the Cr³⁺-based spinels. We then introduced Cr³⁺ ions, which occupy the In³⁺ sites, into the lattice during the solution-phase synthesis. We aim to make the pure chromium-based nanocrystal spinels, along with a concentration range of Cr³⁺ ions in the In³⁺-based lattice. Our goal is to explore the relationship between the Cr³⁺ concentration gradient and the magneto-optical properties of these materials. We have characterized the composition and optical bandgap energies of these spinels with X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. We have begun tuning the bandgap energy of the nanocrystals by preparing mixed anion alloys with different ratios of Se and S ions (i.e. CdCr₂(Se_1-xS_x)₄; ZnCr₂(Se_1-xS_x)₄) and examining the bandgap shift with photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. Future work includes utilizing magnetic circularly polarized luminescence (MCPL) to probe the magnetization of the lattice emission, letting us conclude how the optical properties of the semiconductor are coupled to its magnetism.

Research by Najera and Jander (2011-2012) established that honey bees (Apis Mellifera) have the cognitive ability to utilize secondary decision making places when foraging among different flower patches. Furthermore, honeybees can associate and predict specific times and places to when there will be an available food source. Najera and Jander were able to come to this hive level conclusion using a novel methodology to measure departure direction and map out the movement of individual bees from food source to food source. This study is largely considered to be moderately successful. Yet many questions still remain, such as how far a honeybee’s special intelligence could be taken and how these findings could be applied commercially. Although their method is very reliable, it can be expensive and requires dedicated and trained researchers that are often not available at small institutions. Here we explore adaptations of Najera and Janders original experiments to provide greater accessibility and increase research opportunities for small institutions or private beekeepers. With greater accessibility, it will be much easier to answer any lingering questions. Adaptations include: reduction in size of both hives, number of patches, researcher training, and increased efficiency of data collection. 

In 1972, Washington State implemented the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), following which there was a drastic spatial expansion of pinniped populations throughout the region. Harbor seals, specifically, had been impacted prior to this act, with a reduction in population due, in part, to state-financed population control. Since 1970, there has been a 7 to 10-fold increase in population sizes. Predation from pinnipeds can decrease salmon population sizes, leading to negative impacts on Pacific salmon as pinniped populations grow. This is especially concerning for endangered species of salmonids, such as ESA-listed Chinook salmon, which show little recovery since federal protections have been placed on them. I reviewed historical and modern literature to find available harbor seal population data from years before and after the implementation of the MMPA. I used documentation regarding injury and human-caused death of marine mammals, including reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to relate encounter frequency with species abundance. I used R to generate maps showing the distribution of pinnipeds throughout Puget Sound to illustrate the spatial expansion of this species. I expect to find an increase in pinniped populations, particularly an accumulation of harbor seals in areas of abundant food resources and areas less impacted by human development. This study, compiled with further research, will be helpful for the future conservation of impacted salmonids and understanding the ecological responses to the management of pinniped populations.