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Hanford, the Columbia Basin, and the legacy of Hispanic leadership
Full text linkThis article summarizes the contributions of Mexican Americans to communities near the Hanford nuclear site and the experience of some Mexican American employees at Hanford. The article makes specific reference to the Cerna family, Carlos Leon, and Frank Armijo
The seasonality and community composition of mosquitos at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge
No full textMosquitoes play a crucial role in ecosystems, serving as pollinators and a vital food source for wildlife, yet they also pose significant health risks by transmitting diseases such as West Nile Virus and malaria. Despite their importance, mosquito populations in the Pacific Northwest, particularly eastern Washington, remain relatively unexplored. This preliminary research aims to characterize mosquito species, assess their seasonal patterns, and explore how environmental factors influence mosquito populations at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR).
From 2017 through 2024, mosquitoes were regularly collected using carbon dioxide-baited traps placed at two distinct sites within the refuge. Preliminary results from this ongoing study have identified 20 mosquito species across five genera. Initial data suggest mosquito abundance peaks during midsummer, correlating closely with increased temperatures and rainfall. Additionally, each mosquito species exhibits distinct seasonal patterns, indicating that climate strongly influences their population dynamics.
We hypothesize that yearly variation in mosquito abundance and community structure at TNWR is significantly shaped by climatic factors, especially temperature fluctuations and precipitation events.
Understanding these dynamics is essential for enhancing public health measures by predicting periods of higher disease transmission risk. Additionally, this knowledge contributes to conservation efforts by clarifying mosquitoes\u27 roles in local ecosystems. As data collection continues, the insights gained will offer a clearer understanding of mosquito ecology in this understudied region, providing valuable guidance for future disease management and ecological preservation
In vivo Testing of a Lethal ITPA Mutant
No full textThe inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase (ITPA) protein is responsible for removing noncanonical purines, such as inosine triphosphate (ITP), from the intracellular nucleoside triphosphate pools. This prevents ITP from accumulating in the cell and disrupting cellular processes. A point mutation in ITPA at position 178 (R178C) results in an enzyme with severely reduced catalytic activity and stability, which causes a fatal infantile encephalopathy. This mutation was cloned into a plasmid that was transformed into Escherichia coli, creating an in vivo complementation model. To characterize the mutant, two complementation assays were performed to determine temperature and N-6 hydroxyaminopurine (HAP) sensitivity. This in vivo model of R178C can be used to test if druglike molecules are able to restore the functionality of the enzyme
Tor: A Private Tor Network for Education and Experimentation
No full textThe Onion Router (Tor) is a de-centralized network that ensures user anonymity and data privacy by routing internet traffic through a series of nodes. Despite its security benefits, using Tor for research projects poses ethical and technical challenges, particularly due to Tor\u27s complex network architecture and network administrators\u27 hesitancy to allow Tor traffic. This project addresses these issues by configuring and hosting a private Tor network on Raspberry Pi devices, enabling the use of Tor in a secure and ethical environment. With this setup, researchers and students can implement and study de-anonymization attacks from any perspective without impacting the public Tor network. This setup offers a flexible framework for future scalability and diverse testing scenarios and has already been utilized within cybersecurity classes. Future work will focus on containerizing the network using Docker to provide each student with a private network of their own
Assessing Landscape Connectivity and Fragmentation in \u3ci\u3eClematis hirsutissima\u3c/i\u3e: Implications for Conservation and Restoration
No full textThis study investigates the landscape connectivity of Clematis hirsutissima, a perennial forb native to Inland Pacific Northwest prairies, with a focus on the effects of habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation restricts gene flow and alters population connectivity, but the extent to which this affects C. hirsutissima populations is unclear. The objectives of this study are to (1) assess landscape connectivity using resistance surfaces, which model how difficult it is for organisms to move across the landscape based on environmental features; (2) evaluate potential movement corridors between populations; and (3) quantify the effects of fragmentation on gene flow. To achieve these goals, we integrate ArcGIS Pro for creating resistance surfaces based on habitat suitability derived from a Species Distribution Model (SDM), Fragstats for quantifying landscape fragmentation metrics, and Circuitscape and Graphab for simulating and evaluating connectivity and movement corridors. Resistance values are assigned based on ecological traits and habitat preferences of C. hirsutissima, incorporating factors such as land cover type, soil permeability, slope, and anthropogenic barriers. Results will inform the identification of critical areas for conservation and habitat restoration, as well as provide insights into the impact of fragmentation on plant population connectivity