31544 research outputs found
Sort by
Hydrologic and Geomorphic Investigations of Two Engineered Stream Crossings Under Interstate 90 in Washington State
Get PDFThe importance of stream restoration in providing a healthy ecosystem is widely recognized. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has implemented environmental changes to facilitate habitat restoration and wildlife passage along the Interstate 90 Highway (I-90) corridor where it passes over the Cascade Mountains. Prior to the I-90 corridor expansion, Price and Noble Creeks passed under the highway though culverts, limiting passage of aquatic species or wildlife below the highway. In 2019 the stream channel crossings were expanded, and the size/shape of these creeks were engineered to mirror what would be seen in a natural environment. Since construction, erosion has resulted in some channel reaches experiencing a range of geomorphic changes, while other channel reaches have aggraded or remained stable. This research revolves around three objectives: Predicting the future evolution of the channel geomorphology, identifying the possible factors responsible for the differential erosion and deposition in the two channels, and assessing the efficacy of the I-90 stream crossings in supporting habitat connectivity for aquatic species. Hydrographs of both creeks were based on camera footage of measurements from February 2022 through July 2023. HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling from surveyed channel cross-sections was used to calculate flow velocity and discharge, which ranged from 1.01 m3/s during peak seasonal flow to 8.99 m3/s for simulated bankfull overflow. Areas of channel stability vs. erosion were determined by measurements of sediment deposition and bank erosion. The Price Creek channel is steeper and narrower than Noble Creek and exhibits more areas of bank erosion. Large wood was associated with some, but not all, areas of erosion or deposition. These data provide information about the possible causes of the channel changes and the utility of the engineered channels to provide effective habitat and passage for aquatic species. Data collected above and below the engineered portions of the creeks illustrate greater variation in stream channel bedforms than in the channels directly under the highway. While the constructed segments of Price and Noble Creeks do not perfectly mimic their natural counterparts, the observed evolution of the channel geometry indicates an increase in channel complexity that is likely to continue in the future. These changes are, overall, advantageous to enhancing habitat connectivity
EVALUATION OF LEISHMANICIDAL ACTIVITIES OF 4-THIAZOLIDINONES AGAINST LEISHMANIA MAJOR, THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF HUMAN CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS
Get PDFThe leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne parasitic diseases that affect many developing countries including parts of Africa, India, and the Middle East in addition to Southern Europe and the Americas. It is estimated that worldwide, there are about 3 million new cases of leishmaniases each year leading to as many as 50,000 fatalities annually. The parasites that cause leishmaniasis belong to the genus Leishmania spp and are transmitted by the female phlebotomine sand fly. There are three clinical forms of the infection: visceral, mucocutaneous, and cutaneous. However, the focus of this paper is on cutaneous leishmaniasis that causes skin lesions and ulcers. Current drugs used to treat leishmaniasis such as the state-of-the-art medicine, amphotericin B, are highly toxic with potentially life-threatening side effects. Importantly, drug resistance to leishmaniasis continues to pose a challenge to the medicinal community. It is therefore urgent to identify new therapeutics with reduced toxicity. To contribute to this goal, synthetized 4-thiazolidinone compounds were screened for activity against Leishmania spp. A colorimetric assay with Alamar Blue reagent was utilized to assess the viability of the parasites. The compounds were also screened for toxicity to mammalian cells using BrdU kits to mark de novo DNA synthesis in proliferating cells. Ultimately, out of 39 thiazolidinones that were tested, 16 were found to be effective at killing the Leishmania at the same level, or better than our control, amphotericin B. Selected compounds tested in a dose-response assay showed activity at concentration as low as 25 μg/mL, a level of activity similar to that of Amphotericin B. Structure-activity analysis shows that the addition of certain substituents such as a sulfone group to a compound that was biologically inactive renders it active. Together, our data demonstrate that functionalized thiazolidinones have in vivo anti-Leishmania activity that is directly linked to their chemical structures
Dining Hall - New Commons Director
No full textNew commons director Ray Ayres sits at his desk, 1962.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/john_foster_photos/4113/thumbnail.jp
Lloyd Osterberg and Bob Leahy
No full textLloyd Osterberg and Bob Leahy in a science stock room, 1962.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/john_foster_photos/4092/thumbnail.jp
Dining Hall - New Commons Kitchen
No full textA woman prepares a baking tray in the new commons kitchen, 1962.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/john_foster_photos/4106/thumbnail.jp
Differential Strain-Dependent Ovarian and Metabolic Responses in a Mouse Model of PCOS
Get PDFSeveral mouse models have been developed to study polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of infertility in women. Treatment of mice with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for 90-days causes ovarian and metabolic phenotypes similar to women with PCOS. We used this 90-day DHT treatment paradigm to investigate the variable incidence and heterogeneity in two inbred mouse strains, NOD/ShiLtJ and 129S1/SvlmJ. NOD mice naturally develop type 1 diabetes, and recent meta-analysis found increased androgen excess and PCOS in women with type 1 diabetes. 129S1 mice are commonly used in genetic manipulations. Both NOD and 129S1 DHT treated mice had early vaginal opening, increased anogenital distance and altered estrus cycles compared to control animals. Additionally, both NOD and 129S1 mice had reduced numbers of corpora lutea after DHT exposure, while NOD mice had decreased numbers of preantral follicles and 129S1 mice had reduced numbers of small antral follicles. NOD mice had increased body weight, decreased white adipocyte size, and improved glucose sensitivity in response to DHT, while 129S1 mice had increased body weight and white adipocyte size. NOD mice had increased expression of Adiponectin, Cidea, Srebp1a and Srebp1b and 129S1 mice had decreased Pparg in the white adipose tissues, while both NOD and 129S1 mice had increased expression of Glut4 and Prdm16 suggesting DHT may differentially affect glucose transport, thermogenesis, and lipid storage in white adipose tissue. DHT causes different ovarian and metabolic responses in NOD and 129S1 mice suggesting that strain differences may allow further elucidation of genetic contributions to PCOS
Evaluating Mirror-Guided Behaviors in Hylobatids
No full textUnderstanding cognition in small apes can provide insight into other primate and human cognitive capabilities because of their phylogenetic place between great apes and monkeys. Self-awareness or how an individual consciously knows and understands themselves is an important component of cognition, but previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding self-awareness in small apes. The current study utilized mirror self-recognition (MSR) procedures, a common test of self-awareness, that were modified to incorporate the social and behavioral ecology of small apes. A sample of six groups of gibbons and siamangs (Hylobatidae) housed at Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium in Litchfield Park, AZ, were desensitized to their mirror image. Mirror-guided responses during desensitization and for a unique assortment of mirrors, food reward, and vocal stimuli, were observed and recorded using instantaneous scan sampling. Differences in responses were evaluated within-subjects across conditions. The findings support evidence that small apes engage in a variety of mirror-guided behaviors, some indicative of MSR and that desensitization is an important stage in the MSR procedure. Experimental phase (i.e., desensitization, mirror assortment, and food/vocal stimuli) significantly affected the occurrence of most behaviors, while there were individual differences in behavior during all phases. By modifying the mirror procedure to take species-specific ecological conditions into account, this study provides information on how to study self-awareness more effectively across species
Symposium on American Values
No full textA man spaking at a podium inside the library during the 2nd Symposium on American Values, April 24-27, 1963.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/john_foster_photos/4152/thumbnail.jp
Symposium on American Values
No full textA man speaking at a podium during the 2nd Symposium on American Values, April 24-27, 1963.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/john_foster_photos/4157/thumbnail.jp
Symposium on American Values
No full textA large audience watches attentively during the 2nd Symposium on American Values, April 24-27, 1963.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/john_foster_photos/4161/thumbnail.jp