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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Seasonal And Age-Based Aspects Of Diet Of The Introduced Redside Shiner (Richardsonius Balteatus) In Ross Lake, Washington, Carmen A. (Carmen Ann) Welch
Seasonal And Age-Based Aspects Of Diet Of The Introduced Redside Shiner (Richardsonius Balteatus) In Ross Lake, Washington, Carmen A. (Carmen Ann) Welch
WWU Graduate School Collection
This study investigates the introduced population of the Redside Shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) in Ross Lake, Washington. The Redside Shiner was introduced to Ross Lake around 2000 and in the summer months, can be found in densities of hundreds per cubic meter in the shallow areas of Ross Lake. Ross Lake is a protected thirty-five and a half kilometer long reservoir in North Cascades National Park with cold, clear water of exceptional quality. Fish native to Ross Lake include: Bull Trout, Dolly Varden and Rainbow Trout. It is a commonly held belief that the introduced Redside Shiner have no negative effect …
Felsic Magmas From Mt. Baker In The Northern Cascade Arc: Origin And Role In Andesite Production, Julie A. (Julie Angela) Gross
Felsic Magmas From Mt. Baker In The Northern Cascade Arc: Origin And Role In Andesite Production, Julie A. (Julie Angela) Gross
WWU Graduate School Collection
Dacitic magmas in volcanic arcs play a critical role in the growth and development of felsic continental crust through mixing to form andesite, or to a lesser extent, by directly adding new crustal material through fractionation of mantle derived basalts. Though dacitic erupted lavas are scarce on Mt. Baker, this study discusses their importance in subsurface processes such as mixing with more mafic magmas, and their potential to add directly to the volume of continental crust. A comprehensive data set (including major, trace, and rare earth element abundances, as well as petrography and mineral chemistry) reveals that the most Sirich, …
Thermal Conditions And Movement Of Rock Glaciers In The North Cascades, Washington, Joseph Goshorn-Maroney
Thermal Conditions And Movement Of Rock Glaciers In The North Cascades, Washington, Joseph Goshorn-Maroney
WWU Graduate School Collection
Rock glaciers are a largely unrecognized phenomenon in the North Cascades. In part this reflects their scarcity there. Additionally, because rock glaciers are widely held to be the product of permafrost conditions, the dearth of literature regarding North Cascade rock glaciers also reflects the notion that active rock glaciers should not exist at all in such temperate mountain ranges. Rock glaciers have been linked to specific air temperature conditions ( < -2°C), and, based on that link, are often used as visual indications of mountain permafrost. The North Cascades, a maritime mountain range with high snowfall and relatively warm climate, are a good location to test the permafrost-rock glacier link. Review of aerial photography and satellite imagery, however, reveals at least ten morphologically active rock glaciers and even more that appear inactive. To test the activity and possible link to permafrost conditions, I selected two of the active-looking rock glaciers for movement monitoring and thermal investigation. Movement monitoring was accomplished by conducting repeat scans with a terrestrial laser scanner; this investigation represents the first attempt to use this technique on rock glaciers in North America. The Craggy Peak rock glacier was shown to be moving downslope at a rate of 5 to 10 cm per year. Movement vectors toward the top of the rock glacier suggested deflation, while vectors toward the toe indicated a slight inflation. Flow toward the top and center of the rock glacier also was faster reflecting the steeper slope while flow toward the toe slowed and vectors radiated out. Movement was not detectable on second rock glacier, Star Peak, due mainly to lack of control points located on and around the scan target. Moreover, lack of a good vantage point at the site limited the scan coverage, inhibiting data processing. Because the North Cascades are a maritime mountain range with climate conditions thought to be too warm and wet to support rock glaciers, I also deployed miniature temperature data loggers in both rock glaciers to record air temperature at the surface and within the rubble. Three logger strings were deployed with three loggers. Each string contained one surface logger, one logger of intermediate depth and one logger that was between 1.5-2.3 meters deep in the rubble (depending on the string). One year of data has revealed that average ground temperature on the rock glaciers is probably near -1 ± 1° C and modeled near-surface air temperature above them is 0.0 ± 1.6° C. Air temperature is marginally to warm to support permafrost, though a more lengthy study period is needed. Thermal exchange during the summer appears to be governed by conductive processes in the form of rain water and solar heating. Moreover, forced convection occurs when wind pumps air into the regolith. During the fall, I document at least one instance where the data loggers capture natural convection when relatively warm air evacuated the regolith. Natural convection occurs when cold air overlays warm air and the subsequent density driven inversion results in warm air escaping into the air and cold air settling into the regolith.
The Isolated Sixth Gelsolin Repeat Of Villin Has A Calcium-Regulated Structure And Lacks Capacity To Bind F-Actin, Jacob A. Brockerman
The Isolated Sixth Gelsolin Repeat Of Villin Has A Calcium-Regulated Structure And Lacks Capacity To Bind F-Actin, Jacob A. Brockerman
WWU Graduate School Collection
Villin is a modular, epithelial, actin binding protein responsible for the regulation of microvilli in the brush border region of the small intestine and kidney. Villin is regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation, Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and calcium concentration. These signal molecules control villin's multifunctionality and allow it to switch among its several opposing functional roles. Villin can cleave, nucleate, cap and bundle F-actin. This is achieved through villin's six gelsolin-like domains which are connected by a 40 residue linker sequence to a novel C-terminal headpiece domain (HP). It is known that the HP forms a calcium insensitive F-actin binding site that is …
Structural Studies Of Blood Coagulation Factor Viii In Complexes With Inhibitory Antibodies, Rachel Werther
Structural Studies Of Blood Coagulation Factor Viii In Complexes With Inhibitory Antibodies, Rachel Werther
WWU Graduate School Collection
Normal blood clotting is regulated by blood plasma protein factors in a blood coagulation cascade. Deficiency in one of these proteins, Factor VIII (FVIII), causes the disease hemophilia A, in which the patient is unable to form blood clots. Treatment of hemophilia A involves the infusion of FVIII, and the most common complication in this treatment is the development of antibodies against the therapeutic infusions. Two mouse monoclonal anti-human antibodies, 3E6 and G99, were used as models of inhibitory action against FVIII by binding to the C-terminal C2 domain. A classical antibody, 3E6, blocks the ability of FVIII to bind …
Integrating Ensemble Species Distribution Modeling And Statistical Phylogeography To Inform Projections Of Climate Change Impacts On Species Distributions, Brenna R. Forester
Integrating Ensemble Species Distribution Modeling And Statistical Phylogeography To Inform Projections Of Climate Change Impacts On Species Distributions, Brenna R. Forester
WWU Graduate School Collection
Species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly used to forecast climate change impacts on species and ecosystems. These models, however, are subject to important assumptions and limitations. By integrating two independent but complementary methods, ensemble SDMs and statistical phylogeography, I was able to address key assumptions and create robust assessments of climate change impacts on species' distributions while improving the conservation value of these projections. This approach was demonstrated using Rhodiola integrifolia, an alpine-arctic plant distributed at high elevations and latitudes throughout the North American cordillera. SDMs for R. integrifolia were fit to current and past climates using eight model algorithms, …
Sedimentologic, Stable Isotopic, And Paleomagnetic Analysis Of Laramide Synorogenic Strata: Unroofing Of The Beartooth Range, Montana And Wyoming, Austin S. Hart
WWU Graduate School Collection
The timing and sequence of Paleogene proximal sediments derived from the rising Beartooth Range of Montana and Wyoming and shed eastward into the western Bighorn Basin have been interpreted differently by earlier workers. Improving our knowledge of the relationships between proximal and distal strata in the western Bighorn Basin will lead to a better understanding of basin development in the northern Laramide Province. The objective of this study is to use petrographic, stable isotopic and paleomagnetic datasets from Beartooth synorogenic deposits in order to address different hypotheses concerning the timing and sequence of sedimentation off the Beartooth uplift. The synorogenic …
The Use Of A Bayesian Network To Calculate The Risks Of Mercury Contamination To Fish And Birds Of The South River, Virginia, Heather M. Summers
The Use Of A Bayesian Network To Calculate The Risks Of Mercury Contamination To Fish And Birds Of The South River, Virginia, Heather M. Summers
WWU Graduate School Collection
The South River watershed in western Virginia has a history of mercury contamination from past industrial practices. My study demonstrates how Bayesian networks can be used to conduct an environmental risk assessment of aquatic and riparian environments to assess the overall effects of mercury contamination to target species in the South River. The risk assessment focused on two species of fish, one game-fish, smallmouth bass and one non-game fish, white sucker and two species of birds, one piscivorous, Belted Kingfisher and one insectivorous, Carolina Wren. By examining the exposure pathways through various habitats in the study area, I created a …
Salmon In The Trees: An Assessment Of A Dendrochemical Technique For Detecting Marine-Derived Nitrogen In Riparian Tree Rings, Jody Gerdts
WWU Graduate School Collection
Quantifying the relationship between salmon escapement and riparian tree-ring δ15N could contribute greatly to understanding trends in historic salmon abundance. Such an understanding could have far-reaching consequences for understanding historic carrying capacities of river systems and help guide future restoration efforts. This study investigates the reliability of using naturally occurring isotopic variations in annual tree rings to produce quantifiable estimates of historic salmon runs. Three study areas with temporal and spatial changes in salmon spawning abundance were examined. I found that currently available techniques for removing mobile nitrogen are not sufficient to overcome problems associated with radial mobility, as indicated …
Block Rotation And Magnetostratigraphy Of The Fish Creek-Vallecito Basin, Salton Trough, Ca, Christopher J. Deboer
Block Rotation And Magnetostratigraphy Of The Fish Creek-Vallecito Basin, Salton Trough, Ca, Christopher J. Deboer
WWU Graduate School Collection
The Fish Creek-Vallecito basin (FCVB) is a large Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary basin in the western Salton Trough, CA. The FCVB formed during subsidence along the West Salton Detachment fault and was uplifted and tilted when slip along the West Salton Detachment fault ended and the region became dominated by strike-slip faulting. This study uses paleomagnetism and magnetostratigraphy to determine the timing and rate of rotation of the FCVB. Two hundred and one sites were sampled in the Palm Spring Group of the FCVB. Magnetite and hematite are identified as carriers of remanence, and rock magnetic measurements are consistent with a magnetite …
Gis Investigation Of Scarps On Slide Mountain, Western Whatcom County, Washington, Orion George
Gis Investigation Of Scarps On Slide Mountain, Western Whatcom County, Washington, Orion George
WWU Graduate School Collection
Scarps can form from active faulting and landsliding. Such scarps can be difficult to differentiate in mountainous regions before expensive field work is done. Remote techniques to differentiate between scarps can help focus research time and money on active tectonic scarps. This study utilizes high resolution topographic data derived from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and a geographic information system (GIS) to analyze geomorphometric differences between landslide headscarps and active tectonic scarps in western Washington. The study is separated into two distinct phases, a GIS mapping phase and a GIS geomorphic analysis phase. The GIS mapping phase focused on mapping …
Relocation And Analysis Of The 2007 Nechako, B.C., Seismic Swarm: Evidence For Magmatic Intrusion In The Lower Crust, Jesse A. Hutchinson
Relocation And Analysis Of The 2007 Nechako, B.C., Seismic Swarm: Evidence For Magmatic Intrusion In The Lower Crust, Jesse A. Hutchinson
WWU Graduate School Collection
On October 9th, 2007, a seismic swarm, known as the Nechako swarm, began in south-central British Columbia, approximately 20 kilometers west of the Nazko polygenetic cinder cone. After lasting for well over a month, seismic activity tapered off by November 21st, 2007. This study analyzes data from several temporary broadband seismometers deployed by the Geological Survey of Canada near the epicentral locations of initial events from the swarm. Over 4400 events were observed during this period, from which 1048 absolute locations were calculated, with depths ranging from 26-35 kilometers. All of the events recorded by the temporary seismometers were high …
Magnetic Fabric Analyses Of Ocean Floor Sediments: Characterizing Depositional Processes In The Nankai Trough And Shikoku Basin, Beth Novak
WWU Graduate School Collection
Magnetic fabric analysis was conducted on accretionary prism sediments and on sediments taken from the Shikoku Basin during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition (Exp) 333 in order to characterize the sedimentary processes and depositional mechanisms active along the Nankai Trough. Sedimentary ages, in the form of a magnetostratigraphy, were also determined for these sediments during the course of this study. IODP Exp 333 focused coring efforts off the coast of the Kii Peninsula in Japan on three sites, one site within the Nankai Trough accretionary prism (Site C0018) and two sites seaward of the Nankai Trough in the Shikoku …
An Analysis Of Agricultural Land-Use Effects On Surface Water Quality In Skagit County Streams, Marysutton Carruthers
An Analysis Of Agricultural Land-Use Effects On Surface Water Quality In Skagit County Streams, Marysutton Carruthers
WWU Graduate School Collection
Nonpoint source pollution is a concern in many streams nationwide. Puget Sound cleanup efforts have increasingly focused on targeting nonpoint sources of pollution, including nutrient and bacterial sources resulting from agricultural activities. Skagit County, Washington hosts a robust compilation of agricultural activities from large scale row crops and dairy operations to small hobby farms. It is also home to the Skagit River, the most important river system for Puget Sound salmon, and Samish Bay, the largest shellfish growing area in the north Puget Sound. Enormous efforts have been made to assess the health of Washington's waterways and to find an …
Performance Of Oriented Fluorophore Luminescent Solar Concentrators, Tristan Butler
Performance Of Oriented Fluorophore Luminescent Solar Concentrators, Tristan Butler
WWU Graduate School Collection
Solar power is likely to play a significant role in the future of fossil fuel alternatives. In order to maximize its impact, the cost of solar power must be competitive with fossil fuels on the global energy market. Luminescent Solar Concentrators are an attractive technology that can potentially reduce the cost of solar power. LSCs utilize cheap materials and no moving parts to concentrate light, however the amount of solar concentration is limited by loss mechanisms inherent in LSCs. One potential method to improve the efficiency of LSCs is through the use of oriented fluorophores. Based on theory presented in …
Traditional And Alternative Delivery Methods Of General Chemistry Labs: Environmental, Monetary, And Pedagogical Comparisons, Sarah Steely
Traditional And Alternative Delivery Methods Of General Chemistry Labs: Environmental, Monetary, And Pedagogical Comparisons, Sarah Steely
WWU Graduate School Collection
The main objective of my study was to investigate and compare a traditional and alternative mode of general chemistry laboratory delivery using environmental, monetary, and curriculum comparisons. I conducted an environmental carbon footprint analysis of traditional laboratory experiments versus laboratory kit counterparts. A dollar cost assessment of the delivery modes was also calculated. Both the environmental and dollar costs were determined on a per student basis for each experiment evaluated. The results demonstrate that traditional experiments had higher carbon emissions than the kit experiments, and the kit experiments were more expensive per student than the traditional experiments when I accounted …