Digital Commons Network^™

Is Montana’S “24/7 Sobriety Program” Deterring Drunk Drivers?, Jessica C. Stevens

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Nationally and at the state level policy makers are continually seeking ways to effectively deter drunk drivers and lower the risk and social costs they impose on society. Alcohol related accidents account for nearly $60 billion in damages in the United States each year. Montana is no exception to this problem. In 2008, Montana was ranked the deadliest state based on per capita Driving under the Influence (DUI) fatalities. To combat this issue Montana piloted the “24/7 Sobriety Program.” The predominant goal of the program was to increase the likelihood and severity of punishment for repeat offenders as well as …

Fish Food: Characterizing Aquatic Invertebrate Communities On The Upper Clark Fork River, Nicholas S. Voss, Diana Six

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The 2015 RESPEC Clark Fork River Fishery Assessment identified a reach of the Clark Fork River between Rock Creek and Flint Creek with low trout densities relative to the rest of the river. While examining a variety of potential causes, researchers noted a lack of information on aquatic invertebrate communities, which are a critical food source for trout. To investigate whether benthic invertebrates might account for the difference in trout densities, I used a kick net, yard stick, and flow tracker to sample aquatic invertebrate communities in six locations (three in a low trout density reach and three in a …

Missoula’S Homeless Children: Effects Of Homelessness On Mental, Emotional And Social Health, Sarah L. Shapiro

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The mental, emotional, and social health of children are greatly affected by being homeless. Being homeless as a child could effect a person’s coping skills and lead to mental health issues that increase the likelihood of substance abuse , suicide attempts, or adult homelessness. The purpose of this research project is to explore the negative effects of homelessness on Missoula children, and to identify services that could be useful in combating those effects. Methods for this project, included two data collection strategies. First, a literature review was completed for the purpose of enhancing understanding about the effects of homeless on …

Effectiveness And Parent Acceptability Of Yeti For Children With Autism, Phillip A. Thomas, Mackinzie Tilleman, Emelyn Falley, Ana Fernandez-Prieto

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience social communication deficits that have been associated with loneliness, fewer friendships, and less satisfaction with friendships (Bauminger & Kasari, 2000). One in four children also have symptoms such as irritability, arguing, and defiance (Kaat & Lecavalier, 2013). Research studies have shown that social skills group interventions significantly improved youth’s social interactions, such as an increase in communication with peers and greater use of greetings (Barry, Klinger, Lee, Palardy, Gilmore & Bodin, 2003). Further, parents’ acceptability of social skills groups is also important to ensure that the intervention is meeting their child’s needs. Few …

Effects Of Hydration On Physiological Indicators During Heat Acclimation, Nicole E. Mickelson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Effects of hydration on physiological indicators during heat acclimation

N. Mickelson, M.Schleh, B. Ruby FACSM, C.L. Dumke FACSM

University of Montana, Missoula, MT.

Hydration of wildland firefighters (WLFF) during heat acclimation trials may impact performance by reducing physiological strain. By inducing dehydration in a controlled setting, physiological adaptations such as increased sweat rate and cardiovascular strain may be enhanced. PURPOSE: To investigate the impact hydration status (dehydrated/ euhydrated) has, through mitigated fluid delivery, on levels of hydration (% dehydration), sweat rate (SR), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). METHODS: Ten aerobically fit male subjects (age=23.0±0.9, weight=82.1±4.6kg) underwent …

Strengthening Early Mathematical Foundations: Number Recognition, Mary C. Burns

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Children enter elementary school with a diverse range of mathematical understanding, and students’ preliminary mathematical experiences can have a lasting effect on their self efficacy and attitudes towards school. Number recognition is an essential skill of early numeracy that allows for students to develop a strong mathematical foundation to build upon, and instructing these skills early is vital for children to view education with a positive outlook. Unfortunately, many students struggle with this facet of early numeracy.

This study focuses on how one ‘intensive’ kindergarten student’s number recognition skills were affected by individualized interventions. It explores where the student struggled …

Umove: A Mobile Sub-Maximal Fitness Test Application For Wheelchair Users, Stefan Riemens, Lisa Morgan

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Determining human fitness can easily be accomplished through numerous examinations and testing methods. A majority of such tests are produced exclusively for individuals capable of free and unhindered movement. Limited attention has been paid to the evaluation and determination of fitness of wheelchair-bound individuals with various degrees of paraplegia. Professor James J. Laskin published an article in the Journal of Exercise Physiology concerning a cadence-based sub-maximal field test for predicting maximal oxygen consumption in wheelchair basketball athletes. Our goal is to employ his research in the development of a portable fitness application that promotes healthcare accessibility. The program is an …

Hip Flexor Extensibility And Its Correlation To Hip Hyperextension And Lower Back Pain In Dancers, Tessa Richards

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In the world of ballet, flexibility and strength are the keys to success. A leg extended to extraordinary heights is equated with beauty and expertise, whereas a lower height is seen as lesser quality. Dancers are trained from their first ballet lesson to reach their toes to the utmost end of their range of motion, and push themselves beyond the regular restrictions of the human body. Despite the pressure put on dancers to be extremely flexible, tight hip flexor muscles (the rectus femoris and the iliopsoas group) are a common complaint, restricting hip hyperextension (called an arabesque). To compensate for …

Iran Nuclear Agreement: Good Choice Or Bad Deal?, Mikaela J. Koski

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The nuclear deal between Iran and the US, along with other western nations, that came to fruition in the summer of 2015 has been characterized both as a positive change in US foreign relations and as an ill-conceived decision that could produce deadly consequences. Regardless of differing opinions on the content, the Iran nuclear deal will yield outcomes with international ramifications. This project analyzes the potential of the deal through the lens of the historical relationship between Iran and the United States to give much needed context to future interactions. Past US-Iranian relations will provide an indication of undertones that …

We're All Stressed, It's College: An Exploration Into The Perceptions Of Stress Among College Students, Shelby Lambdin

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Between jobs, clubs, classes, families, roommates, social expectations and the transition into adulthood, the traditional aged college student faces a great deal of stress in their day-to-day lives. Adding to the perplexities of this topic, each individual experiences different perceptions of stress. Physical activity is often recommended to reduce stress, but little research has been done in the context of the benefits of physical activity and stress reduction in college students. This research compares two specific groups of college students that fall within specific criteria. The comparison will be made between any differences in perceptions of stress between students who …

Documenting The Sedimentology Of An Unusual Set Of Gravel Deposits Exposed Along Snowbowl Road, Kyle Brangers

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This study focuses on documenting and interpreting the sedimentology of a set of gravel deposits presently exposed along Snowbowl Road approximately 1.5 kilometers above the intersection of Snowbowl Road with the Grant Creek Road. The gravel deposit is exposed on the north side of the road in a series of artificial exposures which were cut in the 1950’s when the Snowbowl Road was constructed. The deposit consists of a set of discontinuous exposures along ~100 meters of the road, and roughly 6 meters of stratigraphy is exposed. The main gravel deposit is dominated by pebble-sized clasts that are typically angular …

Motor Control Of Force Output In Fresh And Fatigued Muscle Fibers, Jennifer Miller

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Purpose: Since the 1950s investigators focused on the motor control strategies used by the central nervous system to alter the force outputs of skeletal muscle, and have repeatedly observed a highly linear relationship between the forces applied to the environment and the volume of muscle activated to generate this tension. This classical relationship underpins nearly all existing hypotheses on the mechanisms of neuromuscular fatigue, yet it is unknown whether this understanding holds during the activation of fatigued muscle fibers.

Methods: Subjects completed a minimum of 40 exhaustive sprint-running trials (typically 5 trials per lab visit), on a high-speed force treadmill …

The Oaβ1r Receptor Is Required In Peripheral Neurons To Interpret Environmental Information, Edmond D. Brewer

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In many species, chemical signals from the environment trigger a variety of possible behavioral responses by an organism including feeding, aggression, and courtship. How neurons located at the periphery receive these signals and mediate the strength of this information before sending it forward to the brain remains unclear. The neuromodulator octopamine (OA, the insect equivalent of norepinephrine) has been shown by experiments from our lab and others to be required to promote male aggression. After OA is released into the extracellular space, it must bind to its receptors to elicit a response. In order to discover how signals from the …

The Role Of Glycerol Metabolism In The Lyme Disease Agent, Bethany Crouse

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, is maintained in nature through an enzootic cycle, transiting between a mammalian host and tick vector. Following acquisition by a tick, B. burgdorferi uses the sugar glucose from the blood meal to survive. When this source of carbon runs out, the bacterium undergoes a state of nutrient stress. During this time, it uses the sugar glycerol as an alternate carbon and energy source. The glp operon is composed of three annotated genes that enable B. burgdorferi to import and metabolize glycerol. glpD, the last gene in the operon, encodes the enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate …

Using Global Maternal Sensitivity Score To Predict Infant Attachment, Jamie Pauley

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Mary Ainsworth developed a scoring system to determine a mother’s level of sensitivity toward her infant (AMSS). The maternal sensitivity construct includes the caregiver identifying a signal has occurred, interpreting it correctly, and responding promptly and appropriately. Ainsworth and Bowlby defined attachment as an affectional bond that one individual forms with another and that endures across time and space. It has been found that high maternal sensitivity is a precursor to secure attachment classification. Children with secure attachment often have better developmental outcomes and lower rates psychopathology than children with insecure attachment. The AMSS rates the mother’s sensitivity toward her …

Creating The Campesino: United States’ Influence On Agrarian Reform During The 1952-1953 Bolivian National Revolution, Carly J. Campbell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Throughout 1952 and 1953, Bolivia experienced a violent National Revolution. The Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR) rose to power on the platform of universal suffrage, nationalization of tin mines, and the breakup of Bolivia’s traditional agricultural system. On August 2, 1953, President Estenssoro of the MNR signed Agrarian Reform into law before a crowd of indigenous leaders, who celebrated the victorious moment. In appearances, the new government had fulfilled its promise of land redistribution, enfranchising the long-oppressed indigenous population.

However, the underlying presence of the United States convoluted reform. Unlike many other Latin American countries during the post-WWII era, the new …

Student Organizations In Public Administration, Cody Meixner

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) is a student owned, student funded, and student operated public agency within the University of Montana (UM). Many University student governments operate small operations, with much oversight from their University administrations; however, there are a few throughout the country that command their own budgets, have complete oversight of their personnel, provide large scale public services, and maintain distinct levels of autonomy from their University. This paper will analyze the effectiveness of student owned, student funded, and student operated public agencies such as ASUM, to evaluate the role they play as established …

Comanagement: Applications And Lessons, Rachel Grabenstein

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Badger Two Medicine Area in the Lewis and Clark National Forest has faced conflict over management since the 1980s due to leasing of what is considered sacred land. Recently those leases were cancelled. However questions about how to manage the land still remain. This presentation explores examples of comanagement between the federal government and Native American tribes in an effort to understand what options and obstacles the Blackfeet tribe will face in future management of the Badger Two Medicine Area. I examined the National Bison Range efforts at comanagement in depth and current comanagement situations with other federal agencies, …

Chute Cutoffs And Alluvial Point Bar Morphodynamics: How Rivers Move Over Time, Caelan Simeone

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The reach of the Clark Fork River just west of Missoula is quite dynamic, and due to erosion and deposition of sediments can shift quite rapidly during floods. During spring runoff in 2012 the main channel of the Clark Fork River about 1.3 miles west of the Reserve Street Bridge scoured through the point bar (a type of gravel or sand bar) on the inside of a meander bend and created a new channel. This event is called a chute cutoff and is one of two main ways that rivers cut through their banks to create new channels. Understanding of …

Reproductive Output Of Pinus Albicaulis (Whitebark Pine) At Alpine Treelines, Jesse Austin Bunker

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Subalpine Pinus albicaulis (whitebark pine) are experiencing high rates of mortality due to outbreaks of native Dendroctonus ponderosae (mountain pine beetle) and the exotic fungal pathogen Cronartium ribicola (the cause of white pine blister rust). P. albicaulis in the alpine treeline ecotone appear to escape D. ponderosae attack. This habitat may serve as a refuge for P. albicaulis during periods of extreme beetle pressure. However, treeline ecotones can only be functional refuges if they’re able to reproduce. To date, no one has documented cone production, seed set, or seed viability in treeline P. albicaulis individuals, although reproductive output has …

Effects Of Conifer Removal Treatments On Quaking Aspen Regeneration And Adult Growth, Philip W. Williams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Many quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) populations are in decline across the western United States, a trend likely driven by ongoing climate change and past management that has led to increased competition with conifers. Restoration of aspen is a management goal potentially achievable through active forest management, but treatment effects on regeneration and residual growth have not been comprehensively studied. This project examined if removal of competing conifers altered aspen regeneration density, ungulate browsing, and residual adult aspen diameter growth using a control-impact study design. Sampling occurred at the Burnt Fork (ten treatments, four controls) and Bandy (seven treatments, four controls) …

Youth Voting Patterns In Montana, Elizabeth R. Story

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Grassroot voter registration efforts have been prevalent in Montana college towns and in strategic voter districts, where a larger population of youth becoming registered and encouraged to vote would be advantageous. However, it has been almost impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of blind voter registration campaigns geared towards passerby, or indiscriminately asking passerby – primarily students – to register to vote, or turnout to vote. Youth targeted voter registration campaigns are usually conducted in college or university settings, where the target potential voter population is mostly in the 18-25 year old demographic. I will analyze the effect of the transient …

Non-Structural Carbohydrates Influence Water Relations In Pinus Ponderosa, Aurora Lela H. Bayless

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Worldwide forest mortality events associated with climate change are of increasing concern and could have profound consequences on global carbon cycles. There is an increasing need to assess the risk of forest mortality due to climate change. However, model predictions of how forests will respond to drought require specific knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying drought-induced mortality. Two main physiological mechanisms have been proposed to explain tree mortality under drought. First, hydraulic failure occurs when the water column in the xylem (vascular tissue) becomes under excessive tension and breaks, thus interrupting water transport. Second, Carbon starvation occurs when plants prevent …

Social Norms: Understanding Community Perceptions Of Voluntary Services And Its Effect On Parental Engagement, Emily A. Stiles

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Home visiting services seek to promote maternal and child health through education, agency referrals, and interpersonal connection. These evidence-informed services are often voluntary, which poses significant challenges in terms of enrolling, engaging, and retaining clients. According to McCurdy and Daro (2001), attributes such as: client characteristics, health professional attributes, features of the agency, and the neighborhood acceptance of the program may influence a client's decision to enroll. Furthermore, the timing of engagement or contact affects the engagement of home visitors with clients. In addition, sociodemographic factors of: ethnicity, ages of parents and children involved, and educational attainment influence a client's …

Ruskis In Hollywood, Miriam Krainacker

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The start of the Cold War saw a change in both US international policy and American cinematic content. There was a sudden rise of Russians as the enemy, a trend which continues until this day. Despite a plethora of countries, American films again and again rely on Russian caricatures to fill their villainous roles. The rare difference in Hollywood stereotypes comes from American television, in which Russians are occasionally developed beyond simple villains or one-note characters. The demonization of Russians can be contributed to the forever-tense relationships between America and Russia, which date back to the Cold War, as well …