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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 …

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) …

Introspection And Realization In The Parallel Lives Of Gautama Buddha And Saint Augustine, Charlotte E. Westwater Ms.

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Gautama Buddha and Saint Augustine: two men born centuries and worlds apart, whose parallel lives tell the story of man’s struggle to find meaning in his own life, and to understand himself in terms of the divine. Some time in the middle of the first millennium BCE, the bodhisattva who would become Gautama Buddha took his final birth in the Himalayan foothills of present-day Nepal. Born a prince of the warrior caste and destined for enlightenment, the bodhisattva would escape the world of privilege and excess, before renouncing his titles and possessions and enduring much mortification on his path to …

Phenotypic Plasticity & Sexual Dimorphism Of The Squinting Brown-Bush Butterfly (Bicyclus Anynana), Stephanie Parker

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In many butterfly species, males and females often differ in striking ways. Sexual dimorphism in body size and shape, coloration, behavior, physiology, and life history traits evolve when natural selection or sexual selection acts differently on males and females. The Squinting Brown-Bush butterfly (Bicyclus anynana) is one such example with females larger than males. Additionally, this species is phenotypically plastic - the temperature experienced during larval development will determine the adult phenotype. During the warm, wet, season, these males and females are short-lived, colorful, and active. During the cool, dry, season both sexes are long-lived, cryptically-colored, and inactive. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Hattiesburg: Birthplace Of Rock & Roll, Sam Bruton, Paul S. Linden

Interdisciplinary Investigations

While most residents of Hattiesburg have heard that Hattiesburg is the “birthplace of Rock & Roll,” few know much about the basis of this claim. It stems from recordings made by the Graves Brothers in the late ‘20s and ‘30s.

Roosevelt and Aaron/Uaroy Graves were gospel musicians who first recorded “rocking and reeling” spirituals for Paramount records in 1929. At the urging of Jackson-based talent scout H.C. Speir, they recorded several more songs as “The Mississippi Jook Band” in 1936.

(Blind) Roosevelt, who played guitar and sang, and Aaron, who played the tambourine and kazoo, were joined on the later …

From Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder To Substance Use Disorder: Perspectives From Recovering Addicts, Elena Potovsky

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

People who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are often at high risk of acquiring Substance Use Disorder (SUD). When a diagnosis is determined for a school age child, the special education team mainly focuses on the most obvious problems that occur with ADHD: executive function issues, reading and writing impairments, and disruptive behavior. They may not realize how common it is for those identified with ADHD to also acquire SUD.

The literature revealed that there may be a shared genetic basis between ADHD and SUD, that there is commonly an early onset of SUD for those who have ADHD, …

The Next Billion: Lessons In Off-Grid Electricity Development From The Global South, Peter Mcdonough

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Today about a third of the world’s population has no access to electricity, and another third has only limited access. Driven by the push for development on one hand and the reality of climate change on the other, a combination of for-profit companies, NGOs, missions, and aid organizations is looking for the silver bullet to sustainable electricity development. In order to understand the challenges facing off-grid electricity projects I used recent literature, stakeholder interviews, and on-site observations to create case studies in Nepal and India. Each explores and classifies the methods of electrification to date, the challenges facing each method, …

Step Into Statesboro: Stepping Towards Critical Community Engagement, Danyel Addes, Emily Elizabeth Shannon

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

Not available.

Evaluating Montana's Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Mandi Zanto, Lisa Schmidt, Terry Miller

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

No abstract provided.

Developing Community Partnerships To Promote Breastfeeding On The Flathead Indian Reservation, Amy Stiffarm, Emily Colomeda, Kari Harris

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Breastfeeding on the Flathead Indian Reservation

Amy Stiffarm, cMPH¹, The Breastfeeding Coalition of the Mission Valley², Kari Harris, Ph.D¹, Emily Colomeda, MPH, RN²

¹School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT. ²Lake County Public Health Department, Polson, MT.

Breastfeeding has many known health benefits for the growth and development of infants. It has been shown to reduce the risks for asthma, leukemia, obesity, ear infections, diarrhea, vomiting, lower respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and others. (Office on Women’s Health, 2014) …

Locating The Nez Perce Trail In Carbon County, Montana, Amy M. Miller

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

The Nez Perce National Historic Trail (NPNHT), used by Chief Joseph and “Non-Treaty Nez Perce” during the Nez Perce War of 1877, reaches from Wallowa Lake, Oregon to the Canadian border near Chinook, Montana. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Billings, Montana Field Office, the University of Montana (UM), and the Montana State University-Billings (MSU-B) surveyed a region where the Nez Perce Trail passed through lands that are currently managed by BLM’s Billings Field Office. This presentation will focus on the methods used to locate this section of the NPNHT and the outcomes of the findings. Fieldwork included pedestrian survey …

Assessment Of A Theoretical Zika Intervention In Guatemala Using Smart Goals, Sarah Olafson

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

As of February 2016, the Zika virus is present in over 20 countries in the Western hemisphere, including many countries housing volunteers from the United States. While initially known to cause physical symptoms similar to those of dengue and chikungunya; Zika has also been associated with a significant rise in the number of babies born with microcephaly, other neurological disorders, and has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (Peterson et al., 2016). The association and significant increase of microcephaly in areas where Zika is now endemic demands the attention of health authorities (Martinez-Pulgarin et al., …

Living With Hiv: A Potential Source Of Traumatic Stress In Children And Adolescents, Kaitlyn P. Ahlers

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Children and adolescents who are impacted by HIV are a vulnerable and vastly understudied population. This is one of the first studies to research mental health issues faced by youth with HIV and to explore the link between HIV and mental health in those between the ages of 8 and 19. Norm-referenced measures of psychological issues were collected from a sample of youth, who are infected with HIV and affected by HIV (i.e., have an infected family member). This topic is relevant to those outside of the discipline of psychology because it highlights the impact of chronic illness on the …

Ascts Could Prove To Be A Useful Therapeutic Target For Neuropsychological Disorders, Jill Farnsworth

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Amino acids are pivotal to our health and it’s no surprise that dysregulation of these essential biomolecules are associated with various disorders. We propose that manipulation of a certain amino acid, D-serine, has potential to treat learning and memory disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and schizophrenia. These disorders are associated with aberrant activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and D-serine is important in their regulation. In order to further investigate the potential of D-serine as a therapeutic target, we have developed and patented (US patent 20130065935) a compound that acts to regulate levels of D-serine. This compound could prove to be …

Partnerships To Prevent Childhood Obesity On A Native American Reservation: Study To Enhance Communication With Parents/Guardians And Community Members, Julia Malich, Kari Jo Harris, Blakely Brown, Michael Tryon

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

The national obesity epidemic is disproportionately affecting Native American children. Obesity rates are 31.2% for Native preschoolers, significantly higher than other racial/ethnic groups, especially non-Hispanic White or Asian children, 12.8% of whom are obese.

This presentation will summarize the use of community partnerships as a method for solving the complex problem of childhood obesity on a Native American reservation. The Communities at Play program came to fruition with the partnership of researchers from the University, staff at a Tribal College, Tribal Health Department and community leaders. In an effort to use community collaboration to combat childhood obesity, the CAP project …

Using Koch’S Postulate To Identify The Causative Agent Of Dieback In Malosma Laurina During Historic Drought In California, Adriana J. Borges, Emily R. Pierce, Mariah K. Taylor, Frida J. Morales

Featured Research

Coastal Southern California has a Mediterranean-type climate, meaning that it experiences warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Recently, California has been experiencing an unprecedented drought, possibly as a result of climate change. Malosma laurina is a typically hearty chaparral plant is known for being resistant to drought due to its deep rooting depth, but even it is being negatively affected by drought and is experiencing dieback. Some of this dieback is caused by a Botryospharae fungal infection, which blocks xylem conduits and stops water flow through the plant. With a looming El Niño, this study seeks to understand the …

Competitive Intelligence Super Sleuth Secrets, Carol A. Watson, Suzanne R. Graham

Presentations

Provide tips and tools for strengthening data analyst skills. Includes search strategies for mining social media, and insights into free and subscription- or transaction-based search tools.

Survival Of The Fittest: Conquering A New Environmental Landscape, Sharon Bradley, Zanada T. Joyner, Jason Tubinis

Presentations

Discusses strategies for coping with unforeseen challenges, methods for identifying opportunities in a changing landscape, and how to use your existing skills, teams, and resources to their maximum potential in a changing landscape.

Effect Of Triclosan Concentration On Growth Rate Of Lemna Minor, Lia Boese

Kansas Undergraduate Research Day

The effect of triclosan exposure on growth of Lemna minor (common duckweed) was investigated over a 14 day treatment period with percent population change as the measured result. Triclosan is a common antibacterial compound in personal care products that frequently becomes an aquatic pollutant. Triclosan disrupts the bacterial enyol-acyl carrier protein reductase enzyme (ENR), a critical enzyme in fatty acid synthesis. Survival of all organisms depends on fatty acids to form membranes. As bacteria, some protozoa and plants share the ENR enzyme, it was hypothesized that triclosan exposure would affect the growth rate of the native aquatic plant Lemna minor …