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Are Robots Animate Or Inanimate? Children's Pronoun Use Provides Insight To Categorization Challenge, Stephen F. Cooke

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Are robots animate or inanimate?

Children’s pronoun use provides insight into categorization challenge

Stephen Cooke & Rachel L. Severson

University of Montana

Children attribute an array of animate characteristics to robots (e.g., emotions, mental states, sociality, and moral standing), yet at the same time understand them as inanimates (e.g., non-biological). However, much of the existing research has relied upon explicit measures (children’s self-report), rather than implicit or behavioral measures. Given that children attribute a unique constellation of animate and inanimate characteristics to robot (new ontological category hypothesis), it is critical to evaluate children’s conceptions of robots using converging measures (implicit …

Spatial Patterns Of Winter Roadside Gray Wolf Sightability In Yellowstone National Park, Jeremy Sunderraj

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Imperfect detection is ubiquitous among wildlife research and can affect research conclusions and management. Accordingly, detection probability is often included in observation-based models. Here, we leveraged long-term research of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Yellowstone National Park to evaluate how the probability of sighting radio-collared wolf packs from ground-based locations was affected by the characteristics of each spatial location (i.e., distance from the road and viewability [a combination of landscape “openness” and whether visible from a viewshed created from the road and nearby observation points]). To do so, we used 2,681 unique, daily observations of 17 wolf packs collected …

Scraping Away At The Past: Extracting Ancient Dna From Stone Tools, Mckenzie L. Morgan

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This research project seeks to explain the use of lithics found at the Bridge River site in British Columbia through the extraction and analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) found on the surface of stone tools. The methods used for extraction were nondestructive. Using sonication to release the trapped aDNA from microcracks on the tool’s surface, and the amplification of mitochondrial DNA regions Cytochrome B and 16S in order to determine what species the tools were used to process. The findings of this project have the potential to further refine the extraction process for ancient DNA present on lithic material, as …

Social Learning Of Male Dominance Relationships In Degus, Alec B. Dalton, Kinsey Webb

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The goal of this study was to study social learning in an animal model. Social learning is essential for survival across most animal species, and an animal model of social learning would provide a tool for understanding the brain functions that support these behaviors. Social learning was evaluated using a paradigm known as the “tube test” (Lindzey et al. 1961) which measures dominance relationships based on whether a degu advances or retreats when they encounter one-another in a tube, as well as the amount of time this interaction takes to proceed. While previous studies have examined dominance relationships using this …

2018 Establishing Groundwater Nitrate / Nitrite Levels In Hamilton, Montana & Local Areamarch, Dillon L. Lewis, James Baggett, Aldo Rodriguez, Kendra Norton, Broc Perkins, Donald Jordan, Kathleen Cox, Gavin Nuttall, Thomas Dowdy

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

We propose to collect emergent groundwater around Hamilton, using standardized collection methods that include quality and control samples with analysis performed at a certified drinking water testing laboratory (Energy Labs). Nitrate background in natural groundwater systems should contain less that's 1 mg/L nitrates (U.S. Geological Survey) but in our aquifer, nitrates/nitrites should be less than 0.25 mg/L based on previous sampling.

We will map the locations of the samples and use local hydrology data to help determine the source and flow direction of the groundwater. Routine testing and reporting of groundwater quality in our community will help protect our health …

Development Of A Novel Vaccine To Specifically Treat Autoimmune Diseases, Maya K. Dahlgren

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Development of a Novel Vaccine to Specifically Treat Autoimmune Diseases

Maya Dahlgren, Fanny Astruc-Diaz, Celine Beamer, Shelby Cole, Joanna Kreitinger, and David Shepherd

Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the amount of people with autoimmune diseases, leading to frequent morbidity and mortality. Immune-mediated diseases, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and many others, involve dis-regulation of the immune system, which causes inappropriate attacking of self tissue and organs. Current treatments for these disorders are inadequate and cause many adverse effects, creating a need for a better therapy that can better target and regulate the immune …

The Retreat Area: A Special Place To Be Alone, Kelly Chadbourne

University of Montana Journal of Early Childhood Scholarship and Innovative Practice

No abstract provided.

Umcur 2018 Program Pdf

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The original program includes the general schedule as well as individual poster and presentation schedules and abstracts.

Uncovering The Rules Of Language: What The Case Of The Word 'Glimpse' Can Teach Us, Jessica Holtz

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Humans are able to naturally produce grammatical sentences they’ve never heard before in their native languages and have others understand what they mean, an amazing feat for a process which we go through daily without much effort. Languages are rule-governed and systematic in ways that are sometimes not so transparent. These rules are what create the structure within a language, making it learnable and usable. By studying these rules and systems we can better understand how the human brain processes and produces language (Pinker, 2007). One way in which we classify verbs in order to better understand them is to …

The Effect Of Female Priming On Male Betta Splendens, Susan Greene

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Male betta fish are naturally aggressive to attract a mate and defend a territory. This makes them a good model for studying aggression and choice behavior. This study looked at male Betta splendens aggressive nature when impacted by priming with a female and exposure to the SSRI drug Fluoxetine. Males in the study received a prime before each choice trial, and the latency for each choice was measured and analyzed. We found no significant differences for preference for a mirror versus a non-mirror trail, or latency for choice for the mirror. However, a significant effect was found for fighting data, …

Do Children Always Trust Confident Individuals? Not When It Comes To Moral Deliberations., Shailee R. Woodard, Rachel L. Severson

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Children and adults alike often interpret confident individuals as more credible sources when learning new information. However, confidence is not always interpreted as a sign of credibility. For example, children of about 5 years of age prefer a hesitant-accurate individual over a confident-inaccurate one (Brosseau-Liard, Cassels, & Birch, 2014). Previous research has shown that confident individuals are generally perceived as credible when the issue at hand is factual in nature. For example, one may trust a confident individual over a hesitant individual when they are providing differing information about salmon spawning patterns. However, it is an open question whether the …

Assessing The Impacts Of Increasing Wolf And Grizzly Bear Populations On The Habitat Selection And Foraging Patterns Of Cougars: A Multi-Organizational Collaborative Project In The Southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Sgye), Jennifer A. Feltner

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Across North America and Europe, efforts are underway to restore and conserve populations of top carnivores such as wolves and grizzly bears. These recovering large carnivore populations are reviving long absent competitive interactions amongst species of the same guild, resulting in behavioral shifts by subordinates that can have population and community-level consequences. Despite an impressive body of work on community dynamics following large carnivore recovery, few studies have explored intraguild competition in depth, and much work still needs to be done to understand the dynamics of competitive interactions between large carnivores and their importance to conservation. Following the reintroduction of …

Of Ruptures And Raptures: Locating Ideology With Lidar Imagery, William D. Schroeder Ms, Rpa

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Archaeological praxis necessarily requires at least one object (an artifact; a piece of technology or something that functions as an object) to articulate and explain ideologies from the past. The problem is that the object of ideological desire is abstract and difficult to locate in the archaeological record in reified form. Historical Archaeologist Mark P. Leone attempted to locate such an object several times while conducting archaeological investigations into historical Mormonism, Mormon historical ecology, and technologies employed by Mormons in the arid American West. It is posited here that the object of Mormon ideological desire in the archaeological record within …

Utterly Silent And Utterly Still, Jed Luther

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Montana Kaimin, April 11, 2018, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montana Kaimin, April 4, 2018, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montanan, Spring 2018, University Of Montana--Missoula

Montanan Magazine, 1969-2024

This is the magazine of the University of Montana with news about the University for UM alumni as well as current faculty, students, staff, and administrators. This is volume 35, number 2.

United States Citrus Science Council V. United States Department Of Agriculture, Stephanie George

Public Land & Resources Law Review

As our world becomes increasingly more dependent on global trade, issues have arisen with respect to the harm caused to domestic producers. In U.S. Citrus Science Council v. USDA, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California clarified domestic lemon producers’ standing to challenge agency decisions that result in the importation of foreign crops. This decision could create similar pathways for future challenges to the importation of other commodities into the United States.

Montana Kaimin, March 14, 2018, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Meeting Minutes For Fy19 Final Budgeting, University Of Montana--Missoula. Associated Students

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

The meeting minutes from the FY19 final budgeting meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) on March 3 and 4, 2018.

Montana Kaimin, February 21, 2018, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Documents From The February 14, 2017 Meeting Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana, University Of Montana--Missoula. Associated Students

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

The minutes and agenda of the February 14, 2018 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM). The following resolutions were discussed:

SB32-17/18 Resolution Regarding Changing Section 20 of the ASUM Bylaws

SB33-17/18 Resolution Regarding University Fundraising Priorities Committee

Development’S Victim Or Its Beneficiary?: The Impact Of Oil And Gas Development On The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, Raymond Cross

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Federal Trust Duty In An Age Of Indian Self-Determination: An Epitaph For A Dying Doctrine?, Raymond Cross

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.

Tribes As Rich Nations, Raymond Cross

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.

Future Global Productivity Will Be Affected By Plant Trait Response To Climate, Nima Madani, John S. Kimball, Ashley P. Ballantyne, David L.R. Affleck, Peter M. Van Bodegom, Peter B. Reich, Jens Kattge, Anna Sala, Mona Nazeri, Matthew O. Jones, Maosheng Zhao, Steven W. Running

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

Plant traits are both responsive to local climate and strong predictors of primary productivity. We hypothesized that future climate change might promote a shift in global plant traits resulting in changes in Gross Primary Productivity (GPP). We characterized the relationship between key plant traits, namely Specific Leaf Area (SLA), height, and seed mass, and local climate and primary productivity. We found that by 2070, tropical and arid ecosystems will be more suitable for plants with relatively lower canopy height, SLA and seed mass, while far northern latitudes will favor woody and taller plants than at present. Using a network of …

Crwr 412.01: Advanced Creative Writing - Nonfiction, Judy Blunt

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Wgss 379.01: Gender And Sexuality In Twentieth Century English Fiction, Ruth Vanita

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Biom 435.01: Virology, Brent J. Ryckman

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

M 132.01: Number And Operations For K-8 School Teachers, Frederick Peck

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.