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Effective Parameters Controlling Sterol Transfer: A Time‑Resolved Small‑Angle Neutron Scattering Study, Ursula Perez-Salas, Lionel Porcar, Sumit Garg, Manuela A.A. Ayee-Leong, Irena Levitan

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Though cholesterol is the most prevalent and essential sterol in mammalian cellular membranes, its precursors, post-synthesis cholesterol products, as well as its oxidized derivatives play many other important physiological roles. Using a non-invasive in situ technique, time-resolved small angle neutron scattering, we report on the rate of membrane desorption and corresponding activation energy for this process for a series of sterol precursors and post-synthesis cholesterol products that vary from cholesterol by the number and position of double bonds in B ring of cholesterol’s steroid core. In addition, we report on sterols that have oxidation modifications in ring A and ring …

Social Cognitive Theory Constructs That Predict Betel Nut Chewing Among Secondary Students In The Solomon Islands, Lepani Waqatakirewa, Manoj Sharma, Hadi Danawi, Ambrose Roots Gali

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Background: After alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, areca or betel nut is the fourth most commonly abused substance in the world. The prevalence of betel nut use in the Solomon Islands is estimated at 68% in young people. Long-term use can result in detrimental health outcomes such as oral cancers and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine whether the constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT) can predict betel nut use in Year 12 secondary students in the Solomon Islands. Five SCT constructs of expectations (outcome expectations and outcome expectancies), self-efficacy, self-efficacy to overcome barriers, …

A Multidisciplinary Mentoring Approach To Improve The Equity Of Nursing Education For The English Language Learner In An Undergraduate Nursing Program: A Mixed-Method Quality Improvement Project, Laurie Bisila

DNP and Student Works

This quality improvement (QI) project is a multidisciplinary approach to mentoring, matching a doctorate of nurse practice (DNP) student in their final year and a second-semester post-baccalaureate (PBN) nursing English language learner (ELL) student who is enrolled in an accelerated nursing program in a small Midwest private college. This QI project seeks to answer two questions. First, will a DNP mentor who is trained in the principles of cultural Competemility improve the sense of belongingness for the ELL undergraduate nursing student through six weekly mentoring sessions using the 12 domains in Purnell's model as a guideline? Secondly, does training on …

Feasibility Of Using Electronic Health Records For Cascade Monitoring And Cost Estimates In Implementation Science Studies In The Adolescent Trials Network For Hiv/Aids Interventions, Tyra Dark, Kit N. Simpson, Sitaji Gurung, Amy L. Pennar, Marshall Chew, Sylvie Naar

Publications and Research

Background:One of the most difficult areas in the fight against HIV/AIDS is reaching out to youth aged 13 to 24 years. The proportion of youth living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and who are virally undetectable is low, highlighting significant challenges for reaching the Joint United Nations Program on HIV targets.

Objective:This study aimed to assess the feasibility of obtaining key clinical indicators and monitoring treatment, viral suppression, and retention components of the youth HIV treatment cascade in Adolescent Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions clinics using electronic health record (EHR) downloads and to provide baseline characteristics for the study …

22 Faculty Receive Grants To Fund Developmental Projects, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Individual Trophic Niche Specialization In American Beaver (Castor Canadensis), Jimmy Taylor, Robert Francis, Scott Rush, Bronson Strickland, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The American beaver (Castor canadensis) has been described as a choosy generalist at the species/population scale, yet observational studies have shown little variation in diet among individuals. We compared isotopic values of δ¹³C or δ¹⁵N taken from hair of 32 beaver, representing seven colonies in northern Alabama, USA to determine 1) if colonies of beaver show overlap in isotopic niche width as a result of the similar use of food resources and 2) if individual trophic niche specialization occurs within colonies. Total Trophic Niche Width varied across the wetland with the widest being twice …

Identification Of Return-Oriented Programming Attacks Using Risc-V Instruction Trace Data, Daniel F. Koranek, Scott R. Graham, Brett J. Borghetti, Wayne C. Henry

Faculty Publications

An increasing number of embedded systems include dedicated neural hardware. To benefit from this specialized hardware, deep learning techniques to discover malware on embedded systems are needed. This effort evaluated candidate machine learning detection techniques for distinguishing exploited from non-exploited RISC-V program behavior using execution traces. We first developed a dataset of execution traces containing Return Oriented Programming (ROP) exploitation on the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) and then developed several deep learning bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models capable of distinguishing exploited traces from non-exploited traces, each using subsets of features from the execution traces. An objective of this …

Surgical Management Of Vascular Tumors And Malformations Of The Head And Neck In Adults, Rachel A. Giese, Cristina Valero, Jatin P. Shah

School of Medicine Publications

Vascular tumors and malformations present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to many physicians. Because these lesions are rare, few surgeons have enough experience with them other than those practicing in tertiary vascular anomaly treatment centers. Some patients may have been misdiagnosed or mistreated during childhood and present in adult age with either recurrence or with an untreated lesion. Ideally, a multidisciplinary treatment team should be involved to discuss management with the patient including specialists in surgery, interventional radiology, pathology, hematology, genetics, and dermatology. As our understanding of the pathogenesis of these lesions grows, novel therapies are being employed which may …

Perceptions Of Expertise In Disability: Intersectional Considerations For Disclosure, Rachel Jocson

English: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

In this article, I will consider how perceptions of disabled tutees' expertise relate to disclosure through an intersectional lens. Specifically, drawing from reading writing center literature and my own experience to understand how the stigma around disability affects disclosure opportunities for tutees with marginalities considered atypical of disability.

Awareness Of Racial Disparities In Healthcare: An Analysis Of Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions, Liz Bleyer

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

General and systemic racial inequalities, including slavery, mass incarceration, and health disparities, have existed throughout the history of the United States. Recent public health issues, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, have shed light on enduring health disparities, including the disproportionate impact on black communities and other racial minorities. A crucial first step towards a more equitable healthcare system is increasing general awareness of the presence and effects of racial disparities. Previous research has quantified and described the awareness of racial disparities in healthcare practitioners, including medical students and practicing physicians, but little research has been dedicated to understanding the perspectives of …

Development Of A Bio-Inspired Artificial Butterfly Vehicle, Thomas Payne Clark

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Tracking Academic Success And Its Relationship With Student Success Center Usage And Demographics, Samuel D. Johnson

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

الآثار البيئية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية لظاهرة المد الأحمر على مجتمع الصيادين في ولاية السيب - سلطنة عمان, ثرياء بنت سعيد بن سالم العلوي, وعد بن عمر بن مرهون السيابي, أسمهان بنت خميس الجهوري, علي البلوشي

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

شهدت العديد من سواحل العالم في العقود الأخيرة مجموعة من حوادث نفوق الأسماك والكائنات البحرية الأخرى بسبب ظاهرة المد الأحمر، الناتجة عن انتشار الطحالب الضارة. وتعد سواحل سلطنة عمان الممتدة على نحو 3165كم من السواحل التي تكررت عليها هذه الظاهرة.

Effects Of Seasonal Variation Of Abiotic Factors On Edna Detection Of Two Groundwater Crayfish Species, Jared Prine Higgs

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Identifying And Quantifying Invasive Plant Species Within Lewiston And Auburn, Robert Griffin, Jared Pantalony, Quinn Kieselowsky

Community Engaged Research Reports

One of the greatest changes resulting from industrialization includes improved transportation leading to an increasingly interconnected world. From trains, to ships, to aircraft, modern transportation allows one to cross the globe in a single day. However, such changes have not come without consequences, as greenhouse gas emissions contribute to a warmer climate and rising sea levels. Often lost among these headlines is the growing threat of invasive species. Capable of hitching an unwelcome ride on ships, planes, and other transportation means, invasive species can wreak havoc when introduced to a non-native ecosystem (Westphal et al, 2007). Historically, Maine’s low population …

Honors Research Day [Program] April 23, 2022, University Of Northern Iowa

Honors Research Day Programs

No abstract provided.

Development And Preclinical Investigation Of Physically Cross-Linked And Ph-Sensitive Polymeric Gels As Potential Vaginal Contraceptives, Ankit K. Rochani, Vivek Agrahari, Neelima Chandra, Onkar N Singh, Timothy J Mccormick, Gustavo F Doncel, Meredith R Clark, Gagan Kaushal

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

This study explored the development of cross-linked gels to potentially provide a physical barrier to vaginal sperm transport for contraception. Two types of gels were formulated, a physically cross-linked iota-carrageenan (Ci) phenylboronic acid functionalized hydroxylpropylmethyacrylate copolymer (PBA)-based (Ci-PBA) gel, designed to block vaginal sperm transport. The second gel was pH-shifting cross-linked Ci-polyvinyl alcohol-boric acid (Ci-PVA-BA) gel, designed to modulate its properties in forming a viscoelastic, weakly cross-linked transient network (due to Ci gelling properties) on vaginal application (at acidic pH of ~3.5-4.5) to a more elastic, densely cross-linked (due to borate-diol cross-linking) gel network at basic pH of 7-8 of …

Combining Plasma Extracellular Vesicle Let-7b-5p, Mir-184 And Circulating Mir-22-3p Levels For Nsclc Diagnosis And Drug Resistance Prediction, G P Vadla, B Daghat, N Patterson, V Ahmad, G Perez, A Garcia, Y Manjunath, J T Kaifi, G Li, C Y Chabu

Open Access Publications

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) Non-Small Cell Lung (NSCLC) screening is associated with high false-positive rates, leading to unnecessary expensive and invasive follow ups. There is a need for minimally invasive approaches to improve the accuracy of NSCLC diagnosis. In addition, NSCLC patients harboring sensitizing mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR (T790M, L578R) are treated with Osimertinib, a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). However, nearly all patients develop TKI resistance. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Plasma extracellular vesicle (EV) and circulating microRNA (miRNA) have been proposed as biomarkers for cancer screening and to inform treatment decisions. However, the …

Does A Hypertrophying Muscle Fibre Reprogramme Its Metabolism Similar To A Cancer Cell?, Henning Wackerhage, Ivan J. Vechetti, Philipp Baumert, Sebastian Gehlert, Lore Becker, Richard T. Jaspers, Martin Hrabě De Angelis

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

In 1924, Otto Warburg asked “How does the metabolism of a growing tissue differ from that of a non-growing tissue?” Currently, we know that proliferating healthy and cancer cells reprogramme their metabolism. This typically includes increased glucose uptake, glycolytic flux and lactate synthesis. A key function of this reprogramming is to channel glycolytic intermediates and other metabolites into anabolic reactions such as nucleotide-RNA/DNA synthesis, amino acid-protein synthesis and the synthesis of, for example, acetyl and methyl groups for epigenetic modification. In this review, we discuss evidence that a hypertrophying muscle similarly takes up more glucose and reprogrammes its metabolism to …

Pickle Associates With Histone Deacetylase 9 To Mediate Vegetative Phase Change In Arabidopsis, Tieqiang Hu, Darren Manuela, Valerie Hinsch, Mingli Xu

Faculty Publications

• The juvenile-to-adult vegetative phase change in flowering plants is mediated by a decrease in miR156 levels. Downregulation of MIR156A/MIR156C, the two major sources of miR156, is accompanied by a decrease in acetylation of histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) and an increase in trimethylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3) at MIR156A/MIR156C in Arabidopsis.

• Here, we show that histone deacetylase 9 (HDA9) is recruited to MIR156A/MIR156C during the juvenile phase and associates with the CHD3 chromatin remodeler PICKLE (PKL) to erase H3K27ac at MIR156A/MIR156C.

• H2Aub and H3K27me3 become enriched at MIR156A/MIR156C, and the recruitment of Polycomb Repressive Complex …

Comparison Of Themes In Medieval And Modern French Literature, Lily Bourret

WLC/CSPH Symposium

No abstract provided.

Do Wildfire-Mitigation Practices Affect The Conservation Of Sensitive Owls?, Josef D. Pifer

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Fire-mitigation practices are commonly used in fire-adapted forests of the western US to reduce fire hazard and restore historical fire regimes. However, these treatments are being implemented without synthetic knowledge on the extent to which they may adversely affect species of conservation concern due to the possible alteration of critical habitat features they rely on. Although some studies have been done, to date there has not been a synthesis of information or recommendations for a strategic agenda of future research. To accomplish this, I conducted a bibliometric review of articles identified in Web of Science that assessed the effect of …

Non-Structural Carbohydrate Depletion May Increase Vulnerability To Embolism In Drought-Stressed Ponderosa Pine Saplings, Jacob D. Kleimann

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Drought-induced mortality is an increasingly important driver of forest loss across the western U.S. as the severity of drought intensifies under global climate change. Under drought, the water column in the xylem, the tree’s water transport system, encounters increasing tension, potentially leading to embolism and interruption of water transport. Repeated embolism can ultimately lead to hydraulic failure and eventual drought-induced mortality. Studies in poplar have shown that depletion of stored non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), which is common under drought, increases their vulnerability to xylem embolism. However, few studies have mechanistically characterized this relationship in conifer species or in naturally occurring field …

Low Amphibian Larvae Recruitment At Restoration Site In Western Montana: Is Fish Predation Responsible?, Mackenzie E. Weiland

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Amphibian populations around the world are declining at an alarming rate and the decline of western Montana amphibians reflects this trend. As part of the restoration monitoring efforts at Milltown State Park, MT, native amphibian occupancy should be measured. I chose Milltown State Park because it is the largest Superfund site in the U.S. and millions of dollars have been spent on restoration efforts since 2008. However, little is known about amphibian occupancy at the site. Currently, egg masses of the native Columbia spotted frog are found in permanent wetland sites at Milltown State Park, yet larvae detection at these …

Gestating At Altitude: How Do Maternal Physiology And Evolutionary Adaptation Influence Fetal Growth?, Kirksey Cunningham, Kate Wilsterman, Zac A. Cheviron

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Lowland mammals, including humans, experience an increased risk for fetal growth restriction (FGR) at high altitudes. FGR is associated with a range of adverse lifetime risks, including lower infant survival. Maternal physiology, such as cardiopulmonary function and nutrient provisioning, has been hypothesized to play an important role in driving altitude-dependent FGR, but strong associations between specific aspects of maternal physiology and FGR at altitude have been difficult to establish. One approach has been to study populations adapted to altitude; highland populations of humans, sheep, and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) mitigate altitude-induced reductions in fetal growth and may thus offer insight …

Ion Channel Screen Reveals A Role For Serca In Brain Tumor Growth, Hannah Madison Christman

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Ion channels are essential for neural function, playing a variety of necessary cellular roles including excitability, maintaining ion gradients, and volume control. Recently it has emerged that neural precursors, also known as neural stem cell progenitors, may be affected by channelopathies indicating a critical role of ion channels in neural development. Additionally, various cancers are known to increase expression of ion channels to further progression. Using the model system Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) I tested the effect of reduced ion channel expression of several select channel types by utilizing RNAi knockdown technology in a brain tumor model. By reducing ion …

High Condition Male Rhinoceros Beetles Transfer More Nutrients To Females During Mating, Contributing To Female Preference For Body Condition Rather Than Body Or Weapon Size, Morgan H. Radtke

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Males in many insect species transfer nutrients along with sperm in an enclosed package known as a spermatophore. Females utilize these spermatophores to increase their fecundity. However, not all males offer the same size spermatophore. This can drive female preference toward males who are able to provide the largest spermatophores. The largest males typically produce the largest spermatophore sizes, but this is not always the case. Adult insects with rigid exoskeletons may suffer drastic reductions in body condition that are not visible on the outside. In these taxa, females may select males in excellent physiological condition rather than simply choosing …

Wildland Firefighter Off-Season Mental Health, Luke Santore

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Wildland firefighter suicide rates are ten times that of the general population and lower than only a handful of other occupations in the US. Comorbid mental and behavioral health issues are similarly disproportionately common. In this paper I interview fourteen current and former wildland firefighters about their mental health before, during and (when relevant) after their occupational exposure to wildland fire. My intent is to provide a qualitative assessment of commonly reported mental health issues, their causes and possible solutions. Starting with ex-coworkers I utilized snowball sampling to gather interview subjects. I utilized concept-driven coding supported by memo notes. I …

Heart Of Cold: Cold Hardiness Of The Golden Stonefly Nymph, Jack Hanson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The golden stonefly (Hesperoperla pacifica) is an ecologically important aquatic insect native to western North America. These large-bodied predators prey on other insects and support healthy trout populations. Despite their importance, little is known about the cold hardiness or freeze tolerance of golden stonefly nymphs. In winter, stonefly nymphs experience temperatures down to 0 °C, and may experience even colder temperatures as they make contact with ice forming within stream substrates. I carried out a set of experiments to determine the cold tolerance limits of H. pacifica nymphs, and whether they are freeze tolerant or freeze avoidant. Freeze avoidant insects …

Hurricanes And The Shaping Of Circum-Caribbean Societies, Stuart B. Schwartz

Florida Historical Quarterly

Every Puerto Rican knows this plena and can sing its chorus, and on that island where, from July to October, everyone frequently checks the weather reports and looks to the sky, the song seems to describe a generic situation, a way of life, and a common reality. Few people today remember that the song was originally composed to commemorate a particular storm-the great hurricane of San Felipe that diagonally traversed Puerto Rico on September 13, 1928. Hurricanes are no novelty to the islanders, but the fury of that one was memorable. No one who lived through it forgot it. Don …