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September 2021 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Repeated Stimulation Of The Hpa Axis Alters White Blood Cell Count Without Increasing Oxidative Stress Or Inflammatory Cytokines In Fasting Elephant Seal Pups, David C. Ensminger, Daniel E. Crocker, Emily K. Lam, Kaitlin N. Allen, José Pablo Vázquez-Medina

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis controls the release of glucocorticoids, which regulate immune and inflammatory function by modulating cytokines, white blood cells and oxidative stress via glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling. Although the response to HPA activation is well characterized in many species, little is known about the impacts of HPA activation during extreme physiological conditions. Hence, we challenged 18 simultaneously fasting and developing elephant seal pups with daily intramuscular injections of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), a GR antagonist (RU486), or a combination of the two (ACTH+RU486) for 4 days. We collected blood at baseline, 2 h and 4 days after the beginning of …

Reconsidering Big Data Security And Privacy In Cloud And Mobile Cloud Systems, Lo'ai A. Tawalbeh, Gokay Saldamli

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Large scale distributed systems in particular cloud and mobile cloud deployments provide great services improving people's quality of life and organizational efficiency. In order to match the performance needs, cloud computing engages with the perils of peer-to-peer (P2P) computing and brings up the P2P cloud systems as an extension for federated cloud. Having a decentralized architecture built on independent nodes and resources without any specific central control and monitoring, these cloud deployments are able to handle resource provisioning at a very low cost. Hence, we see a vast amount of mobile applications and services that are ready to scale to …

Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Baseline Visual Parameters In Subjects Recruited Into The Rescue And Reverse Nd4-Lhon Gene Therapy Studies, Mark Moster, Robert C Sergott, Nancy J Newman, Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, Valerio Carelli, Molly Scannell Bryan, Gerard Smits, Valérie Biousse, Catherine Vignal-Clermont, Thomas Klopstock, Alfredo A Sadun, Adam A. Debusk, Michele Carbonelli, Rabih Hage, Siegfried Priglinger, Rustum Karanjia, Laure Blouin, Magali Taiel, Barrett Katz, José Alain Sahel

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

OBJECTIVE: This report presents a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline characteristics of subjects with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy enrolled in the gene therapy trials RESCUE and REVERSE, to illustrate the evolution of visual parameters over the first year after vision loss.

METHODS: RESCUE and REVERSE were 2 phase III clinical trials designed to assess the efficacy of rAAV2/2-ND4 gene therapy in ND4-LHON subjects. At enrollment, subjects had vision loss for ≤6 months in RESCUE, and between 6 and 12 months in REVERSE. Functional visual parameters (best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA], contrast sensitivity [CS], and Humphrey Visual Field [HVF]) and structural parameters …

Predicting Long-Term Hepatocellular Carcinoma Response To Transarterial Radioembolization Using Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound: Initial Experiences., Lauren J. Delaney, M. Tantawi, Corinne Wessner, Priscilla Machado, Flemming Forsberg, Andrej Lyshchik, Patrick O'Kane, Ji-Bin Liu, Jesse M. Civan, Alison Tan, Kevin Anton, Colette Shaw, John R. Eisenbrey

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Conventional cross-sectional imaging done shortly after radioembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) does not reliably predict long-term response to treatment. This study evaluated whether quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can predict the long-term response of HCC to yttrium-90 (Y-90) treatment. Fifteen patients underwent CEUS at three time points: immediately following treatment and 1 and 2 wk post-treatment. Response 3-6 mo after treatment was categorized on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging by two experienced radiologists using the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. CEUS data were analyzed by quantifying tumor perfusion and residual fractional vascularity using time-intensity curves. Patients with stable disease on …

Growing Niche Business Through Innovation: A Family Run Open Farm In Ireland, Trudie Murray, Fred Creedon, Aisling Conwaylenihan

Conference Papers

This case study presents an analysis of Leahy’s Open Farm, a family business that has continuously reinvented itself, since its launch in 1996. The open-farm industry in Ireland is a niche that faces many regulatory, organisational and economic challenges. This case study presents an overview of the challenges and potential for this growing market. Challenges include; rising insurance costs (33% increase) and dealing with (50% reduction in revenue in 2020) and recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions. Leahy’s have been able to develop the business by adding new revenue streams, nurturing employee skills, harnessing their competency base and …

Growing Niche Business Through Innovation: A Family Run Open Farm In Ireland, Trudie Murray, Fred Creedon, Aisling Conwaylenihan

Dept. of Management & Enterprise Conference Material

This case study presents an analysis of Leahy’s Open Farm, a family business that has continuously reinvented itself, since its launch in 1996. The open-farm industry in Ireland is a niche that faces many regulatory, organisational and economic challenges. This case study presents an overview of the challenges and potential for this growing market. Challenges include; rising insurance costs (33% increase) and dealing with (50% reduction in revenue in 2020) and recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions. Leahy’s have been able to develop the business by adding new revenue streams, nurturing employee skills, harnessing their competency base and …

Cryptosporidium Spp. Diagnosis And Research In The 21st Century, Jennifer K. O'Leary, Roy D. Sleator, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium has emerged as a leading cause of diarrhoeal illness worldwide, posing a significant threat to young children and immunocompromised patients. While endemic in the vast majority of developing countries, Cryptosporidium also has the potential to cause waterborne epidemics and large scale outbreaks in both developing and developed nations. Anthroponontic and zoonotic transmission routes are well defined, with the ingestion of faecally contaminated food and water supplies a common source of infection. Microscopy, the current diagnostic mainstay, is considered by many to be suboptimal. This has prompted a shift towards alternative diagnostic techniques in the advent of …

Addressing And Inspiring Vaccine Confidence In Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic, Jasmine R Marcelin, Talia H Swartz, Fidelia Bernice, Vladimir Berthaud, Robbie Christian, Christopher Da Costa, Nada Fadul, Michelle Floris-Moore, Matifadza Hlatshwayo, Patrik Johansson, Ravina Kullar, Kimberly Manning, Edo-Abasi U. Mcgee, Christopher Medlin, Damani A Piggott, Uzma Syed, Jessica Snowden, Tina Tan, Jacinda C Abdul-Mutakabbir

PCOM Scholarly Works

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we have witnessed profound health inequities suffered by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). These manifested as differential access to testing early in the pandemic, rates of severe disease and death 2-3 times higher than white Americans, and, now, significantly lower vaccine uptake compared with their share of the population affected by COVID-19. This article explores the impact of these COVID-19 inequities (and the underlying cause, structural racism) on vaccine acceptance in BIPOC populations, ways to establish trustworthiness of healthcare institutions, increase vaccine access for BIPOC communities, and inspire confidence in COVID-19 …

Potential Impact Of Contour Bunds On Diclofenac Removal For Stormwater Control In Rangeland Applications, Braden Alan Whitehead

Master's Theses

Diclofenac (DCF) and other emerging contaminants have been found in environments worldwide. These contaminants may enter the environment due to the application of treated wastewater, biosolids and direct excrement related to veterinary application. Leakage from the soils toward the groundwater is largely controlled by sorption and microbial degradation. Most studies on the environmental fate of DCF have focused on degradation during wastewater treatment processes. However, little is known about their behavior in soil. In this study, the combined effect of adsorption and degradation of diclofenac has been investigated in four (4) 24 ft³ agricultural soil-filled beds designed to mimic …

A Study Of Non-Computing Majors' Growth Mindset, Self-Efficacy And Perceived Cs Relevance In Cs1, Jae Hyuk Yoo

Master's Theses

As the demand for programming skills in today’s job market is rapidly increasing for disciplines outside of computing, CS courses have experienced spikes in enrollment for non-majors. Students in disciplines including art, design and biological sciences are now often required to take introductory CS courses. Previous research has shown the role of growth mindset, self-efficacy and relevance in student success within CS but such metrics are largely unknown for non-majors. In this thesis, we surveyed non-majors in CS1 at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo during the early and late weeks of the quarter to gain insights on their growth mindset, …

Subnational Map Of Poverty Generated From Remote-Sensing Data In Africa: Using Machine Learning Models And Advanced Regression Methods For Poverty Estimation, Lionel N. Hanke

Master's Theses

According to the 2020 poverty estimates from the World Bank, it is estimated that 9.1% - 9.4% of the global population lived on less than $1.90 per day. It is estimated that the Covid-19 pandemic further aggravated the issue by pushing more than 1% of the global population below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day (WorldBank, 2020). To provide help and formulate effective measures, poverty needs to be located as exact as possible. For this purpose, it was investigated whether regression methods with aggregated remote-sensing data could be used to estimate poverty in Africa. Therefore, five distinct regression …

Lost In Time And Lost In Space: Chronotopes In Thomas Pynchon’S Against The Day, Stephen Margavio

Honors Theses

In his 1937 essay “Forms of Time and of the Chronotope in the Novel,” Russian literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin coins the term “chronotope” to discuss the inherently interconnected nature of time and space in narrative constructions. According to Bakhtin, there are a number of specific chronotopes (or space/time configurations) that help to define literary genres. Applying Bakhtin’s concepts to Thomas Pynchon’s novel Against the Day (2006), this thesis examines how the idea of narrative space/time can clarify Pynchon’s use of genre to make socio-political commentary. The first chapter of this thesis focuses on Bakhtin’s “road chronotope,” which is characterized by …

Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In New Hampshire: Prevalence And The Influence Of Microbial Communities On Removal During Wastewater Treatment, Carmela Sarah Antonellis

Master's Theses and Capstones

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) represent a class of 10,000+ emerging contaminants that are widely used in communities for a variety of medical, health, and care applications. Many PPCPs are biologically active compounds, are typically unregulated in drinking water and surface waters, and may be incompletely removed in our municipal wastewater treatment systems. Understanding the sources and fate of PPCPs in the environment is important to protecting ecosystems because some compounds may pose toxicity or result in behavioral impacts to aquatic species. This thesis evaluated the presence and concentration of PPCPs in surface water sample locations in New Hampshire's …

Transformation Induced Plasticity In A High Entropy Alloy, Reusing Powder In Laser Powder Bed Fusion Of Inconel 718, And Geometric Factor In Fracture Toughness Of Nano-Layered Composites, Shubhrodev Bhowmik

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research explores the effects of processing history and compressive strain on a microstructurally flexible high entropy alloy (HEA), Fe42Mn28Co10Cr15Si5 (in at%) – named DP-5Si-HEA. The material was characterized by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and neutron diffraction. The as-rolled material had metastable gamma austenite (γ), stable sigma (σ), and stable epsilon martensite (ε) phases at room temperature. Friction stirrer processing (FSP) at different tool speeds changed the microstructure by decreasing the grain size and varying the phase fractions because of the low stacking fault energy of the chosen HEA. The HEA exhibited peak ultimate tensile strength …

The Presence Of Sea Lice On Steelhead Trout At A Marine Farm In Nh Waters And The Utilization Of Lumpfish As A Biological Delouser, Michael Brian Doherty

Master's Theses and Capstones

Sea lice are copepodid ectoparasites that infect fish, and cost salmonid farmers millions of dollars each year in damaged product and mitigation efforts. Conventional treatments can unintentionally impact the ambient environment and lead to the lice developing resistance to the treatments. In recent years, lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) have been utilized successfully to naturally clean sea lice from infected salmonids in European and Atlantic Canadian farms, however this technology has yet to be used in US farms. In New Hampshire coastal waters, New Hampshire Sea Grant and the University of New Hampshire operate an experimental steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farm, AquaFort. …

Biogeochemical Stressors And Ecological Response In Great Bay Estuary, Nh/Me, Anna Lowien

Master's Theses and Capstones

Estuaries are threatened by eutrophication due to increasing anthropogenic nutrient loading from surrounding coastal watersheds. The Great Bay Estuary, NH/ME, has been designated as nitrogen impaired primarily due to a 44% loss in eelgrass coverage since 1996. Since 2014, wastewater treatment plants in the watershed have begun upgrading to reduce nitrogen loads to Great Bay. This region has also experienced changes in climate, with multiple, consecutive years of low annual precipitation totals. The loss of eelgrass, increased variability in precipitation, and continued anthropogenic land-use influence on the region have biogeochemical consequences for Great Bay. Solute budgets for a portion of …

The Effect Of Wood-Fiber Substrates On Natural Disease Suppression And The Efficacy Of Rootshield®Wp Against Rhizoctonia Solani, Isobel Michaud

Master's Theses and Capstones

As by-products of the forest industry, wood fibers (WFs) are affordable and sustainable raw materials that have risen in popularity in the last decade to help meet the demand for soilless substrates. Wood fibers are high in hemicellulose and cellulose content yet have lower lignin content than Sphagnum peat, coconut coir, and tree bark-based growing medium components. Researchers have demonstrated that wood is more microbially active than peat and that WFs from pine and poplar have significantly greater fungal diversity and abundance than peat and coir, which can have higher bacterial diversity than WFs. However, the effects of WF-associated microbial …

Sediment Transport And The Temporal Stability Of The Seafloor In The Hampton-Seabrook Estuary, Nh: A Numerical Model Study, Katherine Vera Von Krusenstiern

Master's Theses and Capstones

Observations of sediment transport pathways and bathymetric change are often difficult to obtain over spatial and temporal scales needed to maintain economic and ecological viability in dynamic coastal and estuarine environments. As a consequence, numerical models have become a useful tool to examine the sediment transport and evolution of inlets, estuaries, and harbors. In this work, sediment transport at the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary (HSE) in southern New Hampshire is simulated using the Coupled Ocean Atmospheric Waves and Sediment Transport (COAWST) modeling framework to assess bathymetric change over a 5-year period from September 2011 to November 2016. Initial bathymetry and sediment grain …

Green Economics: Assessing The Feasibility Of A New England Green Crab (Carcinus Maenas) Fishery Through Fishermen Perspectives, William L. Walter

All Theses And Dissertations

The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a well-adapted invasive species that has flourished throughout coastal New England. Its arrival has caused numerous negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts, including the decline of the Maine soft shell clam (Mya arenaria) fishery. Increases in north Atlantic sea surface temperatures have simultaneously propelled the proliferation of C. maenas and caused northward shifts in the geographic ranges of commercially relevant species, including the American lobster (Homarus americanus). C. maenas represents an underutilized species that H. americanus and M. arenaria fishers can target to supplement any lost income if …

Optimum Median Filter Based On Crow Optimization Algorithm, Basma Jumaa Saleh, Ahmed Yousif Falih Saedi, Ali Talib Qasim Al-Aqbi, Lamees Abdalhasan Salman

Baghdad Science Journal

A novel median filter based on crow optimization algorithms (OMF) is suggested to reduce the random salt and pepper noise and improve the quality of the RGB-colored and gray images. The fundamental idea of the approach is that first, the crow optimization algorithm detects noise pixels, and that replacing them with an optimum median value depending on a criterion of maximization fitness function. Finally, the standard measure peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity, absolute square error and mean square error have been used to test the performance of suggested filters (original and improved median filter) used to removed noise from …

Laser-Defined Graphene Strain Sensor Directly Fabricated On 3d-Printed Structure, Tyler M. Webb, Twinkle Pandhi, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A direct-write method to fabricate a strain sensor directly on a structure of interest is reported. In this method, a commercial graphene ink is printed as a square patch (6 mm square) on the structure. The patch is dried at 100 °C for 30 min to remove residual solvents but the printed graphene remains in an insulative state. By scanning a focused laser (830 nm, 100 mW), the graphene becomes electrically conductive and exhibits a piezoresistive effect and a low temperature coefficient of resistance of −0.0006 °C⁻¹. Using this approach, the laser defines a strain sensor pattern on …

Light & Faith: September 2021, Taylor University

Light & Faith

No abstract provided.

Interpreting Covid-19 Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents In The Us: The Changing Role Of Facility Quality Over Time, Debasree Das Gupta, Uma Kelekar, Sidney C. Turner, Anupam A. Sule, Taya G. Jerman

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

A report published last year by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) highlighted that COVID-19 case counts are more likely to be high in lower quality nursing homes than in higher quality ones. Since then, multiple studies have examined this association with a handful also exploring the role of facility quality in explaining resident deaths from the virus. Despite this wide interest, no previous study has investigated how the relation between quality and COVID-19 mortality among nursing home residents may have changed, if at all, over the progression of the pandemic. This understanding is indeed lacking given that …

Fors 340.00: Forest Products And Wood Science, Edwin J. Burke

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

2021-2022 Impact Series - Hispanic Heritage Awareness Student Study Guide, Sabine Dantus

Impact Series Study Guides

Hispanic Heritage Awareness Impact Series Study Guide: Celebrating the culture, history, and achievements of Americans with Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

Vol. 25, No. 1: Masthead, Water Law Review

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Vol. 25, No. 1: Full Issue, Water Law Review

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Beyond Mccarran: Managing Water Rights On Western Military Installations, Gregor A. Macgregor

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Solving The Puzzle: The Water Court Structure And Process Of Water Administration In New Mexico, Manuel I. Arrieta

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.