Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Zoroastrian Influence On Early Judaism, Luke J. Jensen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The focus of this project and presentation is examining and describing the influence and appearance of Zoroastrian and Rigvedic traits in neighboring religions, predominantly Judaism. Zoroastrians are currently culturally underrepresented in the historical record, despite their proximity and influence on nearby Abrahamic faiths as well as ancient and classical middle eastern culture. This fact makes them appealing to do research on, procure information on, and spread information about. By reading and analyzing Zoroastrian texts, primarily the Gathas, the Venidad and the Yasht, Orthodox Jewish texts such as The Book of Esther, The Book of Ezekiel, The Book of Ezra, and …

Drive Baby, Drive, Daazhraii Iris Beaty Alexander

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Drive Baby, Drive is a collection of five short stories exploring kindness. Kindness is the greatest thing that can be asked of someone, and in each of these stories the characters attempt to rise to the challenge. From helping a high school basketball rival to creeping blind through a dark cellar in order to help a family escape a monster, these characters actively choose to be kind, even when it has the potential to ruin their lives or even kill them. The bravery behind these actions, and the kind of people that make them, fascinate me, and throughout this collection …

Exploring Environmental Drivers Of Antarctic Krill Reproductive Output, Katie Coates

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba (referred to as "krill" hereafter), are vital to the Antarctic pelagic ecosystem. They serve as primary consumers of phytoplankton, a key food source for apex predators such as blue whales, and play a significant role in carbon sequestration in the Southern Ocean. Additionally, krill are economically important, as they are the target of the largest fishery in the Southern Ocean. However, the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), one of the fastest warming regions in the world, is experiencing substantial changes in its pelagic ecosystem. The impact of this warming on krill population dynamics and reproductive success remains unclear. …

Does Better Firm Performance Imply Better Management And Esg Scores?, Shawn Lisann

Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Prime Theta-Curves From Torus Knots, Sam Nieman, Jack Calcut

Research Symposium

Classical knot theory is the placement problem for a circle in Euclidean 3-space or in the 3-sphere. That problem has been generalized in numerous ways. Knotted graph theory replaces the circle with a graph. Knotting of certain graphs has been well-studied. That includes the theta-graph consisting of two vertices connected by three edges---a copy of the letter theta. A theta-curve is an embedding of the theta-graph in 3-space or in the 3-sphere. Connected sum of knots yields the notion of a prime knot. Similarly, one may sum two theta-curves at a vertex and one may sum a theta-curve and a …

The Tax Adviser, Volume 17, Number 6, June 1986, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Tax Trends, Nicholas J. Fiore

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Thumbtax, Sandra K. Lewis

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Tax Practice Management: Tax Return Calendar And Control System: Keeping Track Of Your Clients’ Returns, Harvey Tabin

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Taxation Of Boot In Reorganizations, Edward J. Schnee, Karen S. Hreha

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Tax Clinic, Richard M. Glennon

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Significant Recent Developments Concerning Estate Planning (Part I), Byrle M. Abbin, David K. Carlson

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Final Regulations Under Sec. 704(B), Bradley G. Hoskins, David R. Bower

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Spatial Distribution Of Native Cushion Plants And Invasive Species Along Waterworks Trail, Missoula, Montana: Implications For Plant Richness And Competition, Audrey J. Gustafson, Meredith Zettlemoyer

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Invasive species can significantly impact the distribution and richness of native plants, resulting in competitive exclusion. This study investigates the spatial variation in species richness of native cushion plants in relation to invasive species along Waterworks Trail in Missoula, Montana. This study assessed how elevation, distance from trail, and upslope (above the gate) vs downslope (below the gate) direction (east vs west) influenced the distribution of both the cushion plants and the invasive species. Species richness of cushion plants was higher on the west side of the trail, particularly at lower elevations. In contrast, the east side exhibited lower richness …

Confidence And Domain: Children’S Trust In People For Factual Information And Moral Decisions, Anastasia L. Wood

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Confidence is a salient factor when determining an individual’s depth and breadth of knowledge. However, confidence alone can be an unreliable predictor of someone’s knowledge, and does not always indicate accuracy. For my project, I will analyze a study investigating whether children prefer to learn from a confident or hesitant individual, and if their preference differs when the information is factual or moral in nature. Participants (N=128) aged 5-8 were recruited through the UM Living Lab, with half assigned to a moral condition and the other half to a factual condition. Participants were presented with stimuli videos portraying …

The Heat Exposure Schedule On Vascular Inflammation Responses To Heat Acclimation, Kenzie Williams, Amanda Alfaro-Chaverri, Mariam Rojas-Ledezma, Alejandro M. Rosales, Ron Michalak

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Understanding thermoregulatory acclimation during work challenges in both females and males remains an active area of environmental physiology research. Myriad body-wide adaptive responses are frequently influenced by a milieu of circulating factors, including blood markers of vascular inflammation. How these markers respond to variations in acute and repeated challenges of exercise+heat may influence heat acclimation outcomes. PURPOSE: To quantify circulating markers of vascular inflammation following either sustained (1x 90 minutes) or intermittent (3x 30 Minutes) exercise+heat exposure protocols. METHODS: Females and males (n=30 each) were randomized to receive a week of low intensity exercise performed during one of two identically …

Describing The Nature Of Head Contacts In Adolescent Female Youth Ice Hockey Players, Bree K. Knutson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The physical nature of ice hockey often results in head contact with players of all ages and the ramifications of repeated head trauma may lead to deficits in social and cognitive skills development, as well as the potential for long-term concerns related to academic, neurological, physical, and mental health. The purpose of this study was to better understand how head contact occurs while playing ice hockey, how frequently head contacts occur, and what player behaviors frequently result in head contact. Adolescent female ice hockey players participating on either the 14 and under (14U) girls team or the 19 and under …

A Look Into The Past: What Historic Field Data Tells Us About Understory Succession Post-Fire, Augustus Lawson, Dalton Brantley, Dean Pearson, Yvette Ortega

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity, long-term records documenting responses to altered fire regimes are essential for understanding and predicting changes in vegetation communities in burned landscapes. Peter Stickney was a renowned ecologist, dedicating his life to studying understory species succession following wildfire. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the MONTU Herbarium, we organized and analyzed Peter Stickney’s 50-year dataset to gain insight into how plant communities respond to disturbance. We added information on various functional characteristics for each species, including growth form (shrub, grass, or forb), native status (invasive vs. native), and conservatism value (c-value, a …

Analyzing Grizzly Bear Movement Patterns: Identifying Females With Newborn Cubs Using Telemetry Data, Mayson E. Whitlock

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) generally den in rugged, remote terrain during winter months. Females give birth to cubs in the den in mid to late winter and emerge in spring with highly vulnerable cubs. Detection of cub presence to date has generally relied on aerial surveys, which are costly and challenging, particularly in denning terrain. An understanding of the presence and survival of grizzly bear cubs after den emergence is thus generally limited. This information gap impedes an accurate assessment of reproductive rates, an understanding of which is particularly important in the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk Recovery Ecosystems, …

The Burial History Of The Eastern Margin Of The Powder River Basin, Wy, As Interpreted From Late Cretaceous Aged Rocks, Emma Braddock

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Economic energy resource development is dependent on the intrinsic understanding of the geologic evolution of a sedimentary basin. This geologic evolution is recorded by changes to the sedimentary rock during burial (i.e. diagenesis) and often can only be identified on a microscopic scale.

This study analyzes diagenetic changes of the Late Cretaceous Turner Sandstone, a major hydrocarbon reservoir in the Powder River Basin, WY, USA. Samples were collected from outcrops along the Black Hills, WY, to be compared with the burial history of the central Powder River Basin. These samples were thin-sectioned and analyzed with a petrographic microscope and a …

The Ingredients Of Magic: Investigating Clinician And Patient Behaviors In Community Aphasia Group, Ryan M. Dolan, Santanna K. Sumauang

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and about 1/3 of strokes result in aphasia. Aphasia is a language disorder that impairs the ability to comprehend or formulate language. One beneficial rehabilitative treatment for aphasia is group therapy. Group therapy for people with aphasia (PWA) has been reported by clinicians and clients as having an aspect of “magic”. This “magic” has been described as a feeling, atmosphere, energy, or a vibe. Although these group characteristics have yet to be fully identified, they are reported to be an essential part of the success of group therapy. …

Mapping Behavior To Lesion Location In Neurolinguistics: History And The Illusive Methodology, Shea Highfill

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

At first glance it seems as though the history of aphasia, a neurological deficit in language, is teaming with thorough, well characterized research using lesions to determine the language centers of the brain. A brain lesion is classified as tissue in the brain that is damaged due to disease or injury. The location of these lesions is a fundamental part of understanding how the structures of the brain affect the way humans think and behave; lesion mapping is the process used by researchers to identify this relationship. Exploring the history of this process reveals an epidemic of poorly described methodologies. …

Abdominal Wall Pain Is Frequently Underdiagnosed Leading To Wasted Healthcare Resources, Bailey Cook

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Myofascial abdominal wall pain (AWP) is a well-recognized presentation of chronic abdominal pain which can be diagnosed solely based on history and a focused physical exam in the out-patient setting. However, current clinical practices rely on diagnostic imaging studies and invasive procedures which can lead to incorrect or delayed diagnosis. We assessed the clinical implications of AWP misdiagnosis and associated healthcare costs in diagnosing AWP in a tertiary care medical practice. In this retrospective single center study, patients undergoing trigger point injections (TPI) for suspected AWP were selected based on the current procedural terminology code 20552. AWP was defined based …

The Role Of Diet And Exercise In Reducing Risk Of Dementia Development In Type Ii Diabetics; A Meta Analysis., Silas W. Acker

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Dementia, particularly vascular dementia, is increasingly recognized as a complication of type II diabetes. The goal of this review is to determine whether a healthy diet and adequate physical activity can effectively manage common comorbidities of diabetes that lead to the development of dementia. This review pulls from a variety of sources examining the shared risk factors between type II diabetes and dementia, and the effectiveness of evidence-based lifestyle modifications focused on prevention.

A comprehensive review of twenty peer-reviewed medical studies, articles, and journals was conducted to investigate the link between Diabetes Mellitus and Dementia. The review aimed to identify …

Life In The Pow, Hope Marie Ensminger

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This ethnography examines the deeper cultural and environmental aspects of skiing, focusing on the dynamic between experienced and new skiers at Lookout Pass, a ski resort found on the border of Idaho and Montana. My core focus that was explored is how skiing fosters a sense of community and environmental stewardship, which transcends material aspects such as equipment and gear. My guiding question for this study is “How do interactions between experienced and newer skiers at Lookout Pass shape their relationship with themselves and their environment?” To carry out this project, I employed participant observation and detailed field notes in …

Exploring An Endemic Species: Flower And Leaf Trait Variation In A Missoula Wildflower, Maxwell Lee Hirrill, Julie Cox

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Studies investigating intraspecific variation in morphological traits within endemic species often determine the geographic range that a species can occupy. We quantified intraspecific variationin floral morphology and leaf traits in anendemic wildflower, Phlox missoulensis, which is only found in the North Hills of the Missoula Valley in Western Montana. We collected floral, leaf, and pistil samples from over 100 Phlox missoulensis individuals across two populations in the Missoula North Hills. We used ImageJ software to measure 7 morphological traits: floral color, floral diameter, petal length and width, corolla tube length, pistil length, leaf length, and specific leaf area. We selected …

How Forest Stand Conditions Influence Whitebark Pine And Clark’S Nutcracker: A Systematic Review, Bryan Mathew Cohen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), a keystone species of high-elevation ecosystems of western North America, is threatened with extinction due to disease (Blister rust), pests (Mountain pine beetle), and climate change. Regeneration of the species depends nearly exclusively on the seed-caching behavior of Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana, Family Corvidae). Because of this, conservation of whitebark ecosystems requires restoring stand structures that favor nutcrackers. Although there are increasing numbers of studies on the relationship between nutcrackers and whitebark pine, findings have not yet been synthesized, limiting knowledge for application to management. I did a systematic literature review to answer the following questions: …

Perceived Loneliness Among Older Adults, Max D. Olson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Older adults experience unique isolation, such as living alone and losing loved ones, which correlates with worse mental health. Few studies have examined how the number of close relationships impacts perceived isolation in older adults. I hypothesize the number of close relationships in an older adult’s life may predict perceived isolation; further, I will assess if depression moderates this relationship. This secondary analysis is based on a study of 153 older adults in the northeastern part of the United States (average age = 67.51, SD = 8.3180). The participants completed a measure of perceived isolation (UCLA Loneliness Scale, ULS-3), a …

Detrital Quartz Provenance Of The Turner Sandstone, Amelia M. Fullwood

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Geology can provide solutions to energy security and climate change issues by promoting informed practices within the fossil fuel industry, supporting efficient extraction strategies that minimize overall environmental impact. Efficient drilling techniques begin with a thorough understanding of the reservoir, which can be characterized through various methods, including provenance analysis to identify the sediment origins and depositional environments. Interpreting sediment provenance is crucial for refining paleogeography and revealing Earth’s past environments, climates, and tectonics.

My research focuses on reconstructing the provenance and paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous Turner Sandstone, a significant hydrocarbon reservoir in the Powder River Basin (PRB), WY. …

Auras Of The Big Sky, Logan O. Colberg

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Spirituality encompasses diverse beliefs and practices that help individuals develop meaning and connection in their lives. As participation in organized religion declines, spiritual practices are growing in popularity. I aim to analyze the core values of spirituality and how they are expressed in the state of Montana.

In order to accomplish this analysis, I am conducting ten interviews with spiritual practitioners across the state. I developed a standardized set of interview questions to ensure consistency across all participants. Interviewees are chosen based on their spiritual practice, location within Montana, and the level of experience they have in their field. Each …