Digital Commons Network^™

Borrowed Wombs: On Uterus Transplants And The “Right To Experience Pregnancy”, Glenn Cohen

University of Chicago Legal Forum

No abstract provided.

Donorsexuality After Dobbs, Mary Anne Case

University of Chicago Legal Forum

For the better part of a century, the United States Supreme Court has issued a series of decisions, “the underlying premise of [which is] that the Constitution protects ‘the right of the individual . . . to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion into . . . the decision whether to bear or beget a child.’”¹ The most controversial line of such decisions, protecting from “unwarranted governmental intrusion” an individual’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy through abortion, ² has been decisively overruled.³ The same conservative justices who have eliminated abortion rights have for the entirety of …

Bringing Up The Bodies, Bennett Capers

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Allow me to begin with a scene from one of my favorite novels of the last twenty years. The novel is Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies, ¹ the second in her award-winning trilogy of historical novels about Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII.²

By the start of Bring Up the Bodies, King Henry VIII has had his first marriage annulled and is now married to Anne Boleyn. Indeed, Anne Boleyn is pregnant, and the king is optimistic about a male heir. But the king already has eyes on Jane Seymour, and when Anne Boleyn miscarries, the king is …

Managing And Monitoring The Menopausal Body, Naomi R. Cahn, Bridget J. Crawford, Emily Gold Waldman

University of Chicago Legal Forum

This Essay explores how menopausal bodies are managed and monitored in contemporary U.S. culture. The focus is on two distinct aspects of that management and monitoring: menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and the burgeoning market for technology-driven menopause products and services. While each of these allegedly improves the menopause experience, a closer investigation reveals a more complex interaction of profit motives and traditional notions of gender identity. The Essay identifies problems with current medical and business practices and suggests a role for law in destigmatizing menopause, ensuring availability and safety of MHT, and enhancing privacy for users of menopause-oriented apps and …

Black Masculinity And The Government, Paul Butler

University of Chicago Legal Forum

No abstract provided.

Abortion Experts, Aziza Ahmed

University of Chicago Legal Forum

No abstract provided.

3d Reconstruction Of Syndactylized Hand In Autodesk Recap Photo With Arduino, Caleb E. Scheideger

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Syndactyly is one of the most common congenital malformations of the hand and is a result of a failed separation of adjacent digits. These digits are common among congenital limb malformations that affect 1 out of 2,000-3,000 people at birth. A reconstructive surgery would be needed to separate the digital skin, reconstruct the web space between fingers, and cover the separated digits with soft tissues. Finding the optimal shape and size for a dorsal flap in the web commissure reconstruction is important to avoid web creep. Conducting a numerical study with known mechanical properties, such as Young’s Modulus of the …

Brave Spaces, Radical Openness, And Youth Loneliness, Riese Munoz, Mariah Thomas, Taylor Curry

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Brave Spaces, Radical Openness, and Youth Loneliness

Global Leadership Initiative

Globally, young adults face potentially isolating social pressures. Today’s youth feel frequent anxieties about fitting in, finding success, and uncertainty of the future, and these anxieties are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Young adults worldwide report feeling more anxious, more depressed, and more lonely. However, deliberate community building, the creation of art and writing as a means of self-exploration, and the creation of spaces designed for acceptance fend off these feelings of loneliness. How might we acknowledge social pressures on young adults and create a brave space to build community …

Adolescent Vaping And Concomitant Tobacco Use, Mathew Pendo, Ammar Khan, Aaron Spiegelman, Pura Rodriguez Mph, Juan Lozano Md, Msc

Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Medical and Graduate Students & Residents Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Partisan State Politics On The Relation Between Sexual Orientation And Suicidal Ideation Among High School Students In The Usa, Robert James, Brian Gross, Henry Wu, Grettel Castro Mph, Georgeta Vaidean M.D., Mph, Phd

Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Medical and Graduate Students & Residents Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The‌ ‌Association‌ ‌Between‌ ‌Race/Ethnicity‌ ‌And‌ ‌Vitamin‌ ‌K‌ ‌Intake‌ ‌Among‌ ‌Adults‌ ‌In‌ ‌The‌ ‌United‌ ‌States‌ ‌In‌ ‌2015-2016‌ ‌, Allison Chin, Allison K. Jacobs, Jorge Mora Md, Mph, Juan Lozano Md, Msc, Noël C. Barengo Md, Mph, Phd

Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Medical and Graduate Students & Residents Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Microfabrication Of Metal “Grass” For Enhanced Heatsink Performance, Cooper Ressel

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

Heatsinks work by dissipating heat to the surrounding air through convection. A limit that they face is the trapping of heat in the layer of air nearest the surface, which greatly lowers performance. Previous studies have investigated various ways of mitigating this effect by disturbing the trapped layer, with one method being the use of passive devices that naturally flap in air flow. This study investigates methods of microfabrication to make arrays of small metal tabs that can be attached to the surface of a heatsink to enhance its thermal performance. Metal 3D printing, laser cutting, die cutting, and wet …

Novel Semiconducting Materials Synthesis And Metallic Flux Crystal Growth, August Schwoebel

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

This investigation is focused on attempts to synthesize novel polyatomic or doped semiconducting materials by employment of p-block metal flux crystal growth. First discovered in 1874, semiconductors remain at the forefront of materials and condensed matter research for their unique magnetic properties and expanding technological applications. Utilizing the metal flux crystal growth technique on approximately 38 devised samples, most reactions yielded previously discovered binary or ternary intermetallic compounds, but further analysis would be required to confirm this conclusion. This paper discusses methods for devising sample mixtures to be placed under vacuum and heated to high temperatures for crystal growth, as …

Simulating Mass Extinctions In An Agent-Based Evolutionary Model, Emily Vastola

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

In the face of an extinction-level event, under what conditions are populations more likely to recover? When recovery happens, how do populations diversify to fill empty ecological niches? These questions in evolutionary biology are especially important in the current age of humanity-driven mass extinction. Our study uses a computational model of evolutionary dynamics to examine these questions. Simulated organisms on a two-dimensional phenotype space reproduce through assortative mating and an extinction event is triggered for a set number of generations halfway through the simulation. This model has been shown to exhibit nonequilibrium phase transition behavior when mutability or death rate …

Supersonic Wind Tunnel Improvement For Advanced Laser-Based Non-Intrusive Diagnostics, Joshua Gary

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

This work presents an approach to the design, and theoretical application, of a new test section for the Missouri S&T Supersonic Wind Tunnel to be used with advanced laserbased non-intrusive diagnostics. Supersonic wind tunnel test sections present multiple challenges. They need to ensure proper flow by avoiding jet-flow interactions and ensuring started conditions; they need to withstand large pressure loads in the case of tunnel unstart; they need to provide easy optical access for advanced diagnostics; they need to be modular and adaptable for different experiments. This work presents detailed analytical and numerical analyses of the mechanical loads. Based on …

Development Of Deep Learning Potentials For Ultra-High Temperature High-Entropy Driven Diborides, Gregory Vatrano

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

In this study, we developed deep learning potentials for ultra-high temperature high entropy driven diborides of MB2 where M is the transition metal made of Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta. The materials are being considered as the heat shield for hypersonic vehicles due to their high thermal conductivity and thermal stability. We used quantum mechanical data as our input for training and validation. Specifically, we use the energy, force and stress data from molecular dynamics simulations at elevated temperatures using quantum mechanics calculations. We used the DeePMD neural network code and varied the hyper-parameters such as cut-off radius, batch size, …

Medical Waste Awareness Day, Lauren Tucker, Wyatt Walters, Savannah Withrow, Kayla Leavell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Healthcare facilities are generators of large amounts of waste, leading to global environmental impacts that negatively impact both human health and natural systems around the world. Medical waste is usually defined quite broadly, encompassing any waste generated by a healthcare facility. Increasing use of single use plastic and single use devices has led to a large uptick in medical waste globally, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, 4.7 billion tons of healthcare waste is produced each year, which is approximately thirty-three pounds per hospital bed per day (Overstreet, 2021). The generation and disposal of this waste leads …

Stories From The Clark Fork: Empowering Community Watershed Advocacy Through A Multi-Media Film Project, Kelsey Stansberry, Caroline Kane, William Smyth, Wyatt Day, Melissa Brand

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The study explores the relational character of human interactions with the Clark Fork watershed in order to better understand the watershed’s contemporary issues, history, and to provide recommendations towards improving human-river interactions. Through a multi-media film project, we highlight the voices of those whose lives have been influenced by the Clark Fork watershed and analyze a collection of writings about the Clark Fork watershed from the past two centuries. Our project is an experiment in ecocentric storytelling (Erten 2008); we aim to support greater local awareness of the Clark Fork’s importance and contribute to community knowledge about opportunities to support …

The Beauty And The Beast: Beauty And Misfortune In Maria De Zayas's Novellas, Clarise Ann Sviatko

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The age-old question of what beauty is has been a common discussion among artists and philosophers for centuries. Maria de Zayas, a 17^th century Spanish novelist mostly known for her novella collections Amorous and Exemplary Novels (1637) and The Disenchantments of Love (1647), which describe violence and deception of beautiful women at the hands of men. In this paper, I will explore Zayas’s motives for all the female heroines being beautiful and how this all relates to the connection between beauty and misfortune that is seen throughout her works as well as many other pieces of literature. By comparing …

Indaziflam Herbicide Application For Invasive Annual Grass Population Control On Montana Prairie, Sonia Theresa Bornemann

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Herbicide is a widely used tool to control populations of invasive annual grass species outcompeting native species. However, because herbicides often have negative side effects on the environment like water supply contamination, it is important to use the least amount of herbicide possible while still killing the target species. Indaziflam is a relatively new herbicide on the market that is already widely used. This study will answer the question of whether the herbicide Indaziflam is still effective at decreasing the amount of annual invasive grasses by 90% when sprayed at lower concentrations than recommended. Invasive annual grasses North African grass( …

The Benefits Of School-Community Partnership In Indigenous Communities, Caitlin Carvalho, Susie Michalek, Tori Horton

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Research has shown that a more effective learning environment is established for students to thrive when there is a collaborative relationship between schools and community members (i.e., administrators, teachers, parents, community representatives). One author defines this type of relationship by saying that, “using k’é as a framework to discuss community and school community partnerships...community is an ongoing system of recognizing and maintaining harmonious relationships that can support the youth through partnerships based on relationships” (Kulago, 73). K’é encapsulates the complexity of relationships and how partnerships can be beneficial towards the members of the community. Kulago also discusses how these relationships …

Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In West Mexico, Emma Zoiss

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Despite attempts at systematic research, we are still missing critical information about pre-Hispanic populations in the Aztatlán region, one of the least studied regions of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. The Aztatlán region is located in West Mexico and extends from Sinola to Jalisco, including regions in Durango, Michoacán, and Zacatecas. This research will focus on those individuals recovered from an archeological site referred to as Tizapán el Alto, located in the highlands of the Lake Chapala Basin. The integration of genetics into our understanding of the past affords a better understanding of the archaeological record, and broader context of the populations of …

"Wilderness And Civilization": What's Your Story?, Wyatt Bridger Day

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Technological and political tactics to promote sustainable ways of living are lacking while human behaviors continue to threaten the ability for Earth’s ecosystems to support humans and nonhumans. It is essential to build a new culture that is ecologically sustainable. This study - one part case study and one part memoir - explores what it takes to shift perspectives. This research locates the methods and characteristics that can be impactful in promoting sustainable attitudes in higher education students. This research helps develop an understanding of and framework for effectively promoting sustainable perspective change within higher education. I observe the Wilderness …

More Than A Mousetrap: Conformational Differences In Fxr Agonism As Seen By Fluorine Nmr, Reece Stephen Lott, Andrew Voss, Michelle Nemetchek, Pilar Castroespantaleon

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), also known as bile acid receptor, is a metabolic nuclear receptor protein that controls gene expression in glucose, amino acid, lipid, and bile acid metabolism. FXR is a transcription factor that alters gene expression upon ligand binding through recruitment of coregulators. It is a primary drug target for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). FXR binds a wide variety of ligands, many of which do not resemble the endogenous bile acids that FXR binds, suggesting that it can be activated by a wide variety of ligand scaffolds. However, the effect ligands have on the …

Investigating Naïve Stem Cell Maintenance With Fbf Mutants In C. Elegans Germline, Deanna E. Cuello

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Stem cells are essential to establish tissue via proliferation and differentiation. We study stem cells of Caenorhabditis elegans germline as a model for development and differentiation. The distal tip cell (DTC) houses the stem cell niche which contains ~200 mitotically dividing cells. As germline stem cells move proximally the cells begin to differentiate while entering meiotic division (Austin and Kimble, 1987). Amongst the stem cells, previous research distinguished two populations, those that are naïve stem cells and others that are committed to differentiation (Cinquin, et. al, 2010).

We study stem cell regulation by two RNA-binding proteins, FBF-1 and FBF-2 that …

Ph Regulator Ae2 Is Important For Brain Development, Celia Elizabeth Keil

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) is a model organism that undergoes many of the same processes for brain development that humans do. Work from our lab finds that pH regulation is important for brain development. The pH regulator, Ae2, is present at the cell membrane where it expels bicarbonate ions in exchange for chloride. Importantly, humans also express ae2 (SLCA4). It is not a well-studied protein, but low levels of SLCA4 are hypothesized to be associated with primary biliary cirrhosis. In other organ systems, the Ae2 exchanger was found to be important for development. Thus, we aimed to determine if …

Understanding Dosage In Speech Sound Disorder Therapy, Pyper Trumble, Megan Andersen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Speech-language pathologists provide speech and language therapy to people who have difficulty communicating their wants, needs, or ideas. Within therapy there are many unknown variables that determine its effectiveness, especially when working with preschool children who have difficulties saying speech sounds. To develop a better understanding of these unknown variables, the current research explored dosage. Dosage is the number of prompts that a clinician gives to a child to say a target sound within one treatment session (Farquharson et al, 2022). Dosage is an under studied element within therapy with potentially large effects on the amount and rate of progress …

Women Of Missoula: Menstruation And Refugees, Bella Spencer, Samantha Boutte, Emmily Valencia, Brooklyn Grubbs, Holly Sudol

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Abstract

Stigmatization, lack of accessible menstrual products, and an overall misconstrued sense of menstruation impact menstruators at a disproportionate rate. When diving into the literature, we found that refugee women not only faced stigmas and a lack of access to menstrual products and education, but also ran into cultural barriers and differing attitudes on menstruation. To address this issue, we formulated the idea of a menstrual drive. Instead of focusing on refugee menstruators as a whole, our focus will be the refugee population in Missoula, MT. We recognize that the stigmatization of menstruation is an ongoing global issue that affects …

The Proud Boys Raging Righteously At The U.S. Capitol On January 6th, 2021: A Hate Group In Action, Daniel Rothbart

International Conference on Hate Studies

Righteous rage constitutes an expression of political power for many hate groups operating currently in the United States, enticing them toward emotionally charged aggression against their adversaries. We offer a case study of one such group—the Proud Boys—in the context of their violent attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Rather than a momentary feeling, their righteous rage is a potent force for forming, defining, and organizing their mission to overpower their adversaries. In particular, their righteous rage is defined by (a) behavioral manifestations, (b) the emotional contagious impact of such manifestations, and (c) the centrality of raging …

Re-Imagining Teacher Education As An Andragogy Of Hope, Ivon Prefontaine

International Conference on Hate Studies

Building on a co-authored book chapter, A Futures Perspective for an Andragogy of Hope, I propose to explore the role teachers can play in opening up hopeful pedagogical spaces for K-12 students. In the chapter, we describe a pedagogic/andragogic creed that includes “I am a teacher full of the spirit of hope, in spite of all that stands to the contrary. I am a teacher who refuses the disillusionment that consumes and immobilizes” (Freire, 2014, p. 94). This echoes my opening words which included the following from the Prayer of St. Francis: “where there is despair [let me sow] hope.” …