Chronic respiratory disease remains a leading cause of death around the world, and recent events have only increased respiratory disease concerns. As such, there is a growing need for effective therapeutics to combat these and other chronic diseases. While the discovery and design of new pharmaceuticals can be a lengthy process there is an abundance of FDA approved drugs that can be repurposed for use in other than their originally intended uses. For example, the use of anti-depressants has been proposed as a potential therapy for COVID after a study showed that patients regularly taking anti-depressants had fewer COVID-caused hospitalizations and deaths. If the prescribed use of anti-depressants has the potential to lessen the impact of a respiratory disease such as COVID, we propose they can reduce the progression of other respiratory diseases such as the pervasive occupational-disease silicosis. Silicosis is a progressive lung disease marked by tissue scaring in the gas-air exchange regions of the lungs and currently there is no cure or effective therapy. While silicosis cases had been on the decline through efforts to change workplace conditions, there has been a troubling increase in atypical silicosis cases that result from brief, but highly concentrated amounts of crystalline silica being inhaled at the workplace. Occupations such as artificial stone countertop fabrication and sandblasting denim have seen an increase in silicosis cases. Because the progression of silicosis and other respiratory disease depends largely on unresolved inflammation, understanding the mechanisms of inflammation could provide a way to provide effective therapeutics. I propose that by using a variety of drugs classified as FIASMAs, the inflammation caused by silica in lung macrophages will be prevented. Macrophages have been demonstrated to the central regulatory cell in silicosis. Macrophages were pre-treated with the FIASMAs before they were exposed to crystalline silica and the resulting inflammation was significantly less when compared to the untreated cells (Fluvoxamine and Prozac decreased inflammation 86% and 71% respectively). To understand how these drugs can reduce inflammation, the effect of each of the drugs on the function of lysosomes was tested. Lysosomes are organelles responsible for digestion of the silica particles taken up by lung cells and are key to understanding how inflammation persists in lung diseases such as silicosis. Treating cells with FIASMA drugs decreased the function of degradative enzymes within the lysosomes (12% and 69% less than untreated cells), prevented the exit of cholesterol from the lysosomes (decreased by 15% and 24% from untreated cells), and prevented the permeability of the lysosomes caused by the silica particles (36% and 56% less than silica-caused permeability) by Fluvoxamine and Prozac, respectively. These results demonstrate that FIASMA drugs prevent silica particle caused inflammation in a macrophage cell model by reducing damage to the lysosomes, likely through the increased cholesterol in the lysosomes. The reduction of inflammation seen here suggests that FIASMA drugs should be further studied in respiratory disease models as potential therapeutic options to combat current and future human health crises.

This National Institute of Health (NIH) funded study is conducted through a collaboration between All Nations Health Center, an Urban Indian Health Center in Missoula, MT, and the University of Montana (UM) School of Public and Community Health Sciences. The purpose of this ongoing research project is to Identify causes of COVID-19 vaccine confidence and hesitancy among American Indian and rural adults in Montana.

Although COVID-19 vaccines became available a little over one year ago, vaccine hesitancy is still a main contributor to low vaccine uptake in Montana and the surround regions. This study is unique because most studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy have only been completed in larger cities in the US, such as Seattle or Denver. No other studies as of yet have been conducted on this topic in rural Montana.

This study is a mixed method, community-based participatory study. This presentation is based on the qualitative element of the project. Initially, the qualitative research team comprised of University of Montana researchers and graduate students from the Center for Population Health research leveraged community member voices to develop a semi-structured interview tool to address the main aim. Development of the study interview tool was an iterative, and collaborative process that included feedback from the study team and community members in rural and Tribal areas. Community stakeholders assisted researchers in recruiting 20 rural and 20 Indigenous participants for key informant interviews lasting one hour. Participants consisted of 10 vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated individuals and were either living in a rural area in Montana and/or self-identified as American Indian. Participants were asked about their thoughts surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic, the vaccines, and their confidence and/or concerns about the vaccines.

Analysis began with weekly team evaluation of field notes and overviews of main themes from each interview. Analytic memos were created to document the analysis process. Both deductive and inductive approaches were utilized to analyze the data. Researchers used NVivo Qualitative Data Analysis Software in the analytic process. Data analysis is not finalized, but preliminary results indicate that the political and social pressures surrounding the vaccine are an important factor in vaccine hesitancy and decision making. Participants expressed concern regarding the possible long term health consequences due to the expedited roll out and FDA approvals as well as being unsure of the vaccine ingredients, potential adverse effects in specific populations such as pregnant women, babies, and older adults. Feedback from American Indian community member participants identified feelings of approval about the way their community leaders responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and also noted positive relationships with their primary care providers and the Tribal health system as main motivators for receiving the vaccine.

The human microbiome is an incredibly diverse and highly variable pseudo-organ responsible for vitamin synthesis, nutrient processing, and immune development, making microbial commensals essential for human health. Modern gut microbiome studies are hindered by a myriad of cultural and environmental factors affecting their composition, including agricultural practices, medication, dietary preference, and food processing techniques that have influenced every population on the planet. Analysis of paleofecal deposits recovered from archaeological sites provide temporal insight into the evolutionary history of the gut microbiome unimpeded by modern cultural practices. Research utilizing paleofeces elucidates modern cultural practices contribution to the rising frequency of many human health conditions (metabolic disorders, autoimmune disease, autism, and mental health) connected to the gut microbiome. Additionally, analysis of ancient human microbiomes allows for identification of species undiscovered through modern microbial analyses which could aide in the resolution of phylogenetic relationships and help to identify key genes with functional benefits.

While studies utilizing coprolites to discern the microbiome of ancient populations already exist, to date the validity of coprolite use in these studies has not been explicitly addressed. A process known as DNA leaching, in which DNA from decomposing remains seeps into the surrounding soil matrix, challenges the assumption that the microbial data recovered from coprolites is endogenous.

The design of this project addresses the aforementioned assumption by recreating the process that occurs to paleofecal deposits using modern fecal samples. The modern samples permit an accurate assessment of the degree of contamination that occurs in paleofeces because a portion is collected immediately thereby preserving a snapshot of the microbiome of the individual when the deposit was made. It also provides an opportunity to examine the percentage of genomic data lost through the immediate desiccation process. Through the combination of these strategies, I will discern (on a preliminary level) whether the microbial data of paleofeces is endogenous or a result of soil microbial contamination that has occurred through DNA leaching.

Volunteers deposited fecal samples into an isolated rock shelter in the US Southwest. Upon deposition, a portion of the sample was collected immediately using sterilized fecal collection tubes. The remainder of the sample was left to desiccate within the rock shelter for six months. The samples were then recovered along with samples taken from the surrounding soil matrix. Each sample was extracted with four pseudo replicates and prepared for sequencing of the 16s ribosomal gene to identify the microbial composition. The composition of each sample will be compared with the corresponding samples and analyzed using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity based methods to address the following questions: a) Is the composition of the desiccated fecal samples distinct from that of the microbiome of the surrounding soil samples? b) Is the microbial composition of the desiccated samples consistent with the fresh samples? c) How much microbial signature is lost between the fresh samples and the desiccated samples? d) How much contamination from the soil matrix is present in the desiccated fecal samples?

The large mainstem dams constructed along the Missouri River from 1946 to 1966 caused the traumatic displacement of prominent Native populations in North and South Dakota. The lack of regard for human remains and sacred artifacts flooded during this time is an appalling episode in American history. Perceived failures with salvage archaeology methods to recover artifacts and data threatened by the construction of dams motivated Cultural Resource Management practices in the United States. Laws such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 now provide a level of protection for Native American archaeological sites, Traditional Cultural Properties, burials, cultural resources, and other sacred items not available during the primary dam-building era following the Flood Control Act of 1944. The tragic outcomes for numerous Missouri River tribal communities helped propel CRM laws that are in effect today. But unfortunately for these tribes, there is little solace in knowing that their suffering helped motivate positive change. Had these CRM laws been in effect sooner, the losses they endured surely would have been averted.

In seismically active areas with infrequent large-magnitude earthquakes, high-quality seismic data is critical for determining regional seismic velocity models. Here, we present the first 1-D crustal seismic velocity model for west-central Montana, constrained by seismic phase arrivals from the 2017 M 5.8 earthquake that occurred near Lincoln, Montana, and hundreds of aftershocks that followed over a three-year period (2017-2020). The 2017 M 5.8 Lincoln earthquake is the only event >M 5.5 to occur in western Montana in over half a century, with the previous being the 1959 M 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake in southwestern Montana. To derive the seismic velocity model, we analyze continuous seismic data recorded by 11 three-component, broadband stations in the University of Montana Seismic Network (UMSN), which we strategically deployed to record the Lincoln aftershock sequence. We also include seismic data from short-period, vertical-component stations in the Montana Regional Seismic Network (MRSN); three temporary three-component, broadband stations deployed by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS); and three three-component, broadband Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) stations. We manually pick P-wave arrival times from several hundred well-recorded earthquakes using the AQMS Jiggle software and then invert these data for velocity structure using the program VELEST. To effectively constrain the structure of the deeper crust and upper mantle of western Montana as a whole, we also derive an updated velocity model for western Montana based on a regional scale dataset that also includes TA data from 2006 to 2010. This final model characterizes the velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle as a function of depth, appropriate to an area in western Montana of about 40,000 km2 (200 km x 200 km). Both the local and regional models improve the accuracy of hypocenter locations and advance understanding of the region’s crustal structure.

Relationships are a necessary part of group formation and cohesion across many animal species and can increase the health and fitness of the individuals involved. How relationships develop over time is relatively unknown. Past research has tracked the process through which strangers meet and establish certain types of relationships. However, there is little known about the patterns or sequences of behavior that indicate the formation of a new relationship. To investigate these social processes, we studied the first interactions of two degus, a highly gregarious rodent native to Chile. Each degu experienced 10 sessions where they were placed in a neutral enclosure with either a familiar or unfamiliar same-sex conspecific and allowed to freely interact for 20 minutes. Each session was manually scored with a list of potential interaction behaviors this species uses (the ethogram). The behaviors in the ethogram were then used to create behavioral dimensions: frequency of interactions, total time spent interacting, variability across sessions, symmetry, and diversity of behaviors used. We found that both the familiar and unfamiliar female dyads interacted more during their first session than subsequent sessions. Additionally, unfamiliar female dyads displayed less variability in subsequent sessions than familiar female dyads. This result is contrary to what we predicted and indicates that the more familiar the members of a dyad are with one another, the more variation in how much their interactions with each other from session to session. Unfamiliar male dyads also displayed more variety in their time spent interacting between sessions than familiar male dyads. This result suggests that when males interact with familiar others, they are more consistent from one interaction to the next than unfamiliar males do. The findings presented support that there are clear markers of relationships and their progression. There seem to be fundamental differences between how different relationships change and are resolved over experience. The behavioral dimensions identified here may have a large impact on how researchers study and understand relationship formation in animals.

Samantha Powers

Forensic Anthropology MA Student

Advisor: Dr. Meradeth Snow

UM Grad Con Abstract

Determining an Alternative Skeletal Feature to be Utilized in Strontium Isotope Analysis When Teeth are Unavailable

Abstract

Strontium is an alkaline earth metal that enters the human body via the consumption of food and water. A minimal level of these molecules integrate into human bone, replacing calcium. The level found in skeletal material directly correlates to the level of strontium found in the fauna and soil of the region an individual resides.

Due to this correlation, strontium isotopes are currently being used in forensic cases to determine the region an individual resided, at or near their time of death. Previous research supports using enamel of the teeth for the most accurate reading of strontium levels. However, teeth are not recovered in many cases or may be too damaged or decayed to provide enough enamel. This research explores alternative locations of the human skeleton to be utilized in these cases. There is currently minimal research that explores this alternative.

The University of Montana houses an individual that such destructive analysis has been approved. Samples of bone from multiple locations will be extracted and sent to a lab at the University of Utah to determine strontium isotope levels. These levels will then be compared to the levels found in the enamel and the known residence around the time of death.

This research will then be applied to future projects that include samples from the Pima County Office of Medical Examiners. They currently house an overwhelming number of individuals that remain unidentified. Most of these individuals perished while crossing the United States Southern border. A predominant factor in these individuals remaining unidentified is not knowing the country or region of origin. The use of strontium isotopes can help direct the search when attempting to locate next of kin. In addition, this research will be helpful in the field of bioarchaeology to determine migration patterns of past populations when complete skeletons are not able to be recovered.

Purpose: Concussions can cause many disturbances and or issues to the body whether it be mental or physical. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to identify how balance can be disturbed during and throughout rehabilitation with people suffering from concussions via center of pressure measurements. Methods: Only one database was used in searching for articles related to this topic, which was PubMed published from 2013 to present. For studies to be eligible they were peer reviewed research on the use of center of pressure to measure differences in balance measurements between concussed and non-concussed. No restrictions for age, ethnicity, language, or gender in this review. Research that included multiple balance measurements either than center of pressure, along with meta-analysis or systematic reviews were excluded. Studies identified and used in this review were screened for inclusion criteria/ eligibility by 1 independent reviewer extracting the data. Measurements were for balance using center of pressure, this means the use of postural sway, root mean square, and velocity of sway in sagittal and frontal planes of motion. With 90 records identified though the search phrase in PubMed, only 7 were included in this review. All studies used center of pressure measurements of postural sway, velocity, and root mean square to measure balance with a control group (non-concussed) and concussed group. Results: Center of pressure displacement (postural sway) in the sagittal and frontal planes of motion showed no definitive differences between the control and concussed groups for sagittal and frontal planes (Control: A/P= 11.4mm, M/L= 9.4mm, Concussed: A/P= 11.1mm, M/L= 8.87mm). Center of pressure postural sway velocity (mm/s) showed an increased velocity in postural sway for the sagittal plane for the concussed group (Controlled: A/P ave.= 10.73mm/s, M/L ave.= 8.8mm/s, Concussed: A/P ave.= 10.74mm/s, M/L ave.= 11.35). Center of pressure root mean square measurements showed an increased RMS for the sagittal plane for the concussed group (Controlled: A/P ave.= 7.8mm, M/L ave.= 6.2mm, Concussed: A/P ave.= 6.73mm, M/L ave.= 7.5mm). This means that the biggest differences notice for all measurement were in the sagittal plane (medial and lateral), but still no significant difference noted. Conclusions: Concussions can cause many impairments to the person both mentally and cognitively. For this review the biggest changes were with the sagittal plane of motion for postural sway velocity and root mean square. The rest was not significant enough to note a big enough difference. Key Words: Concussion, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), center of pressure (COP), balance, root mean square (RMS), and postural sway.

Purpose and Originality

Cyberbullying refers to when an individual or group harasses, mistreats, or mocks an individual or group using an electronic device in a way in which the victim(s) do not feel capable of responding or defending themselves (Whittaker & Kowalski, 2014). Cyberbullying is associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance use, delinquency, and poor academic performance (Zalaquett & Chatters, 2014).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on cyberbullying. This study not only adds to the limited information concerning cyberbullying among college students, but also whether cyberbullying may have been impacted by increased utilization of online learning platforms during the pandemic.

Method

Between March and April 2021, participants (n = 135) were recruited from a mid-sized public university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States using the university’s research recruitment system (SONA). The 47-item survey was administered remotely using Qualtrics – an online survey platform – and included items inspired from previous works including the self-report Participant Role Questionnaire (PRQ; Bushard, 2013), the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ; Olweus, 1996), and the Cyberbullying Experiences Survey (Doane et al., 2013). The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete and asked participants about their age, race/ethnicity, gender, class standing, involvement in student groups, experiences with cyberbullying, perceived rates of cyberbullying since the pandemic, and their personal participation in cyberbullying.

Results and Significance

As expected, the sample endorsed much higher levels of overall online activity since university classes went to an online format in April 2020. However, on average, participants did not believe that changing to online platforms led to a general increase in cyberaggression, did not personally perceive an increase in cyberaggression during this period, nor was there an increase in endorsements of personal involvement in cyberbullying as either the aggressor or victim.

The variable with the strongest relationship to cyberaggressing during the pandemic (since April 2020) was endorsement of being cybervictimized (r =.735, p = r = 0.373, p = n = 36, 28%), “Classmates who are not friends” (n = 32, 25%), and “I don’t know” (n = 27, 21%). In summary, our results suggest that most participants did not view increased online learning as a catalyst for cyberaggression, though participants with personal histories with cyberaggression appeared sensitized to, or further engaged in, the phenomena. Further research should seek to shed light on the actions and perceptions related to cyberbullying in this important subgroup.

Psychotic disorders confer an exceptionally high risk for suicidality. The literature on suicide has identified several risk factors. However, isolated risk factors identify a relatively large group of people at risk. Clinically, they are limited in informing prevention efforts for psychosis that target the complexity of factors underlying risk specific to suicide in this population. A theory-driven approach may advance understanding of the complex processes and mechanisms involved in the development of suicide ideation and behavior given the unique determinants of suicide within psychotic disorders. The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) posits that the desire to die by suicide (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness) and the acquired capability to do so increase suicide risk. Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness demonstrate associations with suicide ideation in psychotic disorders. To our knowledge, the relationship between acquired capability and suicidal behavior has not been assessed in adult samples with psychosis. This relationship is important to examine because appraisals of psychotic experiences and symptoms that produce distress may serve as mechanisms through which acquired capability for suicide may develop. We examined baseline data from an ongoing longitudinal, multi-site study of 200 adults with psychosis (30% schizophrenia; 35% schizoaffective disorder; 33% bipolar disorder I or II with psychotic features; 2% major depressive disorder with psychotic features) to: a) replicate previous findings regarding relationships among thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation in a broader sample; b) expand on previous research by examining the relationship between acquired capability for suicide and history of suicidal behavior; and c) explore relationships among positive and negative symptoms of psychosis and the IPTS constructs. T-test analyses revealed that participants with current suicidal ideation endorsed greater levels of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness than those without recent ideation (p’s < 0.001). Contrary to expectations, a history of suicide attempts was not associated with acquired capability for suicide (p > 0.05). Among the positive/negative symptom clusters, suspiciousness/persecution and emotional withdrawal were associated with higher scores of perceived burdensomeness (suspiciousness/persecution: r = 0.221, p = 0.002; emotional withdrawal: r = 0.185, p = 0.009) and thwarted belongingness (suspiciousness/persecution: r = 0.331, p < 0.01; emotional withdrawal: r = 0.267, p < .01). Overall, the present findings provide further support for maladaptive beliefs as salient processes involved in increased suicide risk in psychosis. Having a better understanding of specific factors underlying heightened risk for suicide behavior may improve the accuracy of suicide risk detection and the efficacy of suicide prevention efforts. The IPTS, in particular, may identify modifiable targets for improving suicide risk assessment and therapeutic targets in treatment for individuals who experience psychosis.

Twenty years ago, a study found that nearly 20% of adolescents in the U.S. experience an episode of clinical depression by the end of high school (Lewinsohn et al., 1993). On the global scale, this number ranges from 8 to 20% (Naicker et al., 2013) and once in college, it does not get better. This year alone, 47.3% of students at the University of Montana reported moderate to serious psychological stress [Kessler 6 Scale] and 38.2% reported feelings of hopeless most or all of the time. We are facing a very significant problem in the area of young adult well-being today. So what can we do about it?

Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life worth living. It is an up-and-rising area of psychology that uses empirical methods to examine constructs like human flourishing, creativity, well-being, engagement, and happiness. A positive education refers to educational systems garnered to teach both the skills of well-being and traditional achievement. Many experiments (prominently in Australia) have measured success rates of integrating positivity into school settings. But recent studies now point to a possible hidden variable at play: one’s state of well-being could also be context dependent, as well as value dependent. Meaning a student’s subjective sense of well-being in the classroom may differ between individual subject disciplines as well as our own cultures and geography. Mathematics is a subject feared by many and enjoyed by fewer. It is viewed as a gatekeeping subject, and often reports high levels of low-engagement, anxiety, and negative emotions across all grade levels. While frameworks for understanding students’ context-dependent mathematical well-being have been proposed in the past, this area in mathematics education is still at its complete infancy. In addition to this, connections between ‘well-being’ from the positive psychologists, student well-being from the educational researchers, and subject-dependent well-being is not yet well understood. Using a known framework for teaching well-being and the latest framework for understanding (domain-specific) mathematical well-being, I propose embedding well-being practices to a subset of the University of Montana’s intro-level mathematics courses. As a first part to this project, a thorough literature review of well-being programs was conducted, and a model for positive, collegiate mathematics education was synthesized. In this process, the questions “Should a positive mathematics education exist?” and “Can a positive mathematics education exist?” were also approached using various theoretical lenses from areas of creativity research, positive psychology, and education. It is our hope that a successful integration of positivity into first-year math classes will allow UM a spot as one of the nation’s first universities attempting to concretely improve student well-being from one of the most unexpected places yet: a college-level math department.

Background: Vitamin D is a hormone produced in the skin upon ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Vitamin D is a crucial regulator of calcium and phosphate levels for bone mineralization and other physiological roles. Vitamin D levels vary globally in human populations due to genetics, geography, and other demographic factors. It is estimated that 20-85 % of the variability in vitamin D levels is driven by genetic variation. To improve our understanding of contributors to vitamin D levels, we conducted a candidate-gene study in partnership with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).

Methods: We recruited 472 CSKT study participants on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Demographic factors included age, BMI, and gender (185 male and 287 female; ≥ 18 years old). Genomic DNA and plasma were isolated from whole blood. We sequenced 14 vitamin D regulatory candidate genes: CASR, CUBN, CYP2R1, CYP3A4,CYP24A1, CYP27B1, DHCR7, GC, RXRA, RXRB, RXRG, SULT2A1, UGT1A4, and VDR. We also measured plasma levels of vitamin D and vitamin D metabolites by liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry (LC/MS), including the clinical marker of vitamin D status, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃]. We tested demographic factors as well as common and rare genetic variants for statistical associations with vitamin D levels using bioinformatics software and R statistical programming language code.

Results: We identified 7,370 total genetic variants with 8% (n = 585) of them being novel. We identified 60 genetic variants that may be of clinical significance (disease associated or predicted to influence medication response). Vitamin D levels were below sufficiency [25(OH)D₃ + 25(OH)D₂ levels < 20 ng/mL] in 56 % of CSKT participants across the year. We observed seasonal vitamin D and metabolite level fluctuations in a seasonal, sinusoidal statistical model with peak concentrations in June – August and trough concentrations in December – February. In linear regression analysis, we found that age, BMI, season, and 5 variants in CUBN and CYP3A4 were significantly associated with 25(OH)D₃ concentration (p-value< 0.05). In logistic regression, we found that 4 variants in CUBN, CYP3A4, and UGT1A4 were associated with 25(OH)D sufficiency status [25(OH)D₃ + 25(OH)D₂ levels of 20 ng/mL] (p-value< 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that genetic variation alone explained ~13% of the variability in 25(OH)D₃ concentration in CSKT participants. Genetic variation and environmental factors together explained ~23 % of the variability in 25(OH)D₃ concentration in CSKT participants. It is likely that genetic variation in additional genes and other environmental factors (e.g., dietary vitamin D intake) that were not included in this study explain the remaining variability in 25(OH)D₃ concentration.

Conclusion: This research addresses the need for increased inclusion of American Indian and Alaska Natives in precision medicine health research. We are the first to describe the contribution of season and genetics to vitamin D levels in an American Indian population. Our next steps will be to use these findings to perform mechanistic studies and develop interventional strategies for the CSKT people.

Objective: With increasing age, older individuals face a higher likelihood of developing dementia. The rate of cognitive decline resulting from dementia is not equivalent for all, as some patients with dementia are able to function independently longer than others, despite having similar disease burden. The cognitive reserve (CR) theory provides one explanation for the differing rate of decline. CR suggests that there are factors — most notably, educational and occupational attainment — that can protect against the cognitive decline that is a hallmark of dementia. Although the beneficial effects of these notable CR factors are clear, they may not be modifiable. Participation in leisure activities may represent a more modifiable factor. Some research hints at beneficial effects of leisure activities, although specific leisure activities have not been examined. The present study sought to examine handicraft art leisure activities (HALAs). HALAs refer to a shared grouping of handicraft (e.g., knitting, sewing, gardening, woodcraft, etc.) and artistic activities (e.g., painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.). HALAs are often included in studies as one of many cognitive leisure activities, speaking to their stimulating, novel, and creative nature. Studies have concluded that when these activities are used as part of a cognitive training program, participation in these activities showed an improvement in cognitive functioning for patients with moderate dementia. However, only in a handful of studies have HALAs been studied independently. The present study examined the relations between handicraft art leisure activities (HALAs) and multiple cognitive domains. We hypothesized that HALA activities would account for statistically significant variance in perceptual reasoning and working memory using a hierarchical regression.

Participants and Methods: Archival WAIS-IV and demographic data for 50 California retirement community residents was examined. A hierarchical regression was used to analyze if HALA participation accounted for statistically significant variance over and above the established CR factors of education, age, depression, and occupation. To construct this statistical model, we entered the age and depression in the first step of the regression, followed by occupational attainment and educational attainment in the second step, and participation in HALAs in the third step. This procedure allowed us to determine if HALAs accounted for significant variance over and above the other CR factors previously identified in the literature. The dependent variables were the WMI and PRI indices of the WAIS-IV assessment.

Results: Results revealed that HALA participation accounted for statistically significant variance in working memory performance over and above the established CR factors of education, age, depression, and occupation.

Conclusions: It is reasonable from these results to suggest that HALA participation among older adults could contribute to the retention of working memory, supporting the role of HALA participation as a CR factor.

Introduction of new antibiotics into the market is important and urgent. Over the past decade there have been few novel antibiotics and cases of antimicrobial resistance infections is expected to increase. Most antibiotics have been developed with structure-based drug design of known target mechanisms, or from natural products. The limit of using natural products is that many are already diverse and complex in structure and have limited synthetic flexibility. Fragments of natural products are more synthetically pliable and can be linked together similar to amino acids in peptide synthesis. An in-slica library of natural product fragment reassembly (NPFR) would provide a diverse selection of new structures that overlap traditional natural product classes. This more diverse library will have a higher hit-rate for potential new antimicrobial drugs unlike traditional market available libraries. A representative selection of 64 in-slica compounds will be synthesized and assayed for antimicrobial activity through minimum inhibitory concentration levels. The activity of the NPFR selection will represent the NPRF library compared with the hit-rate of traditional market available libraries.

Western larch (Larix occidentalis) is an important tree species that is exclusive to the inland northwest region of North America; however, projected climate conditions may have a profound impact on its ability to grow within this region in the future. Predictive models are commonly used by land managers and scientists to evaluate how forests in this region will grow under various conditions and how management activities today will affect these forests in the future. Such models typically assume that a species’ growth attributes are independent of community species composition; however, a growing body of evidence suggests that the mixing of species traits within forest communities can alter how trees grow and develop. Western larch forests are typically composed of various species, not just larch, so uncovering how species-mixing impacts the growth of western larch can aid in elucidating and managing larch’s future outcomes. This research aims to identify and evaluate if and how western larch growth varies across community species composition using a unique long-term forest inventory data set that is distributed across forest lands in Montana and Idaho.

I aim to determine whether community species composition has an impact on western larch basal area increment (BAI), by first developing and validating a statistical model that accounts for variables known to impact larch growth. Variables like tree size, competitive position, stand density, and site productivity are already known to provide important information in describing a tree’s BAI. Second, I will develop and apply quantifiable measures of species-mixing based on physiological and competitive characteristics, such as shade tolerance. Third, I will incorporate these metrics into the model, comparing each metric’s marginal influence on tree growth. Through this framework, and by implementing a novel measure of community species composition, I will determine how western larch’s growth varies across the variety of communities where it is found.

To date, there has not been a study that specifically addresses how western larch grows relative to local community physiological variability, and specifically, shade tolerance has not yet been used to characterize forest tree growth in this region. If community species composition significantly impacts western larch growth, then managers would have access to more accurate depictions of future forest development, better informing how this unique species can be sustainably managed and preserved.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is an issue that has been around for a very long time and needs to be put in the spotlight. When doing this study, we can keep in mind these different fracture types and how they may show up on an individual who was in an IPV situation. Also, since almost all of the samples presented in this study fall under the manner of death, “homicides,” and more specifically, under the category “beaten by an assailant,” we can treat these cases as such, in regards to being possible IPV situations. However, I have to mention that seeing these common fracture types does not always mean that they were in an IPV situation, but it can certainly give us a broader search when trying to solve some of these cases in real life.

The main point of this study is to figure out: What is IPV, and how is it identified on the skeleton? Which trauma markers can we group to correlate the individual to an IPV situation? I expect to find that facial fractures, specifically those of the maxilla and zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC), will highly correlate with IPV situations. My reason for expecting that the ZMC fracture will be the most common is because of the expected place that a person might punch another to the cheek, and with enough force, could fracture the zygomatic or the whole complex. In this study, I would also like to display how the frequencies of these IPV skeletal trauma markers differ in Native American populations instead of other ethnicities/ancestral backgrounds and other demographic categories. I expect to see that more Native American women in the age range of 20-30 years old will have a higher frequency of these IPV skeletal trauma markers than males and those of European descent.

Doing studies that focus on Native American/Indigenous Communities may assist in many other aspects of research. By doing studies like this and trying to fill in those gaps of information where Native Americans are poorly represented, we can bring more attention to these issues and hopefully support more studies involving Natives since they seem to be a significant portion of our population. Also, by seeing where these trauma markers most commonly show up, we could put them into our forensic analysis protocols to possibly rule out whether there was an IPV situation taking place. Especially with the issues revolving around violence against Indigenous women today. I perform this study with a goal to attempt to justify some of these common fracture locations and what to look for so that we could potentially do a similar analysis on the women that we do find that have been missing or murdered and attempt to bring the perpetrators to justice. Finding these trauma patterns could help future possible IPV individuals admitted to the hospital with trauma. Therefore, we could potentially be helping not only the deceased, but also the living.

Lower Extremity Balance as an Indicator of Upper Extremity Injury in Baseball Players: A Systematic Review

Mower L, Ortman I, Murphy S. University of Montana

Purpose: This review will seek to determine if a lack of lower limb balance can be a predisposing factor for elbow injuries in baseball players. Methods: We searched the database Pubmed on October 6th, 2021 using a combination of keywords baseball, "UCL tears", "UCL injur*", "Tommy John", "UCL sprain", "elbow injur*", balance, "lower extremity", "kinetic chain", biomechanics, kinematics and "throwing mechanics". The resulting articles were manually screened for relevance and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Articles were excluded if there were no special tests required, used female participants, or did not assess baseball specifically. Articles were included if the star excursion balance test or lower quarter y-balance test were assessed, participants consisting of baseball players, and elbow injuries. Studies identified by the search strategy were screened according to the inclusion criteria, and two reviewers assessed the data. Data extracted included the comparison of the average reach percentage of the lead leg and average reach percentage of the stance leg. Of the 133 articles identified through the initial database search, 4 studies were included in this review. Two articles assessed the Y-balance test while the other two articles assessed the star excursion balance test. Our observation for this systemic review assessed the overall balance findings from both subgroups. We then assessed the relationship between overall balance and elbow pathologies. This correlation was observed because elbow injuries and Tommy John surgeries are on a steady rise. Data is separated between the lead leg and stance leg in which the percentage of balance between injured and uninjured athletes can be visualized. The studies utilizing the Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test concluded athletes with lower balance percentages had a higher occurrence of elbow injuries. Studies utilizing the star excursion balance test concluded that athletes with higher percentages of balance capabilities were more likely to succumb to elbow pain. Originality: This systematic review demonstrated further understanding of the role of the kinetic chain is needed to find a definitive correlation among baseball players with a decreased level of dynamic balance and the presence of elbow injuries. While findings were contradictory to one another, clinicians can now assume proper throwing techniques, and balance programs should be employed in baseball strengthening programs for athletes to maximize their throwing velocity and decrease the risk of injury. Significance: This research provides a concise summary of the previous research completed that can be more easily used by clinicians. However, further research needs to be done in how we collect the lower extremity balance and its correlation to baseball throwing mechanics.

Skeletal remains provide a variety of information about a species population and the sub populations within that species. The infraorbital foramen has previously been used to understand dietary niches, paleoecology, the nervous system, and the effect of the nervous system on other bone functions in the facial region in humans and other mammals. The infraorbital foramen is also used in medicine, and the precise location of the infraorbital foramen has been studied to aid and guide maxillo-facial procedures and surgeries. The variation of the infraorbital foramen and its surrounding landmarks has been vital in the use of the anesthesia in such procedures. However, North American populations have never been analyzed. In this project, the hypothesis sought to identify variation in the placement and location of the infraorbital foramen in relation to other facial landmarks between modern North American human populations in three ancestral categories: Native American, White, and Black. The variation in the infraorbital foramen were also analyzed in regards to sex. This project took note of previous researchers and developed new identification of eighteen maxillo-facial landmarks in relation to the infraorbital foramen to ascertain an explicit location of the infraorbital foramen in 199 modern human individuals. The study identified slight variation in the distance of the infraorbital foramen and the apex of the nasal aperture between males and females, that is not statistically determinative.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, with 13 million new infections emerging every year, is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. About 10% of these infections persists, progressing to cause cancers. In previous research conducted in Montana, physicians and public health stakeholders identified greater parental/patient informational needs and limited time for vaccine discussions as barriers to HPV vaccination. Non-physician health care personnel, like nurses and medical assistants, could help bridge this gap and serve as vaccine champions. So far, majority of the studies focused on vaccine confidence among providers have primarily focused on physicians. Through this project we collated state-level data on the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of nurses with a long-term goal of optimizing their impact in HPV vaccine promotion in Montana.

Methods: We developed a 70-item survey instrument based on a review of existing literature and surveys, including questions created through the CDC-funded Rapid Cycle Survey Collaborative for Provider Input on Immunization Issues. The survey instrument was pre-tested with a small but diverse group (n=7) of nurses and medical assistants. We administered electronic surveys to a state-wide network of nurses and medical assistants working at facilities that participated in the VFC program between December 2020 to March 2021. We sent two email reminders before closing the survey. Data were analyzed for a final sample of 270 participants.

Results: Overall, 56% of respondents were registered nurses, 24% were medical assistants, and 17% were licensed practical nurses. Among respondents, 53.7% reported having a process at their clinics to identify and contact patients that are due for their immunization visit. More nurses reported experiencing greater parental vaccine refusal or delay among males than females and this finding remained consistent across age groups. Most respondents (92.5%) agreed that it is important to vaccinate adolescents against HPV before they engage in any physical intimacy. About 38.1% of respondents reported that misinformation that parents receive from the internet and social media were major barriers to HPV vaccine uptake. Regarding strategies to improve vaccination rates in Montana, 61.4% nurses and medical assistants identified emphasizing cancer prevention while discussing HPV vaccine as being very effective. Collaborating with schools to offer HPV vaccine onsite to increase uptake was also recommended.

Discussion: This study offers a glimpse into adolescent vaccination practices, perceptions and attitudes among nurses and medical assistants in Montana. Training opportunities on communication strategies can help nurses provide a strong HPV vaccine recommendation. Ways to improve vaccination coverage identified in this study include engaging parents in vaccine education, providing clear and consistent messages on the importance of HPV vaccination for cancer prevention, and investing in school-based immunization programs.

Significance: The HPV vaccine series completion rates in Montana have lagged considerably and is well below the goal 80%. These HPV vaccine uptake rates are problematic because, despite the availability of a vaccine aimed at cancer prevention, adequate protection against HPV-related infections and cancers is not being realized. Through our study, we attempted to explore Montana nurses’ role in cancer prevention so that we can design evidence-based strategies to engage them in providing strong vaccine recommendations to boost HPV vaccine uptake.

At the prehistoric site of Paquimé in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, violence has been linked to the development and maintenance of ritual and social inequality through human sacrifice and performance violence. Across pre-colonial Mexico, human sacrifice coincided with the end or beginning of new seasons, maintenance of hierarchical structures, and offerings to the gods of rain, fertility, and agriculture. Research indicates that preferences for certain demographic variables such as age and sex may have played a significant role in the recruitment of sacrificial victims, and that these were often matched with the deities to whom they were offered. To aid in the understanding of how an individuals’ biological sex may or may not have predisposed them to suffer violence, real-time PCR and high-resolution melting analysis were applied to determine the sex of 49 individuals previously identified as sacrificial and cannibalized victims at Paquimé. Preliminary results provided estimations of sex for 30 of these individuals, characterizing ten of the 14 sacrificed individuals as female (71%) and ten of the 16 cannibalized individuals as male (62%). Ongoing research is focused on performing sex determinations for the remaining 19 individuals, as well as expanding the sample size by further identifying more victims at Paquimé. Results will add to the existing knowledge on the ritual practices and social structure present at Paquimé. Identifying patterns of victim identity may provide insight into how individuals were chosen for practices involving ritual violence, and into the gendered nature of the particular deities involved.

Background: The increase of illnesses that cause cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, will in turn increase the number of people caring for these individuals. Caregivers can experience negative outcomes in multiple aspects of their lives — such as in their physical health, emotional/psychological health, cognitive health, interpersonal relationships, and financial security — as a result of caregiving. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some individuals who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019).Despite caregiver organizations campaigning for awareness of caregiver trauma, little to no research has been conducted regarding the presence of acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among dementia caregivers. The lack of existing research is surprising, as research regarding caregivers has indicated that caregivers often meet criteria for acute stress disorder and PTSD diagnoses according to the DSM-5. For example, witnessing a traumatic event — defined as death, threatened death, or serious injury — is the first criterion for acute stress disorder and PTSD. Caregivers can witness their care recipients experience a serious injury or threatened death throughout the duration of providing care. This is especially apparent for caregivers of patients with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, in which safety is often compromised by the loss of memory and cognition, such as when a patient forgets how to swallow or walk, touches a hot stove, or wanders away and goes missing (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018)Due to witnessing these traumatic events, caregivers can initiate further actions or behaviors that meet diagnostic criteria for acute stress disorder and PTSD, such as unwanted flashbacks, hypervigilance, and difficulty sleeping.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to survey dementia caregivers to gather prevalence rates of those suffering from acute stress disorder or PTSD. We hypothesized that there is an equal or greater prevalence of caregivers experiencing PTSD compared to the general US population, nurses, emergency medical responders, and veterans.

Methods: An online survey containing the PTSD-Civilian Checklist (PCL-C) and questions about the traumatic event were administered to familial dementia caregivers across the United States.

Results: Initial data (n = 23) revealed that 26.1% of caregivers surveyed met criteria for a PTSD diagnosis based on the scoring criteria of the PCL-C.

Conclusions: These preliminary results reveal that almost one out of four dementia caregivers might be experiencing acute stress disorder/PTSD. This prevalence rate is greater than the general US population, nurses, emergency medical responders, and veterans. These findings can greatly benefit dementia caregivers by spreading awareness and helping allocate resources to assist those struggling with acute stress disorder or PTSD. It is possible that caregivers have long suffered from acute stress disorder or PTSD, and that the lack of research in this field has left this distress to remain undetected.

Within the bones, teeth, and other tissues of every person lies a series of elements that can be used to draw inferences about the life of an individual. For example, Carbon can be used to look at when someone might have lived through carbon dating methods, Nitrogen can be used to look at aspects of diet, and variations in Strontium ratios can be used to examine how people have moved and settled in different areas. Combining this information that Strontium can give in addition to other contextual information such as what someone might have been buried with, this special tool in the anthropological toolkit allows for the examination of not only how people have moved and migrated in the past, but what society might have looked like in terms of social stratification (status differences) as well. This study in particular focuses on these “strontium signatures” in the skeletal remains of subadults (infants to late adolescence/early adulthood) from the archaeological site of Convento in modern day Mexico.

Convento dates back to AD 700-1200 and compared to other later sites, much less is known about the people who occupied the site in general. While the adult populations from this archaeological site have been studied more extensively in recent years, there is still much to be learned from the subadults in particular and how their lives mirrored the adults they were found among. In order to gain a better understanding of the subadults found at this site and accomplish these comparisons to the adults, samples of the bones and teeth of some of the subadults were taken to be tested for their Strontium ratios and compared to bone and tooth samples of adults from Convento, and from a later, better understood site called Paquime.

Following the completion of this research, the information collected during this investigation will be published for others to utilize and reference for their own studies and investigations so that future migration studies may be conducted with subadults in mind. This information will also be offered to the Mexican government in the hopes that it can be utilized as an educational tool for visitors to the site and others involved in the development of the archaeological site in Northwest Mexico.

The Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie) make up for one-fifth of the freshwater surface area on the Earth (NOAA, 2021). Displacements of the Earth’s surface are caused by quasi-static loads at or near the surface, including surface water, soil moisture and groundwater, and can be predicted by evaluating a convolution integral over the loaded region. In this study, we aim to infer changes in groundwater storage in the Great Lakes region of the central U.S. at sub-monthly time scales. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data from the Network of the Americas (NOTA; previously known as PBO) are used to estimate 3-D displacements of Earth’s surface (east, north, up) caused by surface loading. GNSS position series represent the superposition of many different signals, from which the groundwater loading signal must be isolated. We therefore model and remove predicted deformation due to soil moisture loading (NLDAS model), snow loading (SNODAS model), atmospheric-pressure loading (ECMWF model), non-tidal oceanic loading (MPIOM model), background global mass load changes outside of the Great Lakes region (GRACE model), and lake loading (NOAA model) from the GNSS position series. Predictions are computed using a Python-based toolkit called LoadDef to model the elastic deformation of the Earth caused by surface loading. Residual displacements between the observed GNSS measurements and the predicted surface deformation from LoadDef are assessed in the context of unmodeled or mismodeled loading sources, and other uncertainties in the GNSS analysis and loading predictions. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) reduction for vertical displacement ranges between -20 to 40 percent, suggesting that the “known” loading models cannot account for most of the scatter in the GNSS time series and that the residual series can be analyzed for signatures of groundwater deformation. Principal component one (PC1) from a principal component analysis (PCA) of 67 GPS stations accounts for 23.24% of the variability in the vertical residual displacements. We hypothesize that PC1 represents the groundwater fluctuations in the Great Lakes region.

Purpose: The goal of the research was to determine if Jump Height (JH) and Landing Impact (LI) were significantly different between countermovement jump (CMJ), drop vertical jump (DVJ), and approach jump (AJ).

Methods: For this study, collegiate female volleyball athletes (n = 16, 19 ± 1 years old, range of 18-22 years old, 1.76 ± 0.17 m, 75.5 ± 8.2 kg, 8 ± 2 years of organized volleyball experience) were asked to perform a drop vertical jump DVJ, CMJ, and approach AJ while wearing an inertial measurement unit (VERT Inc.) to capture JH and LI. No player position (outside hitters n=6, middle blockers n=5, liberos =3, setters =2) were excluded. JH was calculated within VERT software, while LI was recorded as the peak accelerations at or following the timestamp of the paired JH. All jumping tasks were counterbalanced by randomizing order and completed in a single session. Two one-way repeated measure ANOVAs (α = 0.05) were used to identify differences between DVJ, CMJ, and AJ, for JH and LI, with additional insights from percent difference and effect size calculations. JH and LI were significantly different (p ≤ 0.005) between all conditions, except LI between DVJ and CMJ (p = 0.918). Large effect sizes were noted for JH and LI between sport-specific (AJ) and functional (CMJ and DVJ) jumping tasks. The three-step approach resulted in greater LI, as well as a larger effect size and 16-28% greater JH.

Originality: Jump landing mechanics (e.g., rapid decelerations, quick counter-movements, and shifts in center of mass) occur frequently in a wide variety of these sports and have been associated with lower extremity injuries. Volleyball in particular, whether in training or competition, requires a large number of jumps (e.g. spike, block, set, and serve) and subsequent landings. These jumps result in neuromuscular fatigue of the lower extremities. As exhaustion sets in from repetitive jumping, performance and injury risk begin to form an inverse relationship, with performance decreasing and injury risk increasing. These insufficiencies can be analyzed through the use of either force plates, inertial measurement units, or three dimensional motion capture. In the case of this research, VERT sensors were chosen.

Significance: Quantifying the differences in performance and the external load presented by these jumping tasks may be valuable in athlete monitoring, particularly in injury prevention and athlete readiness. Monitoring these factors, given the dynamic nature of volleyball, can present difficulties in the sport, whether in practice or in a game situation. The application of VERT sensors in volleyball and other court sports presents a new ability to continue this quantification and to analyze athletes both in practice and in a game situation. The use of these wearable sensors could be applied in practice or training where other more traditional measures could not be. The real-time feedback with this technology can allow coaches and support staff to make rapid decisions in the players best interest or in a training situation, to adjust the workload accordingly.

The fire lookouts of Glacier National Park represent a valuable reference point for understanding the ways in which humans shape and are shaped by the physical world we inhabit. The construction and use of these lookouts raises key questions in environmental history. Asking why these structures were originally built and tracing their presence to the present day, considering which are still standing and which have been actively or passively destroyed provides insight into human definitions of nature and wilderness.

Connecting this history to more specific issues of wildfire management, conservation and preservation, policy decisions, and historical as well as cultural resource management provides a compelling narrative of how humans see themselves in the world we inhabit. Studying the changes over time regarding the presence and use of fire lookouts in Glacier National Park provides an opportunity to recognize short and long-term consequences to policy decisions, all of which having transformative impacts on land set aside for projection through active management.

Studying these lookouts as living representations of the long-term consequences of historical decisions regarding the environment takes them from simply being historical artifacts. In the process we can recognize where past decisions regarding national park policies, wildfire management, and evolving attitudes towards outdoor recreation have utility for responsible stewardship going forward. Incorporating a broad scope of sources, from reports written by Park Superintendents to journals kept by the fire lookouts themselves will reveal the many layers of history connected to these lookouts. Moreover, tracing the firsthand experiences had by the people staffing lookouts and those visiting them against the guiding principles and decisions articulated through official documents such as the annual reports will allow for a complete analysis of where we as humans see our role with respect to wildfire. Asking how and why these lookouts were built then reviewing what the primary sources say in response against the current state and use of these structures will allow history to inform decisions made regarding wildfire management, outdoor recreation, and land use and protection, among others.

Y-Balance Scores Between Injured and Uninjured Athletes: A Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies

Unequivocal evidence does not exist showing that the current recommended musculoskeletal assessment of a PPE is effective at consistently and accurately identifying athletes at risk for musculoskeletal injury, nor preventing such injuries. A different proposed injury risk screening measure is the Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (LQ-YBT), a simplified and instrumented adaptation of the SEBT in which dynamic, unilateral balance is tested in anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral reach directions. The objective was to compare anterior reach asymmetry (ARA) and composite score (CS) in injured and uninjured athletic populations to determine the injury risk identification efficacy of the lower quarter y-balance test (LQ-YBT).

Researchers searched the database of PubMed in October 2021. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed articles that included the use of LQ-YBT individually, reported injury data, reported composite and/or anterior reach asymmetry, and had participants that were a part of the athletic population. Studies were excluded if the SEBT was used, data was not presented in a usable form, and the manuscript was not available in English. Researchers extracted data during the primary review. The extracted data included: study design, the purpose of study, population demographic, injury data, composite score, and asymmetry reach asymmetry. Studies that were included reported averages of composite scores, anterior reach asymmetry, and/or raw data that could be used to calculate these measures. The standard calculation to find the CS is [(ANT+PM+PL)/3x Limb Length] x100. To determine ARA, researchers calculated the absolute value difference between right and left scores, |R ANT - L ANT|

Past reviews of similar research included SEBT data, however, the more simplified LQ-YBT is now more commonly used and procedurally different. A recent systematic review looked specifically at the predictive validity of a LQ-YBT injury risk cut-off score, however, in our research we found many cohorts did not even achieve the cut-off scores. A comparison between injured and non-injured group scores was needed to investigate the ability of the test scores to distinguish between athletes that get injured or stay healthy.

Our systematic review of nine articles specifically examining LQ-YBT showed little observable differences in CS and ARA between injured and uninjured groups of athletes. These findings preclude recommendations for the use of LQ-YBT as a screening measure in a PPE for general athletic populations. Future research using the LQ-YBT in specific athletic subpopulations may be able to provide new predictive cut-off scores that will establish clinical relevance for screening in those populations alone. Other possible uses for the LQ-YBT identified may be specifically screening for ankle injury risk or longitudinal comparison of an individual in physical rehabilitation for a prior lower extremity injury.