Purpose: The assessment of limb movement trajectories and joint ranges of motion (ROM) are critical components in diagnosing and treating movement deficits and injuries. Recent advances in the field of automated image analysis permit the identification of joint center locations using markerless anatomical detection. We evaluated the accuracy of a virtual reality system and synchronized web cameras against a research-grade system.

Methods: Subject volunteers (n=31, m=14 f=17, age=21.2±3.2) completed a series of three scripted movement sequences, which were displayed to the subject using a custom virtual reality platform. The scripted sequences were designed to replicate the joint ROM and balance maneuvers typically used during a physical therapy session. While the subjects mimicked the movement sequence, we measured the joint xyz locations using, the VR headset, a series of webcams, and a research grade 10-camera system. The systems were temporally synchronized using a plunger to begin the recording period in the VR system, which illuminated an LED in camera field of view and sent a TTL pulse to the research system. The 2D pose estimates from the webcam videos were triangulated to 3D using a modified direct linear transform. For each subject and trial, we determined the difference between the joint center locations obtained from the webcam and VR systems vs the research system.

Significance: The accurate assessment of real-time movement kinematics may permit the incorporation of lower body measures (currently non-instrumented) into immersive VR platforms that currently assess ROM and muscle forces for the arms and torso.

Fentanyl overdose deaths are on the rise from intentional use or accidental exposure. In this context, additional treatment options to Narcan are being explored. One FDA approved alternative is the development of monoclonal antibodies; for fentanyl treatment or as a therapeutic. Our project aimed to use our toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR 7/8) adjuvanted Fentanyl vaccine to generate monoclonal antibodies against fentanyl. We anticipated the vaccine would change the antibodies produced when compared to naive conditions and this would suggest potential candidates for future antibody treatment. To accomplish this, mice were vaccinated with a TLR 7/8 fentanyl hapten vaccine, and lymph nodes were harvested and processed into a single cell suspension. Using antigen specific magnetic enrichment and single cell sorting, we isolated fentanyl specific B cells. From these cells, we amplified cDNA for each individual cell followed by two rounds of nested PCR using primers specific for heavy and light chain regions of the B cell receptor (BCR). Positive samples were identified by gel electrophoresis followed by Sanger sequencing and BCR allele annotation. Using bioinformatic analysis, we were able to explore allele usage, isotype/class switching, somatic hypermutation rate, and CDR3 amino acids. The results showed heightened allele selection, greater class switching to IgG, elevated somatic hypermutation, and conserved CDR3 regions after vaccination indicative of an enhanced germinal center response. Meta analysis of the increased antibody modifications indicates significant differences which allow us to identify possible monoclonal antibodies for expression and subsequent efficacy studies.

I am writing a systematic review paper on Assessments for Aphasia Outside of English. This research examines the availability of aphasia assessments in languages other than English, focusing on identifying bilingual assessments and evaluating their norming status. Aphasia is a speech and language disorder resulting from stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological conditions, impacting individuals across diverse linguistic backgrounds. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, many Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) require access to aphasia assessments beyond English to evaluate and treat their clients effectively. This systematic review compiles a comprehensive list of aphasia assessments available in languages other than English, including both standardized and non-standardized tools. A key component of this research is identifying assessments that are bilingual and examining their norming status. Normed assessments allow clinicians to compare an individual’s performance to a reference population, while bilingually normed assessments provide comparative data across language pairs, which is essential for evaluating bilingual individuals. This review highlights the gaps in available normed and bilingually normed assessments, providing SLPs with a resource to navigate assessment options for multilingual clients. The initial phase of this research involved hand-searching journals, with ongoing efforts to expand the search using library databases to ensure a comprehensive dataset. The compiled information is organized into an accessible format, categorized by language, to support clinicians in identifying appropriate assessment tools for individuals with aphasia across a variety of linguistic backgrounds

Research has shown that intergroup contact between cisgender, heterosexual and LGBTIQ+ individuals is associated with a deeper understanding of struggles around LGBTIQ+ experiences. Individuals with LGBTIQ+ identifying friends are more likely to report higher levels of allyship, engage in LGBTIQ+-affirming behaviors, hold positive attitudes toward LGBTIQ+ individuals, and have increased sensitivity to LGBTIQ+ perspectives. These data come from a survey examining LGBTIQ+ historical trauma, including students of all sexual and gender identities at the University of Montana and University of Nevada-Reno (n=462). These analyses examine factors related to one’s understanding of LGBTIQ+ experiences, hypothesizing that greater numbers of LGBTIQ+ individuals in someone’s social circle are associated with greater knowledge of and heightened emotional reactions to LGBTIQ+ historical trauma. For cisgender, heterosexual participants, there was a significant positive relationship between the number of LGBTIQ+ individuals in one’s social circle and their history knowledge, F(3,311) = 12.218, p < .001. Participants with any LGBTIQ+ individuals in their social circle were more likely to experience negative emotions in response to thinking about instances of LGBTIQ+ oppression and trauma, F(3,310) = 9.653, p < .001. For all students, regardless of identity, levels of historical knowledge and negative emotional experiences related to LGBTIQ+ historical events were significantly correlated, r(451) =.355, p < .001. These results emphasize the importance of intergroup contact in increasing understanding of and reactions to the LGBTIQ+ experience. To utilize these findings, results from this study should be considered in how to best increase intergroup contact among cisgender, heterosexual and LGBTIQ+ individuals.

Chronic refractory cough (CRC) is a cough that persists for at least eight weeks following

completion of treatment for sickness. This is often due to increased interoception,

which is the ability to perceive internal sensations in the body, both physical and emotional.

People experiencing CRC are often left feeling anxious and isolated. Several parts of the human

brain serve both anxiety and cough. With similar neural pathways, anxiety could be a precursor

for CRC. My review compares and contrasts the neural pathways of anxiety and cough, as well

as highlights the work of interoception in these disorders and how behavioral cough suppression

therapy (BCST) helps mitigate both symptoms.

Studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between anxiety and

interoception. When anxiety spikes, so does our awareness of interoception. This explains

why we associate elevated blood pressure and rapid heart rate with being anxious.

Cough is also associated with anxiety and interoception. Neural pathways between cough

and anxiety intertwine in the prefrontal cortex, brainstem, and other areas.

There is a broad overlap between anxiety and CRC. Potential for CRC to be a

symptom of chronic anxiety is high. With interoception and anxiety being closely related, and also having similar neurological pathways, the two are highly connected. For future directions

the options are open. There has been little research into whether anxiety could be a

precursor for CRC. With more research into this topic, the potential to catch CRC

before it even starts could be increased for many individuals.

Management actions revolving around white-tailed deer (Odocoieus virginianus) typically aim to increase the age of the males (i.e., “bucks”) in the population and antler size to meet social expectations. However, the efficacy of management actions in meeting objectives is sometimes uncertain due to a lack of empirical data. As part of a broad study estimating mammal community composition, 773 trail cameras were placed randomly across the ~6,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in western Montana from 2017-2024. From 2017-2019, this ranch allowed liberal harvest of white-tailed deer as part of the Block Management Program. Due to concerns with white-tailed deer buck size, restrictions in harvest were implemented in 2020 that reduced white-tailed deer buck harvest on the ranch to nearly 0. This setup allowed us to empirically evaluate whether these changes in white-tailed deer management resulted in the desired increase in age classes and antler size of bucks. WE classified every white-tail buck captured on trail cameras in October or November each year from 2017-2023 as either a juvenile (

The possibility examined in this project is the expansion of human consciousness through Inner work. This “Inner work” integrates the insights of Buddhist psychology, Integral psychology, Enneagram philosophy, and Somatic practices for the expansion of conscious potential in and through the cultivation of compassionate understanding. By observing and identifying the conditions that reinforce a reactive state of being, a choice emerges to remain or grow a capacity of responsiveness. This process is through the body’s sensory presence, the heart’s courage to love, and the mind’s construction of Self. The subjective exploration of the interconnected body-mind integrates the complex study of self-knowledge, and opens a potential shift toward personal and societal needs for presence and authenticity. This project seeks to build a personal movement philosophy that guides a path into the engaging and empowering practice of expansive self-awareness. The objective of this preliminary capstone presentation is to lay the groundwork for a professional facilitation practice of embodied self-remembering. A non-judgmental perspective toward arising phenomena is a central and guiding intention that allows a spacious, non-threatening engagement with life as it is. The personal narrative of the author is the informing and primary method toward this evolving path of soteriological inquiry.

Some preschool children experience substantial difficulties saying speech sounds and being understood by others. They may receive intervention from a speech-language pathologist to help them increase their intelligibility. The intervention procedures require a high level of treatment fidelity, the implementation of detailed protocols to support consistent and effective treatment. Treatment fidelity is imperative while conducting research to maintain consistency and provide thorough procedures for future interventionists utilizing and replicating the research. The research questions are how to develop a checklist that outlines the procedures and documents accountability and credibility for treatment delivered in a group setting within a specialized clinic for preschool children ages 3-5 with a speech sound disorder and what are they key components of treatment fidelity. We collaborated with the clinical educator and graduate student clinicians who delivered the treatment to provide insight on the specific intervention procedures throughout the session. The procedural checklist reviews intervention practices of the speech clinic, training requirements, and session procedures that thoroughly described the treatment plan. The fidelity checklist provided a score of the outlined expectations of the intervention. The raw score yielded the percentage of consistent practice conducted. Using the checklist, coders observed a sample of recorded sessions to document the treatment fidelity of the procedures that were implemented. During this presentation, the treatment fidelity checklist that was developed, and the results of the scores across sessions will be presented. In addition, future strategies for improving the delivery of treatment procedures will be discussed.

As the severity and frequency of drought increases, it has become increasingly important to monitor factors that drive watersheds. In the Rocky Mountain West, snowpack is an important hydrologic input that feeds water supply and agriculture downstream. A greater understanding of snowpack distribution throughout headwater states, such as Montana, allows informed management of irrigation, drought, and flooding. The Montana Mesonet, which is currently comprised of 178 stations across the State of Montana, is one tool that allows the effective monitoring of meteorological and hydrological variables across the State. Current Montana Mesonet stations are only equipped with snow depth sensors. This limits the understanding of snowpack because freeze-thaw cycles allow for a relatively consistent snow water equivalent (SWE), while snow depth decreases through compression. Using data from SNOTEL Sites across Montana, we developed multiple generalized linear models (GLMs) to predict snow water equivalent based on hydrologic variables. We tested combinations of snow depth, cumulative precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture as independent variables in the models. All independent variables used are also variables recorded by Montana Mesonet sites. We then underwent a process of model selection. With the selected model, we found that it had a very strong predictive ability by using just snow depth as the independent variable. We then applied the selected model to Montana Mesonet sites, calculating the snow water equivalent at each.

Menstrual cycle length is a biological factor that may influence psychological well-being, yet its relationship remains under-researched. The study “Emotion Recognition and Mood Along the Menstrual Cycle,” by Pletzer and Noachtar recruited 230 naturally-cycling women to examine how menstrual cycle phases impact the ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions. Participants were surveyed during their menses, peri-ovulatory, and mid-luteal phases, with assessments covering psychological factors and hormone levels. Using the open-source data collected from the previous study, the current study investigates the relationship between menstrual cycle, negative mood and anxiety. Results indicate that there is a significant correlation between these factors, as menstrual cycle length decreases, anxiety and negative mood increase. These results suggest that women who have longer follicular phases may have more positive overall moods. Given the historical lack of research on women’s health, this analysis contributes to the field by enhancing our understanding on how physiological processes influence psychological well-being. Additionally, this may provide women with a better understanding of how their physiology plays a role in their psychology.

The central topic of my research project explores the positive impacts that early second language acquisition has on childhood development . I examine its effect through the lens of bilingual education in Missoula County Public Schools, identifying possible shortcomings in the language education programs in elementary schools, as well as feasible solutions. I approach this research from two distinct directions: a literature review and original data collection. I will analyse existing studies and information relating to bilingualism and its positive impact on childhood development. This will provide context and support for my interview questions. Next, for my own independent research, I will interview language teachers in Missoula County to get their perspective on the failures of the district's foreign language program and what barriers they think are in the way. I will code this qualitative data to come to a conclusion about why initiatives in the past have failed and how future ones could be more successful. I predict that the qualitative data I collect will align with existing data about why teaching second languages to youth beginning in primary school is so vital. This research is important as it will raise awareness about the benefits of bilingualism that our youth in Missoula are missing out on, as well as providing solutions for bridging this gap.

Theory of mind and social understanding are both components of children’s social-cognitive development and rapidly develop in preschool age children. Related to the ability to understand the mental states of others, theory of mind is the ability to recognize other people’s thoughts, beliefs, desires, and knowledge, and is commonly assessed through false belief understanding. As a child interacts with caregivers and friends, they are able to infer more about what another person may be thinking or feeling, increasing their overall social understanding.

The current study tested children’s (N = 39; 3-5 years) false belief understanding using the unexpected contents task, requiring a child to recall their own previous false belief and another person’s false belief. In addition, each participant’s guardian completed the Children’s Social Understanding Scale—Short Form (CSUS) to report their child’s social-cognitive understanding including components such as intentions, desires, beliefs, and knowledge.

Analyses will be conducted to explore any possible associations between theory of mind, social understanding, and age. We know that a child may not gain all traits of theory of mind at the same time. Because false belief understanding is only one facet of theory of mind, it will be interesting to note whether other areas of mental reasoning are developed or not using the CSUS.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Current prevalence rates indicate 1 in 36 people have ASD, accounting for around 30,000 Montanans. With increasing rates of diagnoses, it is inevitable that first responders will encounter individuals with ASD. Due to differences in communication styles and reactions in high stress social situations, interactions can look different than with other members of the community. Research shows that interactions between individuals with autism and first responders are often unsatisfactory from the perspective of their parents and/or caregivers. There is a lack of training for first responders on neurodiversity resulting in discomfort, dissatisfaction, fear, and anxiety within the ASD community when the quality of care depends on first responders.

This qualitative case study is three pronged, seeking to learn about the experiences of people with autism, family/caregivers, and first responders in emergency situations. This poster focuses on the perspective of family members and caregivers of individuals with autism, highlighting the results of a pilot study conducted to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing the study statewide in Montana. Summaries from interviews will be presented in this poster session, along with feedback from the participants on how interview questions can be improved for use in the full study. The overarching goal of the pilot study is to ensure the research team has an effective and culturally responsive instrument for gathering qualitative data about interactions and experiences with first responders from the perspective of families and caregivers of autistic individuals, while also capturing experiences specific to Montana.

Animal metabolism studies have frequently focused on males, resulting in a considerable gap in the knowledge of the metabolic requirements of females. These differences may have important ecological and evolutionary consequences, as female behaviors (nesting, incubation, and foraging to feed young) may lead to metabolic demands that vary significantly from those of males. Previous work has led to a hypothesis that metabolic rates to support hovering are greater outdoors compared with rates for the same behavior in laboratory studies, potentially due to wind and thermal conditions. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by measuring the metabolic cost of females using field-collected measures of hovering metabolic rates in calliope hummingbirds (Selasphorus calliope) during hover-feeding and comparing these data to laboratory-based measures.[TB1] We measured oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to calculate metabolic rates. We used the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) to evaluate their fuel usage and the proportion of carbohydrates to fats. Field observations suggest that the females were nesting while we gathered our data, which could have influenced their energy requirements. Comparing the field data to existing laboratory results provides insight into how the birds satisfy their energy needs in different settings. We’ve seen that metabolic rate doesn’t seem to vary across lab and field measures, but further investigation into RER could reveal shifts in fuel use in females during key times in breeding phenology. To improve understanding of metabolic costs for hover-feeding, future research should explore how environmental conditions, territorial or foraging behavior, and timing of reproductive activities may influence variation in metabolic rates and fuels used.

Interactions between individuals who experience autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and first responders present unique challenges due to differences in communication, behavior, and sensory processing (Bowers-Campbell et al., 2020). These situations may be dysfunctional due to a lack of training tailored to understanding and responding to ASD related needs (Chown, 2010). Training should be informed by people who experience ASD and ASD experts can help responders build skills in communication, sensory responsiveness, and preparedness in high-pressure environments. The research team hypothesizes that first responders will report minimal training on how to work with an individual with ASD, which leads to suboptimal interactions in emergency situations.

This qualitative case study is three pronged, seeking to learn about the experiences of people with autism, family/caregivers, and first responders in emergency situations. This poster focuses on the experience of first responders, highlighting the results of a pilot study conducted to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing the study statewide in Montana. Summaries from first responder interviews will be presented in this poster session, along with feedback on how interview questions can be improved for use in the forthcoming full study. The overarching goal of the pilot study is to ensure that the research team has an effective and culturally responsive instrument for gathering qualitative data about interactions and experiences with first responders from their perspective.

Abstract

Background

Refractory Chronic Cough (RCC) is a highly prevalent condition that affects millions of individuals globally. RCC can be effectively treated with behavioral cough suppression therapy (BCST) provided by specialty trained speech- language pathologists (SLP). Access to BCST is a problem due to limited numbers of BCST providers, long travel distances, transportations costs, etc. Research has shown BCST to be effective via telehealth. Group-based BCST would help treat numerous patients with RCC at once, addressing the problem of access to a BCST provider.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of group BCST for patients with RCC.

Methods

Adults with RCC completed group-based BCST via telehealth. Participants completed the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), a validated patient-reported outcome measure, pre- post treatment, as well as one month post treatment. Two separate groups led by a BCST clinician met weekly for group-based BCST sessions. Sessions were delivered through Zoom and each group consisted of 4-5 participants. Each participant attended an average of 4-6 sessions. BCST primarily focused on education about RCC and instruction in cough suppression techniques.

Results

Fifty-three individuals enrolled. Forty-eight participants completed the entirety of the treatment. Most of the participants were female (47/53) with an average age of 58. Mean change in LCQ was 7.4, which is nearly double of that found across multiple studies on individual BCST. The treatment effect was maintained at one-month post treatment.

Conclusion

The findings of this study suggest that group-based BCST may be even better than individual BCST.

Title: Herbicide effects on soil seed banks

Co-authors: Blake Roeslein, Abby McMurtry, Bryan Endress, Akasha Faist

Invasive annual grasses are a major driver of grassland degradation globally. In perennial grasslands, invasion can heavily impact biodiversity including potential changes to the soil seed banks. Seed banks, the living seeds stored in the upper soil column, play an important role in healthy systems. To reduce negative invasion outcomes, whether in the seed bank or aboveground vegetation, pre-emergent herbicides are a commonly used tool for land managers. Pre-emergent herbicides work by targeting seeds as they emerge from the soil. Our study asks what effects pre-emergent herbicide have on the seed bank of both target and non-target species. For this study we used two herbicide combinations: 1) Rejuvra and 2) Rejuvra and Plateau together. Rejuvra is a cellulose inhibitor that targets annual grasses for up to four years after application. Plateau is an acetolactate synthesis inhibitor that targets perennial and annual grasses and broadleaf plants. We had three replicated treatments applied to four field sites in northeastern Oregon. Our first treatment was a control without herbicide, the second Rejuvra, and the third Rejuvra with Plateau. Approximately one month after herbicide application we collected representative soil seed bank samples across the sites and treatments. After collecting, soils were cold treated then planted in a greenhouse to assess how the herbicide treatments effect plant functional type germination and death. This study will see whether our herbicide treatments impact the seed bank and are effective at annual invasive grass control, and/or if they have effects non-targeted species.

Alpine tundra is a harsh environment with short growing seasons, low temperatures, and nutrient-poor soils. These ecosystems are warming faster than the global average. Yet how this rapid warming shapes the early life stages of alpine plants is not yet fully understood. Early life stages such as seed germination and seedling survival and growth are some of the most vulnerable life stages in a plant’s life, potentially posing a bottleneck to recruitment. In summer 2023, we collected seeds from three alpine plant species—Silene acaulis, Minuartia obtusiloba, and Phlox condensata—at the Niwot Ridge LTER, CO. Using a controlled germination study, we examined how germination success, seedling survival, and seedling biomass vary with temperature (4, 12, 20, and 28°C; the former two temperatures represent current conditions while the latter two represent projected conditions). Germination success increased with temperature across all species (p = 0.01), with germination peaking at 20°C. Although germination declined at 28°C, germination remained higher at 28°C than at 4°C and 12°C. Temperature significantly affected survival probability (p = 0.003), consistent across species. Survival remained near 100% up to 20°C, then sharply declined at 28°C. Biomass was marginally affected by temperature (p = 0.14), tending to increase up to 20°C before declining at 28°C. Results suggest a mismatch under projected warming wherein germination increases but survival decreases. This highlights the need to understand life-stage-specific thermal performance. Understanding variation in germination and early growth under different thermal conditions is essential for predicting plant population persistence, particularly in alpine ecosystems vulnerable to climate change.

This survey aims to collect data on which aphasia assessment is most relevant to translate for use with clients whose native language isn’t currently represented by norm-referenced testing. Aphasia is an acquired language disorder commonly caused by strokes or traumatic brain injuries that impacts receptive and expressive communication skills. Currently, speech language pathologists (SLPs) use assessments including the Western Aphasia Battery Revised (WAB-R) and the Quick Aphasia Battery (QAB) to effectively diagnose patients. This study surveys SLPs practicing internationally to identify experience level with aphasia clients, preferred assessment methods, and which types of questions regarding bilingualism are asked before assessment. A variety of question types are used on the online survey to gather both qualitative and quantitative data, which will help identify the assessment most appropriate for translation.

Approximately 22% of individuals speak a language other than English at home (United States Census Bureau, 2023). When clients are assessed in their native language, it ensures the diagnosis better represents all of their language use, not just the language conveniently assessed by an SLP. Accurate assessment can then inform the treatment used (Kasenga & Fahey, 2024). For example, in fluent aphasia, the therapist would work on building awareness of speech errors, whereas nonfluent aphasia could require helping the client feel comfortable increasing their communicative output. Effective SLPs have an ethical responsibility to work with clients from all backgrounds, even when language barriers present challenges, and this study helps initiate that process for individuals experiencing aphasia who require assessment in alternate languages.

Kasenga, S., Fahey, K. (2024). Scoping Review on Bilingual Aphasia Assessments. 2024 University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research, Missoula, MT, United States.

U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. (2023). Selected Characteristics of the Native and Foreign-Born Populations. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S0501. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2023.S0501?q=american+community+survey+language.

As the professional world evolves, the higher-education sector needs to improve classroom experiences to prepare students for the modern workforce. Higher education traditionally utilizes the lecture as a primary teaching strategy; however, modern pedagogical research suggests active learning-based classrooms improve student engagement, participation, and learning. Studio-style course design, a research-based instructional practice first implemented in Physics and Calculus courses, aims to provide students a place to apply knowledge and practice skills through a collaborative and hands-on environment. Applications of GIS, an upper-division geographic information systems (GIS) course at the University of Montana, has traditionally employed lectures and step-by-step instructional labs but has recently transformed into a studio-style course. In this research, I detail the implementation of studio-style learning from the perspective of a student who completed the traditional course and is currently supporting students as a Learning Assistant in the new studio-style course. The instructor implemented a studio-style course to better replicate real-world GIS problem solving, empower diverse skill sets, and increase student engagement. I collected data through a midterm survey, as a part of an assignment in the Learning Assistants pedagogy seminar, and reported on students’ perceptions of studio-style courses. I then compared those results to my personal experience as a student and Learning Assistant. As more instructors move away from the traditional lecture approach, the results of this study will give insight from the student perspective while providing data assessing the implementation of a studio-style course in GIS & Cartography.

Autistic Individuals Interactions with First Responders: A Pilot Study

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 36 people experience autism, which accounts for over 30,000 Montanans (CDC, 2023). Autism is characterized by differences in social communication and restrictive and repetitive behaviors. With these deficits come differences in communication styles and reactions in high stress situations. The literature shows minimal research on effective training practices for teaching first responders and emergency front-line medical staff how to interact with individuals with autism, especially those with complex communication needs (McGonigle et al, 2014, Cheung, et al, 2019). The research team hypothesizes that minimal first responder training impacts the experience of both the person with autism and the first responder in an emergency.

This qualitative case study is three pronged, seeking to learn about the experiences of people with autism, family/caregivers, and first responders in emergency situations. This poster focuses on the experience of individuals with autism, highlighting the results of a pilot study conducted to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing the study statewide in Montana. Summaries from interviews will be presented in this poster session, along with feedback from the participants on how interview questions can be improved for use in the forthcoming full study where questions will be used in a focus group format. The overarching goal of the pilot study is to ensure the research team has an effective and culturally responsive instrument for gathering qualitative data about interactions and experiences with first responders from an autistic adult’s perspective.

Reproductive justice (RJ) and environmental justice (EJ) are deeply interconnected, particularly for marginalized communities disproportionately affected by environmental hazards and systemic reproductive oppression. This poster explores how environmental factors—such as pollution, climate change, and toxic exposure—impact reproductive autonomy, pregnancy outcomes, and access to healthcare in the United States, positioning RJ as an essential component of EJ. This research examines historical and contemporary examples of environmental racism affecting reproductive health, highlighting how climate disasters, industrial pollution, and resource extraction disproportionately harm communities of color and Indigenous populations. Through case studies and movement analysis, this presentation discusses coalition-building between RJ and EJ advocates, emphasizing shared goals of bodily autonomy, human rights, and resistance against corporate and governmental control. The research will explore industrial pollution and birth defects in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis and linkages to environmental destruction, the forced sterilization of women of color in the United States, and how natural disasters affect reproductive rights in vulnerable communities. Challenges such as differing movement priorities, language barriers, and the risk of co-optation must also be considered. By examining successful grassroots organizing efforts that integrate environmental and reproductive justice, this research underscores the importance of intersectional activism in policy and advocacy work. Ultimately, this presentation argues for a holistic approach to justice that recognizes safe environments as fundamental to reproductive freedom. It calls for interdisciplinary collaboration, policy reforms, and community-driven solutions to advance both environmental and reproductive rights.

Animals associate with diverse microbes that affect their health and fitness. Many insects and other species host microbes termed endosymbionts inside their cells. Among all endosymbionts, Wolbachia bacteria are the most common, occurring in about half of all insect species. Wolbachia are maternally transmitted – similar to our own mitochondria – and many variants have evolved the capacity to affect host reproduction to favor their transmission across host generations. This includes variants that cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills embryos without Wolbachia fertilized by males with Wolbachia. Here, I assess the strength of CI and rates of maternal transmission of a newly discovered Wolbachia (wZts) found in Zaprionus tsacasi flies sampled from west Africa. wZts is the closest known relative of model virus-blocking wMel Wolbachia first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster flies. wMel causes weak CI that depends on male age in D. melanogaster, but causes strong CI when transinfected into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit human diseases in the tropics. Once initially established in Ae. aegypti, CI assists with maintaining wMel at high frequencies, where it blocks dengue transmission. I demonstrate that like wMel in D. melanogaster, wZts causes CI that declines with male age—I also demonstrate that Z. tsacasi transmits wZts to ~67% of its male offspring. I discuss my results in the context of existing data and future work that will provide insight into leveraging this tropical variant for improving Wolbachia biocontrol of human diseases in the tropics.

Internalized weight stigma occurs when individuals apply negative weight-related stereotypes to themselves, which can lead to adverse outcomes, such as psychological distress, shame, eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction. Societal pressures emphasizing muscularity and leanness exacerbate the negative psychological effects of weight stigma among male populations. Despite growing research on weight stigma and body image, male populations remain understudied, leaving gaps in understanding their unique experiences. Amongst both female and male identifying populations, existing research displays that resilience acts as a potential protective factor against the negative impacts of shame thus mitigating psychological distress. Shame Resilience Theory (SRT) measures factors such as self-compassion, supportive relationships, and critical awareness, as factors to combat the internalized shame caused by external pressures and expectations about the male physique. Existing research suggests that shame resilience has been associated with fewer eating disorder (ED) symptoms and higher chances of ED recovery while also serving as a potential therapeutic tool for those with high levels of internalized weight stigma. Yet shame resilience’s role in buffering the relationship between internalized weight stigma and body image dissatisfaction in male-identifying populations remains underexplored. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the research question: Does shame resilience influence the relationship between internalized weight stigma and body image dissatisfaction in male-identifying populations? We hypothesize that higher shame resilience scores will inversely interact with internalized weight stigma and body image dissatisfaction scores. Using a cross-sectional correlational design, this study will assess bivariate relationships between these variables through self-report measures. Self-report measures will be analyzed through a multiple regression analysis and a moderation analysis to estimate the relationships between the variables. Findings will contribute to the development of targeted interventions aimed at improving body image satisfaction and decreasing internalized weight stigma among men.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process in eukaryotes in which gene suppression is initiated by the presence of short, double-stranded RNA in a cell’s cytoplasm. This is a conserved process that likely evolved primarily to mediate resistance to pathogens. It is also an incredibly useful tool in experimental biology, due to its stability, specificity, and relative ease of use in targeted gene expression modification. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the effects of RNAi are heritable and systemic, making it an ideal model organism for studying transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.

FBF-1 is a member of the PUF protein family, which are highly conserved RNA-binding proteins that play a role in post-transcriptional gene expression regulation, including mRNA stability and translation. We previously observed that FBF-1 plays a role in the inheritance of RNAi response to targets expressed in C. elegans reproductive cells. However, it is unclear whether it impacts the inheritance of RNAi against somatically expressed genes. Knockdown of the dpy-11collagen gene results in noticeable morphological changes in affected C. elegans, shortened body length being the most notable. By measuring differences in body length across generations of control and fbf-1 mutant worms, both with RNAi-induced dpy-11 suppression, we are able to observe the potential effects of FBF-1 in RNAi inheritance. This study may provide further insight into the mechanisms regulating RNAi inheritance in C. elegans.

The concept of localization originated with Paul Broca, who proposed that specific regions of the brain are responsible for particular functions. Lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) advances this idea by depicting brain lesions in a three-dimensional format, enabling researchers to correlate these locations with individuals’ symptoms. Lesions can arise from various causes, including stroke, trauma, or neurodegenerative diseases. This research study aims to train participants to outline these lesions on MRI scans. Participants need a general knowledge of neuroanatomy; however, it does not require extensive education on this topic. The lesions will be outlined using a voxel-based drawing mechanism in a program called ITK-SNAP, which allows for the examination of over one hundred different slices of the brain across three anatomical planes. The researchers seek to qualitatively assess the extent to which participants improve over a twenty-week course, utilizing ten different training scans while noting challenges and successes, and comparing participants' outlines to the gold-standard lesion mask. Improvements will be measured by the accuracy with which the lesions are outlined. Additionally, the author of this abstract will actively participate in the project while also providing a unique perspective by simultaneously learning neuroanatomy in a separate course. The goal of this presentation is to reflect on the experience, allowing the author to apply any knowledge gained to the scan analysis. Overall, the findings of this study may improve training strategies and, in turn, enhance the use of LSM, contributing to a deeper understanding of brain functions.

Limited research exists on the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of perpetration induced potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in the general population. In the present study, participants from two samples (N=735) described a distressing event that was caused by their own actions, and completed outcomes measuring perpetration induced distress (PID), anxiety, depression, existential concerns, and symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD. 56.6% of participants identified a distressing event that they perceived to be caused by their own actions. Deductive coding categorized responses by 4 previously identified themes: physical harm (25.2%), interpersonal conflict/betrayal (52.4%), violation of internal standards (20.0%), and violation of external standards (17.8%). Additionally, the events were coded for involving acts of commission (80.5%) vs omission and for being intentional (69.5%) vs accidental. Results of t-tests suggest that those who experienced events that involved causing physical harm report higher scores across all outcome measures. Those with PTEs involving violation of external standards also reported higher PID and PTSD scores. No effects were found for other PTE characteristics. These findings support the relevance of PID in civilian populations and suggests that PTEs involving causing physical harm is an important predictor of distress across a variety of domains.

As dam removals increase in frequency across the U.S., most research has focused on the impact of larger dam removals, despite the removal of small dams being much more common. Given the hundreds of small dams in Montana, this research uses citizen science data collected over seven years spanning before and after a 2020 small dam removal in Rattlesnake Creek, Montana, to investigate impact on stream ecology and morphology. We analyzed pebble count grain size distributions and aquatic macroinvertebrate biotic indices from 2017 to 2023 to assess changes in sediment transport and macroinvertebrate population as well as evaluating the efficacy of citizen science for long-term stream monitoring. Our analysis includes comparisons of pre- and post-dam removal data collected from above and below the dam site. Our findings revealed no statistically significant changes in grain size distribution or macroinvertebrate diversity between upstream and downstream reaches post-dam removal. This suggests that the removal of this particular small dam had minimal detectable impact on sediment transport or macroinvertebrate communities within the study period. Our study also demonstrates the capacity for citizen science programs to effectively collect robust and valuable datasets. This study underscores the importance of meticulous data management along with the potential for and challenges of citizen science for environmental research. We provide recommendations for “best practices” to improve future citizen science monitoring and informing decision-making for future dam removals, particularly for the nine dams further upstream within the Rattlesnake Creek watershed.

Ovarian dysgenesis (OD) and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) are related conditions, where a lack of ovarian growth and germline stem cell division causes the loss of normal ovarian function and early depletion of ovarian follicles, which often presents as infertility and early onset menopause in women. There are numerous genes associated with broad ovarian dysgenesis and POI, including 129 different human genes. While OD and POI is common in females who possess just one X-chromosome, “pure” 46 XX gonadal dysgenesis is a rare condition resulting in OD and POI even though the individual has both X chromosomes. Just one gene, BMP15, is associated with this subsect of those impacted by POI and OD. The model organism, C. elegans has eight genes associated with the broad category of POI, but just three homologous genes for 46 XX POI and OD: dbl-1, tig-2, and unc-129.

Human BMP15 and worm tig-2 and dbl-1 belong to a large superfamily of growth factors that regulate cell growth, tissue repair, and differentiation (TGF-beta). Signaling through BMP15 in combination with BMP7 is thought to facilitate follicular development in human ovaries. Because tig-2 and dbl-1 are expressed in the muscle and neurons of C. elegans, they may also act in combination to promote development of these tissues. Using RNAi to simultaneously knockdown tig-2 and dbl-1 expression, it is hypothesized cell differentiation will be inhibited resulting in smaller bodies, and decreased muscle and neuronal development, providing new insights into combinatorial TGF-beta signaling implicated in human POI and OD.

Pharmaceuticals are becoming a large pollutant due to inefficient filtration methods from wastewater treatment plants. Some of the most common pharmaceutical pollutants are antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs are a type of psychoactive drug that alters an organism’s cognition by blocking the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The blocking floods the synapse and increases postsynaptic binding potential. Currently, the most common SSRI, fluoxetine (FLX), has been seen in every water matrix type, ranging from fresh water to glaciers, indicating an ever present pollutant problem. However, what is unknown are the literal downstream effects: how does this affect aquatic fauna? To answer this, we investigate the aggression, sleep, and circadian rhythm cycles of the Betta splendens when treated acutely with FLX. Betta splendens, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are a well known aggression model previously shown to have decreased aggression and motor movement from exposures, but what is unclear is the reasoning behind the change in behavioral output. Our lab is focused on replicating the findings of prior studies on aggression while also categorizing behavior of sleep which has yet to be reported. By using an automatic tracking system to determine how much the fish move over time, as well as using an ethogram to score aggression and sleep-like qualities, we can report on how activity levels change from FLX administration and if sleep is impacted at all by FLX in fish, potentially causing the known hypolocomotion.

Vocalization patterns in black-billed cuckoos (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) remain understudied. This project aims to standardize their vocalization types by identifying and categorizing distinct call types, along with key spectral features such as frequency, duration, and entropy, to create a consistent vocal repertoire for the species. A bird’s vocal repertoire refers to the full collection of sounds it produces, including both songs and calls.

I analyzed existing audio recordings from Xeno-Canto, focusing on the two primary call types of the black-billed cuckoo: the “cadence coo” and the “rattle.” The goal was to establish a standardized framework for describing these vocalizations and to clearly define the distinguishing characteristics of each call type.

Through this analysis, I found that modulation index, median time, and entropy were the three most influential spectral properties separating cadence coos from rattles. Modulation index reflects the variation in frequency over time; entropy measures how tonal or noisy a call is, with higher entropy indicating greater acoustic complexity; and median time identifies when the midpoint of the call’s energy occurs, helping describe its temporal structure. By examining the relationships between these properties, I was able to reliably differentiate between the two call types.

Standardizing these vocalizations supports passive acoustic monitoring—a non-invasive and increasingly vital method for avian population surveys. Additionally, the methodology developed here can be adapted to other species, contributing to broader research in soundscape ecology and enhancing acoustic survey techniques.

Ice hockey is a high-impact sport with an inherent risk of concussions due to body checking, high-speed collisions, and falls. Despite these advancements, concussions remain a significant concern, particularly among adolescent players who may be more vulnerable to long-term effects.This study aimed to evaluate trends in concussion screening outcomes among adolescent ice hockey players over a six-year period (2017-2023).Eleven male adolescent ice hockey players (15.7 + 3.0 years old) completed a baseline concussion assessment, concussion screening for injury, and follow up concussion assessments between 2017-2023. Concussion screening included the SCAT5 assessing orientation, immediate memory, concentration, delayed recall, and balance using the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS). A cognitive score was calculated by adding orientation, immediate memory, concentration, and delayed recall scores. A repeated measures analysis using SPSS 28 and Excel illustrated cognitive performance varied across individuals and testing phases, with noticeable changes in scores following a concussion. Some areas of cognitive function were more affected than others, and while most subjects showed improvements over time, not all returned to their original baseline levels. Although not statistically significant (p=0.57), data trends suggest that balance scores did not return to baseline levels following a concussive injury. The findings suggest that concussions impacts cognitive function, particularly in areas related to memory and concentration. These results highlight the importance of careful monitoring and individualized recovery plans for concussion patients. Many other variables, such as individual differences, external factors, and recovery time, should be considered when interpreting these results

In Montana, on January 1, 2022, cannabis became legal for recreational use. This policy has been adopted in several other states as well. The impact of THC on recovery has not been widely researched and, therefore, not fully understood. Addiction clinics are responsible for supporting individuals through their recovery journey, and probation offices are meant to uphold those on probation to their regulations. Therefore, professionals working in these agencies may have insight into how THC impacts recovery. In 2024, I quantitatively surveyed professionals (n=13) working in addiction clinics or probation and parole offices in Helena, MT, on their perspectives of the impact of THC use on recovery and whether there is a “therapeutic level” of THC use. I then analyzed these results using descriptive statistics. 66.67% of clinicians agreed or strongly agreed that THC could lead to relapse, and 22.22% of clinicians strongly disagreed. Half of the probation and parole officers disagreed that THC could lead to relapse, and the other half were neutral.

Further examination showed how prevalent clients with comorbid SUD were for both clinicians and Probation officers. We do not yet know the implications of substance use disorders. We know that THC is used medically, however, we do not know enough about how this impacts those in recovery. This matters because, as social workers, we have a service duty to address social problems. THC is recreational, and dispensaries are prominent in communities. The more education around how THC affects recovery, people supporting those in recovery can give better informed care.

Before the city was gridded with pavement and storm drains, Pattee Creek flowed openly through what is now Missoula, Montana. The Salish and Pend d’Oreille peoples lived in close relationship with this watershed, honoring its rhythms and relying on its abundance. Their word for Pattee Canyon—Sloʔté, “two valleys coming together to make one little valley”—reminds us that places carry memory, even when reshaped.

Now mostly buried beneath development, Pattee Creek briefly resurfaces at Bancroft Ponds, a 5-acre constructed basin nestled within a neighborhood. Here, water pauses. Birds gather. Children play. Life continues in quiet, often unnoticed ways. This project is a reflection on that persistence—on the layered relationships between water systems, urban development, and community memory.

Through personal narrative, historical research, and ecological review, I explore how urban water management at Bancroft Ponds reflects shifting values—moving from mechanistic, utilitarian models toward more adaptive, relational practices. Drawing from eco-feminist theory, Indigenous environmental ethics, and pond ecosystem science, I examine how integrating care-based stewardship with stormwater function, biodiversity support, and hydrologic connectivity can promote both ecological resilience and cultural remembrance.

This work contributes to conversations in urban ecology, political ecology, and restoration ethics, offering a vision of stewardship that responds to both human and nonhuman communities with attention, reciprocity, and humility.

TOOTH is an eight-episode animated series written in screenplay format accompanied by a trailer using scenes from the pilot episode. This series follows the main protagonist, Tooth, as she struggles to survive in post-apocalyptic southern California after escaping a band of human traffickers that kidnapped her in interior Alaska. Tooth will do anything to get back to her home and family, and she’s willing to prove it. Through trial after trial, Tooth claws her way home, ruining both herself and others in her single-minded pursuit of this goal. This project explores how far we go for family, whether what we do is justified, where the line between necessary and unthinkable lies, and what home really means.

The reason I wanted to explore this question of home is because home can be anything to anyone. Home can be a place, a person, a family, a feeling. Once someone has a home, leaving it is difficult, and being forced out of it is traumatic, which is what happens to Tooth. I wanted to explore this relationship with home, especially when that home is both family and place based, in real depth. Throughout the series, Tooth has to decide what's important to her, and whether the meaning of home can change.

Aphasia, a language disorder caused by damage to language regions in the brain, can have profound effects on a person’s communication. For speakers of multiple languages, bilingual aphasia research has demonstrated that treatment in one language can transfer to a non-treated language (Faroqi-Shah & Chengappa, 1996; Paradis, 1993). This systematic review evaluates research on bilingual aphasia to discuss: which grammatical structures can exhibit cross-linguistic transfer of treatment effects, including a) sentential structuring, b) morphosyntax, and/or c) lexical category access?

The review produced 131 articles fitting the inclusion criteria, but only 12 addressed cross-linguistic transfer. Each study’s quality was scored for their description of the following factors: bilingualism description, aphasia diagnostic characteristics, linguistic description of errored structures, and statistics. Across all sources, quality indicators were included 97.9% of the time for bilingualism, 74.0% of the time for aphasia factors (most frequently excluding discussion of syntactic comprehension deficits), 92.0% of the time for linguistics, and 50% of the time for statistics. Most of the literature utilized a single-subject multiple baseline design, which did not meet the statistics quality indicator for experimental sampling.

Although cross-linguistic transfer has been demonstrated for a) sentential structures b) morphosyntax and c) lexical category access, small samples and variations in treatment approaches, assessments, and participants’ language backgrounds limit generalizations. Larger studies of transfer effects are necessary and could lead to improved treatment outcomes for bilinguals with aphasia. As resources are often limited for treatment in a person’s native language, understanding transfer effects is key to providing comprehensive care.

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a target of 35% of FDA-approved drugs and play a major role in cellular communication. GPCRs activate various Gα proteins, such as Gαi, which activate downstream effector proteins and result in intracellular signaling. Ric-8A is a molecular chaperone protein required for Gαi biogenesis and has cytosolic guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity. Understanding proteins which regulate GPCR pathways, like Ric-8A, may reveal novel therapeutic targets in G-protein signaling.

As an undergraduate volunteer in the Analytical Ultracentrifugation (AUC) core, my goal is to use AUC to characterize the binding behavior of Gαi and Ric-8A, independently verify association constants found using isothermal titration calorimetry, and compare this behavior to mutant Ric-8A proteins. This will provide important information on the binding surface, mechanism, and character of the Gαi- Ric-8A interaction. We hypothesize that Gαi and Ric-8A bind with micromolar range affinity and mutations on the binding surface of Ric-8A will disrupt this interaction.

In AUC, individual molecules in mixtures are hydrodynamically separated under extreme centrifugal force and identified by their rate of sedimentation. Preliminary experiments included collecting UV-Vis spectra of Gαi, GDP, and Ric-8A at various concentrations to create a reference dataset. Our initial AUC experimental results indicate an increase in binding at increasing ratios of Gαi:Ric-8A. At a 4:1 ratio, excess Gαi is observed. This preliminary work verifies our method and the purity of our proteins. Our future AUC work will evaluate Gαi and wildtype/mutant Ric-8A at physiologically relevant concentrations and define essential amino acids on their interaction surface.

Stem cells are essential to tissue maintenance through differentiation and proliferation to generate new cells, FBF homologs are key regulatory proteins that control their meiotic entry.

In the Voronina Lab, we use the germ-lines of Caenorhabditis elegans to study how germ-cell RNA regulators like FBF-1 impact the substructure of P-granules, specialized germ-granules within the germline cytoplasm that preserve germline identity. The localization of these granules is generally conserved among species, but the importance of the specific substructure is unknown.

Recent developments suggest that FBF-1 facilitates epigenetic small-RNA inheritance associated with p-granules, and functional differences can be observed in mutated strains where FBF-1 is present. We hypothesize that the changes in function observed in FBF-1 mutants are directly associated with substructural changes within p-granules.

Using a standard cross strategy, we generated two mutated strains of c.elegans, fbf-1(ok91);gfp::flag::wago-4 and fbf-1(ok91);mut-16::gfp (each associated with different compartments), harvested the germlines, and immunostained them with antibodies to identify the granules of interest. A graduate student imaged the germ-lines, and we observed that both associated granules formed properly, but their relative distances from the P-granules differ from the WT, and abnormal puncta formed.

This suggests that in the presence of FBF-1, mut-16 and wago-4 affected localization of their associated granules, and FBF-1 may directly or indirectly control the assembly of some of these foci or orientation of granules relative to one another. Further, FBF homologs may control small-RNA regulation in other species in which this mechanism is conserved.

Animal hosts associate with endosymbiotic microbes that live inside their cells. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria are the most common endosymbionts, associating with about half of all insect species. Most Wolbachia form facultative associations with their hosts (i.e., the hosts do not require Wolbachia). In most systems, it remains unknown how common Wolbachia are within host populations and the extent to which their prevalence varies through time and space. Here, I fill this gap in knowledge by quantifying the incidence and prevalence of Wolbachia in a community of understudied montane moths. We conducted field sampling of divergent moth species every two weeks between May and August of 2024 at three sites: Rattlesnake Wilderness (Montana), Jocko Canyon (Montana), and Packard Meadows (Idaho). In total, we sampled about 2000 moths representing 40-50 species diverged about 80-150 million years ago. I predicted that Wolbachia prevalence would vary significantly among sampling locations and through time within locations. To identify Wolbachia in each individual, I extracted DNA and amplified the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene using polymerase chain reaction. Using gel electrophoresis, I determined that Wolbachia prevalence varied temporally across the season (from 25% in May to 45% in August) and also spatially among the three locations (21% to 43%). I have currently screened 650 of my 2000 samples. My ongoing analyses focus on quantifying species-level variation in Wolbachia prevalence through time and space, which is critical to explain Wolbachia spread in nature and to inform applications that leverage Wolbachia for biocontrol of human diseases.