ScholarWorks

ScholarWorks is an open access repository for the capture of the intellectual work of Montana State University (MSU) in support of its teaching, research and service missions. MSU ScholarWorks is a central point of discovery for accessing, collecting, sharing, preserving, and distributing knowledge to the Montana State University community and the world.

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Development and feasibility testing of a PrEP uptake and adherence intervention for women with trauma-related mental health conditions: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial
(Elsevier BV, 2026-05)
Heads, Angela M.
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An, Kaixuan
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Hill, Mandy J.
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Gameon, Julie A.
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de Dios, Constanza
Background. Experiencing trauma increases susceptibility to HIV among women in the Southern U.S, through factors such as condomless sex, coerced sex, and substance use. Despite the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), uptake remains low due to various barriers such as low perceived risk, lack of awareness, perceived stigma, and systemic inequities. Tailored interventions are crucial for improving access to PrEP for this vulnerable population. Methods. The purpose of the study is to develop an integrated mental health clinic-based behavioral intervention for increasing PrEP uptake and adherence among trauma-experienced women in the Southern US. It will also assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention. The primary aims are to (1) conduct qualitative interviews with 25 trauma-experienced women and 10 providers to explore their knowledge and attitudes about PrEP, to learn about provider practices related to HIV prevention, and to obtain feedback about the potential design of the intervention; (2) develop a mental health clinic-based behavioral PrEP uptake and adherence intervention guided by our findings from Aim 1 and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model; and (3) test the preliminary efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of the intervention using a randomized controlled trial with 60 women. Conclusions. This intervention aims to address a critical gap in HIV prevention by targeting PrEP uptake and adherence among cisgender women with a history of trauma. The findings will inform future interventions designed for this population, promoting greater engagement in HIV prevention services.
Grief, Mental Health, Historical Trauma, and Alcohol Use Among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations
(American Psychological Association, 2026-05)
Gameon, Julie A.
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Grubin, Fiona
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Skewes, Monica C.
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience disproportionately high rates of alcohol-related mortality, which stems from colonization, systemic oppression, and intergenerational historical trauma. Complicated grief and historical trauma have been implicated in health disparities among AI/ANs, including disparities related to alcohol and other drug use. However, limited research has examined the relationship between grief and alcohol use among AI/ANs. This study aimed to explore this association using data from a national sample of 600 AI/AN adults who had recently experienced the death of a loved one. Participants completed measures of alcohol use, complicated and adaptive grief, mental health symptoms, and historical trauma. Alcohol use scores were used to categorize participants into three groups: high-risk drinking, low-risk drinking, and nondrinking. People in the high-risk drinking group reported significantly higher levels of complicated grief, historical trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression compared to those with low-risk or no alcohol use. Differences in complicated grief were not explained by the number of losses reported or funerals attended. Notably, participants who abstained from alcohol reported the highest levels of adaptive grief. Results underscore the need for interventions that address grief alongside alcohol use, particularly among those struggling with loss. Integrating culturally grounded grief support into alcohol use prevention and treatment programs may enhance outcomes for AI/ANs by addressing the interconnection between grief, trauma, and alcohol problems. Future research is needed to confirm these relationships and guide the development of holistic, culturally responsive care.
Experimental Imaging of Packed Bed Heat Transfer by MRI with Assessment of DEM-CFD Simulation
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2026-05)
Skuntz, Matthew E.
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Perera, Dinal
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Pelkie, Brenden
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Codd, Sarah L.
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Maneval, James E.
Packed bed heating was studied with an experimental setup that allowed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement of fluorinated pore-fluid velocity and the melting of eicosane wax bound in the bed particles. The bed particles were 3.5 mm in diameter and composed of micro-scale core–shell particles mixed with a binding agent where the core of the micro-scale particles was eicosane. The phase-change of the particle-bound wax provides a directly identifiable change in MRI signal due to T2 changes from the solid to liquid phase. A methodology to compare experimental results to numerical results compiled in a commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) package is presented. The numerical beds were generated using discrete element modelling (DEM) methods with similar tube-to-particle-diameter ratio. The results showed similar rates of energy absorbed to the contained wax as measured by total NMR signal, but local melt distribution was different. This difference is evidenced in T2 weighted MRI images and tracking of the height to which the bed-wax has fully melted.
Thermal Evolution of Hyperon-Mixed Neutron Stars with Updated Equation of State
(Oxford University Press, 2026-04)
Bruce, Katherine
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Tsuruta, Sachiko
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Liebmann, Andrew C.
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Teter, Marcus
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Kelly, Madeline
The presence of hyperons in neutron stars allows the star to cool via the hyperon direct Urca process, which can release energy from the star faster than the standard modified Urca process. Previous cooling calculations verified that hyperons can exist in the core of neutron stars and facilitate direct Urca cooling. In the current article, we first update the observational data on the thermal evolution of neutron stars. Then, adopting the latest realistic equation of state for hyperon-mixed neutron stars, the cooling of these stars is calculated, and the results are compared with the most recently updated observational data. The results confirm that the hyperon scenario can explain the thermal evolution of all observed stars, including the faster cooling of some of these stars if their fast cooling is substantially suppressed due to the presence of hyperon superfluidity in moderately massive stars.
Short-wave infrared radiometer for airborne validation of satellite snow products
(SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng, 2026-01)
Hamp, Shannon M.
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Logan, Riley D.
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Sproles, Eric A.
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Shaw, Joseph A.
Surface reflectance determines how much solar radiation is retained, making it a critical component of the Earth’s energy and water balance. Several satellites, including Landsat and Sentinel-2, measure surface reflectance; however, the limited temporal resolution and spatial resolution of these satellites introduce uncertainties, especially in areas of high temporal and spatial variability such as mountainous regions dominated by seasonal snowpack, trees, and fluctuating slopes. Unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a platform for frequent measurement of surface reflectance with user-selected coverage during critical times of snowpack change. UAVs can enable higher spatial resolution than satellites while covering a larger spatial area than in situ, tower-based sensors. We present the design and calibration of a custom UAV-based radiometer system for validating the shortwave infrared Landsat Operational Land Imager Band 7 and Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Imager Band 12 surface reflectance measurements. Two sensors enabled surface reflectance correction: an upwelling radiation sensor was designed to measure scene-reflected radiance [W/(m2sr)], and a downwelling radiation sensor was designed to measure incident irradiance [W/(m2)]. Both radiometers were constructed with single-pixel photodiodes and custom bandpass filters to match the spectral range of Landsat Band 7 (2110 to 2290 nm), and the half-angle field of view of the upwelling system was designed and measured to be 3.43 deg. When flown 120 m above the ground, this corresponds to a ground swath diameter of 14.39 m, a spatial resolution over four times finer than the 30 m Landsat Band 7 pixel. Radiometric and temperature calibrations reduced uncertainties for both sensors. The custom radiometer was flown on a UAV in alignment with a Landsat 9 satellite overpass in Southwestern Montana, United States (45.23 deg, −111.48 deg). The resulting airborne measurements were used to assess the implications of surface topography on radiometer-measured reflectance, where the preliminary airborne measurements indicated a significant correlation between surface reflectance variability and slope angle.