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.

MSU PHOTOS

Communities in Scholarworks

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Scholarship & Research

Recent Submissions

Spatio-temporal dynamics of Hendra virus in Australia reveal stable maintenance of diverse viral clades among Pteropus bats
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2026-04) Kwe Yinda, Claude; Eden, John-Sebastian; Prates, Érica T.; Cornelia Vlot, Anna Hendrika; van Tol, Sarah; Anzick, Sarah L.; Wang, J.; Halpin, Kim et al.; Jones-Slobodian, Devin
Hendra virus (HeV) was discovered in 1994 in Australia. Limited genomic data have hindered comprehensive understanding of HeV’s evolutionary dynamics. Here we recovered 48 HeV genomes from bats and 9 from horses from Australia between 2016 and 2020, revealing four distinct clades. Each clade was distributed over a large spatial area with multiple clades co-circulating within a single bat roost on the same day and over consecutive years. The diversity and temporal stability of co-circulating clades suggest that viral dynamics are driven by episodic shedding of existing lineages maintained at the population level, rather than immune-driven strain-replacement dynamics. HeV isolates of different clades displayed variation in phenotypic properties but minimal antigenic differences. We provide an overview of evolutionary dynamics, phenotypic properties and assessment of countermeasures for HeV, and provide insights into the processes that maintain virus diversity in bats and influence the potential for viral emergence.
MilfoilMapper: a web-based tool to inform Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum ) management
(Cambridge University Press, 2025-11) Wolfe, Ashley L.; Bajcz, Alex W.; Newman, Raymond M.; Thum, Ryan A.
Invasive M. spicatum sensu lato strains can differ in their growth, spread, impacts, and herbicide response. For example, strains of Eurasian (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and hybrid (Myriophyllum spicatum × Myriophyllum sibiricum Kom.) watermilfoil have been characterized as resistant or susceptible to specific herbicides (e.g., fluridone and 2,4-D). Identifying resistant and susceptible strains can inform managers as to whether a specific herbicide should be used to treat a water body. However, to date, no centralized location existed to house and share M. spicatum and M. spicatum × M. sibiricum strain and herbicide response information. To address this need, we built MilfoilMapper, a publicly available, user-friendly R Shiny application that houses invasive M. spicatum sensu lato strain distribution and herbicide response information. To date, we have identified 290 strains from more than 300 lakes across the United States sent by state agencies, aquatic plant managers, and citizen scientists. Although some strains are found only in a single lake, some strains have been found in multiple lakes. Therefore, strain information obtained from either the field or the lab can be applied to additional lakes where these strains are found. We encourage people to incorporate genetic surveying and monitoring into their M. spicatum management plans to help identify strains that should be prioritized for herbicide characterization. We believe MilfoilMapper will facilitate and encourage these actions by providing a centralized, interactive platform for tracking M. spicatum and M. spicatum × M. sibiricum strain data, enabling lake managers, stakeholders, and state agencies to share experiences and resources to improve the efficacy and efficiency of invasive M. spicatum sensu lato management.
The Missing Mechanic: Behavioral Affordances as the Limiting Factor in Generalizing HTML Controls
(ACM, 2025-08) Petros, Alexander William; Gross, Carson; Shaffer, Dillon; Revelle, Matthew
In this paper, we analyze a set of three proposals—titled Triptych—which carefully extend HTML to support more generalized hypermedia controls. We evaluate the expressive power of these proposals by demonstrating which user experience patterns they make possible to describe in HTML, and which patterns remain unsupported. We also introduce the concept of behavorial affordances which characterize common UX patterns in web applications. Through this analysis of UX patterns, we show that HTML currently lacks a native mechanism for expressing behavioral affordances. Finally, we theorize a mechanism for defining arbitrary behavioral affordances that could fill this expressive gap.
The Relationship Between Racial Discrimination and White Matter Among Black Older Adults
(Elsevier BV, 2025-07) Palms, Jordan D.; Lee, Ji Hyun; Sol, Ketlyne; Walters, Monica E.; Scambray, Kiana A.; Morales, Clarissa D.; Alshikho, Mohamad J.; Lao, Patrick J.; Manly, Jennifer J.; Brickman, Adam M.; Zahodne, Laura B.
Black older adults experience worse brain and cognitive aging than White older adults, on average. Racially patterned psychosocial stressors may contribute to these disparities. Maintaining white matter health is important for cognitive aging, particularly among Black older adults, and it is uniquely vulnerable to stress. Examining associations between racial discrimination and white matter may elucidate mechanisms of disparities. A sample of Black older adults in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging project were included (N = 217). Everyday and major life discrimination were self-reported on well-validated scales. Diffusion tensor imaging quantified white matter fractional anisotropy (FA). Multivariable regressions revealed more major life discrimination was associated with lower FA in the cingulum cingulate gyrus, forceps major, forceps minor, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus but greater FA in the superior longitudinal fasciculus temporal projection. Everyday discrimination was not associated with FA. Findings suggest that institutional racism may have a stronger effect on white matter tracts corresponding to cognitive and emotional/affective processing than interpersonal racism. White matter health may be a mechanism through which racially patterned stressors contribute to disparities in brain and cognitive aging.
Critical Care Work Environments and Personal Safety
(Elsevier BV, 2025-08) Springer, Kristen W.
Workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare, especially in high-stress environments like ICUs, is rising and often underreported. Nurses are the most affected, facing both patient-initiated violence—often due to delirium—and interpersonal aggression such as bullying. WPV leads to burnout, job dissatisfaction, turnover, and compromised patient care. Despite the high costs, there are no national mandates for prevention. Evidence supports a multifaceted approach including OSHA, NICE, and RNAO guidelines, focused on policy changes, staff training, and supportive workplace culture. Reporting mechanisms and leadership accountability are key to improving safety and reducing the prevalence and impact of WPV.