Montana State University Billings

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Diversity and Founder Power in Global Start-Up Teams: Implications for Strategic Consensus
(Academic OASIS, 2013) Mori, Patricio
Drawing on Attribution Theory, this paper argues that conditions at founding affect strategic consensus, and its evolution in Global Start ups. High Founder Power and Low Functional Diversity are hypothesized to produce a high level of Strategic consensus in the Global founding team. Time is hypothesized to moderate the relationship between Functional Diversity and Strategic Consensus and also the relationship between Founder Power and Strategic Consensus. Relative Experience and Relative Educational level of the most Powerful Founder are proposed as moderators of the relationship between Founder Power and Consensus. A model for Strategic Consensus in Global Startups is proposed.
Leveraging Innovation in Family Startups: A Stewardship Approach
(Academic OASIS, 2014) Mori, Patricio
Family firms are often criticized for failing to seek new ventures, being conservative and resisting change. On the other hand, researchers believe that certain characteristics in family relationship can foster strategic flexibility. Drawing on Stewardship theory, this paper, rather than arguing in favor or against family business innovation, takes a contingency approach and analyzes variables that may affect innovation in family startups and the conditions that leverage their family resources as competitive advantage. Specifically, this paper proposes that altruism, power concentration and their interaction affect strategic flexibility. It is also argued that family business with main founders high in altruism and low on power concentration can become more innovative than when the main founder is low in altruism and high in power concentration. Finally, it is suggested that the effect of altruism on strategic flexibility should be stronger in family business than in non-family business. Implications for theory and practice are derived.
Propensity Score-Matching Methods for Observational Studies: An Application to Stat 216 Data
(2016-04) Theobold, Allison
Many fields of science are faced with the inability to perform randomized experiments, but wish to have the ability to estimate a treatment effect and make causal inference. Propensity score matching is a method that can be used in observational studies to obtain unbiased estimates of the treatment effect. In this paper we consider the theory behind utilizing propensity score matching to obtain these such estimates, as well as explain how to implement propensity score matching in R using the Matching package for data from Montana State University’s Introductory Statistics curriculum.
Bulk optical characterization of dissolved organic matter from semiarid wheat-based cropping systems
(2017-11) Romero, Carlos M.; Engel, Richard E.; D'Andrilli, Juliana; Chen, Cheng-Sao; Zabinski, Catherine A.; Miller, Perry R.; Wallander, R.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a critical role in the cycling of nutrients and long-term agricultural sustainability. The composition of DOM in soil is likely altered due to management, yet there is limited knowledge on the effect of long-term cropping on DOM chemical character. Here, we characterized water extractable DOM composition along a gradient of soil organic carbon (SOC) affected by differing cropping and tillage intensity in a semiarid climate of the northern Great Plains, USA. Soil samples (0–10, 10–20, 20–30 cm) were collected from conventional till-fallow winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; Ftill-W), no-till spring pea/oilseed-wheat (Pisum sativum L.; Pg/O-W), and no-till continuous wheat (W-W) fields, and analyzed using UV/Vis absorbance and excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy. The concentration of DOM decreased with depth and was significantly greater (P < 0.05) under W-W or Pg/O-W than Ftill-W. The absorbance at 254 nm (Abs254), a proxy for DOM aromatic nature, indicated that aromaticity decreased with depth and lower biomass-C inputs (i.e. W-W ≥ Pg/O-W ≥ Ftill-W). Multidimensional parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis revealed humic-like (C1, C2), monolignol-like (C3), and protein/tannin-like (C4) components with varying fluorescence intensities as a function of cropping system and soil depth. DOM humification, indicated by the humification index (HIX), increased significantly with depth (P < 0.05) and was higher for Ftill-W (2.95) than W-W (2.61) or Pg/O-W (2.28). Overall, DOM became depleted of plant-derived constituents and was enriched by more decomposed, condensed substances in Ftill-W, as compared to W-W or Pg/O-W soils. DOM composition is strongly affected by cropping intensity and such changes are important drivers controlling SOC accretion in arable soils.
An Exploration into Social Media Sentiment
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Pratt, Ashley; McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Mentor)
Background:International and United States-specific media outlets cover the same news, but do not always utilize the same language. The COVID-19 Outbreak is an opportunity to analyze the sentiments being utilized to convey information to the masses. Exploring the words used and in what context can lead to more in-depth knowledge of what is being covered and how it is being explained by the media. Aim:The goal of this project is to analyze tweets from ten major news organizations, both local and abroad, by sentiment. News organizations will then be assessed for their portrayal of the pandemic in a positive or negative light, what sentiments they are using and the frequency, and what words are being commonly written together. This project will also be able to assess the discrepancies between US coverage and that of the world. Approach:Data will be processed through RStudio, utilizing sentiment data found in the NRC Emotion Lexicon and Bing Sentiments. The results will be correlated and graphed to show the variance between news coverage and language in the United States versus coverage during the same time abroad. Custom bigrams will also be created to explore more specific word connections, i.e., “COVID,” “corona,” “pandemic,” etc., nationally and internationally. Results: Tweets will be divided into data frames and then analyzed by word by both sentiment programs. Results for each news organization will be appropriately represented. Additionally, bigrams will be run on any words of significance. Results of the analyzed data and any statistical significance will be released. Conclusion: From the results, conclusions will be drawn regarding the sentiments nation and international news outlets utilize day-to-day.
Food Insecurity: Hunger Amongst Senior Citizens in Our Community
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Dawes, Alyssa; Kurkoski, Taylor; Mook, Kimber; Robertus, Sari; Mermel, Virginia (Faculty Mentor)
The Honors Capstone course, Honors 499, has been taught approximately every other year for the past six years. The course focuses on ways to help fight food insecurity among people in our community. Each class chooses to address a specific aspect of food insecurity (see Table 1). The Spring 2020 class, in particular, chose to focus on food insecurity among senior citizens. After a decade of decline, hunger is a growing problem in specific sectors of America due to the increasing income gap between service sector jobs and skilled labor, higher birth rates among the lowest compared to the highest income groups and increasing proportion of the population age 55 and above. It can be seen in any community, including Billings, Montana. This paper examines the risk factors of senior food insecurity, the physical and economic consequences of inadequate food intake, and local and federal aid programs aimed at reducing food insecurity amongst older residents. It also includes our plans to fight food insecurity by partnering college students with local food security non-profits, spreading awareness, and sharing resources through advertising, healthy recipes, and a press conference.
Police Stops Analysis Within the Montana State 2009-2016
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Mazel, Jeannine; McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Mentor)
The purpose of this analysis was to uncover multiple correlations in Montana police stops occurring between the years 2009-2016. Data on the Montana police stops was obtained from The Standford Policing Project. The program Rstudio was utilized in order to calculate and reveal information and correlations surrounding the following:1) Most common race/gender/age group to be stopped; 2) Most common reasons for police stops; 3) Correlations between police stops and racial features; and 4) Geographical information and correlations for police stops across Montana roads, particularly for negligent homicide and DUIs.
Studying and Teaching the Ethical Dilemma of Emily Dickinson
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Barron, Brienna; Nurmi, Thomas (Faculty Mentor)
This essay focuses on the ethical dilemma of studying and teaching the work of American poet Emily Dickinson. Because her work was found and published after her death, studying Dickinson’s works can be viewed as an intrusion of privacy. This essay examines Dickinson’s Envelope Poems–lyrics written on envelopes, wrappers, and loose scraps of paper–to seehow Dickinson herself worked through many of the ethical issues that confront readers today. This essay also explores questions about power structures in our society, specifically within academia. Research for this essay consisted of close reading many ofDickinson’s poems, including her envelope poems and fascicles, and extensive discussion of the lyrics and the ethical questions the work raises. Due to the nature of the subject of this essay, the research process provoked ethical questions of its own. The aim of this essay is to make clear the importance of teaching Emily Dickinson’s work alongside her biography, and the importance of reading her work with the intention of studying the ethical dilemma that her work generates.
Comparing Influenza vaccination rates before and after the H1N1 pandemic
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Brandon, Connor; McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Mentor)
Immunizations are an important public health concern in order to help control the spread of diseases. Influenza is a particularly important seasonal vaccine, as it is updated every year and recommended that all people receive the vaccination. Unfortunately, not everyone receives the vaccine, which can make others more susceptible to contracting the disease andspreading it to others. Using data from the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Immunization Survey (NIS), the number of child and teenage influenza vaccinations were compared before and after the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic of 2009. It was hypothesized that the H1N1 outbreak would lead to an increased rate of vaccinations in both children and teenagers. The data was grouped by geographic region and socioeconomic status. The comparative results show that there was not an increased number of childhoodor teenage vaccinations relative to the total amount of influenza vaccinations that were administered, indicating that the H1N1 pandemic did not cause a greater number of influenza vaccinations in the following years.
Walking Does Not Significantly Improve Word Recall or State Anxiety in a Single Session: A Pilot Study
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Brandon, Connor; McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Mentor)
Research suggests that exercise can improve memory ability (Labban & Etnier, 2011; Martins et al., 2013; Shih, 2017; Standage, 2010) and decrease anxiety (Blacklock et al., 2010; Knapens et al., 2009). The current study hypothesized that an exercise condition will recall more vocabulary words and have greater reductions in state anxiety compared to the sedentary control condition. Participants were randomly divided into either a sedentary control group or an exercise group. Both groups took the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (STAI-AD). Both groups were then given ten minutes to learn15 vocabulary words while either sitting in a chair or walking on a treadmill at 3mph, followed by a 20-minute consolidation period. Participants were asked to recall as many words as they could remember from their task and took the STAI-AD a second time. Paired t-tests were performed for analyzing the reduction in state anxiety and amount of words recalled in both conditions. The pilot results showed the exercise group (n=4) did not remember more vocabulary words compared to the control group (n=2; t = 0.4078, p-value = 0.749). The exercise group did show greater reductions in state anxiety compared to the control group (t = 1.1847, p-value = 0.4298). However, both analyses returned statistically insignificant results due to small sample sizes. Further data will be collected to obtain statistical significance and retest the hypothesis.
Trend of Internet Searches Related to "Coronavirus"
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Hughes, Emily; McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Mentor)
Very evidently, the coronavirus has become a worldwide issue that has sparked panic across many nations. This project examines how Google searches related to coronavirus have spiked and fallen within the last few months since the beginning of the pandemic. Using RStudio -a coding platform -and the specific function “trendyy,” the trend of searches will be shown in graphs, as well as tables. The results show that the searches spike around January and February, and that places such as Italy showed a larger peak in searches for the disease compared to the United States.
Successful Growth of RIL Arabidopsis thalianaOffspring Based on Traits Shared with Parent Plants
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Herriford, Cailen; Comer, Jason (Faculty Mentor)
This study was primarily focused on phenotypic observation of Arabidopsis thaliana offspring from the parent cross of varieties Columbia (CS933) and Landsberg (CS20). Arabidopsis was an ideal organism to use in this study due to its array of distinctive heritable traits and its relatively short life cycle. The offspring used in this study were recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which have been allowed to self-pollinate over a series of generations in order to fix their homozygosity. The RIL offspring of the two Arabidopsis thaliana parent varieties should exhibit a combination of observable traits from both parents. Given that Columbia grows in a warmer region, at a temperature closer to the conditions found in the growth room, it was hypothesized that these parent plants would grow more successfully than the Landsberg parent plants. By this same logic, it was hypothesized that offspring which share more traits with the Columbia parent would be more successful than those offspring which share many traits with Landsberg. The traits that were measured to determine growth success include silique number per plant and number of branch points off the main inflorescence (to determine fecundity), as well as the inflorescence height at the end of the growth period. Ultimately the CS20 parents were found to be less successful at surviving under the given conditions, as they showed the lowest averages in all the categories measured. The majority of the offspring shared two of the most distinctive phenotypic traits with CS933, floppy inflorescence and pointy siliques, while only one offspring line shared the blunt siliques and erect inflorescence found in CS20. Additionally, the most successful offspring lines tended to also be those plants with the largest rosette diameters, which was confirmed to be predictive of success by a linear regression analysis.
Can a Conventional Deadlift Exercise Reduce Low Back Pain in Physical Therapy Patients?
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Cole, Alyssa; Shafer, Alex (Faculty Mentor)
Low back pain is a common health condition affecting 50-80% of American adults. Traditional rehabilitation of the low back includes hip mobility/flexibility and core strengthening/stabilizing exercises. A conventional deadlift executed with proper form, promotes a neutral spine, core stabilization and hip mobility. PURPOSE:To determine the effect of performing a conventional deadlift routine on low back pain. It is hypothesized that the conventional deadlift will provide similar effects as the traditional low back rehabilitation program by reducing pain and improving function. METHODS:Forty participants seeking treatment for lower back pain at an outpatient Physical Therapy (PT) clinic will be recruited to participate in the study. Potential participants will be screened for inclusion/exclusion criterial prior to participation. Half of those who agree to participate will be assigned to the experimental group and receive the additional deadlift exercise routine incorporated into the standard PT administered therapy sessions. The other participants will be assigned to the control group (PT without additional deadlifting). Each participant will complete the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) during the initial visit, mid-point of treatment, and then again at the end of the intervention. The PT staff at the clinic have volunteered to administer the ODI assessment as well as the deadlifting intervention on behalf of the student researcher. EXPECTED RESULTS:Participant characteristics of age, sex, and injury history will be reported. ODI scores and length of treatment will be compared between groups using independent t tests. The results of this study can help to determine whether the benefits of strengthening of the core, hips and back musculature from the deadlift exercise improves patient outcomes beyond a standard low back rehabilitation program. Improving physical therapy treatment options for individuals with low back pain is a critical step in help individuals manage low back related pain and disability.
State Death Penalty Analysis
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-04) Loy, Katherine; Dr. McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Advisor)
The United States has used capital punishment since colonization. Over time some states have abolished it and others have not. There are many databases that have collected information on each state’s policy for the death penalty. Using these databases, I will take a deeper look at the death penalty in the United States as it varies from state to state. I will be using a few different death penalty databases, such as The Death Penalty Information Center, The Condemned and End of its Rope. After I gather data, using RStudio Cloud, I will analyze the data and generate statistics, graphs, and maps. The main areas I would like to look at are: which states still impose the death penalty, when did the other states abolish the death penalty, and what are the different methods of execution that different states use and how has that changed over time.
Who Reads More?: Comparing Book Consumption Between Various Groups
(Montana State University Billings, 2020-05) Donnelly, Andrew J.
In the Pew Research Center (2019) Core Trends Survey for Internet & Tech, one item asked respondents how many books they consumed during the past 12 months. Based on this data, the present research addresses five questions. How are sex and average number of books consumed related? How are generational cohort (Millennials, Generation X, and Boomers) and average number of books consumed related? How are educational attainment and average number of books consumed related? How are income and average number of books consumed related? How are political party affiliation and average number of books consumed related? Analysis (focused on graphics) shows differences across each of the five sets of comparisons.
Relationship between Language Patterns and Antisocial Personality Disorder
(Montana State University Billings, 2021-04) Goettlich, Kiah; McMullen, Matthew (Faculty Mentor)
Background:Presently the diagnosis of personality disorders, particularly those that are concerned with manipulative traits such as those associated with Antisocial Personality Disorder, are extremely time consuming and variable from clinician to clinician. With the rise of social media platforms personal writings over time have become more widely available. If a new system of analysis were to be utilized as a way to help clinical assessments it could significantly reduce the time invested as well as the reliability of the data. Aim:This study was meant to investigate whether there are quantitative differences in language patterns of those identified with a personality disorder (through the use of the MCMI-III) and those without. Approach: Deidentified transcripts of the Adult Attachment Interview were formatted so that text-analysis could be run using the R-studio (Version 1.4.1103) software. The transcripts that were identified as persons with the disorder were randomly paired with those that were identified as not having the disorder. The content analysis included the complexity of the text through the use of each group's lexical diversity, lexical density, and word count. Sentiment analysis was run which assessed not only the number of positive words versus negative but also the most common words under each of those sentiments. Similarly, overarching themes can be seen when the most frequently used words of each condition are compared by themselves and then in pairs (using the bigrams data frame). Results:Based on previous research in this area, it was expected that those with the personality disorder would show themes that are more negative in nature (e.g., aggression, fear, etc.). When the sentiment analysis was run there were differences in common words based on sentiment. However, there were not significant differences when the analyses for the texts complexity were compared.
Mathematics for Social Justice
(Montana State University Billings, 2021-04) Fisher, Elizabeth; Day, Corinne (Faculty Mentor)
This research project shares findings from my study of Social Justice Mathematics (SJM), which is mathematics that focuses on promoting equity within the mathematics classroom, but also on empowering students to understand and confront inequities outside the classroom. As part of my project, I created my own SJM lesson featuring Indian Education for All. In this lesson, students will learn through math that there is something happening on the reservations that is causing them to have higher rates of COVID cases and subsequently more deaths. In this lesson, students will calculate the percentages of current COVID cases for each demographic population in Montana and analyze data and identify discrepancies in COVID rates among ethnic groups. This lesson helps students start conversations about why this is occurring, how federal policy affects life on American Indian Reservations, and discuss what they can do to try to help change this.
"Idiots and Distracted Persons:" Shifting Views on Mental Health in Eighteenth Century Colonial America
(Montana State University Billings, 2021-04) Tiry, Jessica; Arendt, Emily
With research deriving from many historians, and the help of Dr. Arendt, this project explores the eighteenth-century colonial period’s shifting views of mental health. These views during this time period were not solely based on religious standpoints, but medical aspects as well, as there was a new growth of knowledge into the strange minds of human beings. This would eventually lead Americans to view mental illness as a result of actions made by the individual. There were several influences which led to the shifting views on mental health, and each influence was connected and opened the path for another influence. These major shifts encompass changes from religious, political, and medical influences which tracked along one another in the eighteenth century. A major influence on shifting perceptions of mental illness was Native American traditions and beliefs, and minor influences that contributed to major intellectual shifts on mental illness include Cotton Mather, the father to modern medicine Benjamin Rush, and the role of natural law in American Colonies. Although medical explanations and treatments have drastically changed over three centuries, stigma towards those affected by mental illness has not changed since the eighteenth century. Colonial America opened the gates for medicine to be an answer to problems with the human mind, but stigma and treatment of these people were never changed—maybe these people will always be viewed as “idiots and distracted persons.”
A Crisis Like Never Before: The Economic and Ideological Divide of the Colonists and Britain, 1763-1769
(Montana State University Billings, 2021-04) Tecca, Lauryn; Arendt, Emily (Faculty Mentor)
This research seeks to prove that the debt crisis in Britain following the Seven Years’ War manifested itself as an economic and ideological crisis for colonial America. It seeks to examine the shockwaves that follow the first Acts passed by Britain in regards to taxation that left colonists angry and obstinate. It explores the idea of the Seven Years’ War as an economic anomaly for Britain and the colonists alike. Major themes include the impact of the economy on ideals, the nature of the economic issues following the Seven Years’ War, and rifts between colonists and Britain as a result of the Stamp Act of 1765. It will rely on primary sources, specifically newspapers and journals. Based on this primary evidence, it will seek to prove that the economic consequences of the Seven Years’ War became much more ideological in nature, forcing Britain to relinquish its hold on America.
Introduction to Intersex and Intersexuality
(Montana State University Billings, 2021-04) Hostman, Seth; McNeill, Vanessa (Faculty Mentor)
There is an extraordinarily special moment in life for many couples--the magical day when they welcome a newborn child into the word. Everyone is excited for the pink or blue, male or female baby that is being brought into this world. Naturally, people try to prepare for these moments. They set up a nursery, stockpile diapers, and begin to buy clothes and other items so they can be ready for the child about to be. While this would ideally be straightforward thinking and acting for new parents it is not always this simple. Picture the parents prepared and anxious for the news--they are having a boy, or they are having a girl. However, no one can truly prepare themselves for the news that their child is neither male nor female, but that the newborn infant is intersexed. Another term used today to understand the complexity of this situation is to describe this is as someone born with ambiguous genitalia. However, this term still does not fully explain the infrequent situation where this occurs. There are several components that must first be examined in order understand the terms intersex and intersexuality