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Item Design and fabrication of an automated soil-water micro-sampling system(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2023) Collins, Daniel David; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephan WarnatSustainable management of soil nutrients is a challenge for food production to meet the nutritional demands of a growing population of humans, which has surpassed eight billion. Informed management decisions toward maintaining suitable availability of plant macronutrients in soils without excess fertilizer inputs is limited by the ability to collect and analyze water chemistry in small sample volumes extracted from intact soils over time. Additionally, the semi-arid climate and increasingly more frequent meteorological drought conditions in soil systems like the agricultural regions of the Northern Great Plains limit the practicality of conventional soil-water collection and analysis techniques due to the small amounts of water available in the shallow vadose zone during the growing season. In this work, I present progress toward a solution at the intersection of automation, microfabrication, and environmental monitoring systems. The Microfluidic Environmental Solute Analysis (MESA) system has the potential to allow multiple deployments providing enhanced spatial and temporal resolution compared to conventional soil-water collection techniques in measurements of soil water solutes critical to understanding the soil chemistry that supports agricultural production. Using only 100 microliters of water extracted from the soil, the MESA system provides onboard, real-time electrical conductivity analysis (future work will include temperature, pH, and nitrate sensing). The electrical conductivity (EC) sensor uses single-frequency electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to measure the bulk fluid resistance within the measurement chamber of the MSM. Calibration of the MSM of EC ranging from 100 - 6440 microseconds cm -1 has shown that the cell constant is 9.530 cm -1, although this parameter is sensor and package dependent. In-situ conductivity measurements in engineered soil columns have revealed that the sand tested has an intrinsic conductivity of approximately 380 microseconds cm -1. The maintenance-free system is intended to be buried in the soil and provide automatic measurements throughout the Montana growing season without being disturbed. The deployment of the MESA system can provide researchers with new data that may enhance our understanding of biogeochemical cycling in dry-land agricultural settings.Item Interdepartmental transitions of care: a quality improvement project(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2023) Crass, Kami Magdalene; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Margaret HammerslaBackground: Lack of standardization and communication failures during interdepartmental transitions of care frequently contribute toward sentinel events and medical errors. Local Problem: At a hospital in Montana, lack of standardization and communication failures during interdepartmental handoffs resulted in potential and actual patient safety events. The purpose of this project was to implement a standardized interdepartmental handoff process utilizing a newly developed tool to improve patient safety and nursing staff satisfaction during intradepartmental handoffs. Methods: Incident reports and nurse satisfaction surveys pertaining to interdepartmental patient transfers from the Cardiac Cath Lab to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were reviewed pre-and post-implementation of the standardized handoff tool. Intervention: A standardized process utilizing a customized, paper IPASS (Illness severity, Patient summary, Action items, Situation monitoring/Contingency planning, and Synthesis) mnemonic tool was developed and implemented during this project. Results: No handoff incidents were reported and nurse satisfaction pertaining to handoff report between the Cardiac Cath Lab and ICU nurses improved after implementing the IPASS tool. Suboptimal tool usage rates indicate future improvements are required. Conclusions: This project implemented a customized, standardized, handwritten Cardiac Cath Lab-to-ICU handoff tool. Although reported patient safety events declined and nursing satisfaction improved, suboptimal tool use indicates the need for embedding the tool into the electronic medical record.Item Investigations of the gut-brain-metabolism axis in familial dysautonomia(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Cheney, Alexandra Marie; Co-chairs, Graduate Committee: Frances Lefcort; Valerie Copie; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Familial dysautonomia (FD), a neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease primarily present in Eastern European Jewish populations, is a useful model system to explore the effects of neuronal dysregulation, particularly in the developing field of the gut-brain-metabolism axis. FD originates from a single genetic mutation in the ELP1 gene and differs from other neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and autism that are dependent on multiple factors. Metabolic and gut impairments have been observed in FD patients, but only symptom management has been pursued without further exploration into the underlying disease pathophysiology. To better understand how the gut environment changes as a result of neuronal dysregulation and how this impacts the gut-brain-metabolism axis in FD patients, several studies of both human and FD mouse model samples were undertaken. Serum and stool samples from FD patients and their relatives were analyzed for metabolic alterations using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)-based metabolomics. Stool samples from both a human cohort and FD mice were also analyzed for gut bacterial diversity via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, stool metabolomes of FD mice were analyzed for metabolic alterations. The FD mouse model enabled us to explore how gut physiology changed during disease progression using gut histological methods and gut function assays. Our studies demonstrated significant changes in the metabolomes and gut microbiomes of FD patients compared to their healthy relative controls. Additionally, the FD mouse model, a pan-neuronal Elp1 conditional knock out, was sufficient to drive metabolic and gut microbiome changes, and impair gut barrier function compared to control mice. When FD mice cohabitated with healthy control mice and were able to exchange gut microbes via stool consumption, the cohoused FD mice improved in overall health and gut function. Our studies found that the gut microbiome and metabolome of cohoused FD mice were comparable to their cohoused control counterparts. Overall, this work has enhanced our understanding of the gut-brain-metabolism axis in Familial dysautonomia and has provided insights into underlying molecular mechanisms, which may be potential targets for therapeutic interventions, including the use of metabolic supplements and/or altering the gut microbiome.Item Do we practice what we teach? Examining the affective reading dispositions of preservice elementary education students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2023) Knickerbocker, Michelle Tappmeyer; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sarah PenningtonUsing a narrative inquiry approach, this study attempts to address the issue of helping first-year elementary education students gain explicit understanding of their own affective reading dispositions and the past reading experiences that influenced their development and how their ARDs may influence the choices they make as teachers. Data was collected through the Literacy Habits Questionnaire (Applegate et al., 2014), two, one-on-one interviews, two group meetings, and reading autobiographical artifacts created by the participants. The theoretical framework used to support the study combined Beer's (1996) reading typology and McKenna's (2001) development of reading attitudes theory which highlight the importance of considering how the cognitive, sociocultural, and affective reading experiences affect reading identity and one's choice to read or not to read. As a collaborative experience, designed with the researcher as participant, this study also shines a light on how teacher educators may or may not address their students' ARDs and provide positive reading experiences to aid in reinforcing or adjusting students' ARDs before the enter the classroom as teachers. The results of this study indicate that providing a collaborative, interactive, reflective process focused on past reading experiences and the development of ARDs may provide students with new perspectives and address misconceptions about teaching and learning reading. Additionally, it reminds teacher educators that we cannot assume that all students entering a TEP have positive ARDs and/or are proficient readers. These are dispositional aspects that should be examined and addressed.Item Artistic strategy and influencing the audience in animated documentary filmmaking(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2023) Brosamer-Senger, Mary Katherine; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Cindy StillwellThe artistic approach of animated documentary film provides a framework for mixing artistic strategy with individual expression, giving the filmmaker an influence of the subjective meaning in each frame. This paper will examine three types of artistic choices: color, image design, and medium, and how each of these creative choices derives an alternative and complementary understanding of the filmmaker or subject. I will then analyze these creative choices more deeply in three animated films, 'Waltz with Bashir', 'Flee' and my student film 'Lucid', and show how the creative techniques used in each of these films helped the filmmaker form an alternative and emotional layer of connection with the audience.Item Quality improvement project: comorbid eating disorders during psychiatric inpatient hospitalization(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2023) Banta, Christine Michelle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Margaret HammerslaBackground. Eating disorders (ED) are the second leading cause of psychiatric deaths. Children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders are at an increased risk of comorbid ED. Local Problem. A pediatric psychiatric inpatient hospital has a reputable psychiatric inpatient program; however, the subspecialty of EDs is less established at the facility. Thirty-one percent of admissions over 12 months had positive ED screening results. Methods. This quality improvement (QI) project identified areas to improve communication and transitions of care using the Donabedian model, which focuses on structure, process, and outcome. The QI project was implemented over a seven-week timeframe, utilizing nursing, medical, and non-nursing professionals. Implementation. The QI project developed process modifications to increase the transition of care pathways, communication, and overall ED awareness. Four means of process changes involved the development of a community ED resource list, anticipated aftercare needs, documentation of positive ED screening results from admissions to the inpatient unit, registered dietitian referral, and anticipated discharge needs for follow-up care. Results. Over the QI seven-week timeframe, 42.6% of the psychiatric hospital admissions had positive ED screening. The process change compliance was strongest with nursing and family nurse practitioner staff. The anticipated aftercare needs and use of ED discharge follow-up provided limited data. Conclusion. More pathways need to be established to support comorbid ED care in the inpatient psychiatric setting and transition to outpatient care. The results identified further gaps consistent with current literature, which focuses on validated ED screening tools, barriers to implementation, routes of communication, and roles of PCPs. Comorbid EDs are complex and elusive, requiring treatment pathways to increase awareness, screening, communication, and support during transitions of care.Item Increasing postpartum depression screening in the postpartum period(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2023) Courville, Diamond; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Amanda H. LucasPostpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 15% to 20% of mothers and is the most common obstetric complication and leading cause of maternal mortality, which can be avoided with identification and intervention. The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were used throughout a 4-week pre- and post-intervention in a primary practice that provides postpartum care, whose PPD screenings were inconsistent and without a standardized screening tool. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate post-intervention changes. By providing education to all clinicians, adding the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) into standard provider practice, developing an algorithm for PPD screening and mental health referral, and developing patient education through a maternal wellness packer, the project aimed to enhance PPD screening up to 100% by project completion. When postpartum patients screened positive, the goal was that 100% of these patients were offered a referral to mental health and a maternal wellness packet. The goal of 100% staff education was achieved. Although the limited 4-week timeline allowed for only two postpartum patients, the 100% PPD screening goal was met and both were offered a referral and the maternal wellness packet, of which only one accepted services. Consistent universal PPD screening with standardized screening tools, such as the EDPS and PHQ-9, and process provided by the project's workflow process, increased overall PPD screening rates allowing for early identification and intervention.Item Rainfall and the resettlement of the Pacific Northwest(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Griffis, Corey Lane Rowlett; Co-chairs, Graduate Committee: Catherine Dunlop and Mark FiegeThe Pacific Northwest has a reputation for rainfall. The region's relationship with that reputation is not uniform: some love it, some hate it, some deny that it should even exist. But this reputation -- and the role of rainfall in regional identity and everyday life -- has historical roots. This thesis considers rainfall as a powerful environmental force with profound impacts on the history of the Pacific Northwest. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship, diaries, letters, advertisements, promotional pamphlets, newspaper articles, travelogues, and other primary source documents, this thesis reframes the imperial and colonial history of the Pacific Northwest through the lens of rainfall. I cover the period between 1543 and about 1900. My argument is that rainfall has had visceral, embodied impacts on how Euro-Americans encountered, perceived, and experienced the Pacific Northwest for almost five centuries. Rainfall played a key role in discouraging almost all interest in permanent colonial settlement from 1543 through around 1830, and the rainy season profoundly shaped the rhythms of both the maritime and overland fur trade. Throughout this period, Indigenous knowledge of rainfall formed a point of leverage against imperial power. Beginning in the 1830s, American promoters flipped the script, emphasizing rainfall in narratives of the Northwest's potential as a haven for white agrarianism. Just like early navigators and fur traders, however, settlers struggled to adapt to the rhythms of the rainy season, which created new forms of isolation and inequality. The response of settler society to rainfall's power has been to terraform the environment to try and control how rainfall manifests upon the landscape. As climate change fundamentally alters human-environment entanglements and reinforces structural inequities in how people experience weather and climate, it is also challenging our senses of place, of home. Rather than seeking new ways to dominate our changing environments and insulate ourselves further from the elements, we need to imagine new ways of living with weather and climate that are resilient, equitable, and grounded in the everyday dignities and indignities of being human. By learning to live with rainfall, we can redefine what it means to call the Northwest home.Item Clinical practice guidelines for screening of HIV and HCV at a health promotion mobile unit: critical appraisal using the AGREE II instrument(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2023) Giovenco, Meghan Louise; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Molly SecorThe state of Montana has seen an increase in HIV and HCV over the years and relates the trend with the opioid crisis and people who inject drugs. An approach to decrease transmission rates and provide access to treatment is to increase screening. Purpose: To better inform decision-making at a mobile unit in Lewis and Clark County (LCC), a specialty formulated screening clinical practice guideline (CPG) and work process flow was created. The present study aims to evaluate the quality of CPGs for screening for HIV and HCV at a mobile site in LCC. Methods: The guidelines and process flow were created with the guidance of searching for evidence. A review of national guidelines and literature was performed on HIV and HCV screening and prevention. Data were used to inform development of the CPG. Four independent scorers evaluated the screening guideline and process flow quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation version II (AGREE II) instrument. Results: The quality of the CPGs was rated high, with the majority of the reviewers rating the CPGs as the highest quality, scoring between 6 and 7 points. The overall quality of the CPGs was the highest quality, with an overall score of 95% and the lowest quality score of 86%. Conclusion: Appraisers agree that the CPGs and workflow process for the mobile unit in LCC meet the requirements for use and recommendation. Future research and exploration of screening at mobile sites are necessary to understand the effectiveness of HIV and HCV prevention for future replication in other rural areas in the state.Item Hardware and software development for implementation of fast and safe charging of commercial lihtium-ion batteries(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2023) Hedding, Noah Robert; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Hongwei GaoFrom single cells in handheld electronics to enormous packs in battery electric vehicles (BEV), batteries govern modern life. Lithium ion batteries (LIB) present the best available commercially available products for these applications; they have the highest energy densities and can output currents many times their capacity. But safely charging LIBs requires a slow and detailed process which is typically unacceptable for use in BEV and other rugged handheld devices; therefore, decreasing the required charging time would be greatly beneficial. Fast charging methods do present dangers and concerns. Unmonitored fast charging of LIBs allows for the potential of lithium plating where the lithium ions within the cell are converted to metallic lithium at the battery anode. Lithium plating can remove these ions from the charging and discharging process causing reductions in battery capacity. The metallic lithium structures formed also present the dangers of short circuit and thermal runaway. In this thesis, a charging protocol is developed using equivalent circuit models and experimentation with the goal of the elimination of lithium plating. First, equivalent models of a test cell were determined and validated. Then, this test cell was used to find the fast charging protocol both experimentally and through the use the equivalent circuit elements. Custom power electronics and software were then developed to implement the proposed charging protocol on commercial LIBs for 350 cycles. The results of this experiment show that the charging protocol did not create noticeable lithium plating while decreasing the charging time required by a typical constant current - constant voltage (CC/CV) from 50 minutes to 29 minutes. The proposed charging protocol decreased the charging time without stressing the LIB beyond its set limitation.