Mountain West Research Articles

An Event-Based Inventory Approach in Landslide Hazard Assessment: The Case of the Skolis Mountain, Northwest Peloponnese, Greece

Assessment of landslide hazard across mountains is imperative for public safety. Pre- and post-earthquake landslide mapping envisage that landslides show significant size changes during earthquake activity. One of the purposes of earthquake-induced landslide investigation is to determine the landslide state and geometry and draw conclusions on their mobility. This study was based on remote sensing data that covered 72 years, and focused on the west slopes of the Skolis Mountains, in the northwest Peloponnese. On 8 June 2008, during the strong Movri Mountain earthquake (Mw = 6.4), we mapped the extremely abundant landslide occurrence. Historical seismicity and remote sensing data indicate that the Skolis Mountain west slope is repeatedly affected by landslides. The impact of the earthquakes was based on the estimation of Arias intensity in the study area. We recognized that 89 landslides developed over the last 72 years. These landslides increased their width (W), called herein as inflation or their length (L), termed as enlargement. Length and width changes were used to describe their aspect ratio (L/W). Based on the aspect ratio, the 89 landslides were classified into three types: I, J, and Δ. Taluses, developed at the base of the slope and belonging to the J- and Δ-landslide types, are supplied by narrow or irregular channels. During the earthquakes, the landslide channels migrated upward and downward, outlining the mobility of the earthquake-induced landslides. Landslide mobility was defined by the reach angle. The reach angle is the arctangent of the landslide’s height to length ratio. Furthermore, we analyzed the present slope stability across the Skolis Mountain by using the landslide density (LD), landslide area percentage (LAP), and landslide frequency (LF). All these parameters were used to evaluate the spatial and temporal landslide distribution and evolution with the earthquake activity. These results can be considered as a powerful tool for earthquake-induced landslide disaster mitigation

The Experience and Management of Fatigue: A Study of Mine Haulage Operators

Fatigue in mining operations is a serious issue and a significant contributor to incidents and accidents. While mine operators are using or introducing new technology to monitor operator fatigue, there is little work that focuses on the subjective experience of fatigue and the use of fatigue monitoring technology. To investigate this issue, eight focus groups with a total of 44 operators of heavy haulage equipment working for two mining companies in the Mountain West of the USA participated in 1-h focus groups. The topic of the focus groups was the experience of operator fatigue and issues surrounding fatigue at the workplace. The results of the content analyses suggest that operators are well aware of the signs of fatigue, and that they understand the severity of these signs as well. In addition, they are aware of the effect of fatigue on driving performance and are using a wide range of methods to manage fatigue. Finally, based on participants’ assessment, current fatigue monitoring systems lack face validity and reliability and are perceived as not being effective. The results of this study emphasize the importance of a socio-technical systems perspective in the context of miner health and safety management. Only such a comprehensive perspective can result in improvements that are sustainable.

Hydrological functioning of a beaver dam sequence and regional dam persistence during an extreme rainstorm

AbstractIt is becoming increasingly popular to reintroduce beaver to streams with the hopes of restoring riparian ecosystem function or reducing some of the hydrological impacts of climate change. One of the risks of relying on beaver to enhance ecosystem water storage is that their dams are reportedly more apt to fail during floods which can exacerbate flood severity. Missing are observations of beaver dam persistence and water storage capacity during floods, information needed to evaluate the risk of relying on beaver as a nature‐based flood solution. A June rainstorm in 2013 triggered the largest recorded flood in the Canadian Rocky Mountains west of Calgary, Alberta. We opportunistically recorded hydrometric data during the rainfall event at a beaver‐occupied peatland that has been studied for more than a decade. We supplemented these observations with a post‐event regional analysis of beaver dam persistence. Results do not support two long‐held hypotheses—that beaver ponds have limited flood attenuation capacity and commonly fail during large flood events. Instead we found that 68% of the beaver dam cascade systems across the region were intact or partially intact after the event. Pond fullness, in addition to the magnitude of the water‐sediment surge, emerged as important factors in determining the structural fate of dam cascade sequences. Beaver ponds at the instrumented site quickly filled in the first few hours of the rain event and levels were dynamic during the event. Water storage offered by the beaver ponds, even ones that failed, delayed downstream floodwater transmission. Study findings have important implications for reintroducing beaver as part of nature‐based restoration and climate change adaptation strategies.

Changes In Physical Activity Patterns Upon Transitioning To College And Away From Organized Sports Participation

The trend for individuals between 18 and 24 years of age, many of whom are undertaking tertiary education, is to reduce their amount of physical activity upon their transition to college. Reasons cited for the decline in physical activity among these vulnerable individuals usually include ‘not enough time’ due to studying and taking exams, yet different physical activity opportunities for college students may also influence how these individuals change if and how they remain physically active. PURPOSE: To examine changes in physical activity patterns in students who recently transitioned from high school to college. METHODS: A Qualtrics survey was emailed to approximately 3,500 undergraduate students who lived in the residence halls at a moderately-large Mountain West university during the 2016-2017 and the 2017-2018 academic school years. Survey questions addressed known correlates of physical activity such as age, sex, self-efficacy, attitude, history of physical activity, and social environment. RESULTS: Two-hundred thirteen students responded to the survey, and approximately 73% of the respondents who reported that they were physically active on a regular basis when they were in high school remained so during their first year in college. There was a significant association of previous activity levels and whether these students continued to be active when they were in college (χ2=10.3973, df=1, p-value=0.001262, p<0.01). Also, survey respondents reported an 88% reduction in organized sports participation (e.g., high school basketball, soccer, and volleyball team sports) and a concomitant 87% increase in activities such as ‘personal workouts,’ running, and weight training. CONCLUSIONS: Student suggestions to enhance engagement in physical activity on campus included better advertisement of Campus Rec programs and reduced costs for intramurals and group exercise classes suggesting increased opportunities to engage more in organized sports and activities.

Mountain West 2020 Abstract Supplement

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLASTIC SURGEONS PLASTIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY PRS GLOBAL OPEN ASPS EDUCATION NETWORK AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLASTIC SURGEONS PLASTIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY PRS GLOBAL OPEN ASPS EDUCATION NETWORK

The Determinants of the Economic-Sexual Exchange Faced with the Risks of Aids to Humans (The Mountainous West of the Ivory Coast)

The Determinants of the Economic-Sexual Exchange Faced with the Risks of Aids to Humans (The Mountainous West of the Ivory Coast)

The 2016 Presidential Election and Automation in the Mountain West

The 2016 Presidential Election and Automation in the Mountain West

Caring for Miners During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

Caring for Miners During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

Abstract C079: The burden of cancer among homeless adults in the Mountain West: A Utah statewide population-based study

Abstract Background: The population of homeless individuals is at high risk of death from various causes due to lifestyle and behaviors. We and others have previously shown that cancer is a leading cause of death among homeless individuals in metropolitan Detroit, Philadelphia, and Boston. However, the burden of cancer among homeless adults has not been investigated in the Mountain West region of the United States. We assessed the epidemiology of cancer among adults who were homeless at cancer diagnosis in the state of Utah. Patients and Methods: Using data from the Utah Cancer Registry, a population-based cancer registry and founding member of the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, homeless adults (aged 20+ years) were identified through Utah address at cancer diagnosis listed as a homeless shelter, hospital, city park, or supplemental field indicating homelessness between 1973 and 2015. Clinicopathologic, demographic, and geographic characteristics were examined. Age-adjusted, sex-specific proportional incidence ratios (PIRs) compared site-specific cancer incidence in homeless adults to cancer incidence in the entire adult Utah (referent) population. Examination of disparities in overall survival among homeless persons compared to a propensity-score matched referent group, and by Utah geographical regions (rural vs urban areas), is currently under way. Results: 241 individuals were identified as homeless at first primary cancer diagnosis. Homeless individuals were diagnosed with cancer in 14 Utah counties state-wide, with over one-third (34.9%) of cases diagnosed outside of the largest urban county, Salt Lake County. Based on death certificate information, 61.0% of deaths among homeless adults with cancer were coded as disease specific. Homeless men showed an excess of 158% in incidence of respiratory system cancers compared to men in the referent population with cancer (PIR 2.58, 95% CI 1.93-3.45). Proportionally, an excess of 300% in melanoma incidence (PIR 4.00, 95% CI 2.95-5.42) was noted among homeless women compared to the referent female population diagnosed with cancer. Conclusions: Our study is the first to conduct a statewide investigation to define the presentation of cancer and patterns of cancer incidence among homeless adults in Utah. The statistically significant increase in proportional incidence of cancers of the respiratory system among homeless men may be partially attributed to the culture of tobacco use and increased smoking uptake around homeless shelters. A higher proportion of melanoma among homeless women compared to the referent female population may be partly accounted for by known skin cancer risk factors, including excess sun exposure and high elevation. The leading cause of death among homeless cancer patients in Utah was reported as disease related. Together, these insights emphasize the importance of establishing prevention and intervention strategies to improve the health of homeless persons. Citation Format: Andreana N. Holowatyj, Lisa M. Pappas, Kimberly Herget, Macy Barrios, Caroline Himbert, Marjorie Carter, Jennifer A. Doherty, Carol Sweeney, Cornelia M. Ulrich. The burden of cancer among homeless adults in the Mountain West: A Utah statewide population-based study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr C079.

Spatial Variation in Socio-ecological Vulnerability to COVID-19 in the Contiguous United States

The health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic vary across space because social, economic, health and ecological factors are also spatially variable. Social vulnerability indices are attempts to create a relative ranking of vulnerability to a natural or anthropogenic hazard across space and have been widely used to quantify community vulnerability to natural disasters. Here, we develop a hierarchical socio-ecological vulnerability index that compares counties in the contiguous United States based on 18 variables grouped into four dimensions (ecological, social, health, and economic) in order to capture a range of factors that might contribute to community vulnerability to COVID-19. Variables were chosen based on a review of the emerging literature about the factors associated with poor health outcomes from COVID-19, information about the economic sectors most at risk from the pandemic and pandemic response, and existing social vulnerability indices. We find that socio-ecological vulnerability to COVID-19 and its related economic effects varies across the contiguous U.S., with especially high vulnerability in the Southeast U.S. and especially low vulnerability in the Upper Midwest, Great Plains, and Mountain West.

Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

AbstractAs atmospheric dust deposition continues to increase across the southwestern United States, it has the potential to alter ecosystem productivity and structure by delivering nutrients, base cations, and pollutants to remote mountain sites. Due to the sparse distribution of dust monitoring sites, open questions remain about the spatial and temporal variability of dust fluxes and composition across mountainous terrain. We present a 1 year (November 2017 to November 2018) record of seasonal dust fluxes and composition from an elevation transect across the Colorado Front Range extending from the urban plains to the remote alpine. At all nine sites, dust was enriched in the essential nutrient phosphorus and the metals copper, zinc, lead, and cadmium, elements that are enriched in dust deposited at sites across the Rocky Mountain West. We observed a seasonal pattern in dust composition, with the highest concentrations of zinc and cadmium during the summer, when back trajectory modeling suggested a greater contribution of dust from local urban and agricultural regions to the east of the collection sites. During the summer, there was also a trend of higher dust fluxes at lower elevations; dust fluxes ranged from 18.9 ± 0.1 g m−2 yr−1 on the plains to 5.9 ± 0.2 g m−2 yr−1 in the alpine. Our results suggest that urban and agricultural land east of the Colorado Front Range is an important source of nutrients and pollutants to all elevations of the mountain range.

Regional Variation in Rates of Total Knee Arthroplasty Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Rates of total knee arthroplasty vary widely across the United States. Whether this variation is associated with differences in patient characteristics or physician practice is unknown. To determine regional variations in rates of total knee arthroplasty after accounting for the prevalence of knee arthritis and other potentially associated patient risk factors and to assess the correlation of these variations with measures of access to care and surgical indications. This retrospective national cohort study used Medicare data on more than 24 million deidentified beneficiaries annually from 2011 to 2015. Individuals included had fee-for-service coverage, were 65 to 89 years of age, and resided in 1 of 306 health referral regions. Data were analyzed from September 13, 2018, to August 15, 2019. Rate of primary total knee arthroplasty indexed to the national rate using observed to expected ratios. The expected numbers of arthroplasty procedures were derived from estimates based on beneficiaries' demographic and clinical characteristics. Observed to expected ratios were confounded by race/ethnicity; thus race/ethnicity-stratified analyses were conducted. In 2011, there were 218 282 total knee arthroplasty procedures among 24 583 706 white Medicare beneficiaries (mean [SD] age 74.2 [6.9] years; 54.6% women). The rate of arthroplasty during the study period (5 years) was 9.3 per 1000 person-years. Adjustment for clinical characteristics reduced the spread in observed to expected ratios among regions by 29% compared with adjustment for age and sex alone. However, substantial variation remained, with observed to expected ratios that ranged from 0.61 in Newark, New Jersey, to 1.82 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. High ratios were primarily present in the upper Midwest, Great Plains, and Mountain West regions. Higher ratios were associated with regions where beneficiaries had fewer outpatient visits (Spearman correlation [r], -0.64; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.56) and with regions having more surgeons per capita who performed knee arthroplasty (r = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.16-0.37). Higher ratios were associated with higher rates of arthroplasty procedures among beneficiaries with dementia (r = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.25-0.46), peripheral vascular disease (r = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.42-0.61), and skin ulcers (r = 0.43; 95% CI, 0.32-0.53), which are relative contraindications to arthroplasty. Substantial regional variation in rates of total knee arthroplasty remained after adjustment for patient characteristics. Coexistence of high observed to expected ratios and high rates among patients at greater surgical risk suggested overuse of knee arthroplasty in some regions.

A new Cryptocoryne species (Araceae) from the Schwaner mountains, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

A new species, Cryptocoryne tirtadinatae, from the Schwaner mountains West Kalimantan, Indonesia is described and illustrated. It differs significantly from all other Cryptocoryne species by the short leathery leaves, with the leaf blades shining green–purple pinkish with green markings on the upper surface, and the short spathe with a reddish limb and red spotted tube opening. The chromosome number 2n = 24, is the first report of this number for the genus.

The delayed effect of wildfire season particulate matter on subsequent influenza season in a mountain west region of the USA

Particularly in rural settings, there has been little research regarding the health impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during the wildfire season smoke exposure period on respiratory diseases, such as influenza, and their associated outbreaks months later. We examined the delayed effects of PM2.5 concentrations for the short-lag (1–4 weeks prior) and the long-lag (during the prior wildfire season months) on the following winter influenza season in Montana, a mountainous state in the western United States. We created gridded maps of surface PM2.5 for the state of Montana from 2009 to 2018 using spatial regression models fit with station observations and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical thickness data. We used a seasonal quasi-Poisson model with generalized estimating equations to estimate weekly, county-specific, influenza counts for Montana, associated with delayed PM2.5 concentration periods (short-lag and long-lag effects), adjusted for temperature and seasonal trend. We did not detect an acute, short-lag PM2.5 effect nor short-lag temperature effect on influenza in Montana. Higher daily average PM2.5 concentrations during the wildfire season was positively associated with increased influenza in the following winter influenza season (expected 16% or 22% increase in influenza rate per 1 μg/m3 increase in average daily summer PM2.5 based on two analyses, p = 0.04 or 0.008). This is one of the first observations of a relationship between PM2.5 during wildfire season and influenza months later.

Pyrogenic Carbon Generation From Fire and Forest Restoration Treatments

Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) is a chemically stable form of carbon (C) generated during fire events and is one of the few legacies of fire recorded in soil; however, the significance of this material as a form of C storage in forest ecosystems has received only limited scientific attention, and currently relatively little is known regarding the quantity of PyC generated during forest restoration efforts that include prescribed (Rx) fire. Quantifying the rate of PyC production during fire events is essential to estimating the potential for ecosystem C storage in forest systems where wildfire is a common natural disturbance and Rx fire is used as a fuel management practice. In this paper, we report on the average mass of PyC formation during wildfire and Rx fire events in forest ecosystems through synthesizing data across 12 published studies; and we report empirical data on the mass of PyC generated in a replicated Rx fire study in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest ecosystem of the Rocky Mountain West. Our data synthesis showed that PyC (consisting of PyC from downed wood, O horizon, and mineral soil) was, on average, produced at a rate of 5.2% of biomass exposed to fire in forest ecosystems, and a single wildfire or Rx fire event generated about 2.2 Mg C ha-1 in the form of PyC. In our empirical study, we collected O horizon and surface mineral soil (0 – 10 cm) samples from the Fire and Fire Surrogates study plots in western Montana (treatments: control, thin, burn, thin&burn) that was burned in 2002 and analyzed for PyC content using a wet digestion method. The two Rx fire treatments had significantly higher PyC contents in the O horizon compared to the control. In the thin&burn treatment, PyC was formed at a rate of about 12% of total biomass consumed yielding approximately 2.24 Mg PyC C ha-1 in the O horizon. Mineral soil PyC contents were not affected by Rx fire. Wildfire and Rx fires generate a substantial amount of PyC which initially resides in the O horizon and serves as a stable form of ecosystem C.

Engaging in Conversations about Climate Change with Cattle Producers

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Cooperative Extension Service agents and United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel used a dialogic model of communication in their interactions with cattle producers in the Southwest and Mountain West regarding the topic of climate change. Findings indicated that dialogic communication is being used, with a focus on discussing best management practices, avoiding the term “climate change,” and focusing on local data and weather events. The study suggests that Extension agents and NRCS personnel recognize the need to adapt their communication strategy and tactics to suit the cognitive needs and beliefs of the cattle producers with whom they converse. Additionally, findings suggest that climate change should be described in terms that are observable to cattle producers, such as weather events (drought or flooding), possibly minimizing the need to name such events as climate change.

Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth Firearm Access, Possession or Carrying.

Firearm homicide and suicide are the leading causes of violence-related injury deaths among U.S. youth. However, evaluations of the effectiveness of firearm violence prevention programs and strategies to reducing youth firearm violence are limited. To help inform and evaluate such efforts, this study aimed to identify risk and protective factors associated with youth firearm access, possession or carrying (for reasons other than hunting or target shooting) among a sample of U.S. urban youth in the Mountain West. Findings show the influence that youth violence risk (e.g., having friends engaged in delinquency; violence; drug sales; gang fights; exposure to violence; screening positive for violence risk) can have on youth firearm access, possession or carrying. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma: A sociodemographic analysis of the National Cancer Database.

87 Background: Metastatic melanoma carries poor prognosis and traditional chemotherapy has limited efficacy, but immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have drastically improved disease outcomes since first approved in 2011. Access to these costly agents in the real-world setting can be challenging. We aimed to assess the demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with receipt of immunotherapy in Stage IV melanoma using National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: NCDB first classified ICIs as immunotherapy agents in 2013, hence we queried the database to identify patients with Stage IV melanoma from 2013 to 2016. Patients were divided into receipt of immunotherapy or no receipt of immunotherapy; those without documentation of either were excluded. Factors compared between the two groups included age, sex, diagnosis year, Charlson-Deyo score, insurance and state Medicaid expansion status, income, treatment region, and facility type. Survival analyses were performed by Kaplan-Meier method. Logistic Regression was used to examine factors associated with immunotherapy receipt. Results: 9512 Stage IV melanoma patients had documented immunotherapy status during 2013 to 2016. 36.0% of patients received immunotherapy. Median overall survival (mOS) for all-comers was 10.1 months with improved survival for those who received immunotherapy compared to those who did not (mOS 18.4 v 7.4 months; p&lt;0.01). Regression analysis revealed increased receipt of immunotherapy was associated with diagnosis in states with Medicaid expansion (OR: 1.16, 95% CI:1.002-0.1.340) compared to non-expansion; west north central (OR:1.433; 95%CI:1.139-1.804) and mountain (OR:1.433; 95%CI:1.132-1.813) regions when compared to pacific; academic/research program (OR:1.923; 95%CI:1.592-2.323) and integrated cancer programs (OR:1.362; 95%CI:1.094-1.695) compared to community program. Charlson-Deyo Scores of 1-3, lower Income, increased age, and less high school graduation were associated with decreased immunotherapy receipt. Conclusions: Improved survival is realized in those who receive immunotherapy for stage IV melanoma. Socio-demographic factors show discrepant receipt of immunotherapy.

Significant ground-level ozone attributed to lightning-induced nitrogen oxides during summertime over the Mountain West States

Using lightning flash data from the National Lightning Detection Network with an updated lightning nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission estimation algorithm in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, we estimate the hourly variations in lightning NOx emissions for the summer of 2011 and simulate its impact on distributions of tropospheric ozone (O3) across the continental United States. We find that typical summer-time lightning activity across the U.S. Mountain West States (MWS) injects NOx emissions comparable to those from anthropogenic sources into the troposphere over the region. Comparison of two model simulation cases with and without lightning NOx emissions show that significant amount of ground-level O3 in the MWS during the summer can be attributed to the lightning NOX emissions. The simulated surface-level O3 from a model configuration incorporating lightning NOx emissions showed better agreement with the observed values than the model configuration without lightning NOx emissions. The time periods of significant reduction in bias in simulated O3 between these two cases strongly correlate with the time periods when lightning activity occurred in the region. The inclusion of lightning NOx increased daily maximum 8 h O3 by up to 17 ppb and improved model performance relative to measured surface O3 mixing ratios in the MWS region. Analysis of model results in conjunction with lidar measurements at Boulder, Colorado during July 2014 corroborated similar impacts of lightning NOx emissions on O3 air quality. The magnitude of lightning NOx emissions estimated for other summers is comparable to the 2011 estimates suggesting that summertime surface-level O3 levels in the MWS region could be significantly influenced by lightning NOx.

Firearm Storage Maps: A Pragmatic Approach to Reduce Firearm Suicide During Times of Risk.

Preventing firearm-related injury and death requires pragmatic, community-based solutions. The authors describe their initial experiences developing a statewide map of locations where firearms may ...