Digital Commons Network^™

Pattern-Process Linkages In Forested Ecosystems, Eryn Elizabeth Schneider

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ecological pattern-process linkages have been called the Rosetta’s stone of ecology. The pattern-process linkage is a feedback whereby ecosystem processes drive structural patterns, and vegetation patterns also strongly influence vital ecosystem processes. The role of competition and gap dynamics in creating spatial heterogeneity was assessed in Sitka-spruce western hemlock forests. Results indicated that despite low species richness, these forests are structurally diverse with the spatial imprint of competition obscured by gap dynamics through stand development. The influence of forest structural and spatial heterogeneity on snow accumulation and persistence was examined in a mixed-conifer forest. Tree neighborhood type (open, clump, individual) …

Developmental, Ecological, And Life History Influences On Predator-Induced Plasticity In Songbirds, James Christopher Mouton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Predation is a ubiquitous ecological force that plays a major role in the evolution of phenotypes. Where the predation risk is predictable and variable, prey species are expected to evolve plasticity in traits that reduce the likelihood of being killed and eaten by predators. Such plasticity may be especially critical for the survival of dependent offspring because they are particularly vulnerable to predators and suffer high levels of predation across taxa. Yet the fitness effects of predator-induced plasticity can vary across life stages, differ between parents and offspring, or be mediated by interactions with other species in the community. The …

Navigating The Closet: A Mixed Methods Approach To Assessing The Impact Of Concealment On Psychological Outcomes For Sexual And Gender Minorities, James Michael M. Brennan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals suffer at disproportionate rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, among other mental and physical health outcomes, compared to heterosexual individuals. Concealment of non-heterosexual sexual identity and/or non-cisgender gender identity may be a key contributor to these disparities. Many SGM individuals engage in concealment as a means to avoid victimization, or because of negative perceptions of their own identity. Concealment as a construct has been conceptualized as comprising cognitive, affective, and behavioral components, each of which individually has been demonstrated to have negative health impacts. Additionally, concealment occurs over time between the intrapersonal …

The Forever Baby, Carlos Javier Medina

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

All Hat & No Cow, Jesse Blumenthal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

My thesis work, All Hat & No Cowhas been an exploration of End Stage Capitalism and Art/life in the American post-industrial Intermountain West. The research has been presented in one suite with three parts; a Sonic Ecosystem, Community Collaborative Foundry, and Mobile Blacksmithing School. Each of these activities present windows into ongoing (some career long) projects that comprise a diverse practice; different tracks on the same album. The three parts in the suite include technological progressions via the materials and process as the narrative arcs of societal “progression”. Structural welding, architectural blacksmithing, andcommercial foundry work emerged out of industrial …

"Fenced-In Place": White Settler Colonialism As Opposition To Increased Tribal Management Of The National Bison Range, Brittany Lee Palmer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Since the Tribal Self Governance Act was passed in 1994, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) in western Montana have sought increased management responsibilities at the National Bison Range, which is fully encompassed by the Flathead Indian Reservation. Though the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed the Bison Range since it was established in 1908, the Tribes assert that they were the original stewards of bison in the area, and have requested both the reinstatement of the National Bison Range to Tribal trust ownership and increased management responsibilities through negotiated Annual Funding Agreements with the Department of Interior. …

Tapering For Triathlon: Current Concepts, Effects, And Applications, Bruce Edward Rose

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The practice of tapering for competition is an integral component of training for triathlon competition. Coaches and athletes alike need to understand where tapering is effective and under what conditions in order to optimize race performance. Triathlon training poses some distinctive challenges for coaches in that it encompasses multiple sub disciplines and likewise presents special challenges in scientific evaluation. This review of both scientific and lay literature sought to evaluate the present state of tapering in academic, coaching, and athletic practices in order to guide present and future recommendations and investigations. Searches for key terms were performed in PubMed, an …

Modulation Of Cytochrome C’S Peroxidase Activity By Ω-Loops C And D In Monomers And Dimers, Haotian Lei

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mitochondrial cytochrome c is a heme containing protein with flexible heme ligation. Cytochrome c in its native state with Met80 bound to the heme is an electron shuttle in the electron transport chain. Under apoptotic stimuli, cytochrome c oxidizes the mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin, leading to the release of pro-apoptotic factors into the cytoplasm. To oxidize cardiolipin, Met80 in Ω-loop D must be dissociated from the heme iron, which allows cytochrome c to obtain access to alternative conformers. Two segments of cytochrome c, namely Ω-loops C and D, have been suggested to be important in regulating the dissociation of Met80. Unlike …

Pragmatist Ecological Economics: Focusing On Human-Nature Relationships And Social-Ecological Systems, Christopher Aden Armatas

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

I propose pragmatist philosophy as a companion for ecological economics, a research tradition with a focus on addressing sustainability issues and integrating ecological principles, economics, and the broader social sciences. Ecological economics laudable goals include balancing competing values, tradeoffs, and insights for more equitable decision-making. However, the field is built upon somewhat tenuous philosophical and theoretical foundations, which has resulted in a muddled body of literature, concerns about relativistic science, and questions about the future viability of the field. To address such concerns, I propose and articulate pragmatist ecological economics. Generally, joining pragmatism and ecological economics provides established beliefs about: …

Harvesting Forest Biomass In The Us Southern Rocky Mountains, Lucas Patrick Townsend

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and other mixed conifer forests of the United States southern Rocky Mountains (SRM) evolved under a low-severity, high-frequency fire regime. With the arrival of Euro-American colonists, fire was excluded from most forests, causing stands to grow dense and become prone to uncharacteristic high-severity crown fires. To combat wildfire threat, restoration treatments are frequently used to restore historic stand structure and function, effectively reducing high-severity fire risk. However, these treatments may be costly and little information is available regarding the forest operations used in the SRM. In this thesis, five forest operations were studied in 2017 to …

Xflow: An Algorithm For Extracting Ion Chromatograms, Mathew M. Gutierrez, Rob Smith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract: Mass spectrometry is a fundamental tool for modern proteomics. The increasing availability of mass spectrometry data paired with the increasing sensitivity and fidelity of the instruments necessitates new and more potent analytical methods. To that end, we have created and present XFlow, a feature detection algorithm for extracting ion chromatograms from MS1 LC-MS data. XFlow is a parameter-free procedurally agnostic feature detection algorithm that utilizes the latent properties of ion chromatograms to resolve them from the surrounding noise present in MS1 data. XFlow is designed to function on either profile or centroided data across different resolutions and instruments. This …

“Out Of The Mother . . . And Home To The Mother”: Essays On Medieval Literature And Climate Crisis, Rachel Kuhr Smith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Methods For Analyzing High Dimensional Data With Applications To The Wearable And Microbiome Data Analysis, Quy Xuan Cao

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Modern studies in medicine, epidemiology, pharmacy and other fields generate high dimensional data. We developed statistical analysis methods for two types of such data: activity and microbiome data. Specifically, reliable measures of the frequency, duration and intensity of physical activity provided by wearable technology were used in the analysis of activity data. Accelerometry-derived measures of physical activity were compared with established predictors of 5-year all-cause mortality in older adults, aged between 50 and 85 years from the 2003- 2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, in terms of individual, relative, and combined predictive performance. A total of 33 predictors of …

Walking While Asking:Lessons From Agroecology Education In Chiapas, Mexico, Katherine E. Keller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Keller, Kate, M.S., December 2019 Environmental Studies

Walking While Asking: Lessons from Agroecology Education in Chiapas, Mexico

Committee Chairperson: Dr. Neva Hassanein

This professional paper presents an assessment of the most recent project of Schools for Chiapas (SfC), a U.S.-based solidarity organization working in collaboration with the Zapatista autonomous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. It examines the challenges and potentials of SfC’s efforts to implement food forests at 16 autonomous secondary schools. I contextualize this work within a larger conversation amongst food sovereignty activists and scholars around efforts to scale-out the use of agroecology through education. As the organization looks to …

Anatomy Of Breath, Melissa C. Phelan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of The Tribal Park Concept And Opportunities For The Blackfeet Nation, Iree Schmautz Wheeler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Tribal Park model is an emerging tool being used by indigenous groups in the United States and Canada for the management of unique and sacred natural areas, in some cases setting aside existing indigenous owned land, and in others regaining control of land management decisions in traditional territory. Currently in North America there are several sites that have self-identified as Tribal Parks. There is a lack of research regarding Tribal Park development in North America, which creates challenges for indigenous groups interested in pursuing a conservation designation of this type. Using an analysis of five Tribal Park case studies …

Ugly, Odd, And Gorgeous, Joseph Chamberlain Kirk Iii

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ugly, Odd, and Gorgeous is a collection of excerpts from a longer, in-progress work of nonfiction that explores the valences of home, family, and the places we find them.

Characterization Of Novel Cyp26b1-Inhibitor, Dx314, For The Treatment Of Keratinization Disorders, Joachim Gwenn-Stephan Veit

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Our skin, particularly the barrier provided by the epidermis, functions as our primary protection from the harsh environment. It protects us from dangerous pathogens, allergens, ultraviolet radiation, and mechanical injury, as well as playing a major role in fluid and thermal regulation. Disruption of skin functions can lead to life-threatening consequences due to increased risk of infection, trans-epidermal water loss, and allergen sensitization. Many common skin disorders often result in a disrupted skin barrier placing patients at risk of complications.

Retinoic acid (RA) is a major component of the vitamin A pathway, which critically controls multiple skin functions including cell …

Adaptive Potential To Camouflage Mismatch: Plastic And Evolutionary Responses To A Climate Change Stressor, Marketa Zimova

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Animals that occupy temperate and polar regions have specialized traits that help them survive in harsh, highly seasonal environments. One particularly important adaptation is seasonal coat colour (SCC) moulting. Over 20 species of birds and mammals distributed across the northern hemisphere undergo complete, biannual colour change from brown in the summer to completely white in the winter. But as climate change decreases duration of snow cover, seasonally winter white species (including the snowshoe hare Lepus americanus, Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus and willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus) become highly contrasted against dark snowless backgrounds. The negative consequences of camouflage mismatch and adaptive …

Effects Of Heat Stress And Exercise On Shooting Performance, Patrick R. Lindecker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise and acute heat stress on marksmanship performance measures of accuracy, precision, aim time, and distance travelled by the point of aim in trained US military veterans. Methods: Subjects (N=8) (height 184.1 ± 10.9 cm (SD), weight 92.1 ± 10.6 kg, 21.1 ± 8.9% body fat, VO_2max 47.25 ± 7.36 mL/kg/min, age 26.8 ± 4.3 yrs.) completed one-hour of walking at 50% VO_2max in a hot (35˚C, 30% maximal relative humidity) or cool (22˚C, 30% maximal relative humidity) environment. Core temperature, heart …

The Anatomy Of Extinction: Stories Of People As Place, Mason Parker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Multinucleated Giant Cell Formation And Phenotype, Kevin Lewis Trout

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Multinucleated giant cells (MGC) are homotypic macrophage syncytia associated with granulomas. Despite their correlation with pathology, MGC functional contributions to inflammation are relatively unknown. The objective of this work was to gain an understanding of MGC phenotype. First, techniques were developed to better enable the study of these cells in vitro. Second, inorganic particles known to cause inflammation were observed to cause MGC formation in the lungs. Finally, the particle that resulted in the highest macrophage fusion was used together with the in vitro system to compare MGC and macrophage phenotype in response to stimulation. The results contribute to fundamental …

Modeling And Forecasting Glacier National Park Visitation, Michael James Kernan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

National parks have recently seen increased visitation demand. Glacier National Park is located in an area where changes in weather and climate will occur at an accelerated rate. Changes in fire and precipitation regimes are taking place at a time when Glacier National Park is setting new visitation records. This paper uses regression and forecast models to investigate the changing landscape of park visitation.

Findings suggest important impacts to monthly visitation and cycling on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park are associated with forest fire activity and precipitation. The conclusions of this paper support perceptions about the effect natural occurrences …

Mindfulness Training For Pre-Service Teachers Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Emily A. Hattouni

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There is a high-rate of burnout among teachers around the US often linked with the increasing stressors and demands (e.g., Iancu, Rusu, Măroiu, Păcurar, & Maricuțoiu, 2018). Additionally, Jennings and Greenberg (2009) demonstrated the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence for promoting well-being and academic success in classrooms. Stress that is overwhelming or unaddressed can lead to teacher burnout, but there may be effective ways of promoting self-care among teachers, such as mindfulness-based practices. The current project included psychoeducation on the applications of mindfulness for teachers and repeated collections of self-report questionnaires to investigate the utility of mindfulness-training for …

Natural Product Induction In Pencillium And Human Caspase Crystallography, Kelly J. Mcgrath

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Anzick Artifacts: A High-Technology Forager Tool Assemblage, Samuel Stockton White V

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Anzick Site (24PA506) is a multi-component archaeological site located in the Shields River Valley of south-central Montana approximately 125 km north of Yellowstone National Park. The site was accidentally discovered in 1968, leading to the unfortunate destruction of its archaeological context. Included in the recovered elements of the site are the fragmentary human remains of two individuals, as well as approximately 116 lithic and osseous tools diagnostic of Clovis Culture technology. These tools were thickly covered with red ochre, as was one set of remains, presumably indicative of a burial from which osseous tool samples were dated to approximately …

The Exploration Of Clinicians’ Lived Experiences In Culturally Adapting Empirically Supported Treatments For American Indian And Alaska Native Populations, Maegan Rides At The Door

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigated the lived experiences of clinicians who have culturally adapted Empirically Supported Treatments (EST) for American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) populations. The central research question for this investigation was: What is the experience of mental health providers in culturally adapting empirically supported treatments for American Indian and Alaska Native populations? A guided semi-structured interview protocol was used to interview eight participants. Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological psychological method was used to develop a general psychological structure representing eight essential constituents. They are: developing an understanding of cultural adaptation, focusing on building and maintaining therapeutic relationships, immersion and engagement with community, experiencing …

Water Use In Confined Animal Feeding Operations (Cafos) In Minnesota: Who’S Keeping Track?, Dara Meredith Fedrow

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are highly concentrated feedlots that raise large numbers of livestock with an emphasis on efficiency and maximizing output. Hog and dairy feedlots in Minnesota are shrinking in number, yet growing in size. In hand with the rise of CAFOs, water scarcity is a growing concern as the effects of climate change worsen and the human population increases. Though Minnesota is a state of abundant water, it is not evenly distributed throughout the state raising concerns about sustainable water usage.

This paper describes and analyzes how Minnesota’s water appropriation permit system is overseeing water usage in …

A Capitalist's Social Gospel: Frank Wakeley Gunsaulus And The Promise Of Upward Mobility, 1875-1921, Joshua Pretzer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Frank Wakeley Gunsaulus was a preacher who began his ministry in 1875 as a little-known itinerant Methodist in rural Ohio. Within two decades, he became one of America’s most influential religious figures with a popular style and message of hope for the future. This paper examines the mission of this pulpiteer, who believed Jesus and industrial capitalism could solve the problems of labor conflict, poverty, and sin as the kingdom of God was gradually realized on earth. Where many social gospelers challenged the interests of capital to varying degrees, Gunsaulus was both the businessman’s firm defender and an advocate for …

2/4 Being, Riley R. Woods

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.