Digital Commons Network^™

Microbial Opsins: The Potential For Neurodegenerative Therapies, Maia Estrella Huebner

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Optogenetics is a new field utilizing light to manipulate cells. The produced symptoms mimic those of classic hibernation performed by many mammalian species, supporting the term “artificial hibernation”. Hibernation experienced by animals allows the organisms to maintain cell latency. These tools can be developed by applying novel techniques to laboratory mammals. Introducing stem-cell derived model organs to these kinds of studies may provide more insight on how optogenetics could advance medical therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.

This literature review analyzes the research completed in the biochemical origin of microbial opsins and their function. The channelrhodopsins (ChRs) from the microorganism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii …

Consuming The Tropics In The 'Age Of The Insect': Imperial Imaginaries Of Frontier Ecologies In Spectacular Expositions, Adria Capozzoli

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

By surveying representations of 'exotic' landscapes and 'monstrous' other-than-human creatures of the tropics featured in exhibits of the fin de siecle and early interwar period, including visual displays and descriptive language at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) in San Francisco (1915), this project examines tropical frontiers as conceived in the geographical imaginaries of the United States to explore how metropolitan audiences related to those environments encountered at the imperial periphery. Between 1890 and 1920, were the infamously exaggerated characterizations of nineteenth-century spectacle tempered by the advent of twentieth-century cultural and scientific discourses, …

The Ethics Of Animal Rights And Zoos, Jamie L. Tucker Crockett

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In my essay, I will be diving into the controversial issue of Animal containment, focusing on zoos in the United States. I will be taking this opportunity to establish a new way of thinking about the argument which states the pros of zoos outweigh the negative effects they have on the animals who live there. Neither side of the argument has a malicious intention towards harming animals. Instead, each side shows a different approach to what it is to properly care, and respect for animal rights. Those arguing in support of zoos commonly reference arguments dating back to Aristotle. However, …

Investigating Strength Of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility And Rate Of Maternal Transmission In Zaprionus Tsacasi By Infection Of Wolbachia Wzts, Ella Walters

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Animals associate with diverse microbes that affect their health and fitness. Many insects and other species host microbes termed endosymbionts inside their cells. Among all endosymbionts, Wolbachia bacteria are the most common, occurring in about half of all insect species. Wolbachia are maternally transmitted – similar to our own mitochondria – and many variants have evolved the capacity to affect host reproduction to favor their transmission across host generations. This includes variants that cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills embryos without Wolbachia fertilized by males with Wolbachia. Here, I assess the strength of CI and rates of maternal transmission of …

Wolbachia Incidence And Prevalence In Montane Lepidoptera, Anna Imes

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Animal hosts associate with endosymbiotic microbes that live inside their cells. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria are the most common endosymbionts, associating with about half of all insect species. Most Wolbachia form facultative associations with their hosts (i.e., the hosts do not require Wolbachia). In most systems, it remains unknown how common Wolbachia are within host populations and the extent to which their prevalence varies through time and space. Here, I fill this gap in knowledge by quantifying the incidence and prevalence of Wolbachia in a community of understudied montane moths. We conducted field sampling of divergent moth species every …

Female Hummingbird Metabolism, Gabriella F. Weida

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Animal metabolism studies have frequently focused on males, resulting in a considerable gap in the knowledge of the metabolic requirements of females. These differences may have important ecological and evolutionary consequences, as female behaviors (nesting, incubation, and foraging to feed young) may lead to metabolic demands that vary significantly from those of males. Previous work has led to a hypothesis that metabolic rates to support hovering are greater outdoors compared with rates for the same behavior in laboratory studies, potentially due to wind and thermal conditions. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by measuring the metabolic cost of females …

Montana Kaimin, April 24, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

The Future Of The Discovery Doctrine: One View From Outside Indian Country, Blake A. Watson

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Montana Kaimin, April 17, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montana Kaimin, April 10, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Can Belief Be Compelled? Evidence From Salem, Stewart Justman

Global Humanities and Religions Faculty Publications

In his Letter Concerning Toleration Locke argues forcefully that belief cannot be compelled under any circumstances. I put this proposition to the test by examining false confessions extracted during the Salem witch-hunt only three years after Locke’s letter was translated into English. Evidence in the Salem records—in particular, a deposition signed by six accused witches—establishes that a number of confessors believed their own false narratives at the time they offered them. Of great psychological interest, these cases give us a sense of what the Salem hysteria felt like to those engulfed by it. They also invalidate Locke’s claim that belief …

Cultivating My Social Work Identity: Integrating Past, Context, And Relationship, Jessica K. Kumm

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

My application to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program was sent as a means to move beyond the constraints of the classroom walls as teacher and provide meaningful and tailored support to individuals who were falling through the cracks of the system. My experience in this program was transformative, in ways that were expected and unexpected. I recognize significant expansion in my perspective alongside growing confidence in applying newly acquired skills, both clear indicators of my professional and personal development. The insights garnered from personal experiences, academic lectures, and practicum placements shifted my theoretical foundations and personal worldviews. What …

April 2025 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Montana Kaimin, March 13, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

3d Digitization Of Yellowstone Wolf (Canis Lupus) Skulls For Education, Research, And Outreach, Madeline K. Rowland

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Museums around the world are using the advancement of digital technology to share scientific collections with broader audiences on a digital landscape. Recent innovations in imaging software and virtual platforms have made it possible for museums to create high-resolution 3D models that can be 3D printed as tangible educational aids, made accessible to researchers worldwide, and used to create accessible virtual museum experiences. Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is home to one of the best-studied collections of wolf (Canis lupus) skulls in the world. Long-term research conducted by the Yellowstone Wolf Project has produced an extensive volume of ecological …

Assessing The Micro- And Macroscopic Changes Of Taphonomically Altered Bone, Shelby Feirstein

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Forensic identifications may be hampered when perpetrators find unique ways of obscuring their victims’ identities, such as fire and household corrosive substances. Thermal alteration, sodium hydroxide, and hydrochloric acid are known to change both the structural integrity and composition of skeletal elements; but the patterns of these processes, nor how each may affect the potential for obtaining identifying DNA data, are well understood.

Burned bone concomitantly follows a defined color spectrum and eventually reaches calcination, consisting only of its original inorganic mineral, hydroxyapatite, which is naturally white in color and brittle.

In contrast, analyses of chemical exposure focus on total …

Montana Kaimin, March 6, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montana Agritourism In 2024: Opportunities And Challenges In A Changing Landscape, Glenna Hartman, Elena Bigart, Ava Worbets, Hilary Faxon, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Agritourism is a growing industry that offers Montana’s farmers and ranchers an opportunity to supplement their income, preserve agricultural heritage, and foster public engagement with rural communities. With Montana’s rich agricultural history, expansive landscapes, and growing tourism sector, agritourism is uniquely positioned to thrive, benefiting both producers and local economies. This report highlights the opportunities, challenges, and future potential of agritourism in Montana, based on research and survey data from farmers, ranchers, and community stakeholders.

Montana Kaimin, February 27, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montana Kaimin, February 13, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montana Kaimin, February 6, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Cula 161.02: Meats & Vegetables, Wilbert P. Gahagan, Kyle A. Jackson

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Psyx 100s.51: Introduction To Psychology, Katie Smith

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biob 171n.00: Principles Of Biological Diversity Lab, Scott R. Miller

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biob 435.01: Comparative Animal Physiology, Aaron J. Held

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biom 403.01: Pathogenic Microbes Laboratory, Amanda L. Andreas

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biom 435.01: Virology, Brent J. Ryckman

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biom 502.01: Advanced Immunology, Scott A. Wetzel

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biob 101n.01: Discover Biology, Jennifer A. Corbin

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biob 109n.50: Montana Ecosystems - Online, Gregory D. Peters

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.