Digital Commons Network^™

Synthetic Aperture Radar Observations At Salar De Pajonales, Chile, Michael A. A. Mcinenly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Remotely sensed microwave radars provide the spatial and temporal coverage needed to improve our understanding of the relationship between moisture content and salt pan mineralogy and, ultimately, climate variability. Moisture content in the surface and near-surface crusts found in salt pan environments, such as salt pan, has a significant impact on the backscatter values recorded by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. This is because moisture affects the dielectric constant and surface roughness of the saline surface, which in turn influences the amount of electromagnetic energy reflected back to the SAR sensor. Changes in backscatter values are attributed to seasonal and …

Meta-Analysis Of Scent Detection Canines And Potential Factors Influencing Their Success Rates, Molly Marie Jaskinia

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Objective: This is a meta-analysis focused on the success rates of scent detection canines and potential factors that could influence their accuracy. A series of statistical analyses were conducted to determine if certain demographic factors, such as the dog’s gender, age, and breed, have an effect on a scent dog’s accuracy during a search. Or if more circumstantial factors, like the dog’s level of experience in scent work, the type of target scent, and their handler’s awareness of the target’s location, affect the outcome of the search.

Materials and Methods: A dataset was created from 37 different articles consisting of …

Applications Of Transfer Learning From Malicious To Vulnerable Binaries, Sean Patrick Mcnulty

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Malware detection and vulnerability detection are important cybersecurity tasks. Previous research has successfully applied a variety of machine learning methods to both. However, despite their potential synergies, previous research has yet to unite these two tasks. Given the recent success of transfer learning in many domains, such as language modeling and image recognition, this thesis investigated the use of transfer learning to improve vulnerability detection. Specifically, we pre-trained a series of models to detect malicious binaries and used the weights from those models to kickstart the detection of vulnerable binaries. In our study, we also investigated five different data representations …

Barriers To Outdoor Recreation For Marginalized Groups At The University Of Montana, Sabine R. Englert, Beatrix Frissell, Adrienne Liebert, Sophia Rodriquez, Margaret Jensen, Rachana Harris, Abby Doss

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Exclusion from outdoor recreation reflects legacies of oppression of marginalized communities and makes access to the outdoors not equally available. In the United States, approximately 38% of Black Americans and 48% of Hispanic Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2020. This is compared to 55% participation among Caucasian Americans. Many other intersecting identities are actively excluded, including people with disabilities, fat populations, and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community; furthermore, class-based hierarchies are shown through the restricted outdoor access of low-income populations.

While numerous studies show a lack of diversity in outdoor recreation, little to no research has been conducted on …

Reinforcement Learning For Optimal Control In Simulated Greenhouses, Daithi Kahele Leilehua Martin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Demands on agricultural systems will increase as the world population continues to grow. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is an old idea gaining more recent momentum due to advances in automation, lighting, and climate control. One of the fundamental challenges of CEA is optimal control of the growing environment. We present a method for optimal control in CEA utilizing Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). DRL comprises a set of machine learning algorithms that optimize a user-defined reward function. We define this function such that the reward is high when the growing environment is ideal for crop production, and the reward is low …

Seeking A Common Theme: A Study Of Ceramic Effigy Artifacts In The Pre-Hispanic American Southwest And Northern Mexico Using Computer Image Pattern Recognition And Phylogenetic Analysis, Lee Roger Tallier Jr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Effigy artifacts are found throughout the Pre-Hispanic American Southwest and Northern Mexico (PHASNM), as well as in other cultures around the world, with many sharing the same forms and design features. The earliest figurines within the PHASNM were partial anthropomorphic figurines made from fired clay, dating to between A.D. 287 and A.D. 312 (Morss 1954:27). They were found in a pit house village of Bluff Ruin in the Forestdale Valley of eastern Arizona, and they appeared to be associated with the Mogollon culture. The temporal range of the samples examined in this study is from approximately 200 A.D. to 1650 …

Persistent Structure Of Higher-Rank Graphs And Their C∗-Algebras: A Path Towards Geometric Classification, Samuel Joseph Lippert

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Umfc #12: A Comprehensive Forensic Analysis Case Report, Kaylee M. Hinds

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The University of Montana Forensic Case 12 (UMFC) is a human skeleton with an MNI of one that was recovered in August 1983 from an old schoolyard in Helena, Montana, by construction workers who were building a highway. The individual was given to the University of Montana Anthropology Department following the authority’s investigation. At the time, the University of Montana aided in the analysis of the skeletal remains and both departments had deemed the case as forensically insignificant and historic. The initial recoverers believed that the individual was a descendant of the Last Chance Gulch era and reflected Chinese ancestry, …

Analysis Of Covid-19 In Rural America, Ian Gabriel Derickson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China and subsequent global pandemic illustrated the need of accurate forecasting and a greater understanding of the underlying dynamics of infectious diseases.

In this dissertation, we examine the six most populous towns in the State of Montana through the lens of the classic SIR model. With this, we show that the six towns in question exhibit similar disease dynamics and population behavior within each wave. Furthermore, we conduct analysis on the age demographics of COVID-19 cases and deaths. This analysis corroborates the findings of the SIR model fits, in that the …

Vision 2023

Vision

No abstract provided.

2023-2024 Course Catalog, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Course Catalogs, 1895-2024

An annual catalog of courses and course descriptions offered at the University of Montana.

2-Aminopyridyl Functionalized Scaffold As A Tool For Systematic Investigation Of B-Glucan Binding And Dectin-1 Activation, Jasper Alinea Aquino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Tuberculosis (TB) – an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) – remains an epidemic worldwide contributing to millions of deaths each year. Vaccination is possibly the best means of addressing this global threat. In recent years, synergistic Th1 and Th17 immune responses have emerged as the key players for a vaccine-induced protection against TB. There is currently no vaccine approved for humans that elicits a Th17-mediated immune response. C-Type Lectin Receptors (CLR), specifically Dectin-1, a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) of β-1,3-glucans (β-glucans) primarily from fungi cell walls, is known to induce a Th17-mediated response. The Th17 response upon binding …

Three-Dimensional Visualization And Mechanical Assessment Of The Human Running Gait, John A. Leske Ii

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis had two goals; 1) the development of an anatomically accurate visualization tool capable of illustrating high-speed 3D kinematic data, and 2) to rigorously evaluate the accuracy and capacity of the visualization tool by measuring the joint moments, net extensor muscle forces, and effective mechanical advantage in a group of sprinters running across the range of human speeds. Our visualization tool successfully integrates these complexities, pinpointing a location within 1.3 mm in a volume of 0.87 m x 2.00 m x 1.98 m, and accurately reproduces the observed movement trajectories of the subject's anatomical landmarks. Our approach was successful …

Negotiating The Sacred: Understanding Impacts To Iks And Itek From Use Of Remote Sensing And Gis Technologies Within Tribal Landscapes, Renelda R. Freeman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How we see the world and ourselves in relation to it is largely achieved by the lens we are looking through and associated experiences within this relationship. This is additionally true when considering the acknowledged fact that Indigenous Knowledges are derived from natural and cultural sources and these assist in constituting the cultural identities of those Peoples associated with these sources. Presently there is a hunger for access and use of Indigenous Knowledges (IK) as never before seen in public ways, through a national Call for collaborative means to apply these knowledges to such as the issues we globally face …

Assessing The Impact Of Parallel Burnout Fires On Flank Rate Of Spread, Erik Borke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The effects of flank-parallel suppression fires on the local rate of spread (ROS) of freely burning headfires through fully cured homogeneous grass fuels are assessed. Data sets include: one thermal image stack of a prescribed burn recorded by drone, and a suite of simulation experiments carried out in Wildland Urban Interface Fire Dynamics Simulator (WFDS). A new approach to computing ROS, curvature proxy driven normals to convex polylines, was developed to carry out this analysis. ROS time series depicting flank acceleration of the prescribed burn and simulation experiments, observable under coarse and fine directional classification schemes respectively, are the primary …

Investigating Elastic Deformation Induced By Surface Loads On Planetary Bodies, Ashlesha Khatiwada, Hilary Martens, Donald F. Argus

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Planetary bodies, including the Earth, deform when there is a redistribution of surface load. In this thesis, I conduct three independent projects related to surface loading, two of which investigate methods related to the modeling of surface loading and one which seeks to catalog the displacement responses of other planetary bodies to a surface load.

The first project aims to compare four methods for modeling the elastic loading response of the Earth: a homogeneous, non-gravitating, half-space method; a homogeneous, gravitating, spherical method; a homogeneous, non-gravitating spherical method; and a radially stratified gravitating spherical method. Many studies have focused on computing …

Beaver Dam Analogs (Bdas) Alter Carbon Pools, Fluxes, And Concentrations Of Intermountain Headwater Streams, Hilary Schultz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Beaver dam analogs (BDAs) have emerged as a climate adaptation and restoration strategy for water resource management in the drought-prone Western U.S., yet the focus has been on their influence on water quantity, overlooking effects on broader ecological components. By increasing water residence time and facilitating sediment retention, BDAs have the potential to influence carbon pools, fluxes, and concentrations. To examine the influence of BDAs on instream and riparian organic C and trace gases, we studied three intermountain headwater streams restored with BDAs two years after restoration during the summer of 2021. We found that there were subtle differences in …

Evaluating The Sensitivity Of Crustal Deformation To Bedrock Hydrology In A Mountain Watershed, Brett J. Oliver

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

We evaluate the sensitivity of Earth's elastic deformation to groundwater hydraulic diffusivity using coupled groundwater and elastic deformation models. Seasonal changes in terrestrial water storage cause deformation to the Earth’s crust and deeper interior that is within the observational capacity of GPS instruments. We couple finite difference groundwater simulations with geodetic forward models of crustal displacement to investigate the ability of geodetic deformation to constrain bedrock hydrologic properties. We use MODFLOW-2005 to simulate seasonal changes in groundwater flow and storage, and then use the LoadDef elastic deformation model to forward model surface displacement caused by the change in terrestrial water …

Haunted Forms: Intermediality, Trauma, And Literary Memory, Gabriella Graceffo

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis considers contemporary literature’s use of intermediality as a method to heighten the affective embodiment of PTSD symptoms represented in text. Using the meaning-making structures of photography and film, the analysis examines how the writing of Georges Bataille, Annie Ernaux, Michael Ondaatje, and Bhanu Kapil use formal implicit reference—the type of intermediality in which the characteristics and semiotics of one medium are translated to another without direct reproduction—to represent both traumatic experiences themselves and the symptom domains of PTSD. Caroline Levine’s work on affordance theory from Forms: Whole, Rhythm, Hierarchy, Network provides a theoretical foundation as to how the …

Technology In The Classroom And Its Impacts On Student Achievement, Vivian Cummins

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In this paper, we will discuss the issue regarding student achievement at Frenchtown High School that I decided to research and remedy. In doing so, we will also discuss the research-based methods of intervention I chose to implement in my classroom in order to assist me with my research.

On Three Generalizations Of The Turán Problem, Anastasia M. Halfpap

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this work, we present results in three settings which generalize the classical Turán problem of maximizing edges in an n-vertex graph subject to some forbidden subgraph condition. Namely, we work in the areas of generalized Turán problems, rainbow Turán problems, and positive co-degree problems. Our main contribution to generalized Turán theory is a general supersaturation result. We also obtain a stability result in cases where the “target” graph is a clique, and consider some problems synthesizing general Turán problems with rainbow Turán problems. Our main rainbow Turán result establishes the rainbow Turán number of the 5-edge path P5, confirming …

Evaluating The Relative Influence Of Soil Water Potential, Soil Moisture, And Vapor Pressure Deficit On Semi-Arid Vegetation Dynamics, Kayla R. Jamerson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Knowledge of vegetation’s response to soil water availability and atmospheric demand is critical to understanding the impact of climate change on semi-arid ecosystems. However, limited field-based research has been conducted to assess the relative importance of these drivers and previous research has simplified the assessment of soil water availability by relying on soil volumetric water content (VWC) as a primary control on plant growth, which, as opposed to soil water potential (Ψsoil), does not account for the effects of soil texture on plant available water. To address these gaps, we compared remotely sensed indicators of vegetation response to field based …

Displacement, Place Attachment, And Other Characteristics Of Anglers On The Yellowstone River, Zachary L. Jones

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Yellowstone River has seen increasing recreational use as Montana has grown and out of state visitation has increased, leading to some locals voicing concerns of crowding. River recreation, as with many outdoor recreational activities, has participants that may be considered to be sensitive to crowded conditions and place a high value on solitude. Considering these perceptions, there is reason to believe that these participants may change their river use patterns if or when the perceived level of crowding exceeds their tolerance thresholds. Further, monitoring efforts conducted at river access sites often do not fully capture users that are already displaced …

Sagebrush Steppe Songbird Conservation: Inferences Using Remote Sensing Data And A Novel Reproduction Model, Kaitlyn Marie Reintsma

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Anthropogenic land cover change continues to degrade and fragment wildlife habitats, threatening biodiversity at local, regional, and global scales. Songbird populations are sensitive to broad habitat changes and therefore can be used to assess and prioritize habitat for biodiversity. For example, biodiversity losses in the arid grass and sagebrush of western North America (Artemisia spp.; hereafter “sagebrush steppe”) are reflected in the rapid decline of songbird populations. However, the influence of the principal land use, livestock grazing, on songbird populations, and by inference biodiversity, is unclear. In this dissertation, I investigated sagebrush steppe songbird conservation in a grazed landscape by …

The Birds And The Trees: Quantifying The Drivers Of Whitebark Pine Decline And Clark's Nutcracker Habitat Use In Glacier National Park, Vladimir Kovalenko

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), recently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, is in steep decline in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA due to the non-native pathogen Cronartium ribicola, causal agent of the fatal disease white pine blister rust. A sample of the park’s population suggests that approximately 70 percent of whitebark pines have died, while 65 percent of the remaining trees are infected. Using landscape and climate variables, we show how geographic location, elevation, aspect, solar radiation, relative humidity, and snowpack interact with tree diameter to affect mortality, disease incidence, cone production, and regeneration. We also examine how …

A Comparative Study On Critical Thinking Skills Of Isec And Non-Isec Teachers In Institutions Of Higher Education In The North Of China, Liqin Tang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Critical thinking (CT) has become a main focus in the higher education and is viewed as one of the essential skills for students to succeed in the 21^st century. Many studies focus on Chinese students and their CT skills. There is a scarcity of research targeting teachers’ CT. However, teachers are the key to successful education and they play a crucial role in any education reform. Teachers’ perception, attitude, and experience impact the educational practice. Therefore, it is imperative to examine teachers’ CT.

This study utilized a non-experimental causal-comparative methodology with an explanatory mixed methods research design. The purpose …

Using Geometry And Visualization To Demystify Eigen Decomposition In The Classroom: An Analytical And Pedagogical Approach, Briana Marie Young

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite leaving graduate school with a functional understanding of eigen decomposition, many students of the social sciences lack a conceptual or intuitive understanding of what eigen objects are or how to adapt the utility of these objects to new situations and properly interpret them. Conceptual understanding is beneficial and desirable in several ways: It endows users with higher accuracy in how they apply a given method, as well as the means to challenge improper or misguided use of that method. The objective of this dissertation is to lay out the derivation of simple instructional tools that can be incorporated into …

A Biophysical Approach To Modeling Elevational Range Shifts In Colorado Mammal Communities, Ryan T. Mahar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Species geographic ranges are shifting in the face of contemporary climate warming, and documenting range shifts is crucial to our understanding of the underlying drivers mediating movement in geographic range limits. Studies on elevational range shifts with climate change are beginning to accrue within the literature, though observed shifts are idiosyncratic and difficult to predict. Some species may respond to warming temperatures by shifting their range limits upslope, where temperatures are cooler owing to the adiabatic lapse rate. However, species may also respond to warming temperatures in an elevation-dependent manner: if changes in snow depth expose overwintering organisms to colder …

Climatological, Hydrological, And Economic Analysis Of Agriculture In Montana And The Western U.S.A., Zachary H. Lauffenburger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many studies have addressed the impact of climate on agriculture; however, fewer studies addressed how farmers adapt to climate change, to what extent implementation of adaptation strategies mitigates economic losses or alters the hydrologic system. Analyses of how historical climate affected not only farmer decision making, but also the economic and hydrological consequences of farmers’ adaptations to climate variations, and projections of the spatiotemporal climatic regimes at finer regional scales are critical for aiding in actionable climate change adaptations. This dissertation helps fill knowledge gaps on the impacts of climate change in rural regions of the agricultural western U.S.A. and …

Foreword, Timothy Chartier

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Deep and broad work is being done by undergraduates, with a significant increase in the last three decades. The growth in undergraduate research opportunities has important effects in the STEM community. In particular, course-based research is a means toward attaining more inclusivity in the research community. This article provides some practical advice and resources for getting started, and describes the author’s own efforts to integrate sports analytics work, service-based learning and social justice research into his undergraduates’ research experiences.