Digital Commons Network^™

A New Frontier Of Responsibility: Children's Attributions Of Moral Responsibility To Autonomous And Controlled Robots, Thomas M. Macko

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A prevailing theory in moral psychology, known as the Theory of Dyadic Morality, proposes that we evaluate moral transgressions primarily through weighing the mental states and intentions of both the perpetrator and the victim of a given transgression. Previous research has found adults and children similarly refer to mental states and intentions when making moral evaluations as third-party observers of a moral transgression. How might this framework apply to social robots, who arguably lack the mental states and intentions we can effortlessly identify in humans? The present study sought to examine how children view a social robot as culpable for …

A Replicating Rna Vaccine For Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Protects Via Non-Neutralizing Anti-Nucleoprotein Antibodies And Trim21, Shanna Star Leventhal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is a negative-sense, tick-borne bunyavirus endemic to Europe, Asia, and Africa. CCHFV may cause a severe hemorrhagic disease with a case fatality rate of 5-70% and, to date, there are no widely available or highly efficacious vaccines or therapeutics. Because of its widespread distribution and lack of countermeasures, the WHO has listed CCHFV as a high priority pathogen.

Here, we report a self-replicating, alphavirus-based RNA vaccine that expresses the CCHFV nucleoprotein (repNP) and glycoprotein precursor (repGPC). Initial studies showed that repNP induces high titers of non-neutralizing anti-NP antibodies while repGPC stimulates a robust T-cell response. …

The Effects Of Beaver Dam Anaolgs On Linked Aquatic-Terrestrial Communities In Western Headwater Streams, Michelle Elyse Fillion, Benjamin P. Colman, Rachel L. Malison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In response to stream degradation resulting from the near eradication of American Beavers (Castor canadensis), managers of freshwater systems have turned to using beaver dam analogs (BDAs) as one means of restoring waterways from stream and riparian degradation. Though BDAs have been shown to restore physical traits of riparian areas, their influence on macroinvertebrates and linked aquatic-terrestrial systems is not well understood. To examine how BDAs influence aquatic habitats, macroinvertebrate communities, and riparian insectivores, we compared unrestored reference stream segments to BDA-restored segments with 7-14 BDAs in three western Montana headwater streams. We collected physical stream measurements and quantitative samples …

Structural And Functional Analysis Of Glun2a-Selective Negative Allosteric Modulators, James Scott Lotti

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors are widely expressed throughout the central nervous system and are critically involved in many healthy neuronal processes. Dysregulation of NMDA receptor activity underlies many disease pathologies, several of which benefit from treatment with antagonists, such as the FDA-approved channel blockers ketamine, memantine, and adamantine. NMDA receptors are composed of two glycine-binding GluN1 subunits and two glutamate-binding GluN2A-D subunits. The GluN2A-D subunits display distinct regional and developmental expression patterns, enabling region- or cell type-specific targeting of NMDA receptors through subunit-selective pharmacological intervention. There are several classes of subunit-selective negative allosteric NMDA receptor modulators, but the mechanisms of …

Wildfire-Specific Fine Particulate Matter Exposure Impacts On Influenza Across The Western United States, Ava Shulin Orr

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: In recent years, air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) originating from wildfire smoke, has surged despite declining anthropogenic emissions. This trend has led to concerning adverse health effects across many different morbidity and mortality outcomes. Still, many gaps remain in understanding of how wildfire-specific smoke impacts our health, including how to isolate the contribution of wildfire-originating PM2.5 within the total ambient or background PM2.5, as well as how and when delayed wildfire smoke exposure will impact certain disease outcomes, and relevant to this dissertation, particularly for communicable respiratory infections, such as influenza.

Purpose: The purpose of this research …

Cultivating Access: The Benefits And Challenges Of Using Community Land Trusts To Preserve Farmland And Support Farmers., Meghan Daly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Agricultural land protected by community land trusts (CLTs) is more likely to remain in active production due to the CLT’s ability to enforce land use practices and select tenants committed to farming. While land tenure approaches vary among CLTs, protected agricultural lands typically utilize long-term leases with affordable rents (Ela and Rosenberg, 2020). Such leasing arrangements enable farmers to access land at prices unaffected by escalating land values (Schwartz et al., 2013). The CLT model not only safeguards farmland but also promotes active agricultural production, thereby ensuring local food supply and providing economic opportunities for farmers.

Despite the promising potential …

Understanding Cellular Dynamics: Investigating A Yeast-Two Hybrid Protein-Protein Interaction, Riok3:Cse1l; Also By Investigating Trogocytosis Of Cd4+ T Cells From Rhog-/- Mice, Brittnee N. Crane

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a negative-sense virus that was first described in 1930 when it was isolated from sheep during an outbreak. In the last 25 years there has been a spread in the geographical range into the Middle East. The most susceptible animals are cattle, goats, sheep, and camels. The most overt symptom of livestock infection is that infected pregnant animals experience spontaneous abortion. Humans are susceptible as well and symptoms range from mild febrile illness to liver necrosis, blindness, hemorrhagic fever, and death. An important player in the cellular innate response to RVFV infections is the …

Unlocking The West: A Critique Of Previous Statutory Attempts And A Proposed Statutory Solution To Allow Access To Corner-Locked Public Land, Sawyer J. Connelly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Across the American West, 9.52 million acres of federal and state public lands are inaccessible to the public. The legality of accessing much of those public lands through corner-crossing is unclear in the law because, in the infinitesimal space where four corners of land meet in a checkerboard pattern, there is ambiguity; neither private landowners nor the public can assert an exclusive right or absolute control without infringing upon the rights of the other. This paper discusses the origins of landlocked public land, common law doctrines that inform legal actors in this space, and analyzes federal statute and state legislative …

Sarmiento: A Town, A Lake And A Glimpse Toward The Global Water Crisis, Victoria Traxler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

A Closer Look At Denali’S Alpine Wildlife: Assessing The Influences Of Climate And Vegetation Changes On Species In Alaska, Jennifer Lynn Wall

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climate change is amplified in polar regions and could have considerable consequences for biodiversity. Arctic and boreal regions, in particular, have warmed more than double the global average and are experiencing increasing precipitation, thawing permafrost, shrinking snow seasons, and increasing shrub- and tree-line encroachment. These changes are suspected to influence key alpine biodiversity, including species such as collared pikas (Ochotona collaris), hoary marmots (Marmota caligata), and Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii). But, we have limited understanding of whether this is true and, if so, which factors drive distributional shifts in response to climate change. For this dissertation, I collected data …

Ambient Air Pollution, Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy, And Geomasking In Montana, Elizabeth Rae Susanne Williams

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: Air pollution is the world’s largest single environmental health risk. Particulate matter air pollution with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) poses significant health hazards and has been increasing in some parts of the United States in recent decades due to increased wildfire activity. Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 may increase risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs), though this has not been evaluated in a rural, wildfire-prone context. To develop recommendations to mitigate harmful health effects of PM2.5, more research is needed to understand the precise timing and dose of PM2.5 that is harmful to human health. Such research …

From Creek To Ditch And Back Again: The History And Future Of Pattee Creek, Missoula, Montana, Carver Edward Butterfield

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pattee Creek was once a free-flowing stream that meandered across the Missoula Valley, but has been channelized, piped, and degraded by logging, mining, agriculture, and urbanization. This thesis used a mixed-method approach to examine the impact of human activities on the Pattee Creek watershed. Beginning with a historical overview, the story of how the creek has been utilized and why it was buried was told. An analysis of historical photos from 1937 to 2019 revealed drastic changes in the land cover of the watershed and the channel of lower Pattee Creek. Developed land increased dramatically, while open land decreased and …

Swimming Through Time: Ancient Dna Analysis Of Salmonid Remains At Housepit 54, Bridge River, British Columbia, Canada, Kara K. Fox

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The application of ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis on archaeological faunal remains has proven successful in a variety of studies that have resulted in species identification and subsistence use at ancient village sites. Fisher-hunter-gatherer societies of the Pacific Northwest have depended heavily on seasonal salmon runs as a primary staple for foodstuffs and winter storage essentials. Determining which salmonid species were chosen provides a better understanding of ancient socio-economic strategies that impact food procurement and varying preferences of food items that can lead to resource access limitations. Ultimately, this thesis is a preliminary research project to establish the groundwork for successfully …

Gaba Transporter Loss-Of-Function Mutations In Pediatric Epilepsy: Neural Mechanisms And A Novel Fatty Acid Based Therapeutic Approach, Alessandra G. Jester

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An increasing number of spontaneous mutations in the GABA transporter gene SLC6A1 (GAT-1) have been associated with pediatric epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. The molecular mechanisms and impact of mutations on GABA homeostasis and neuronal circuit function are poorly understood. Furthermore, there are currently no validated therapeutic approaches to treat patients. A de novo mutation (S295L) in the GABA transporter gene SLC6A1 that was identified in a pediatric patient was introduced into a human cDNA construct, and mutant and wild-type transporters were expressed and studied in Xenopus oocytes by voltage clamp and radiolabeled GABA flux measurement. In addition, the effect of …

Impact Of Emotion Regulation On Prospective Memory, Hannes Heppner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Prospective memory necessitates the deliberate formation and timely execution of preplanned intentions. The degree of cognitive demand required is thought to be lower for focal compared to non-focal prospective memory cues. While negatively evocative focal cues have been shown to improve prospective memory performance, it is unclear if and to what extent the cognitive reappraisal of negative emotion impacts prospective memory performance. Cognitive reappraisal is often utilized to help individuals effortfully attenuate negative emotions and reduces the chronic burden on cognitive resources. In the present study, we hypothesized that more effective cognitive reappraisal is associated with better prospective memory performance. …

Niipáitapiiyssin: How Blackfeet Ways Of Knowing Impact Identity And Well-Being, Mikalen Running Fisher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis explores the vital role of history, traditional knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, artifacts, and language in shaping the identity and well-being of Indigenous communities. It emphasizes how these components are vital for the survival and growth of Indigenous cultures. Using the Blackfoot Confederacy as a case study, the research highlights the significance of these elements in maintaining cultural continuity and resilience. The analysis is grounded in literature authored from an Indigenous perspective, ensuring an authentic representation of the values and insights inherent in these communities. This work aims to bridge existing gaps in the literature by demonstrating the profound …

Iguanaland, Joshua Michael Moyar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The green iguana was introduced to the state of Florida in the 1960s. Since then, their populations have exploded, confounding scientists, animal control workers and private citizens in their attempts to eradicate them. While they’ve proven themselves to be nuisance animals — destroying yards and collapsing sidewalks — iguanas still have not conclusively caused ecological damage, meaning researchers can’t be sure that they’re truly invasive. Through this reptilian crisis, private iguana hunting services, like Harold Rondan’s Iguana Lifestyles, LLC, have taken off as a way to capitalize off of iguana carnage. Whether they’re shot, euthanized or even fried and eaten, …

Flyway Bottlenecks: Migratory Waterbirds Confront Diminishing Wetland Networks In Western North America, J. Patrick Donnelly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the arid and semi-arid western U.S., migratory waterbirds (e.g., shorebirds, wading birds, and waterfowl) rely on wetland landscapes that function as nodes in broader continental habitat networks (e.g., flyways). Here, I integrate citizen science and GPS animal tracking technologies with satellite imagery and cloud computing to quantify the effects of climate and land use change on wetland ecosystems that sustain migratory waterbirds in the western U.S. Four decades of wetland surface water hydrology were first reconstructed from over 150,000 individual satellite images covering 3.1 million ha to track monthly changes in the extent and duration of wetland inundation. Results …

Moose Abundance And Calf:Cow Ratios On The Blackfeet Indian Reservation And Glacier National Park, Landon Joel Magee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many moose (Alces alces; Sikihtsisoo) populations across North America, especially along their southern range, are declining due to factors such as climate change, parasites and disease, predation, habitat loss and degradation, and overharvest. These declines highlight broader ecological concerns, as moose play a critical role as prey within their ecosystems. Despite their importance, data on crucial demographic parameters like abundance and age ratios are sparse for moose, complicating management efforts. Conventional monitoring methods, including radio-collaring, harvest data, public surveys, and aerial surveys, face significant logistical and financial challenges, and often fail to provide a comprehensive understanding of …

Traditional Chinese Medicine And The Argument For Future Application In The United States, Kylie Nicole Frohlich

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Silk Fibroin And Hylauronic Acid As Otic Drug Delivery System Additives; Investigation Of Silk Fibroins Responses To Enviromental Stimulii, Kolton Charles Sandau

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Serban lab has previously developed and reported on a single application drug delivery system for the treatment of otitis externa. Otitis externa also known as outer ear infections is a very common ailment that impacts large portions of both human and domestic animal populations. Typical treatment for otitis externa typically requires an extended dosing regimen over several days that is inconvenient and can lead to poor clinical outcomes due to poor patient compliance. Our delivery system employs a thixotropic gel to deliver a steady dose of medication over the duration of the infection.

Here we evaluated the reproducibility and …

A Tale Of Two Working Landscapes, Sage C. Sutcliffe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Csn-5: A Tumor's Friend Or Foe In The C. Elegans Germline?, Kellie C. Kuch

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The COP9 signalosome is a highly conserved eukaryotic complex regulating protein degradation via deneddylation of Cullin-RING E3 ligases. CSN5, the COP9’s fifth component, contains the catalytically active domain for CSN deneddylation. The complex is inactive without CSN5; however, CSN5 engages in COP9-independent binding with several other proteins, typically promoting either destruction or stabilization of its partners. Many of its confirmed interaction partners are also implicated in tumorigenesis (prominent examples being p27 and p53) and a complex cancer interactome has been established for CSN5. Additionally, CSN5 overexpression has been documented in a staggering array of cancers of diverse origins. This discovery …

The Blackfeet Nation’S Bison Conservation Herd Management Plan, Brandon Kittson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This document is meant to act as a guide to understanding Bison reintroduction on the Blackfeet reservation and serve as a resource for bison management. This report and plan will: 1) review bison ecology and the history of reintroduction efforts on the reservation; 2) identify potential issues and barriers to successful reintroduction; 3) present a summary of current land policies and patterns of land use on the reservation; and 4) provide recommendations for dealing with those potential issues. Recommendations will be based on analyses of previous knowledge of bison and bison behavior.

Foreign Expert: A Memoir Manuscript, Jenny L. Rowe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a full memoir manuscript that I wrote for my MFA thesis, which is tentatively titled Foreign Expert. In this manuscript, we follow myself as narrator as I struggle to adapt to life in Beijing (prior to the pandemic) while also recovering from a recent divorce. The man I’d been married to for five years back in Iowa had become violently mentally ill, and though I’d been fortunate enough to remove myself from him, I quickly learned that being a foreign expert in China—my residential visa title—required more work than basic survival. By the end of my two years …

Foodway Comparions And Patterns Of Consumer Behavior: The Use Of Orphan And Salvage Archaeological Collections From Historic Missoula, Montana, Emily Thea Meick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The goal of this project is to better understand and test theories about consumer behavior and meat consumption through faunal remains using orphaned and salvaged historic archaeological collections from three sites across Missoula, Montana, from the 1860s through the 1920s. Previous research underscored the need for properly defined units of analysis that represent what was being purchased and consumed. Using a consumer behavior framework and meat quality index, as indicated by price and meat yield, foodways comparisons between a Euromerican household that maintained renters, occupants of a Chinese store, Joss House, and residential dwellings within Missoula’s Red-Light District, and enlisted …

An Endemic Issue: Malawi's Struggle To Prevent Childhood Malaria, Hailey A. Smalley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Malaria is one of the most prolific diseases in the world, generating hundreds of millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. In 2021, the World Health Organization initiated preliminary trials for the first malaria vaccine in three countries, including Malawi. This project explores the impact of the malaria vaccine on community perspectives and health outcomes related to malaria , describes ongoing challenges that health workers face when disseminating the vaccine, and explains how Malawi’s experience implementing the malaria vaccine reflects larger trends in international aid.

Field/Museum: Poems + Studies, Em Bober

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Field/Museum: Poems + Studies is a collection interested in curation—collecting, containing, protecting, preserving, and displaying. Each set of poems becomes its own exhibition, employing experimental form and detail studies to preserve the work. Mortality, masculinity, ethics of the museum space, the concept of wildness, science, and family dynamics are scrutinized and studied throughout.

Readers learn that the author’s uncle worked at the Field Museum of Chicago throughout her childhood; so began her intimate relationship with the museum space—a deep fascination with the task of exhibiting. Later in the collection, readers are guided into the field—into a series of place poems …

No Worries, It’S Fine, Lexie E. Loader

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In my MFA exhibition, no worries, it’s fine, I depict seemingly mundane objects and places in my paintings to explore underlying themes of the bittersweet. They contain both painful memories and sweet moments, and their complexity gives them authenticity. To only explore the one would be dishonest, as the bitter and the sweet are forever intertwined.

Bittersweet is tied to longing…longing for someone you love when they are not present, for better circumstances while accepting where you are. Longing can propel us forward, one step at a time. It gives us the hope that when we experience pain, the pendulum …

Better Understanding The Barred Owl, Adam Lee Potts

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis research presents an analysis of barred owl nest site selection in an understudied region of their expanded range. The barred owl has dramatically expanded its range westwards over the last 150 years, prompting multiple conflicting reinterpretations of their species account. Hypotheses of range expansion are reviewed to provide context for this study’s research. This study gathers empirical data on nest site selection in the mixed conifer forests of Montana’s Seeley-Swan and Mission Valleys. Eight barred owl nests were located following extensive territory surveys. Field measurements of tree height and diameter using USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot …