Digital Commons Network^™

State Regulated Relationships: Mothers' Experiences Of Partner Incarceration, Hannah Brianne Fields

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The effects of incarceration on families have been studied in-depth, but little research evaluates the effects on women parenting children after the incarceration of their romantic partner. This research evaluates how mothers manage to keep their families intact throughout the duration of their partner’s incarceration. I approached this question using a geography theory of care developed by Sophie Bowlby and Linda McKie. This theory states that the quality of care is dependent on the space in which it is provided, the social expectations within the caring environment, and the amount of time required to provide or receive care. Using this …

Why The Weird Wings? Investigating The Morphology, Function, And Evolution Of Unusual Feathers In Pigeons And Doves (Columbidae), Robert Lawrence Niese

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The feathers of the wing that power flight in birds (the remiges) are morphologically constrained by the demands of aerial locomotion, but peculiar morphologies exist in many taxa in spite of these constraints. In the family Columbidae (pigeons and doves) in particular, we found that atypical remex morphologies have evolved dozens of times and occur in over a third of all species in the family. In members of the genus Columbina, we tested the sound-producing abilities of modified P7 feathers and determined that they are sonations that serve a signalling function during flight. In 56 species we identified a highly-attenuated …

Statistical Modeling Of Influenza-Like-Illness In Montana Using Spatial And Temporal Methods, Benjamin A. Stark

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Studying air pollution and public health has been a historically important question in science. It has long been hypothesized that severe air pollution conditions lead to negative implications in basic human health. Primarily, areas thats are prone to severe degrees of human pollution are the focus of such studies. Such research relating to less populated areas are scarce, and this scarcity raises the question of how such pollution dynamics (human-made and natural) influence human health in more rural areas.

The aim of this study is to explore this hole in research; in particular we explore possible links between air pollution …

Final Vowel Devoicing In Blackfoot, Samantha Leigh Prins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis presents a study of final vowel devoicing in Blackfoot, an indigenous language of Montana and Alberta. Previous research on final vowel devoicing in Blackfoot variously suggests word-final, phrase-final, and utterance-final vowel devoicing processes (e.g. Taylor 1965, Bliss & Gick 2009, Frantz 2017), though, the conditioning environment for this phenomenon had not been a research focus prior to this study. The present study investigates intonation units (IUs) as the conditioning domain for final vowel devoicing in Blackfoot.

Final vowel devoicing in Blackfoot is investigated here by examining the common word-final suffixes –wa (3SG.AN) and –yi (4SG) in two recordings …

A Multifactorial Cytochrome P450 2d6 Genotype-Phenotype Prediction Model To Improve Precision Of Clinical Pharmacogenomic Tests, Rachel Dalton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

BACKGROUND: CYP2D6 is difficult to accurately genotype due to a large number of single nucleotide variants (SNVs), indels, and structural variation such as deletions, duplications, and CYP2D6/CYP2D7 hybrid genes. CYP2D6 targeted genotyping panels are of limited utility; clinically relevant variants that are not genotyped will be missed. Sequencing solves this problem but requires additional tools to address structural variation. The goal of our study was to determine the predictive power of Stargazer, a novel allele-calling program, which combines SNV/indel calls with structural variation identification.

METHODS: In a panel of 309 human livers, CYP2D6 diplotypes and activity scores were initially assigned …

Biotic And Abiotic Influences On The Evolution Of Elevational Range Limts And Life-History Strategies Of Tropical Birds, Andrew James Boyce

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental gradients provide natural forums for understanding how and why species differ. The study of interspecific variation across gradients has provided foundations for our understanding of community ecology, species distributions, life-history evolution and physiological ecology (Janzen 1967; Macarthur 1972; Martin 2015). In this dissertation, I explore questions in these disciplines, using a comparative approach on elevational and latitudinal gradients. My primary focus is understanding the biotic and abiotic processes that limit species distributions and how those same forces scale up to influence the composition of communities on an elevational gradient. I also test a physiological hypothesis for the gradient of …

The Psychological And Physiological Effect Of Performing The Primal Reflex Release Technique On Female, Division I Collegiate Athletes, Erika K. Vichcales

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Anxiety is a cognitive, behavioral, and physiological reaction to stress, and athletes have an increased risk being in a high-stress environment. One of the effects of increased stress on the body is a condition known as central sensitization (CS) where the central nervous system amplifies sensory input across many organ systems causing a pain response in normally non-painful areas or hypersensitivity to stimuli. The Primal Reflex Release Technique (PRRT) is a manual-therapy approach for evaluating and relieving musculoskeletal pain in patients, and is meant to facilitate a “neural reboot” of a hyper-aroused nervous system. The purpose of this study is …

Confronting The Challenges Of Whale Avoidance By Large Vessels To Reduce Collision Risk: A Quantitative Approach, Jennifer E. Helm

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Disturbance of wildlife by human transportation infrastructure is ubiquitous. This type of human-wildlife conflict has the potential to negatively impact wildlife population growth rates, especially for at-risk species like large whales. While many whale populations are rebounding as a result of a moratorium on commercial whaling, increasing ship traffic constitutes a significant threat to whale conservation efforts in the form of ship-whale collisions (“ship strikes”). Ship strike avoidance is difficult because vessel operators can only see whales when they are breaking the surface of the water, or “available for detection,” and even then, they will only see them a fraction …

Watered Down: The Challenges Of Managing Water Resources In Montana, Beau E. Baker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Like much of the American West, Montana sits in the cross hairs of climate change. State drought resiliency projects and cooperative watershed management are on the rise in the face of decreased snowpack, early runoff, precipitation variability and lower seasonal stream flows. Population growth, land use practices, recreation and tourism all contribute to pressures on state water supplies.

Montana is faced with the arrival of invasive species that threaten the ecological health of its lakes, rivers and streams. State budget constraints and depressed agency capacity are hurting our ability to fend off these threats. There’s a lack of public education …

Breaking Chains Of Oppression: Popular Culture And The Plundering Of Blackness, Corina Sacajawea Ambrose

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis focuses on the ways in which white supremacy created mass incarceration, specifically mass incarceration of black individuals, and how this continues to perpetuate a racial caste system in the United States. First, I examine contemporary novelist Colson Whitehead‘s The Underground Railroad to provide a historical background of white supremacy and slavery. Then, I argue that pop culture is one area in which artists are focused on the abolition of the prison-industrial complex and ending mass incarceration. Finally, I focus on JAY-Z‘s music video “The Story of O.J.“ and Beyoncé‘s visual album Lemonade and her 2018 Coachella performance to …

Weed Control As A Collective Action Problem: Quantifying Group Effects On Individual Behavior, And Clarifying The Theoretical Frame, Alice Lubeck

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Weeds reduce the biodiversity and productivity of agricultural systems, and are a problem both around the world, and in Montana. Weeds are challenging to control because their effective dispersal mechanisms enable cross-boundary colonization, and so managers must engage diverse groups of private landowners. Researchers have recognized weed control is a collective action problem, but there is little research quantifying the role of collective factors on an individual’s decision to control. To fully understand the motivations behind independent weed control, I initiated a study to quantitatively assess different types of landowners and their weed control behaviors, the relationship between collective interest …

The Effects Of Common Methods Of Soft Tissue Removal On Skeletal Remains: A Comparative Analysis, Emily Silverman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The removal of soft tissue from skeletal remains is a process familiar to a wide array of scientific fields and the methods used to perform it are likewise numerous yet inconsistent. In forensic investigations and crime labs across the country, there lacks a standardization for this process. This lack of standardization pairs with a distinct lack of literature on the potential benefits and risks associated with each method as well as basic information on the proper amount of additives, temperatures, or time estimations. In a forensic context, human remains may be the only evidence available, which makes any damage or …

Interleukin-6 And Exercise; Early Evidence Of A Novel Myokine, Brendan Hogg Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was first identified as a pleiotropic cytokine, with a host of body-wide functions. Cytokine functions are characterized by chronically elevated levels within various inflammatory states. In this regard, IL-6 is largely associated with the acute phase response to many stimuli and performs specific actions when produced from certain cell types. Accrued evidence indicates IL-6 release from skeletal muscle often includes myokine functions. Novel myokine functions are adaptive in nature, and as compared to inflammatory/cytokine roles, exhibit a transient time course. Following exercise plasma IL-6 peaks and returns to resting levels within 1-2 hours. In contrast, IL-6 is observed …

Structural Characterization Of The Human C-Myc Quadruplex And Mechanistic Evaluation Of Antitumor Agents: Anthracenyl Isoxazole Amides And Quinolinediones, Sascha Christian Lamotte Stump

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Cancer is a disease characterized by the abnormal proliferation of cells in the body. For many forms of cancer, there remain only limited and often ineffective treatment options available. Treatment of cancer is problematic for several reasons that include the difficulty in establishing molecular targets, finding interventions that cause selective toxicity to cancer cells, and the uniform capability of cancer cells to evade apoptosis. To address this, new strategies must be employed that take advantage of novel mechanisms of action to develop better therapies. The goal of this research is to aid in this effort through the study of emerging …

Global Change And Whitebark Pine: Restoration, Refugia, And Alpine Treelines, Colin Taylor Maher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitebark pine is a major component of subalpine forests in western North America. The species occupies harsh high-mountain sites up to treeline, where it is often the dominant species. The species is ecologically important but is also a valuable species for studying the dynamics of alpine treelines. However, whitebark pine has experienced significant mortality in recent decades from mountain pine beetle outbreaks and white pine blister rust. This kind of rapid environmental change presents significant challenges to our understanding and management of the dynamics of ecological communities. On one hand, the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems could provide …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To The Target Elucidation Of Novel Antibiotic 31g12, Larissa A. Walker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen responsible for nosocomial and community-acquired infections that can quickly acquire antibiotic resistance. We have identified a novel triazole antimicrobial 31G12 based on the natural product core of nonactin isolated from the fermentation of Streptomyces griseus, that is active against many Gram-positive bacteria as well as antibiotic resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. The synthesis and characterization indicate that 31G12 exists as a mixture of two rotamers at room temperature and displays bacteriostatic activity against S. aureus with moderate mammalian cell toxicity. We have currently identified potential protein targets of 31G12 in …

Exploring The Ligand-Dependent Conformational Ensemble Of Pparγ: More Than A Mousetrap, Ian Michael Chrisman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The nuclear receptor PPARγ is a lipid-dependent transcription factor which regulates many pathways in lipid metabolism. Due to functions in adipogenesis, glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity it has been a target of type II diabetes mellitus therapeutics since the 1990s. Due to a poorly understood anti-inflammatory pathway it is also an emerging target in neurodegenerative disease. Despite extensive research the majority of the structural mechanism underlying the regulation of this proteins’ function is poorly understood. It is often thought that nuclear receptors function in a simple two-state model with defined on and off states. This model only considers one region …

Leaving More Than Footprints: Impacts Of Tourism And Perceptions Of Change In Chilean Patagonia, Heidi Blair

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Visitation to protected areas is on the rise globally, and the Aysén region of Chilean Patagonia is part of that trend. Within Aysén, Cerro Castillo National Reserve is one of the protected areas that has seen the largest increase in visitation in recent years. Protected area tourism catalyzes changes in surrounding communities, and it is important to understand resident perceptions of these changes in order to inform management planning and to implement effective, equitable conservation policy. In this study, I use qualitative research methods to investigate local residents’ perceptions of social, economic, and ecological changes spurred by or related to …

The Effects Of Common Methods Of Soft Tissue Removal On Skeletal Remains: A Comparative Analysis, Emily Silverman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The removal of soft tissue from skeletal remains is a process familiar to a wide array of scientific fields and the methods used to perform it are likewise numerous yet inconsistent. In forensic investigations and crime labs across the country, there lacks a standardization for this process. This lack of standardization pairs with a distinct lack of literature on the potential benefits and risks associated with each method as well as basic information on the proper amount of additives, temperatures, or time estimations. In a forensic context, human remains may be the only evidence available, which makes any damage or …

Measuring Contact With Transgender Individuals: An Evaluation Of Factors Associated With Anti-Transgender Prejudice, Oak Reed

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Objectives: Research has suggested that transgender individuals experience high degrees of prejudice and discrimination (e.g., Grant et al., 2010; James et al., 2016). These attitudes affect transgender individuals in multiple domains, such as employment, education, healthcare, housing, public accommodations, and personal relationships (James et al., 2016). Importantly, contact as an intervention strategy has been shown to reduce anti-transgender prejudice quickly and effectively, especially when compared to other prejudice reduction methods (Walch et al., 2012; Case & Stewart, 2013; Tompkins, Sheilds, Hillman, & White, 2015). The aim of the current study was to explore how different types of contact (e.g., …

Survival, Movements, And Resource Selection Of Female White-Tailed Deer In Missouri, Chloe A. Wright

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Missouri are a socially and economically important game species generating annual revenue in excess of $1 billion. The last comprehensive deer study in Missouri was conducted in the 1980s – 1990s when deer populations were rapidly expanding. Since this time there has been a reduction in deer population size, declining growth rates, changes in harvest strategies, and the emergence and spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). These changes have rendered prior survival estimates outdated, and the presence of CWD requires a deeper understanding of movement patterns and space use. We were interested in …

Determination Of Lipid Bilayer Affinities For Small Molecules Using Capillary Electrophoresis And Copolymer – Stabilized Lipid Bilayer Nanodiscs, William Michael Penny

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Electrokinetic chromatography is a variation of capillary electrophoresis that allows for the separation of nonionic analytes by selective interaction with an ionic pseudostationary phase dissolved in the background electrolyte. The utility of electrokinetic chromatography to characterize pseudostationary phases and pseudostationary phase–solute interactions has been recognized since its introduction. The objective of this dissertation was to use electrokinetic chromatography and copolymer stabilized lipid bilayer nanodiscs as a pseudostationary phase to characterize small molecule-lipid bilayer interactions.

Styrene-maleic acid copolymers were used to stabilize cylindrical sections of lipid bilayer in solution, forming nanodiscs. The nanodiscs are formed based on strong hydrophobic interactions between …

On Internalized Oppression And Sexualized Violence In College Women, Marina Leigh Costanzo

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sexualized violence on college campuses has recently entered the media spotlight. One in five women are sexually assaulted during college and over 90% of these women know their attackers (Black et al., 2011; Cleere & Lynn, 2013). Students face the highest risk of sexualized violence within their first six weeks on campus (Graves, Sechrist, White, & Paradise, 2005). The acute and delayed psychological distress caused by sexualized violence is a significant public health concern and there have been relatively few studies that have taken a longitudinal approach (Edwards, Dardis, Sylaska, & Gidycz, 2014). Historically, psychology has focused on factors within …

Why Does Drought Kill Trees? Interactions Between Water, Carbon, And Fungal Symbionts, Gerard Sapes De Moreta

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

One of the global causes of forest die-off is climate-change induced drought. Drought kills trees by reducing water supply and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) availability and by increasing susceptibility to negative biotic interactions. However, we lack an understanding of how water, NSC, and biotic agents interact. As a result, we still cannot accurately predict drought-induced mortality. The overarching goal of my dissertation is to increase our understanding of the interacting mechanisms leading to drought-induced mortality (DIM) and to identify physiological variables that accurately predict risk of DIM. Via greenhouse experiments with Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) seedlings, I addressed three overarching research …

The Introduction Of Yoga Recovery On Physiological And Psychological Stress And Performance In Ncaa Athletes, Paige D. Schober

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

NCAA student athletes face unique physiological and psychological stressors daily, which may contribute to overtraining, burnout, and other physical and mental health issues. However, NCAA institutions often leave recovery up to the individual athlete due to time restriction and Countable Athletic Related Activities (CARA) hour limitations on team mandated activities. Attention to methods to promote recovery from these training loads is increasing in NCAA institutions. A mind-body activity such as yoga is proposed to have physiological and psychological benefits for student athletes. The goal of this review is to identify which aspects of yoga promote the most effective recovery in …

Matrix Of Community, Shelby A. Hanson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ma·trix noun

Origin: Latin

Matter - Matrix - Matrix

Matr- Breeding Female Womb

1. An environment or material in which something develops,

a surrounding medium or structure.

2. A mold in which something is cast or shaped.

3. A rectangular array of quantities or expressions in rows and

columns that is treated as a single entity and manipulated according to particular

rules.

A Decade Of Governing The Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (Bcca): Community Involvement And Landscape Connectivity Through Public Private Partnerships, Alexander A. Barton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In recent decades, non-governmental organizations have acquired and established community forests and conservation areas in the U.S. However, there have been few empirical studies on their governance. This study focuses on the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (BCCA) in the Blackfoot watershed of Montana, created in 2005. The BCCA is a 41,000 acre mosaic of private, state, and federal lands, including 5,600 acres known as the “Core” located near Ovando mountain and owned by the Blackfoot Challenge, a local watershed organization and leader in grassroots conservation. This research examined the definitions, activities and lessons learned over the past decade with regard …

Chipping Through Time: The Evolution Of Lithic Spatial Organization At The Bridge River Pithouse Village, British Columbia, Ethan P. Ryan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Archaeological investigations at Housepit 54 within the Bridge River site have, to date, exposed 15 discreet floors primarily dating to ca. 1500-1000 cal. B.P. In this thesis, the spatial distributions of lithic artifacts from every floor are examined. Questions will be addressed specifically towards formation processes and the potential relationships between the patterning of lithic distributions as they relate to hearth-centered activity areas or domestic areas and fluctuations in estimated population. In addition, this thesis explores spatial organization as a cultural trait or concept that can be transmitted through time. Using the same methodological and theoretical approach for each floor, …

Pig Trauma Models: A Civilian Perspective On Ar-15 Post-Cranial Skeletal Trauma, Lauren M. Kenney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the last decade, our country has seen an unprecedented wave of terror that has been punctuated by increasing events of gun-related violence. Consequently, the use of firearms against civilians or upon targets containing civilians has inevitably had a direct impact on the health of the individuals affected, and in many cases these events have concluded with mass number fatalities. The driving force for this research falls to the lack of available literature regarding traumatic skeletal injuries associated with high-velocity firearms outside of realm of the military. The effects of these types of weapons on civilians, which result from their …

Personality And Mental Health Support Effects On Occupational Trauma And Posttraumatic Growth In Police Officers, Jennifer Leigh Wills

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate relationships between occupational trauma exposure, work environment stress, personality traits, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth in police officers.

Scope of the study: A cross sectional mixed method research study design with longitudinal component was utilized. The sample consisted of 109 police officers in approximately 13 police agencies from multiple communities ranging from small rural departments to major city and statewide agencies.

Instruments used: The California Psychological Inventory 434 (CPI-434); the Police Stress Questionnaire-Operational; the Police Stress Questionnaire-Organizational; the Critical Incident History Questionnaire; the Posttraumatic Checklist for the DSM-5; the Centrality of …