Digital Commons Network^™

Cueing Complex Thought, Shannon Houck

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Does exposure to a complex description subsequently cue a person to be more complex? To test this question, participants read a paragraph about a specific topic. Paragraphs varied in their level of Integrative Complexity. Participants then wrote about either (1) their opinion about the topic that they read about, or (2) their opinion about a topic that is unrelated to the one that they read about. Participant responses were scored for Integrative Complexity. Contrary to expectations, reading complex paragraphs did not cue people to write more complexly, regardless of whether they were assigned to write about a topic related or …

The Ability Of A Novel Physiological Strain Scale To Predict Heat Strain Risk In Field Settings Using Non-Invasive Measures Of Heart Rate And Skin Temperature, Jeremy Curtis Basler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There are many occupational and professional careers that demand performance at the highest levels of function possible in hot environments. During heat exposure, the body undergoes a battery of physiological changes in response high heat stress. A problem arises when current physiological strain models are applied towards instantaneous monitoring of physiological strain in field settings. The Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism has developed a novel equation to assess physiological strain, coined the Physiological Strain Scale (PSS), using the metrics of skin temperature (chest) and heart rate. This purpose of this study was to validate the new equations …

An Attributional Analysis Of Observers Helping The Bully In Bullying Episodes, Christopher James Bushard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Student attitudes regarding bullying are mixed. Although most students appear to condemn the behavior (Boulton & Underwood, 1992), a sizable minority group displays beliefs and attitudes supportive of bullying (Rigby & Slee, 1991; Rigby & Slee, 1993). Previous research has also found that students involved in bullying situations can be categorized into different roles based on their behaviors during bullying episodes (Samivalli, Huttunen, & Lagerspetz, 1997). An established method to measure and predict attitudes and thoughts about a person’s actions in a situation is to use an attribution framework. Weiner (1995) proposes an attribution model in which the observer’s thoughts …

Thermodynamic And Kinetic Properties Of Cytochromes C And C’ In The Denatured State: Propensity For Residual Structure, Travis Arthur Danielson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

To expand our understanding of helical propensity and residual structure in the denatured state, two approaches have been taken. In the first project, we have engineered serine in place of alanine near the center of the third helix (positions 83 and 87) in cytochrome c’ (Cytc’) and have measured histidine-heme loop formation in 3 M gdnHCl. A series of thirteen variants that include the A83S/A87S substitutions have been engineered with single surface histidine substitutions to provide a range of His-heme loop sizes from 10 to 111 residues and to provide direct comparison to previous studies with pWT Cytc’ . We …

Inventory Of Mongolian Glaciers For The Global Land Ice Measurements From Space (Glims) Program, Caleb Gikai Pan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Glaciers in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia provide an estimated 10 % of the total water resources within the country. Yet, the number and area of glaciers within the Altai Mountains is inconsistent and conflicting. Glacier mapping attempts by previous author groups did not mention their mapping methods, data source, and/or date of analysis. Therefore, making it difficult to analyze and compare glacier base data. Due to a combination of climate change and land use management practices, the necessity of inventorying glaciers in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia is of great importance. The practice of glacier monitoring using remote sensing …

Locomotor Ontogeny And The Evolution Of Avian Flight, Ashley Margaret Heers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding the origins of organismal diversity is one of biology's most enduring quests. Many authors have posited that modularity, or the developmental decoupling of body parts into discrete functional units, facilitates adaptive radiation by allowing body parts to become independently and functionally specialized without compromising one another. This may be particularly true in birds, which have compartmentalized the single locomotor unit of their ancestors into discrete wing and leg locomotor modules, and exploited terrestrial and aerial environments. Specializing one set of limbs for terrestrial locomotion and one set for flight presumably facilitates navigation of aerial environments without compromising terrestrial locomotion, …

Only From Montana: A Family's Experience Eating Locally, Emily Joan Wendler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a 30-minute radio documentary on one family’s experience eating all locally grown food, for two weeks in September of 2012, and two weeks during January 2013. For the project we considered locally grown food as food grown and processed in Montana. If the food was grown here, then left to be processed in another state, it did not count as local. The participants were a family of three from Missoula, Montana—a Mom, Dad, and their 2-year-old son. The point of the project was to answer the question: What is it like for a family, who normally does not …

A Spatially-Explicit Decision Support System For Invasive Weed Species Management, Pablo Aracena

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Invasive weed species are a recognized problem worldwide causing economic and environmental problems. Management of weeds is complex and challenging because of multiple decisions that need to be made when allocating limited resources to control current infestation areas including which weeds to treat, where to treat, how to treat, and when to treat. Models have been developed to simulate weed spread, however they lack the ability to simulate the short term effects of weed treatments and analyze trade-offs among control allocation options. This trade-off analysis is critical in developing cost-efficient treatment decisions especially when available budget for treatments is limited. …

Variations In Wildfire Ash Properties And Implications For Post-Fire Hydrological Response Within Western North American Ecosystems, Victoria Balfour

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Within the Rocky Mountain region of the Western U.S.A the average number of wildfires over 40 hectares have quadrupled and the frequency of large wildfires (> 4,000 hectares) have increased seven times since the 1970’s. The effect of this increase on resource management and ecosystem function is of increased interest to agencies and land managers within the region. The research presented in this dissertation aimed to contribute to the growing knowledge of post-fire hydrology, specifically with regards to the role of wildfire ash within recently burned ecosystems. Ash should not be considered a generic term, as it is an important …

Evaluating Genetic Status And Management Tradeoffs For Conservation Of Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus Clarkii), Kellie Jahan Carim

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Habitat fragmentation and invasive species are two of the primary threats to global biodiversity, yet biologists have tested few guidelines for protecting species under these conditions. These threats are particularly relevant to conservation of freshwater species like the Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii). Hybridization with introduced Rainbow Trout (O. mykiss) has already caused extinction of one subspecies and threatens extant populations. Additionally, Cutthroat populations have lost genetic diversity across their range due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. These threats create a catch-22 for managers, wherein treating one problem (connecting populations) may lead to the other (interactions with invasive species). Furthermore, little …

Age-Associated Changes In The Neuroinflammatory Response To Toll-Like Receptor 4 And 9 Stimulation, Leah Beth Christensen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

During the perinatal time period, the mammalian brain is developing rapidly and is particularly sensitive to inflammation. Inflammation during this time period may be linked to later neurological illness in humans. Disease-associated alterations in learning and behavior can be modeled in rodents using perinatal immune stimulation with either infectious agents or Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Although the gestational period is a particularly sensitive time for neurodevelopment, it is not known for how long after birth this sensitivity persists. In mice, susceptibility to neurological infection declines dramatically during the first weeks of life. Therefore, we sought to compare the neuroinflammatory responses …

What High School Principals Do To Develop, Implement, And Sustain A High Functioning Character Education Initiative, Jacob A. Francom

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Principal leadership is crucial to the success of a high school character education initiative. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory research was to identify the roles and effective practices that high school principals utilize in developing, implementing, and sustaining a high functioning character education program. Fourteen high school principals from around the country, representing different schools, were interviewed one-on-one through Skype, Google Hangout, or by telephone. Data were collected during these one-on-one semi-structured interviews and analyzed through three separate coding procedures: (a) open coding, (b) axial coding, and (c) selective coding. Open coding analyzed the concepts emerging from the …

Working Memory Capacity Training And The Effect On Reading Comprehension, Numerical Reasoning, And Vocational Progress, David Evans Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An individual’s working memory capacity determines their ability to control attention and discard irrelevant and interfering information in large environments. It also plays an important part in information processing of goal-relevant tasks. It is important to study the ways in which learners can augment the capacity of an important cognitive construct and investigate the potential benefits to improving attention, reasoning, and comprehension. In educational settings, students actively seek help from assistance programs that target academic performance. However, it is often the case that this assistance comes in the form of a targeted specific skill that is focused on a particular …

Ecology Of Juvenile Salmon In Large Floodplain Rivers: The Influence Of Habitat Modification By Beavers (Castor Canadensis) On Salmon Growth And Production, Rachel Lanelle Malison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

I investigated the influence of beavers on aquatic floodplain habitats and determined how juvenile salmon habitat use, growth, survival, movement, and production varied by habitat type in a large alluvial floodplain of the Kwethluk River in western Alaska. I also compared juvenile salmon production at the floodplain scale in the Kwethluk River (with beavers), to a very similar salmon river in Kamchatka (the Kol) that has no beavers.

Beavers modified 87.5% of the aquatic off-channel habitat of the Kwethluk River, which was composed of three successional stages of beaver ponds (early-, mid-, and latesuccessional), and beaver-influenced spring brooks. Early-successional ponds …

Interactions Between Arenavirus Proteins And Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Infection, Emily L. Messina

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Arenaviruses are globally distributed, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses which persist in specific rodent host species. Of the 32 known arenaviruses, 10 have been associated with human disease. Of these, Lassa, Junín, Machupo, Guanarito, and Sabia viruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers. The only current option for the treatment of arenavirus infection is the off-label use of ribavirin. However, ribavirin is associated with severe side effects. Clearly, there exists a need for the study of arenavirus biology and of novel drugs for the treatment of arenaviral infection. My work focused on two attractive targets for inhibition of infection: the arenaviral RNA-dependent RNA …

Global And Regional Scale Constraints To Bioenergy Potential And The Human Appropriation Of Net Primary Production, William Kolby Smith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Expansion of the human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) is a future certainty, given a growing global food demand – driven by near-exponential population growth coupled with increasing global meat consumption – and an increasing global investment in bioenergy – promoted by nearly all global energy policy. Yet, our current understanding of the impacts associated with increased HANPP is limited and the subject of intense debate in the scientific community. The focus of my dissertation is to improve our understanding of the impacts of, and future potential for, HANPP through the use of satellite data and landuse modeling.

In …

Dual Enrollment As A Factor For Women Transitioning Into Stem Majors In Montana Two-Year Colleges, Penny Jane Jakes

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this non-experimental, descriptive, quantitative study was to describe the impact high school dual enrollment coursework has had on initial enrollment of women with STEM majors in Montana two-year colleges. The study was designed to find whether or not differences existed for access (initial enrollment), persistence (to third semester), and success (associate's degree, certificate, or transfer to a four-year institution within 150% of program length). The literature review highlighted the need for studies to address the issue of few women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations. One goal of dual enrollment in Montana is to ease …

Causes And Consequences Of Dominance And Diversity In Grasslands, Sarah Pinto

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding how species coexist and differ in abundance is central to ecology. Theory predicts competitively superior species should dominate systems and suppress diversity, yet many natural communities characterized by dominants are species rich. Understanding how shifts in dominance among species, and the inherent diversity of communities affect ecosystem function is a second central theme in ecology. For example, decreasing the number of species in local communities can reduce the ability of the community to respond to disturbance. These ideas have captured ecologists' attention because anthropogenic pressures are causing many systems to lose species. In my dissertation I focused on processes …

Measuring Visual Literacy Ability In Graduate Level Pre-Service Teachers, Teresa Farrell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Farrell, Teresa, Ed.D., August 2013 Curriculum and Instruction Measuring Visual Literacy Ability in Graduate Level Pre-service Teachers Chairperson: Dr. Marian J. McKenna The field of visual literacy has been active since its inception in 1969 by John Debes and members of various fields of study such as science, mathematics, psychology, education, and the arts forming the International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA). Recognizing that modern society is increasingly visual by nature, and with the advances in digital technologies, visual literacy is becoming an area of critical importance in education. Although much work has been done within the field to define it …

Mechanisms And Cytotoxic Effects Of Nqo1-Directed Lavendamycin Derivatives And Mitochondria-Targeted Anthracenyl Isoxazole Amides As Novel Antitumor Agents, Alison King Kearns

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Cancer is a common, complex, and oftentimes fatal disease. Despite extensive research in the field of cancer drug discovery, there are still improvements to be made in the design of effective anticancer agents. This project involved three separate but related studies that fall under the category of anticancer drug discovery as a whole. The overall goal of this project was to design and investigate the mechanisms of action of new antitumor agents to be used against solid tumors. First, we developed a series of anthracenyl isoxazole amides (AIMs) designed to bind to G-quadruplex DNA and inhibit telomerase. Results from this …

Evaluation Of A New Method For Large-Scale And Gene-Targeted Next Generation Dna Sequencing In Nonmodel Species, Ted Cosart

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The efficient method called exon capture provides for sequencing genes genome-wide, targeting candidate genes, and sampling specific exons within genes. Although developed for model species with available whole genome sequences, the method can capture exons in nonmodel species using the genomic resources of a related model species. How close the relatives must be for effective exon capture is not known. The work herein demonstrates cross-taxa capture in ungulates, using the domestic cow genome as a reference. It also describes a computer program designed for collecting exon sequences for exon capture, allowing users to set per-gene and overall base pair (bp) …

Activity-Based Exposure Assessments To Libby Amphibole Associated With Public And Occupational Tasks In The Kootenai National Forest And Weatherization Of Homes Containing Vermiculite Attic Insulation, Julie Faroni Hart

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Up to 80% of the world's supply of vermiculite was produced from a mine near Libby, MT. A common use for expanded vermiculite was loose fill insulation in attics and walls. Unfortunately, vermiculite from the Libby mine was contaminated with amphibole asbestos minerals referred to as Libby amphibole, LA. Fifteen years after the closure of the vermiculite mine, substantial (14 - 110 million structures/cm2) LA contamination was discovered on the surface of tree bark in the forested areas surrounding the former mine. Research was conducted to evaluate the potential for LA exposure associated with tree bark and vermiculite attic insulation …

P-Glycoprotein Transport In Pesticide Pharmacokinetics And Toxicity: Investigating A Link To Parkinson's Disease Risk, Sarah Elizabeth Lacher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Variation in the gene that encodes P-glycoprotein (P-gp), ABCB1, has been associated with Parkinson's disease risk. The aim of my research was to evaluate P-gp transport of pesticides that have been associated with Parkinson's disease as a mechanism for the pharmacogenomic association. To facilitate this aim, a combination of models was utilized to determine P-gp transport of the pesticides diazinon, dieldrin, endosulfan, maneb, MPP+, paraquat, and rotenone. Paraquat pharmacokinetics and brain accumulation were measured in both FVB wildtype and mdr1a(-/-)/1b(-/-) mice. P-gp deficient mice displayed no changes in paraquat brain accumulation, indicating that P-gp does not mediate paraquat disposition. I …

The Value Of Knowing: Public Lands Monitoring By Non-Agency Groups, Aaron Richard Olsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

It is generally recognized that in order to make informed federal land management decisions, such decisions need to be based on information gathered from monitoring of those lands. While some monitoring is being conducted by federal land management agencies, it is happening too infrequently and is often inadequate for properly informing land management decisions. In an attempt to fill this gap non-agency groups have begun monitoring federal public lands themselves. It appears that through recent congressional authorizations, policy reforms, and agency initiatives monitoring by non-agency groups is being supported at every government level. While theoretically this transfer of responsibility from …

Touch-Screan Mss, Colin Post

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a poetry manuscript that examines the epic form, concrete poetic techniques, and science fiction concepts so as to posit a created world of surfaces.

Variational Methods In Ice Sheet Modelling, Douglas John Brinkerhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A complete simulation of flowing ice requires knowledge of both the fundamental physical principles that govern the stress and energy balances and a framework for assimilating data into a model to help estimate unknown parameters. Modelling ice is complex, due to the large spatial extent of ice sheets, the multiple scales at which relevant physics operate, and the coupling between heat, stress, and ice rheology. As such, it is usually necessary to make approximations to the equations governing ice flow. At the same time, it is important to have an understanding of the specific assumptions that lead to these approximations. …

Examining Skewed Sex Ratio In The Mountain Plover (Charadrius Montanus) Population, Margaret Mercedes Riordan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Skewed sex ratios can have negative implications for population growth or persistence if not congruous for a species system. A skewed tertiary sex ratio (2.3 males per female) has been detected in the breeding population of a grassland shorebird experiencing population declines, the mountain plover (Charadrius montanus). To evaluate the ontogeny of the observed male skew this study examined the early life stages, from laying to fledging, of mountain plover young during their breeding season from 2010 – 2012 in eastern Colorado. The life stages between laying and fledging that allows for differentiation between production and survival of males and …

I Have An Enemy And I Am Glad: An Evaluation Of The Effects Enemyship Has On The Individual, Laura Janelle Gornick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite its prevalence in popular culture, little research has specifically investigated the topic of enemyship and how it affects our lives. This research proposes to fill that gap by focusing on the effects involved with claiming to have an enemy. Specifically, this research introduces a theory of "optimal enemyship" which suggests that (1) there are both positive and negative psychological consequences for having an enemy, and (2) there are specific circumstances that maximize the positive benefits of enemyship. The focus of this research is to assess when "optimal enemyship" occurs by looking at characteristics of both the enemyship relationship and …

The Development Of The First Legend For Geomorphologic Mapping Of High Mountain Environments In The United Sates, Mitchell Lee Fyock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Geomorphological mapping is the attempt to depict the physical setting of the surface of the earth by mapping the landforms present and the processes responsible for their appearance, and is method that is practiced worldwide. Currently, there is no universally accepted legend for mapping the geomorphological features of all environments, though there have been several attempts made to develop such a legend. Instead, many different European nations have developed their own geomorphologic mapping legends for mapping the landscapes that exist within their national boundaries. In addition, certain countries have even developed highly specific geomorphologic mapping legends for specific geomorphologic environments. …

The Sweet Grass Hills And Blackfeet Indians: Sacredness, Land, And Institutional Discrimination, Cassie Sheets

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Sweet Grass Hills of north-central Montana are part of the four Tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy’s traditional territory and play a vital role in perpetuating Blackfeet culture. The Blackfeet Tribe of Montana was forced to sell the Sweet Grass Hills to the federal government in 1888 after the decimation of bison populations. In 1992, the first large-scale corporate mining proposal in the Sweet Grass Hills was proposed by Lehmann and Associates and Manhattan Mineral, Ltd. In response to public outcries, environmental impact statements were issued by the Bureau of Land Management, the agency that manages the area, and Secretary …