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Expectations In The Preservation Of Dna And Bacterial Organisms In Differential Montana Burials, Kaylee M. Hinds

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates patterns of decomposition and biomolecular preservation in domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) proxies under varying burial conditions in a cold, seasonal climate. Conducted at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest in western Montana, the project aims to evaluate DNA degradation, microbial activity, and environmental influences across shallow, deep, surface, and secondary burial contexts. Three pigs were placed in distinct burial treatments (surface exposure, partial burial, and full burial), with a fourth site later added following bear disturbance and carcass relocation. Environmental monitoring included temperature, and soil sampling before and throughout the decomposition process. Systematic sampling of bone, soft tissue, …

Continental Violence And The "Oregon Question": George Frederick Ruxton And The Nineteenth-Century Pacific Northwest, Rory Orion Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper builds on recent efforts to depict Indigenous polities across North America in their international relations with European and Euro-American colonists and their centralized governments. It examines George Frederick Ruxton, a private English citizen and former army lieutenant, as he developed his response to the U.S.-British Oregon dispute while living in London in early 1846. He concluded that continental warfare was imminent and took overt steps to influence British policy, which he believed could halt U.S. expansion and definitively resolve the “Oregon Question.”

Skeletal Dna Mapping Of The Post-Cranial Skeleton For The Identification Of Human Remains In A Modern Forensic Context, Mykala Denise Ward

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Human identification is a central goal of forensic anthropology and forensic molecular anthropology, particularly when remains are skeletonized, fragmented, degraded, or otherwise visually unidentifiable. Although skeletal elements such as teeth, the petrous portion of the temporal bone, and major long bones are commonly prioritized for DNA sampling, they are not always available, intact, or suitable for destructive analysis. This dissertation evaluates DNA preservation across the post-cranial skeleton to determine whether anatomical location, biological sex, and age-at-death influence DNA quantity and downstream forensic genetic success.

Surface cortical bone samples were collected from predetermined anatomical locations across four modern skeletonized individuals. DNA …

Thistlebloom Moondog, Gary W. Jensen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An aging grieving artist decides to write a memoir as part of a self-healing process, using samples of song lyrics from his extensive collection of original Americana songs as narrative prompts.  Steeped in wanderlust, aspiration, paradox and dysfunction, his is a tale of vexing sub-clinical troubles rooted in the mire of developmental and religious trauma.

Title: The Impact Of Intergenerational Program Participation On First-Year Physical Therapy Students’ Beliefs, Attitudes, And Anxiety About Aging And Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study, Catherine Staloch

Dissertations and Theses

As the aging adult population continues to grow, the utilization and need for medical services for this population are increasing. These trends have raised concerns about the impact of ageist beliefs among health care providers on the health and well-being of older adults. Physical therapists are health care providers who care for aging adults across health care settings. Given the large percentage of physical therapists who care for older adults and the known negative health implications of ageist beliefs among providers, it is imperative that educators in physical therapy programs use learning activities that positively influence students’ beliefs, attitudes, and …

An International Framework For Marriage Promotion, Jessica Tueller

Faculty Articles

Governments across the globe lately have been raising the alarm about declining marriage rates and adopting a wide variety of measures to increase these rates. This article presents a framework, distilled from human rights law, for assessing whether such measures are in keeping with States’ international obligations to eliminate all forms of coercion and discrimination in their policies and practices concerning diverse family structure and composition. The framework draws clear boundaries between measures that are permissible under human rights law and measures that are prohibited by human rights law. It also provides a tool for evaluating marriage-promotion measures that, although …

The Impact Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Preference On The Performance Of Distance Learning Students, Christopher A. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Distance learning is a growing part of education. The transition to distance learning was underway at higher education institutions, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of all types to rapidly transition to distance learning. The technology that was adapted during this emergency distance learning remained in the classroom once normal instruction resumed. This quantitative study examined two aspects of distance learning technology in education. The study examined student preference for either synchronous or asynchronous instruction through the framework of expectancy theory. Students who were more familiar with the course material were hypothesized to have a higher expectation of success and …

3 Years Of School In 30 Hours, Nicholas Thanh Morrow Nguyen

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The academic, professional, and personal development throughout the Master of Social Work program within the University of Montana demonstrates natural progression when getting a masters degree early in the years of professional development. The portfolio examines how coursework, field practicums, supervision, and critical self-reflection contributes to individual development as a social worker professional. Through these experiences, the portfolio demonstrates the development of knowledge and skills related to ethical practice, advocacy, assessment, intervention, evaluation, research, policy, and leadership. The different practicum experiences provided opportunities to apply concepts learned within the classroom to real-world situations while working with individuals with different needs …

Msw Portfolio, Marcus Chiaretto

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Golden Rule: An Msw Portfolio Narrative, Russell Jared Jacobs

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The experiences and research behind Russell "Jared" Jacobs' MSW journey that showcases his abilities in the field of social work.

Milan As A Future Art Capital: Opportunities And Limitations Within The European Art Landscape, Camilla Zoe Nicelli

MA in Art Business Dissertations

Italy is renowned world-wide for its cultural heritage but contemporarily being resistant to innovation, however Milan can be viewed as an exception. it’s a city which combines art, fashion, finance and design, and it has been recognised as a future art capital. Nevertheless, there is a significant absence of scholarly research analysing the Milanese art market in a systematic manner. The aim of this dissertation is to answer the following research question: “What factors will allow Milan to establish itself within the European art landscape, and what are the challenges that might limit its rise as an art capital?”. This …

“It Brought A Lot Of Underlying Insecurity To The Foreground”: An Exploratory Investigation Into The Challenges Of Polyamory, Alexander K. Tatum, Sharon M. Flicker, Jessi Schroeder

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Previous research has demonstrated that people in polyamorous relationships report equivalent or better relationship quality compared to people in monogamous relationships. Yet, like any relationship, polyamorous relationships are accompanied by challenges, which may be compounded by the challenges associated with being a member of a stigmatized minority group. The purpose of the present study was to better understand challenges commonly experienced by a community sample of people engaged in polyamorous relationships. Sixty-three participants residing in the U.S. (M_age = 34.7 years; 82.5% White, 49.2% women, and 46% bisexual) completed an anonymous, open-ended survey. Six themes were identified through a …

Comorbidity Between Ptsd And Eds: Occurrence, Mutual Facilitation, And Integrated Treatment, Ava Avolio

Modern Psychological Studies

This article reviews literature related to comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders (ED). Meta-analysis estimates that about one in five people who present with PTSD are also diagnosed with a comorbid eating disorder and about one in four people who present with an eating disorder are diagnosed with comorbid PTSD. However, despite the widespread occurrence, an integrated evidence-based treatment has yet to be established. Preliminary research proposes multiple theories for comorbidity rates. Some propose stress-induced glutamatergic dysfunction may facilitate both disorders, while others contend disordered eating behaviors are maladaptive coping mechanisms for negative affect. Regardless of the underlying …

Parenting For Autonomy: New Insights Into Warmth, Leniency, And Emotion Regulation, Elizabeth O. Arroyo, Ana Paula M. Constantino, Dolly P. Rojo

Modern Psychological Studies

Past parenting research has focused on Maccoby and Martin's (1983) two parenting qualities, Warmth and Demandingness. We know that these can affect several children's outcomes, including academic achievements (e.g., Pinquart, 2016) and self-esteem (Pinquart & Gerke, 2019). Still, we know less about the impacts of parental qualities on children’s autonomy, and even less about the impact that qualities of more modern parenting styles (e.g., emphasis on promotion of emotional regulation skills) might have on children’s outcomes. Our study explores the associations of parent’s Warmth, Demandingness, leniency, and promotion of emotional regulation skills on children’s autonomy. We predicted that parental Warmth, …

Risk Of Deep Vein Thrombosis In Patients With Periodontitis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study In Taiwan, Ying-Ting Yeh, Nai-Chen Shih, Ping-Ju Chen, Yu-Hsun Wang, Chao-Bin Yeh

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Mockingbird Song, Jacqueline Milander

Student Theses

The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is known for its large repertoire and highly versatile song patterns.  It is a frequent mimic that is thought to continue learning sounds from its environment for the duration of its life.  Utilizing available song studies, this is a comprehensive review of northern mockingbird song, including learning, mimicry, repertoires, song dependence on seasonal cyclicity, and song function, particularly interspecific territoriality. While much discussion has surrounded the idea that northern mockingbirds engage in interspecific territoriality and that vocal mimicry functions in intersexual selection, this review provides new insight into the possibility that latitudinal differences among populations …

Cross-Layer Supervisory Control For Low-Altitude Uav Swarm Networks, Nitin Singh Rathore

Computer Science and Engineering Theses

Low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms are increasingly used in applications such as aerial sensing, disaster response, and communication support, where reliable operation under dynamic and uncertain conditions is essential. In these environments, performance degradation arises from multiple sources, including external disturbances, sensing uncertainty, and communication impairments. Although these effects originate from different layers of the system, such as dynamics, observation, and networking, they often manifest as similar tracking or coordination errors. Conventional control approaches, which rely primarily on error-driven feedback, do not explicitly account for the underlying cause of these deviations, limiting their effectiveness in multi-agent settings. This thesis …

Effects Of Metals On Persulfate Activation For The Decomposition Of Pfas, Malu Deav Devadasan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their unique physicochemical properties. Their resistance to degradation, potential for bioaccumulation, and associated adverse health effects have prompted increasing regulatory attention, including the establishment of drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.

Current PFAS treatment technologies are often energy-intensive and costly or generate secondary waste streams requiring further management. Meanwhile, this research investigated transition metal-catalyzed advanced oxidation processes for PFAS decomposition in water under ambient conditions. Previous studies demonstrated effective degradation of perfluorocarboxylic acids …

A Generalized Framework For The “Core” Thalamocortical Circuit Computation, Charles Liu

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

This thesis explores a biologically inspired computational framework based on a common excitatory-inhibitory circuit in the superficial layers of the cortex. By varying the strength of local feedback inhibition, this single circuit gives rise to distinct unsupervised learning behaviors: strong inhibition leads to clustering and hierarchical clustering, while weak inhibition produces principal component-like representations. From this principle, we develop three algorithms: Lateral Inhibition Clustering (LI-C), Lateral Inhibition Hierarchical Clustering (LI-HC), and Antipodal Iterative Mean Estimation (AIME).

LI-C performs clustering without requiring a predefined number of clusters, using a competitive learning rule to extract dominant patterns from data. LI-HC extends this …

Critical Success Factors For An Effective Security Risk Management Program: An Exploratory Case Study, Jason A. Williams, Humayun Zafar, Saurabh Gupta

Faculty Articles

This paper evaluates the perceived effectiveness of the security risk management (SRM) programs at a Fortune 500 firm. Layers of management and staff participated in the study. Perceived effectiveness of their SRM programs was based on nine critical success factors (CSFs). Interviews confirmed six initial CSFs (Executive Management Support, Organizational Maturity, Open Communication, Risk Management Stakeholders, Team Member Empowerment, and Holistic View of an Organization) that were extracted from the literature. They were confirmed and synthesized with three additional CSFs (Security Maintenance, Corporate Security Strategy, and Human Resource Development). Implications for SRM are discussed.

Divergent Genetic Architecture Of Cold Stress Tolerance In Aus And Tropical Japonica Rice, Georgia C. Eizenga, Yami Santamaria, Aaron K. Jackson, Huy Phan, Melissa H. Jia, Quynh P.-H. Grunden, Jeremy D. Edwards, Ed Himelblau, Michael Schläppi

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction: 

Exploring natural genetic variation to facilitate breeding of improved rice seedling cold tolerance will allow the crop to be planted earlier in the growing season, taking advantage of spring rainfall and decreasing exposure to high summer nighttime temperatures, which reduce grain quality.

Methods: 

To uncover genomic regions in rice that manage cold stress tolerance response mechanisms in the cold-sensitive aus (AUS) and the relatively cold-tolerant tropical japonica (TRJ) subpopulations, and to identify cold tolerance genes, AUS and TRJ recombinant inbred line populations developed from crosses between cold-tolerant and cold-sensitive parents were used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of …

Values-Based Behavioral Frameworks As Contributors To Organizational Culture In Higher Education: A Literature Review, David J. Park Do

Papers

Colleges and universities almost universally publish statements of organizational values, yet a gap often persists between those stated values and the regularly observed behaviors. This review examines how that gap relates to culture in higher education institutions and specifically explores how translating values into observable behaviors contributes to organizational culture. This literature review used a structured, criteria-guided approach to source identification, selecting sources against three constructs: 1) institutional adoption of values-based behavioral frameworks, 2) organizational culture in higher-education settings, and 3) the perceptions through which organizational members perceive culture. The resulting corpus of 40 sources spans organizational culture scholarship, virtue …

¡Salud! Sacrificing The Sacred Sip: A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of The Spiritual Conquest On Alcohol Traditions In Central México, Elizabeth Vilchis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

By thoroughly investigating the available primary sources, this thesis will convey the importance of the Mesoamerican inebriating drink pulque in both the ethos and mythos of ancient Nahua society, examining how the ritual use of pulque became problematic in the eyes of the Spaniards, by investigating the cultural and ideological contradictions or double standards that enabled the tensions, struggles, and violence with which the Spanish colonial regime repressed the ritual use of pulque. This thesis compares the Nahua ethos and mythos of pulque to the Christian ethos and mythos of wine, highlighting the parallels perceived by Spaniards in Central México …

Nonbinary Gender Performance And Self-Identification In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Lillian R. Durr

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein, a text informed by a rich Romantic era philosophical tradition, has produced an expansive contemporary body of transgender studies scholarship. Building on transgender literary studies of Frankenstein, my thesis analyzes the difference between the monster’s internalized self-perceived identity and their externally performed and perceived identity. I interpret the difference between the monster’s internal and external identity as an analogy through which to understand contemporary nonbinary experiences. The “performance” of gender that Judith Butler describes is a limited expression of an internal, inescapable, ontological experience of self-identification. The monster’s own social experience illustrates the …

Characterization Of The Effects Of Atp On Primary Brainstem Glial Cells, Donovan J. Aardema Faigh

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Migraine and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) are debilitating orofacial pain disorders that negatively impact one’s quality of life. These disorders are characterized by elevated levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and activation of central nervous system glial cells that promote and maintain central sensitization and enhance pain signaling in response to inflammatory stimuli. The goal of my study was to characterize the effects of the pro-inflammatory signaling molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on intracellular calcium levels, mRNA levels, and protein expression in astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes to better understand the role of ATP in promoting central sensitization. To address this goal, primary …

Genomic Signatures Of Decline And Recovery In An Endangered Bat, Myotis Grisescens, Marxe Altman-Orbach

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Tremendous population declines may result in the loss of genetic diversity, which can, in turn, lead to reduced adaptive potential, overexpression of deleterious phenotypes, and further population declines. In this way, genetic drift from a severe demographic decline may ultimately lead to an extinction vortex. However, populations that avoid the loss of genetic diversity may remain viable, despite demographic crashes. Therefore, understanding genetic diversity is vital for assessing the conservation status of species that have undergone declines, and can even reflect the effectiveness of management actions. I investigated signatures of genetic bottlenecks in the gray bat (Myotis grisescens), …

Inherited Sins: Essays, Claire Ellerman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Joan Didion said of her book, The Year of Magical Thinking, that, “the reason I had to write it down, is that no one had ever told me what it was like.” She was trying to make sense of her grief following the death of her husband, and in doing so, wrote a piece of creative nonfiction (CNF) that explores her own life in and around the larger ideas of mourning, connection, and moving forward. This is the ultimate aim of creative nonfiction: writing to make sense of our lives in relation to the world around us. In this …

United States Mainstream Meat Market Entry: An Analysis On Speciality Goat Meat Products, Madison Raye Schmitz

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Understanding consumers' perspectives and motivations is key when looking into making goat meat more accepted in the mainstream meat market. Previous research has shown there is a demand for goat meat from different populations in the US. Consumers also care more about the quality of the food they purchase. Understanding that goat meat has lower cholesterol and is leaner than other red meat is important to incorporating goat meat in niche consumer markets. Providing consumers with a product that is familiar to them is more acceptable than giving consumers a cut of meat they are unfamiliar with. Standard products like …

Experimental Diegetic Thresholds: A Study Of Adapted Carceral Narratives [The] Nickel Boys And Sing Sing, Leslie D. Muench

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The diegesis is the storyworld of a film, including all the characters, settings, events, and other elements. At certain times, though, that threshold is permeable, particularly when the fictional source material involves lived experiences. Two carceral films model an experimentation with adapted material and the palimpsestuous layering effect that is a result of real-life narratives being transposed into fictional ones. Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross (2024), and Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar (2023), endeavor to humanize a stereotypically ostracized community: Black boys and men who are incarcerated. Through the screenwriting, casting, producing, filming, and sharing of their films …

Gaussian Process Regression–Based Uncertainty Quantification For Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management And Advanced Air Mobility Applications, Aakarshan Khanal

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations

Uncertainty quantification has gained significant attention in recent years as a research area in dynamical systems. Mathematical representations of the physical system, combined with an understanding of model uncertainties, enable the propagation of uncertainty in temporal space, which allows us to make informed decisions. However, what if the true dynamics of the system is unknown or too complex to define explicitly? In such cases, the system’s behavior can instead be inferred or learned from observed input–output data rather than from an analytical or physics-based model. To this end, this dissertation focuses on developing a data-driven framework for nonparametric dynamics modeling, …