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Biodiversity Potential in the Pacific and Inland Northwest: The Relative Importance of Forest Structure and Available Energy in Driving Species Diversity: Author: Verschuyl, Jacob Pieter; Date: 2007-05-15; Program: Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Abstract: Currently, the most common strategy of forest biodiversity managers in the Pacific and Inland Northwest (PINW) is to maintain structural complexity within forest stands and create the full range of seral stages across the landscape. Recent advances in ecological theory reveal that biodiversity at regional to continental scales is strongly influenced by available energy (i.e. factors influencing vegetative growth such as precipitation, temperature, radiation, soil fertility). We hypothesized bird species richness (BSR) exhibits a positive or unimodal relationship with energy across landscapes a...; Download File | View full details

A Comparison of Learning: Integration of a Virtual and Traditional Field Trip into an Introductory Environmental geology Course: Author: Cantwell, Laurie Beth; Date: 2004-12-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: Field trips are a common component of geoscience courses. However, time and budget constraints, increased safety considerations and large class size have become common obstacles to teaching in the field. Technology has provided an attractive alternative through the virtual field trip. While there is a wealth of virtual field trips available on the internet, it is unclear how students learn on a virtual field trip and how those trips are best incorporated in Earth Science curriculum. The goals of this study are to establish the learning goals addressed by virtual field trips, determine if virtu...; Download File | View full details

Continuum structural representation of flexure and tension stiffened one-dimensional spacecraft architectures: Author: Larsen, Jeffrey James; Date: 2009-05-15; Program: Mechanical Engineering; Abstract: Spacecraft designs are a result of system properties and design variables that ensure the spacecraft will operate to mission objectives. The focus of this effort is a set of global system variables for frequency, length, total mass and the ratio between the payload mass and the support structure mass. These properties will be explored to observe the behavior of the system and develop relationships that govern the trade-offs between the variables and assist mission planners in future spacecraft design. These variables will be observed in one-dimensional structures where the dominating dimension...; Download File | View full details

Structural Studies of Enzymes Involved in Propylene and Acetone Metabolism in Xanthobacter autotrophicus: Author: Krishnakumar, Arathi Mandyam; Date: 2007-05-15; Program: Biochemistry; Abstract: X-ray crystallography has been an indispensable tool in understanding the mechanism of the enzymes of the epoxide carboxylation pathway in Xanthobacter autotrophicus. The main focus of this dissertation involves providing the structural basis for the stereoslectivity of the two stereospecific dehydrogenases of the pathway namely R- and S-HPCDH. The crystal structure of R- HPCDH cocrystallized with the substrate has been determined. The key elements of interactions between the enzyme and substrate are electrostatic interactions between the sulfonate oxygen atoms and two arginine residues (Arg15...; Download File | View full details

Nucleotide Dependent Conformational Changes in the Nitrogenase Fe Protein: Author: Sen, Sanchayita; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Biochemistry; Abstract: Nitrogenase is a complex metal-containing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of nitrogen gas to ammonia. During nitrogenase catalysis the Fe protein and the molybdenum-iron protein associate and dissociate in a manner resulting in the hydrolysis of two molecules of MgATP and the transfer of at least one electron to the MoFe protein. The role of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis in nitrogenase catalysis is one of the most fascinating aspects of nitrogenase function. The Fe protein upon binding to MgATP undergoes a huge conformational change which is important for subsequent steps of nitrogena...; Download File | View full details

The Search for Archaeal Viruses in High Temperature Acidic Environments and Characterization of Sulfolobus Turreted Icosahedral Virus (STIV): Author: Rice, George Ernest; Date: 2006-12-15; Program: Microbiology; Abstract: Viruses of extreme thermophiles are of great interest because they can serve as model systems for understanding biochemical molecular nuances required for life at high temperatures. This two part body of work first reports the discovery and isolation of viruses and virus-like particles from extreme thermal acidic environments (70-92°C, pH 1.0-4.5) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), and secondly details the characterization of one of these viruses that possesses a capsid structural motif that is found in at least two other families of viruses inhabiting the other two domains of life...; Download File | View full details

Enhancing the Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms by Quorum Sensing Inhibition: Author: Huff, Caol Philipp; Date: 2006-12-15; Program: Chemistry; Abstract: Biofilm forming bacteria are industrially and medically relevant organisms that are exceptionally resistant to garden variety antimicrobial treatments. This resistance is due in part to a biofilm forming bacteria's ability to sense and communicate with neighboring bacteria. As a result of this intercellular communication, bacteria are able to cooperate as a complex community. This communication system is used to modulate important facets of biofilm behavior and thus is an attractive target for biofilm control and potential antimicrobial agents. Inhibition of the molecular signaling system used...; Download File | View full details

Spectrophotometric, Mass Spectrometeric and Structural Studies of the Prototypical G Protein Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin: Author: Angel, Thomas Emil; Date: 2007-05-15; Program: Microbiology; Abstract: Rhodopsin is the integral membrane protein responsible for black and white vision in low light conditions and is found at high concentration in the mammalian retina. Rhodopsin is a prototypical member of the G protein coupled receptor super family that control much of physiology. Improved understanding of rhodopsin signal transduction and amplification via coupling to the heterotrimeric G protein transducin may reveal conserved activation mechanisms that are relevant to other members of the GPCR super family. Described here are several studies that examine the molecular determinants responsibl...; Download File | View full details

Map-based Tests on Controls of Anabranch River Character on the Lower Yellowstone River: Author: Jenkins, Patricia Ann; Date: 2007-12-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: Processes responsible for the formation of anabranched river systems are poorly understood. The Yellowstone River, Montana, is a major unimpounded river with over 800 km of anabranched channel. There are from one to seven channels per reach. Current literature identifies at least seven variables that may influence anabranch river character: tributary junctions, bedrock lithology, vegetation, sediment pulses, debris/ice jams, water loss from stream (to groundwater or irrigation withdrawal) and tectonism. Two variables, tributary junctions, bedrock lithology (measured by relative bedrock hardnes...; Download File | View full details

Bird response to landscape pattern and disturbance across productivity gradients in forests on the Pacific Northwest: Author: McWethy, David Burch; Date: 2007-08-15; Program: Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Abstract: Managing forest lands for biodiversity is a common goal in the public and private forests of the Pacific Northwest and is typically achieved through harvests that result in an array of vegetation structural conditions that provide suitable habitat for a number of species. The assumption is made that the causative factors of biodiversity do not vary geographically and that silviculture, as a management tool, can be applied similarly across different biophysical locales. The primary aim of this research is to better understand how species respond to both local and landscape-scale forest structur...; Download File | View full details

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Structure, Behavior and Hydrodynamics: Author: Purevdorj-Gage, Boloroo; Date: 2004-12-15; Program: Microbiology; Abstract: Biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens is an important factor in the progression and treatment of many infectious diseases. Biofilm structural development is a dynamic process dependent on many cellular and environmental parameters including Quorum Sensing (QS) and hydrodynamics. Since QS is dependent on a threshold autoinducer concentration, it was hypothesized that the flow dynamics in the bulk fluid surrounding the biofilm would play an important role in expression of QS and the genes that are under its control. In order to investigate the relative contribution of hydrodynamics and QS on ...; Download File | View full details

Structural interpretation of the Elk Range thrust system, Western Colorado, USA: Author: Tully, Justin Edward; Date: 2009-05-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: The Elk Mountains of western Colorado expose Pennsylvanian-Permian strata that were deposited along the western margin of the Ancestral Central Colorado Trough. These rocks were displaced southwestward in Late Cretaceous-Early Paleogene time along the northeast-dipping Elk Range thrust system. The thrust system trends southeast from Redstone, CO to the Fossil Ridge wilderness and includes the en echelon Elk Range and Brush Creek thrust faults. This thrust system represents the deeply eroded up-plunge core of a major Laramide basement-cored fold in western Colorado, the Grand Hogback monocline....; Download File | View full details

Magnetic Protein Cages Characterized by Electron Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Author: Usselman Jr., Robert John; Date: 2005-05-15; Program: Chemistry; Abstract: This thesis presents an investigation of electron magnetic resonance (EMR) methods for analysis of structural and functional properties of multi-subunit protein cage assemblies. Two types of magnetic species are explored: weakly interacting paramagnetic probes synthetically attached to the cage; encapsulated iron oxide particles mineralized within cages. Site-directed spin labeling was used to monitor the spatial distribution and local motion of spin probes covalently attached at selected amino acid positions in Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) protein coat. The sequence-position dependent...; Download File | View full details

A Study of Polymeric Platinum (II) Compounds and Nanoscale Materials: Author: Anderson, Bernard Marshall; Date: 2004-05-15; Program: Chemistry; Abstract: The photophysical and structural properties of the tetra-u- pyrophosphitodiplatinate (2-) anion have been well studied in the past. One such analogue of this compound is a phosphorescent red compound of unknown structure. A new synthesis route has been was found for both the tetra-u- pyrophosphitodiplatinate (2-) and the red anionic compounds. By synthesizing the pyrophosphorus ligand outright and reacting that with tetrachloroplatinate (2-) either the tetra-u-pyrophosphitodiplatinate (2-) or the red anionic compounds can be synthesized depending on the amount of the phosphorus acid that is pr...; Download File | View full details

Structural analysis of cleavage at Sandy Hollow, McCartney Mountain fold-and-thrust salient, Southwest Montana: Author: Helmke, Elizabeth Ashley; Date: 2008-12-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: The McCartney Mountain salient is a distinct convex-east segment of the Sevier fold-and-thrust belt in southwest Montana, lying east of the Pioneer batholith and west of basement-cored Laramide uplifts. Prominent features of the central part of the salient include the in-sequence Sandy Hollow thrust fault (displacing Permian over Lower Cretaceous strata), and hanging wall and footwall syncline-anticline pairs that display complex intra-formational duplexes and parasitic detachment folds at all scales. Cleavage occurs in the argillaceous carbonate members of the Cretaceous Kootenai and Triassic...; Download File | View full details

The Influence of Riparian-Canopy Structure and Coverage on the Breeding Distribution of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher: Author: Brodhead, Katherine May; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: There is a long history of relating bird species diversity and distributions to heterogeneity in foliage structure as seen from within the habitat and measured from the ground up. There is also an overwhelming contribution in the literature promoting and justifying a broad-scale approach to characterizing spatial patterns, especially for the purpose of relating to, and predicting, species distributions. This study draws from the relationship between birds and habitat structure but assesses heterogeneity in structure from a broader perspective. For this analysis, I compared the spatial distribu...; Download File | View full details

Structural Investigations of the Cancer-Associated Laminin Binding Protein and Nos L: A Novel Copper Binding Protein: Author: Taubner, Lara Marie; Date: 2005-12-15; Program: Biochemistry; Abstract: This thesis consists of two distinct projects, one on the metastasis-associated laminin binding protein and the other on the putative copper chaperone NosL, both related by the common aim of investigation of the relationship between protein structure and function using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. In the first part of this dissertation, the role that the metastasis-associated laminin binding protein or LBP plays in the spread and development of cancer was investigated. Functional domains of LBP were delineated by limited proteolysis, overexpressed, and then assayed for their ability ...; Download File | View full details

Remote Sensing of Wetlands in Yellowstone National Park: Author: Wright, Christopher Kevin; Date: 2004-12-15; Program: Biological Sciences; Abstract: As part of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, satellite remote sensing was used to identify potential wetland amphibian habitat in Yellowstone National Park. Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery was combined with ancillary predictors of wetland occurrence including habitat type, cover type, landform type, bedrock geology, soil attributes, terrain measures, and climate data. Classification trees were used to predict the likelihood of palustrine wetland occurrence across the Yellowstone landscape. Wetland maps generated by this study are intended to address shortcomings of the National...; Download File | View full details

Analysis and Design of the Mechanical Systems Onboard a Microsatellite in Low-Earth Orbit: An Assessment Study: Author: Solomon, Dylan Raymond; Date: 2006-05-15; Program: Mechanical Engineering; Abstract: A study of the mechanical systems contributing to the design and performance of a picosatellite's mission in low-Earth orbit (LEO) was performed through design and analysis. The unique architecture of this satellite stems from a form factor established by the internationally recognized CubeSat Program. This CubeSat-Plus architecture limits the satellite's size to be no larger than a 10 x 10 x 15 cm cube with an overall mass not exceeding 2 kg. This satellite would then be launch into LEO and conduct on-orbit GPS measurements while remaining tethered to the second stage booster of a Boeing Delt...; Download File | View full details

Vaccine platform for infection or autoimmune diseases using an ETEC fimbrial scaffold: Author: Jun, SangMu; Date: 2009-05-15; Program: Veterinary Molecular Biology; Abstract: The expression of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) fimbriae (colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) or K99) on the surface of a Salmonella vaccine vector confers protection against ETEC challenge. Application of such fimbriae as a treatment for the proinflammatory disease, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), or as a molecular scaffold for heterologous antigen expression by cloning enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) LPS peptide mimetics into the K99 fimbriae to produce a dual vaccine for ETEC/EHEC was investigated. The expression of CFA/I fimbriae by a Salmonella vaccine vector...; Download File | View full details

Mexican Spotted Owl reproduction, home range, and habitat associations in Grand Canyon National Park: Author: Bowden, Timothy Scott; Date: 2008-05-15; Program: Biological Sciences; Abstract: Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) are nocturnal avian predators that are widely distributed in the southwest U.S. and northern Mexico. In 1993, the lucida subspecies was listed as threatened in response to concern over the loss of forest habitats to which the owl is widely associated. However, in the northwestern corner of their range spotted owls primarily inhabit steep-walled rocky canyons. Owl populations inhabiting this region have received less attention than populations using forests, although, canyon populations are important to the persistence of the subspecies, and are ...; Download File | View full details

The Quaternary History of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet Fringe: Ashley Lake Area, Montana: Author: Capps, Denny Lane; Date: 2004-05-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: The Quaternary glacial history of the Ashley Lake area, approximately 20 km west of Kalispell, MT, was deciphered using classic techniques of glacial geology. Unlike the Laurentide Ice Sheet, the multiple advances of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet have not been well defined. Ashley Lake nestles within the central Salish Mountains, an area interpreted by some previous workers (e.g., Alden, 1953; Richmond, 1986; cf. Waitt and Thorson, 1983) as surrounded by, but not covered by the fringes of the lastglacial Cordilleran Ice Sheet. This study attempts to establish a foundation for the Quaternary histor...; Download File | View full details

X-Ray Crystallographic Studies of Sulfolobus Turetted Icosahedral Virus (STIV): A Hyperthermophilic Virus from Yellowstone National Park: Author: Larson, Eric Thomas; Date: 2006-12-15; Program: Biochemistry; Abstract: Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus (STIV) was isolated from acidic hot springs of Yellowstone National Park and was the first hyperthermophilic virus described with icosahedral capsid architecture. Structural analysis of the STIV particle and its major capsid protein suggests that it belongs to a lineage of viruses that predates the division of the three domains of life. Functional predictions of the viral proteins are hindered because they lack similarity to sequences of known function. Protein structure, however, may suggest functional relationships that are not apparent from the sequence...; Download File | View full details

Absolute Architecture-Scaled Experience: Author: Ankeny, Samuel Robert; Date: 2007-05-15; Program: Architecture; Abstract: Located near the edge of the North American Plate, in the great west of the United States, is an area known as the Colorado Plateau. Encompassing four states Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, it is also known as the four corners region. This Area has been widely recognized as one of the most powerful landscapes in the world and holds special meaning to the Native peoples of America. It is an area which is known to produce irregularities in the earths geomagnetic field. These irregularities have been described as many different things from spirits to extraterrestrials.¹ More nota...; Download File | View full details

Application of Energy Methods to Modeling Failures in Composite Materials and Structures: Author: Ritter, William Joseph; Date: 2004-08-15; Program: Mechanical Engineering; Abstract: Characterizing the mechanical properties of composite materials is difficult and expensive. There is a legacy for the scale up from basic materials testing to final structures in composites. Each material architecture and manufacturing technique potentially represents a different mechanical response in a structure. Hence, as new composite material forms and manufacturing techniques become available, a need exists to streamline the characterization process. In this study, a new methodology for characterization of composite materials and structures is presented. It has its roots in fracture mech...; Download File | View full details

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