Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [67]-68).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Oct. 2, 2007. "Part of a joint effort between Yellowstone National Park, a unit of the National Park Service, and the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit (RM-CESU)."--Pref. Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-145).

This thesis is an analysis of survey research data evaluating Journeys, a placebased environmental education teacher inservice training program developed and administered by Teton Science School. Information gleaned from stakeholder interviews was used to develop the specific evaluation questions. A self-administered mail survey was then sent to all teachers known to have received Journeys training. Nearly all trained teachers go on to use Journeys with their classes, and show a commitment to making Journeys a permanent part of their classroom. Teachers generally agreed that their involvement with Journeys has had positive effects on their teaching behaviors and attitudes towards teaching. In particular, Journeys increased their enthusiasm for teaching and their effectiveness as teachers. Teachers believe their involvement with Journeys has increased their students' enthusiasm for learning, helped them learn about their place, and helped them connect to their place. Journeys appears to be an effective interdisciplinary program, helping teachers teach a variety of different subjects. The most significant barriers to implementing Journeys are a lack of time to conduct activities or to prepare for Journeys activities. Answers for open-ended questions revealed that many of the program support components such as site visits, materials provided, and additional follow-up workshops are largely responsible for the popularity of Journeys. Journeys teachers show a strong affinity for the program's philosophy, though it is unclear what specifically is attractive about this philosophy. Journeys appears to be most effective with K-3 teachers. This thesis supports the notion that place-based approaches to environmental education teacher inservice training are effective. This thesis also provides information that can be used to further develop the Journeys program, and contributes to the literature on place-based education and teacher training in Environmental Education.

No description available.

Teton Valley, throughout many centuries, has attracted several occupance groups, each interacting with the environment in various ways for various reasons. Indian and explorer contact did little to alter the surroundings. More frequent contact came, however, as trappers and traders visited the valley to trap beaver and meet in rendezvous.The end of intensified fur trapping slowed contact with the basin. Government personnel, a painter, a few squawmen and horse thieves were the only inhabitants because Indians, remoteness, and harsh climatic conditions kept others out until 1882 when permanent agricultural settlers entered the valley. Hundreds of people followed, many of whom were Mormons from Utah. During this sequence major changes took place. Unique Mormon settlement patterns developed. Increase in agricultural and industrial productivity and population continued until the 1940's, but as enterprises failed people moved out. In the late 1960's the need for a new drawing force was recognized. A ski resort was built, attracting people to the valley to take advantage of the newly created recreational facilities, towns, and businesses.

The evolution of mountain landscapes is controlled by complex interactions between large-scale tectonic, surficial and climate conditions. Dominant processes are attributed to creating characteristic features of the landscape, but topographic features are the cumulative result of coupled surficial processes, each locally effective in a different climate or elevation regime. The focus of erosion by glacial, fluvial, or mass wasting processes is highly sensitive to small changes in boundary conditions, therefore spatial and temporal variability can be high when observed over short time scales. This work evaluated methods for dissecting the history of complex alpine landscapes to understand the role of individual processes influenced by changing climate and underlying bedrock. It also investigated how individual and combined mechanisms of surficial processes influenced the evolution of topography in the Teton Range in Wyoming. Detrital apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology and cosmogenic radionuclide erosion rates were applied to determine spatial and temporal variability of erosion in the central catchments of the range. Spatial variability existed between the glacial and fluvial systems, indicating that sediment erosion and deposition by these processes was controlled by short-term variability in climate conditions. Effective glacial incision also controlled other processes, specifically enhancing rock fall activity and inhibiting fluvial incision. Short-term erosion rates were highly variable and were controlled by stochastic processes, particularly hillslope failures in response to slope oversteepening due to glacial incision and orientation and spacing of bedrock fractures. Erosion rates averaged over 10 ky time scales were comparable to long-term exhumation rates measured in the Teton Range. The similarity of spatial erosion patterns to predicted uniform erosion and the balance between intermediate and long-term erosion rates suggests the landscape of the Teton Range is approaching steady-state, but frequent stochastic processes, short-term erosional variability and coupled processes maintain rugged topographic relief. / Ph. D.

<p>Adenovirus E1A is needed to activate early viral genes and induce cell cycle progression to optimise the conditions for viral replication. This is mostly achieved through interactions between the first exon of E1A and cellular transcriptional regulatory proteins. The carboxy terminus of E1A binds the cellular corepressor of transcription C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP), resulting in derepression of CtBP target genes. </p><p>Inducible stable U2OS cell lines were established, expressing wild type E1A (E1Awt) and a mutant unable to bind CtBP (E1A∆CID). Low inducible levels and loss of protein expression after prolonged induction together with induction of apoptosis were consistent with the fact that wild type E1A is a cytotoxic protein and correlated with the ability of CtBP to repress proapoptotic genes. E1A∆CID did not induce apoptosis and could be expressed at high levels for prolonged time periods. Moreover, the binding of CtBP contributed to E1A-induced activation of viral E1B and E4 genes, through possible targeting of Sp1 and ATF transcription factors.</p><p>In a micorarray study on mRNA levels in E1A-expressing cells, several genes consistent with the tumour suppressive and apoptotic properties of E1Awt were identified as differentially expressed. Furthermore, the differences between the two cell lines correlated with the presence of binding sites for CtBP-interacting transcription factors in the promoters of regulated genes, enabling the possible identification of new CtBP target genes. </p><p>Finally, a molecular characterisation of the CtBP mechanism of repression revealed that positioning proximal to the basal promoter element was required for efficient repression, suggesting that CtBP interferes with the basal transcriptional machinery. Two separate domains were identified in CtBP, conferring transcriptional repression and activation when expressed alone, achieved through their interaction with HDACs and HATs, respectively. However, together they cooperate to ensure maximal repression through recruitment of histone deacetylase and inhibition of histone acetyl transferase activity.</p><p>Together, these data shows important modulation of E1A activities by the binding of CtBP and suggests the involvement of acetylation/deacetylation complexes for the regulation of E1A function.</p>

Adenovirus E1A is needed to activate early viral genes and induce cell cycle progression to optimise the conditions for viral replication. This is mostly achieved through interactions between the first exon of E1A and cellular transcriptional regulatory proteins. The carboxy terminus of E1A binds the cellular corepressor of transcription C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP), resulting in derepression of CtBP target genes. Inducible stable U2OS cell lines were established, expressing wild type E1A (E1Awt) and a mutant unable to bind CtBP (E1A∆CID). Low inducible levels and loss of protein expression after prolonged induction together with induction of apoptosis were consistent with the fact that wild type E1A is a cytotoxic protein and correlated with the ability of CtBP to repress proapoptotic genes. E1A∆CID did not induce apoptosis and could be expressed at high levels for prolonged time periods. Moreover, the binding of CtBP contributed to E1A-induced activation of viral E1B and E4 genes, through possible targeting of Sp1 and ATF transcription factors. In a micorarray study on mRNA levels in E1A-expressing cells, several genes consistent with the tumour suppressive and apoptotic properties of E1Awt were identified as differentially expressed. Furthermore, the differences between the two cell lines correlated with the presence of binding sites for CtBP-interacting transcription factors in the promoters of regulated genes, enabling the possible identification of new CtBP target genes. Finally, a molecular characterisation of the CtBP mechanism of repression revealed that positioning proximal to the basal promoter element was required for efficient repression, suggesting that CtBP interferes with the basal transcriptional machinery. Two separate domains were identified in CtBP, conferring transcriptional repression and activation when expressed alone, achieved through their interaction with HDACs and HATs, respectively. However, together they cooperate to ensure maximal repression through recruitment of histone deacetylase and inhibition of histone acetyl transferase activity. Together, these data shows important modulation of E1A activities by the binding of CtBP and suggests the involvement of acetylation/deacetylation complexes for the regulation of E1A function.

Atmospheric N deposition is becoming a stressor on ecosystems in the western U.S. There are few National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitoring sites and little is known about N deposition impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in the Intermountain West. Alpine ecosystems may be particularly sensitive to changes in N inputs because of the shallow soils, short growing seasons, and sparse plant cover. This study focused on N deposition effects on an alpine ecosystem in Grand Teton National Park located along a modeled N deposition gradient (Moose Basin high, Paint Brush Medium, Rendezvous Mtn. low) and across contrasting edaphic conditions using a two-factorial design. At each location, we estimated N deposition and measured soil moisture and temperature across edaphic conditions, soil parameters (total and extractable N, available N, net mineralization, and nitrification potential), and plant community characteristics (species richness, species composition, percent cover, plant and root biomass, N content, and above and belowground plant components). These response variables were used to test whether there is a north to south N deposition gradient, if N deposition and N status are affected by soil moisture content, and whether soil and/or plant properties were affected by N deposition and edaphic conditions and if the response variables can serve as indicators as early warning signs of N saturation. The Tetons receive 1.42 kg N ha-1 yr-1 with more in winter (0.85-1.17 kg N ha-1 yr-1) than during the summer (0.25 kg N ha-1 yr-1). Soil moisture content was related to snowpack accumulations and melt but did not affect N status. Moose Basin (i.e., high N deposition) showed characteristics of an N-rich site shown by higher soil N content and extractable soil NH4+, higher nitrification potential, low C:N ratios, more aboveground biomass, and higher foliar N content compared to the RDV location. Rendezvous Mountain (i.e., low N deposition) showed characteristics of an N-poor site having lower soil extractable N, high C:N ratios in soil and roots, and low N mineralization potential. Paint Brush was highly variable in soil and plant characteristics and most clearly showed differences between wet and dry sites. In terms of N status, it was intermediate and shared similarities with both N-poor and N-rich sites. This study shows that it is important to consider both soil and plant indicators (i.e., total and extractable N in soils, soil nitrification potential, above and belowground biomass, and N content) together to assess N status. The C:N ratio of plants and soils was less informative than anticipated. Species richness and composition was a less sensitive indicator of N-induced change and should be considered for long-term assessments only.

A new apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) dataset from subvertical transects collected in the Teton and Gallatin Ranges in the Teton-Yellowstone region provides insight for the slip history and length of the Teton fault. Along the northernmost segment of the Teton fault, inverse thermal history modeling of AHe data from Eagles Rest Peak yield a ~9 Ma age for onset of fault slip. This age supports previous interpretations that Mount Moran may be the true center of the Teton fault. This refined interpretation coupled with lengthdisplacement fault scaling analysis and previous estimates of total fault displacement (~6 km) indicates that the Teton fault may extend 50-90 km north of Mount Moran. However, this new data precludes the possibility that the Teton and East Gallatin faults represent the same structure. Yet, because these systems share a similar structure trend and initial slip ages (13 Ma and 16 Ma, respectively), they may still be related at a larger scale. To the south, the Teewinot transect yields the oldest onset age of ~32 Ma, however a >500 m vertical data gap in this transect leads us to cautiously interpret the results of this model, particularly as this age conflicts with four other transects along-strike.