Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [60]-62).

In the canyon grasslands of Garden Creek Ranch Preserve in Idaho, where the threatened plant Silene spaldingii occurs and invasion by the exotic species Centaurea solstitialis and Bromus tectorum is proceeding rapidly, I examined environmental and community patterns of site invasion, and evaluated the apparent influence of invasion on Silene population vigor. In addition, two separate lightning fires at the preserve presented the opportunity to examine the short-term influence of late-season fire on this species and its associated bunchgrass plant community. I found that Silene-supporting sites most often invaded by exotics were on relatively gentle slopes that received more incident radiation. This pattern may relate, in part, to light requirements of Centaurea solstitialis. Invaded sites were also typically at higher elevations, which may indicate they were moister and therefore more productive. The plant communities in invaded Silene-supporting sites were similar to plant communities in uninvaded sites, although invaded sites tended to have greater legume and exotic annual grass cover. Exotic species invasion did not appear to influence negatively the vigor of Silene populations, as indicated by similar plant height and comparable levels of flowering, fruit and seed set in invaded and uninvaded populations. The similarity in Silene vigor between invaded and uninvaded sites may reflect a moderating influence of site productivity in invaded populations, or may indicate that mature Silene plants and the exotic species partition space or resources differently, potentially reducing competition between them. However, Silene recruitment may be limited by competition from weeds; my data did not allow a rigorous test of this possibility. Fire apparently decreased cover of Festuca idahoensis and increased cover of Lupinus sericeus in the first year after burning, while cover of Pseudoroegneria spicata, exotic grasses, and most other forb species did not differ between burned and unburned areas. Silene cover and abundance within populations were similar before and after fire. Burning did not appear to influence levels of flowering, change the number of flowers or capsules produced per stem, or alter the number of seeds per capsule. Burning decreased plant size slightly, and decreased the proportion of flowers that matured to seed-filled capsules. Silene and the plant communities that support this species appear well suited to late season fire, however the response to burning in other seasons or at higher frequencies remains unknown in this study area. / Graduation date: 2003

The occurrence of vertebrate fossils from the Ravenscrag Formation near Roche Perce, southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, documents the presence of a large and diverse assemblage of early late Paleocene (approximately 58 million years) mammals. Previous studies of the Roche Perce localities have examined only a small portion of the fauna, with the vast majority of taxa remaining undescribed. The current research centers on the identification, description and, where appropriate, evolutionary relationships of these undescribed mammals. Significant discoveries, to date, include two new species of the rare viverravid carnivoran Raphictis, a new species of the phenacodontid condylarth Ectocion, a large collection of a probable new species of the semi-aquatic pantolestid Palaeosinopa, and only the second known occurrence of the predominantly European lipotyphlan Adapisorex in North America. This research provides an improved understanding of mammalian diversity and evolution in the northern part of the Western Interior during this important time interval. / Systematics and Evolution

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF VICTOR NOLLEN WHITE, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Education, presented On November 14, 2014, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Title: THE USE OF THE EXPANDED HEALTH BELIEF MODEL (EHBM) TO EVALAUTE OSTEOPOROSIS ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, BELIEFS AND SELF-EFFICACY OF NEZ PERCE TRIBAL AND NON NEZ PERCE TRIBAL MEMBERS IN NEZ PERCE COUNTY, IDAHO. Major Professor: Dr. Dhitinut Ratnapradipa According to the State of Idaho, the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, osteoporosis is a public health concern nationally among non-Native American (NNA) and Native American (NA) populations. The purpose of this research project is to obtain written survey data on osteoporosis attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and self-efficacy among male and female members of the Nez Perce Tribe (Nimiipuu) and non-Tribal members, aged 18 and over via voluntary completion of a written survey questionnaire based on the expanded health belief model (EHBM). The study was conducted in Nez Perce County, ID. The research involved determining whether or not there is a statistically significant difference in osteoporosis attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and self-efficacy among males and females, aged 18 and over Nez Perce Tribal members as compared to Non-Tribal members in Nez Perce County, ID. Non-Nez Perce tribal members are individuals whom are 1) Native Americans who are not members of the Nez Perce Tribe and 2) all Non-Native Americans in the research study. Exercise self-efficacy and gender seem to be the most significant variables showing evidence against the null hypotheses and in favor of the research hypothesis (Null Hypothesis: H0: Native American=Non-Native American. Research Hypothesis: H1: Native American ≠ Non-Native American). Age also shows evidence against the null hypothesis and in favor of the research hypothesis, but not as strongly as exercise and gender. Seriousness of osteoporosis was the most concern to all respondents and female Native Americans perceived the greatest barrier to preventing osteoporosis was being unable to access dietary calcium on a regular basis.

This dissertation is an acoustic description of the phonemic inventory of Nez Perce [nez], a Penutian language of the United States. Acoustic work has been conducted on the consonants of Nez Perce, but no acoustic work has been conducted on the vowels or vowel harmony system. This work begins with an overview of the dissertation, language situation, and previous research. Following the introduction are chapters on ejectives and plain obstruents, plain and glottalized sonorants, vowels, vowel harmony, and the conclusion. Nez Perce has both plain and ejective stop series, a plain and ejective affricate series, and a plain fricative series. I examine these segments for acoustic correlates comparing them to previous research, other languages and current theory. The ejectives are described with f0, intensity, jitter, burst amplitude and VOT. I discuss fricatives in terms of spectra, duration, formant transitions, and moments. The timing and realization of glottalization on glottalized and plain sonorants is investigated. Segments are measured for duration and are visually and aurally inspected for variation of glottalization, realized using pitch, laryngealization, glottal stops, or a combination of these features. It is nearly always realized on the sonorant rather than before or after. Vowels are plotted and compared to previous phonological descriptions. The inventory is /i, æ, a, o, u/ rather than the canonical five-vowel system, leading to the description of the inventory as having a “gap” and not maximally contrastive. I suggest that if Nez Perce vowels are considered using a shifted axis then the vowels are maximally contrastive. The non-canonical vowel inventory leads to two seeming unrelated vowel harmony sets: dominant, /i, a, o/, and recessive, /i, æ, u/. The proposed shifted axis view becomes important for reanalyzing the vowel harmony to reconcile these unusual sets. Previous analyses have described Nez Perce vowel harmony as based on advanced tongue root (ATR). I investigated Nez Perce vowels for ATR acoustic correlates; however, the results provide evidence both supporting and not supporting an ATR analysis. I propose an alternate analysis for the vowel harmony based on the principle of maximal contrast, evidenced by the shifted axis model.

Whereas people are typically thought to be better off with more choices, large sets may lead to "choice paralysis". This thesis explores the processes underlying the choice from multiple alternatives in different settings. First, we propose that satisfaction is an inverted U-shaped function of the number of alternatives. This proposition is derived theoretically by considering the benefits and costs of different numbers of alternatives, and validated empirically. Second, we investigate the computational processes used to make choices from multiple alternatives under extreme time pressure using an eye-tracking technique. We find that choices are well-described by a sequential search model, in which people randomly fixate on items, measure their values, and choose the best item seen. Third, we study the neural bases of choice from multiple alternatives using fMRI. The results demonstrate that brain activity is modulated by the number of choice items and by the subjective choice experience of people. / Comúnmente, se piensa que es mejor para la gente tener más alternativas de elección. Sin embargo, grandes conjuntos pueden llevar a una "parálisis de elección". Esta tesis explora los procesos que guían la elección entre múltiples alternativas. Primero, proponemos teóricamente que la satisfacción, en función del número de alternativas (considerando los beneficios y costes de este) adopta una forma de U-invertida. Luego, lo comprobamos empíricamente. Segundo, investigamos los procesos utilizados para elegir entre múltiples alternativas, bajo extrema presión de tiempo, utilizando "eye-tracking". Encontramos que las elecciones son bien descritas por un modelo de búsqueda secuencial en el que la gente se fija en los artículos, mide sus valores y escoge el mejor visto. Tercero, estudiamos los fundamentos neuronales de elección de múltiples alternativas usando fMRI. Los resultados muestran que la actividad cerebral es modulada por el número de productos a elegir y por la experiencia subjetiva de elección.

La thèse a pour objet le changement lexical en nez-percé, une langue en danger de l'Idaho (États-Unis)dont le nombre de locuteurs natifs est inférieur à quinze et qui est très peu décrite. L'étude comportedeux axes principaux : la description de la formation des noms de la langue et l'analyse des procédéslexicogéniques employés actuellement dans la création des unités lexicales relatives à l'alimentaire. Aprèsune synthèse linguistique qui renseigne sur la phonologie (plus particulièrement les variations engendréespar les procédés lexicogéniques), l'ordre des constituants et les syntagmes nominaux et verbaux, la thèseétudie la réduplication, la composition, la dérivation affixale (plus spécifiquement les dérivations parsuffixation du morphème de l'analogie et des suffixes ayant subis une conversion catégorielle), et lanominalisation. Puis elle traite de la lexicalisation des métonymies et des métaphores. Enfin, elle analyseles procédés qui conduisent à la création du lexique alimentaire de ces trente dernières années eteffectue une comparaison avec les ressources précédemment identifiées. / The doctoral dissertation analyzes the lexical change in nez perce, an endangered language spoken inIdaho (Unites States of America) that counts less than fifteen native speakers and lacks studies inlexicology. The work is divided into two parts : the description of noun formation, and the analysis of thenew food lexicon. After a synthesis on phonology (modifications due to lexical change), on word order,and on the nominal and verbal clauses, the thesis describes reduplication, compounds, the affixalderivation (especially nouns derived by analogical or converted suffixes) and the lexical nominalisation.Moreover, it deals with the lexicalisations of metonymies and metaphors. Then, it analyzes processes thatlead to the creation of the new food lexicon and compares them with the previously identified processesinvolved in the formation of noun.

This presentation is a project overview and discussion of Native American participation in preparing documents for the Greater Than Class C Environmental Impact Statement. Tribal representatives were involved in the assessments at the Hanford Site, Nevada Test Site, and Los Alamos National Lab.