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Due to the immediate incentives for mining in Montana, specifically in Silver Bow County, there was little foresight into proper disposal of the mine waste. These problems were only exacerbated by the steep fall of copper prices which undercut the ability for these companies to provide proper cleanup measures to ensure safety for the future. The Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is potentially an ecological disaster; one that must be understood properly from an environmental and ecological position. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential effects on a variety of representative biota in the Silver Bow Valley, as well as to provide discussion as to how to deal with the problem proactively, citing specific examples, so as to avoid catastrophe in the coming years.

Countries in the developing world continue to feel the effects of rapid population growth despite slowing growth in some regions. Due to limited funding and costs of fieldwork however, programs working to slow population growth have been hesitant to spend money to compare different methods. My study used computer modeling to create control models for Haiti and Niger, two countries with the highest fertility in their respective regions. Control models were compared to experimental models that took into account improvements in either education or family planning programs. The models revealed that in Haiti, helping women with no education achieve primary education would be the most effective method of reducing growth, given that helping women achieve secondary education led to population decline. In Niger, achievement of secondary education for all women would be most effective. These results may suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education as a strategy for slowing population growth in developing countries.

Western Medicine and contemporary clinical approaches to psychological disorders alone do not provide the best care for patients because they often do not consider the religious views of the patient and disregard the reality of spiritual disorders such as demonic possession. Unfortunately, while modern psychology does well in certain areas, it lacks a knowledge and practice of demonology. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, may aid in diagnosis due to its awareness of mental health and demon possession as well as the ability to distinguish between the two conditions. Despite the common misconception that the Church abandoned its teachings on Satan and demons, it still consistently teaches and continues to teach--even by increasing the number of trained exorcists--the importance of distinguishing demon possession from mental illness. Placing scientific psychology in dialogue with religious beliefs will allow for much better patient care and is a key aspect of developing more humanistic care in the field of psychology. This thesis will attempt to bridge the gap existing between the diagnosis of mental illness and the acknowledgment of spiritual and supernatural realities in order to provide the best care for the patient.

Western Medicine and contemporary clinical approaches to psychological disorders alone do not provide the best care for patients because they often do not consider the religious views of the patient and disregard the reality of spiritual disorders such as demonic possession. Unfortunately, while modern psychology does well in certain areas, it lacks a knowledge and practice of demonology. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, may aid in diagnosis due to its awareness of mental health and demon possession as well as the ability to distinguish between the two conditions. Despite the common misconception that the Church abandoned its teachings on Satan and demons, it still consistently teaches and continues to teach--even by increasing the number of trained exorcists--the importance of distinguishing demon possession from mental illness. Placing scientific psychology in dialogue with religious beliefs will allow for much better patient care and is a key aspect of developing more humanistic care in the field of psychology. This thesis will attempt to bridge the gap existing between the diagnosis of mental illness and the acknowledgment of spiritual and supernatural realities in order to provide the best care for the patient.

Countries in the developing world continue to feel the effects of rapid population growth despite slowing growth in some regions. Due to limited funding and costs of fieldwork however, programs working to slow population growth have been hesitant to spend money to compare different methods. My study used computer modeling to create control models for Haiti and Niger, two countries with the highest fertility in their respective regions. Control models were compared to experimental models that took into account improvements in either education or family planning programs. The models revealed that in Haiti, helping women with no education achieve primary education would be the most effective method of reducing growth, given that helping women achieve secondary education led to population decline. In Niger, achievement of secondary education for all women would be most effective. These results may suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education as a strategy for slowing population growth in developing countries.

Due to the immediate incentives for mining in Montana, specifically in Silver Bow County, there was little foresight into proper disposal of the mine waste. These problems were only exacerbated by the steep fall of copper prices which undercut the ability for these companies to provide proper cleanup measures to ensure safety for the future. The Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is potentially an ecological disaster; one that must be understood properly from an environmental and ecological position. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential effects on a variety of representative biota in the Silver Bow Valley, as well as to provide discussion as to how to deal with the problem proactively, citing specific examples, so as to avoid catastrophe in the coming years.

Countries in the developing world continue to feel the effects of rapid population growth despite slowing growth in some regions. Due to limited funding and costs of fieldwork however, programs working to slow population growth have been hesitant to spend money to compare different methods. My study used computer modeling to create control models for Haiti and Niger, two countries with the highest fertility in their respective regions. Control models were compared to experimental models that took into account improvements in either education or family planning programs. The models revealed that in Haiti, helping women with no education achieve primary education would be the most effective method of reducing growth, given that helping women achieve secondary education led to population decline. In Niger, achievement of secondary education for all women would be most effective. These results may suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education as a strategy for slowing population growth in developing countries.

Due to the immediate incentives for mining in Montana, specifically in Silver Bow County, there was little foresight into proper disposal of the mine waste. These problems were only exacerbated by the steep fall of copper prices which undercut the ability for these companies to provide proper cleanup measures to ensure safety for the future. The Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is potentially an ecological disaster; one that must be understood properly from an environmental and ecological position. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential effects on a variety of representative biota in the Silver Bow Valley, as well as to provide discussion as to how to deal with the problem proactively, citing specific examples, so as to avoid catastrophe in the coming years.

Countries in the developing world continue to feel the effects of rapid population growth despite slowing growth in some regions. Due to limited funding and costs of fieldwork however, programs working to slow population growth have been hesitant to spend money to compare different methods. My study used computer modeling to create control models for Haiti and Niger, two countries with the highest fertility in their respective regions. Control models were compared to experimental models that took into account improvements in either education or family planning programs. The models revealed that in Haiti, helping women with no education achieve primary education would be the most effective method of reducing growth, given that helping women achieve secondary education led to population decline. In Niger, achievement of secondary education for all women would be most effective. These results may suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education as a strategy for slowing population growth in developing countries.

Due to the immediate incentives for mining in Montana, specifically in Silver Bow County, there was little foresight into proper disposal of the mine waste. These problems were only exacerbated by the steep fall of copper prices which undercut the ability for these companies to provide proper cleanup measures to ensure safety for the future. The Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is potentially an ecological disaster; one that must be understood properly from an environmental and ecological position. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential effects on a variety of representative biota in the Silver Bow Valley, as well as to provide discussion as to how to deal with the problem proactively, citing specific examples, so as to avoid catastrophe in the coming years.

Western Medicine and contemporary clinical approaches to psychological disorders alone do not provide the best care for patients because they often do not consider the religious views of the patient and disregard the reality of spiritual disorders such as demonic possession. Unfortunately, while modern psychology does well in certain areas, it lacks a knowledge and practice of demonology. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, may aid in diagnosis due to its awareness of mental health and demon possession as well as the ability to distinguish between the two conditions. Despite the common misconception that the Church abandoned its teachings on Satan and demons, it still consistently teaches and continues to teach--even by increasing the number of trained exorcists--the importance of distinguishing demon possession from mental illness. Placing scientific psychology in dialogue with religious beliefs will allow for much better patient care and is a key aspect of developing more humanistic care in the field of psychology. This thesis will attempt to bridge the gap existing between the diagnosis of mental illness and the acknowledgment of spiritual and supernatural realities in order to provide the best care for the patient.

Due to the immediate incentives for mining in Montana, specifically in Silver Bow County, there was little foresight into proper disposal of the mine waste. These problems were only exacerbated by the steep fall of copper prices which undercut the ability for these companies to provide proper cleanup measures to ensure safety for the future. The Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is potentially an ecological disaster; one that must be understood properly from an environmental and ecological position. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential effects on a variety of representative biota in the Silver Bow Valley, as well as to provide discussion as to how to deal with the problem proactively, citing specific examples, so as to avoid catastrophe in the coming years.

Countries in the developing world continue to feel the effects of rapid population growth despite slowing growth in some regions. Due to limited funding and costs of fieldwork however, programs working to slow population growth have been hesitant to spend money to compare different methods. My study used computer modeling to create control models for Haiti and Niger, two countries with the highest fertility in their respective regions. Control models were compared to experimental models that took into account improvements in either education or family planning programs. The models revealed that in Haiti, helping women with no education achieve primary education would be the most effective method of reducing growth, given that helping women achieve secondary education led to population decline. In Niger, achievement of secondary education for all women would be most effective. These results may suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education as a strategy for slowing population growth in developing countries.

Western Medicine and contemporary clinical approaches to psychological disorders alone do not provide the best care for patients because they often do not consider the religious views of the patient and disregard the reality of spiritual disorders such as demonic possession. Unfortunately, while modern psychology does well in certain areas, it lacks a knowledge and practice of demonology. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, may aid in diagnosis due to its awareness of mental health and demon possession as well as the ability to distinguish between the two conditions. Despite the common misconception that the Church abandoned its teachings on Satan and demons, it still consistently teaches and continues to teach--even by increasing the number of trained exorcists--the importance of distinguishing demon possession from mental illness. Placing scientific psychology in dialogue with religious beliefs will allow for much better patient care and is a key aspect of developing more humanistic care in the field of psychology. This thesis will attempt to bridge the gap existing between the diagnosis of mental illness and the acknowledgment of spiritual and supernatural realities in order to provide the best care for the patient.

Countries in the developing world continue to feel the effects of rapid population growth despite slowing growth in some regions. Due to limited funding and costs of fieldwork however, programs working to slow population growth have been hesitant to spend money to compare different methods. My study used computer modeling to create control models for Haiti and Niger, two countries with the highest fertility in their respective regions. Control models were compared to experimental models that took into account improvements in either education or family planning programs. The models revealed that in Haiti, helping women with no education achieve primary education would be the most effective method of reducing growth, given that helping women achieve secondary education led to population decline. In Niger, achievement of secondary education for all women would be most effective. These results may suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education as a strategy for slowing population growth in developing countries.

Due to the immediate incentives for mining in Montana, specifically in Silver Bow County, there was little foresight into proper disposal of the mine waste. These problems were only exacerbated by the steep fall of copper prices which undercut the ability for these companies to provide proper cleanup measures to ensure safety for the future. The Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is potentially an ecological disaster; one that must be understood properly from an environmental and ecological position. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential effects on a variety of representative biota in the Silver Bow Valley, as well as to provide discussion as to how to deal with the problem proactively, citing specific examples, so as to avoid catastrophe in the coming years.

Western Medicine and contemporary clinical approaches to psychological disorders alone do not provide the best care for patients because they often do not consider the religious views of the patient and disregard the reality of spiritual disorders such as demonic possession. Unfortunately, while modern psychology does well in certain areas, it lacks a knowledge and practice of demonology. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, may aid in diagnosis due to its awareness of mental health and demon possession as well as the ability to distinguish between the two conditions. Despite the common misconception that the Church abandoned its teachings on Satan and demons, it still consistently teaches and continues to teach--even by increasing the number of trained exorcists--the importance of distinguishing demon possession from mental illness. Placing scientific psychology in dialogue with religious beliefs will allow for much better patient care and is a key aspect of developing more humanistic care in the field of psychology. This thesis will attempt to bridge the gap existing between the diagnosis of mental illness and the acknowledgment of spiritual and supernatural realities in order to provide the best care for the patient.

The question of waste disposal has always been an inherent problem of urbanized environments. The passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, specifically the 1972 Amendments known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), legislated secondary treatment of all municipal wastewater and provided funds to construct or upgrade facilities. Since the passage of the CWA and the implementation of secondary wastewater treatment facilities, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have developed and enforced increasingly stringent effluent limitations to protect surface waters and human health. Today small Montana communities face a critical juncture. The mechanical components of their 30 to 40 year old wastewater treatment facilities have reached the end of their useful design lives and the treatment capabilities of the existing facilities can no longer meet stringent effluent limits, especially for ammonia. Many small Montana communities have been affected; this thesis analyzes the impacts on three communities. The City of Conrad is addressing this issue through the construction of a mechanical treatment plant. The City of Glasgow is utilizing an advanced covered lagoon treatment system. However, as demonstrated by the City of Deer Lodge, the future of treated effluent limits is also at a critical juncture as the EPA and MDEQ take a holistic watershed approach to effluent limits by considering both point and non-point sources of pollution through watershed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs).

For my thesis, I have fashioned a design for a community garden and recorded the implementation of it as far as time allowed. I discuss what other schools have done in my same position to allow me to fully understand the situation ahead of me so that I may improve upon and learn from what they have already done. I have also researched the actual execution of a garden and how to achieve a successful crop to further my understanding of how a garden and all its natural processes function. Above all this thesis has become an outlet to allow me to think like a plant and its ecosystem so that I can become a truly successful gardener. I will be presenting my thesis in three parts. The first part will chronicle the successes and road blocks that other schools have met in order to create a picture of the nationwide movement. These stories will allow me to build off what they’ve accomplished in order that we may create our own success story. The second part will include the actual garden plan and include the scientific research that will help us create a fertile plot. I will explain how we need to improve our soil and what we should grow in it, as well as the basics of gardening. The third, and final, part will be a plan for sustainability. This will include worker management, funding, and other practices that will help the garden to succeed in the future. Together, these three sections will provide a guideline and information for those, who just like me, are new to gardening and what steps can be taken to increase the fruits of one’s gardening labors. Whether the Justice Acre is a tale of triumph or failure will not be known for many years, but what I have enclosed in this thesis will be a resource that can be consulted to make sure that it is the former more so than the latter.

My study combines the use of the maximum entropy approach to species habitat prediction with the need for a West Nile Virus (WNV) infection risk model for the state of Montana to produce a statewide null model of Culex tarsalis habitat to be used as the basis for a future infection risk model. My study assumes that C. tarsalis is the primary vector for WNV in Montana, and that MAXENT software can reliably generate a habitat suitability model for C. tarsalis throughout Montana using presence only data. I successfully generated a statistically sound, statewide model of C. tarsalis habitat using MAXENT software, C. tarsalis presence data, and readily available environmental datasets. Presence points were determined by verification in the lab via microscopic determination of the target species from mosquito samples collected over a four year period. Samples were acquired by me and my undergraduate colleagues, as well as by graduate students from MSU and a number of cooperators around the state, and the sample site locations were verified either through direct GPS measurement or a combination of GIS (Geographic Information System Software) and aerial photos. The final product is a map of the state showing potential C. tarsalis habitat in fourteen increments of increasing suitability (indicated by color), as well as a set of charts produced by the software demonstrating the statistical methods used in determining the various levels of suitability predicted by the model. In the process of creating the final model, a series of preliminary models were generated, and unnecessary environmental layers eliminated to ensure that the final model uses as few variables as possible to produce statistically significant results. Included along with the final model results, in appendices to the report are examples of statistical data and maps generated in preliminary model attempts that demonstrate the reasoning behind refinements made at various stages of the model’s evolution.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is caused by an accumulation of misfolded prion proteins (PrPsc) and subsequent plaque formation in the central nervous system. CWD is horizontally transferable; misfolded prions from one animal can enter another and cause normal prion proteins (PrPc) to misfold. This misfolding process is termed prion conversion. In natural deer populations an allelic variation in the prion gene is thought to confer resistance to CWD. Wild type mule deer are serine (S) homozygotes at codon 225. Mule deer that are Serine/ Phenyalanine (S/F) heterozygotes exhibit resistance to prion infection. In this study the F encoding allele was cloned into a bacterial vector. From this stage a recombinant virus can be made and used to determine the biochemical mechanisms responsible for disease resistance. A further area of study focused on membrane microdomains or cholesterol rafts. Prion proteins are concentrated to these lipid raft regions. This may affect the conversion process. Using insect cells cultured in cholesterol depleted medium, lipid raft reduction occurred. Conversion assays can now be performed on cholesterol depleted cells to determine if lipid raft reduction influences prion conversion.

My study combines the use of the maximum entropy approach to species habitat prediction with the need for a West Nile Virus (WNV) infection risk model for the state of Montana to produce a statewide null model of Culex tarsalis habitat to be used as the basis for a future infection risk model. My study assumes that C. tarsalis is the primary vector for WNV in Montana, and that MAXENT software can reliably generate a habitat suitability model for C. tarsalis throughout Montana using presence only data. I successfully generated a statistically sound, statewide model of C. tarsalis habitat using MAXENT software, C. tarsalis presence data, and readily available environmental datasets. Presence points were determined by verification in the lab via microscopic determination of the target species from mosquito samples collected over a four year period. Samples were acquired by me and my undergraduate colleagues, as well as by graduate students from MSU and a number of cooperators around the state, and the sample site locations were verified either through direct GPS measurement or a combination of GIS (Geographic Information System Software) and aerial photos. The final product is a map of the state showing potential C. tarsalis habitat in fourteen increments of increasing suitability (indicated by color), as well as a set of charts produced by the software demonstrating the statistical methods used in determining the various levels of suitability predicted by the model. In the process of creating the final model, a series of preliminary models were generated, and unnecessary environmental layers eliminated to ensure that the final model uses as few variables as possible to produce statistically significant results. Included along with the final model results, in appendices to the report are examples of statistical data and maps generated in preliminary model attempts that demonstrate the reasoning behind refinements made at various stages of the model’s evolution.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is caused by an accumulation of misfolded prion proteins (PrPsc) and subsequent plaque formation in the central nervous system. CWD is horizontally transferable; misfolded prions from one animal can enter another and cause normal prion proteins (PrPc) to misfold. This misfolding process is termed prion conversion. In natural deer populations an allelic variation in the prion gene is thought to confer resistance to CWD. Wild type mule deer are serine (S) homozygotes at codon 225. Mule deer that are Serine/ Phenyalanine (S/F) heterozygotes exhibit resistance to prion infection. In this study the F encoding allele was cloned into a bacterial vector. From this stage a recombinant virus can be made and used to determine the biochemical mechanisms responsible for disease resistance. A further area of study focused on membrane microdomains or cholesterol rafts. Prion proteins are concentrated to these lipid raft regions. This may affect the conversion process. Using insect cells cultured in cholesterol depleted medium, lipid raft reduction occurred. Conversion assays can now be performed on cholesterol depleted cells to determine if lipid raft reduction influences prion conversion.

For my thesis, I have fashioned a design for a community garden and recorded the implementation of it as far as time allowed. I discuss what other schools have done in my same position to allow me to fully understand the situation ahead of me so that I may improve upon and learn from what they have already done. I have also researched the actual execution of a garden and how to achieve a successful crop to further my understanding of how a garden and all its natural processes function. Above all this thesis has become an outlet to allow me to think like a plant and its ecosystem so that I can become a truly successful gardener. I will be presenting my thesis in three parts. The first part will chronicle the successes and road blocks that other schools have met in order to create a picture of the nationwide movement. These stories will allow me to build off what they’ve accomplished in order that we may create our own success story. The second part will include the actual garden plan and include the scientific research that will help us create a fertile plot. I will explain how we need to improve our soil and what we should grow in it, as well as the basics of gardening. The third, and final, part will be a plan for sustainability. This will include worker management, funding, and other practices that will help the garden to succeed in the future. Together, these three sections will provide a guideline and information for those, who just like me, are new to gardening and what steps can be taken to increase the fruits of one’s gardening labors. Whether the Justice Acre is a tale of triumph or failure will not be known for many years, but what I have enclosed in this thesis will be a resource that can be consulted to make sure that it is the former more so than the latter.

The question of waste disposal has always been an inherent problem of urbanized environments. The passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, specifically the 1972 Amendments known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), legislated secondary treatment of all municipal wastewater and provided funds to construct or upgrade facilities. Since the passage of the CWA and the implementation of secondary wastewater treatment facilities, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have developed and enforced increasingly stringent effluent limitations to protect surface waters and human health. Today small Montana communities face a critical juncture. The mechanical components of their 30 to 40 year old wastewater treatment facilities have reached the end of their useful design lives and the treatment capabilities of the existing facilities can no longer meet stringent effluent limits, especially for ammonia. Many small Montana communities have been affected; this thesis analyzes the impacts on three communities. The City of Conrad is addressing this issue through the construction of a mechanical treatment plant. The City of Glasgow is utilizing an advanced covered lagoon treatment system. However, as demonstrated by the City of Deer Lodge, the future of treated effluent limits is also at a critical juncture as the EPA and MDEQ take a holistic watershed approach to effluent limits by considering both point and non-point sources of pollution through watershed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs).

For my thesis, I have fashioned a design for a community garden and recorded the implementation of it as far as time allowed. I discuss what other schools have done in my same position to allow me to fully understand the situation ahead of me so that I may improve upon and learn from what they have already done. I have also researched the actual execution of a garden and how to achieve a successful crop to further my understanding of how a garden and all its natural processes function. Above all this thesis has become an outlet to allow me to think like a plant and its ecosystem so that I can become a truly successful gardener. I will be presenting my thesis in three parts. The first part will chronicle the successes and road blocks that other schools have met in order to create a picture of the nationwide movement. These stories will allow me to build off what they’ve accomplished in order that we may create our own success story. The second part will include the actual garden plan and include the scientific research that will help us create a fertile plot. I will explain how we need to improve our soil and what we should grow in it, as well as the basics of gardening. The third, and final, part will be a plan for sustainability. This will include worker management, funding, and other practices that will help the garden to succeed in the future. Together, these three sections will provide a guideline and information for those, who just like me, are new to gardening and what steps can be taken to increase the fruits of one’s gardening labors. Whether the Justice Acre is a tale of triumph or failure will not be known for many years, but what I have enclosed in this thesis will be a resource that can be consulted to make sure that it is the former more so than the latter.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is caused by an accumulation of misfolded prion proteins (PrPsc) and subsequent plaque formation in the central nervous system. CWD is horizontally transferable; misfolded prions from one animal can enter another and cause normal prion proteins (PrPc) to misfold. This misfolding process is termed prion conversion. In natural deer populations an allelic variation in the prion gene is thought to confer resistance to CWD. Wild type mule deer are serine (S) homozygotes at codon 225. Mule deer that are Serine/ Phenyalanine (S/F) heterozygotes exhibit resistance to prion infection. In this study the F encoding allele was cloned into a bacterial vector. From this stage a recombinant virus can be made and used to determine the biochemical mechanisms responsible for disease resistance. A further area of study focused on membrane microdomains or cholesterol rafts. Prion proteins are concentrated to these lipid raft regions. This may affect the conversion process. Using insect cells cultured in cholesterol depleted medium, lipid raft reduction occurred. Conversion assays can now be performed on cholesterol depleted cells to determine if lipid raft reduction influences prion conversion.

My study combines the use of the maximum entropy approach to species habitat prediction with the need for a West Nile Virus (WNV) infection risk model for the state of Montana to produce a statewide null model of Culex tarsalis habitat to be used as the basis for a future infection risk model. My study assumes that C. tarsalis is the primary vector for WNV in Montana, and that MAXENT software can reliably generate a habitat suitability model for C. tarsalis throughout Montana using presence only data. I successfully generated a statistically sound, statewide model of C. tarsalis habitat using MAXENT software, C. tarsalis presence data, and readily available environmental datasets. Presence points were determined by verification in the lab via microscopic determination of the target species from mosquito samples collected over a four year period. Samples were acquired by me and my undergraduate colleagues, as well as by graduate students from MSU and a number of cooperators around the state, and the sample site locations were verified either through direct GPS measurement or a combination of GIS (Geographic Information System Software) and aerial photos. The final product is a map of the state showing potential C. tarsalis habitat in fourteen increments of increasing suitability (indicated by color), as well as a set of charts produced by the software demonstrating the statistical methods used in determining the various levels of suitability predicted by the model. In the process of creating the final model, a series of preliminary models were generated, and unnecessary environmental layers eliminated to ensure that the final model uses as few variables as possible to produce statistically significant results. Included along with the final model results, in appendices to the report are examples of statistical data and maps generated in preliminary model attempts that demonstrate the reasoning behind refinements made at various stages of the model’s evolution.

The question of waste disposal has always been an inherent problem of urbanized environments. The passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, specifically the 1972 Amendments known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), legislated secondary treatment of all municipal wastewater and provided funds to construct or upgrade facilities. Since the passage of the CWA and the implementation of secondary wastewater treatment facilities, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have developed and enforced increasingly stringent effluent limitations to protect surface waters and human health. Today small Montana communities face a critical juncture. The mechanical components of their 30 to 40 year old wastewater treatment facilities have reached the end of their useful design lives and the treatment capabilities of the existing facilities can no longer meet stringent effluent limits, especially for ammonia. Many small Montana communities have been affected; this thesis analyzes the impacts on three communities. The City of Conrad is addressing this issue through the construction of a mechanical treatment plant. The City of Glasgow is utilizing an advanced covered lagoon treatment system. However, as demonstrated by the City of Deer Lodge, the future of treated effluent limits is also at a critical juncture as the EPA and MDEQ take a holistic watershed approach to effluent limits by considering both point and non-point sources of pollution through watershed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs).

The question of waste disposal has always been an inherent problem of urbanized environments. The passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, specifically the 1972 Amendments known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), legislated secondary treatment of all municipal wastewater and provided funds to construct or upgrade facilities. Since the passage of the CWA and the implementation of secondary wastewater treatment facilities, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have developed and enforced increasingly stringent effluent limitations to protect surface waters and human health. Today small Montana communities face a critical juncture. The mechanical components of their 30 to 40 year old wastewater treatment facilities have reached the end of their useful design lives and the treatment capabilities of the existing facilities can no longer meet stringent effluent limits, especially for ammonia. Many small Montana communities have been affected; this thesis analyzes the impacts on three communities. The City of Conrad is addressing this issue through the construction of a mechanical treatment plant. The City of Glasgow is utilizing an advanced covered lagoon treatment system. However, as demonstrated by the City of Deer Lodge, the future of treated effluent limits is also at a critical juncture as the EPA and MDEQ take a holistic watershed approach to effluent limits by considering both point and non-point sources of pollution through watershed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs).

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is caused by an accumulation of misfolded prion proteins (PrPsc) and subsequent plaque formation in the central nervous system. CWD is horizontally transferable; misfolded prions from one animal can enter another and cause normal prion proteins (PrPc) to misfold. This misfolding process is termed prion conversion. In natural deer populations an allelic variation in the prion gene is thought to confer resistance to CWD. Wild type mule deer are serine (S) homozygotes at codon 225. Mule deer that are Serine/ Phenyalanine (S/F) heterozygotes exhibit resistance to prion infection. In this study the F encoding allele was cloned into a bacterial vector. From this stage a recombinant virus can be made and used to determine the biochemical mechanisms responsible for disease resistance. A further area of study focused on membrane microdomains or cholesterol rafts. Prion proteins are concentrated to these lipid raft regions. This may affect the conversion process. Using insect cells cultured in cholesterol depleted medium, lipid raft reduction occurred. Conversion assays can now be performed on cholesterol depleted cells to determine if lipid raft reduction influences prion conversion.

For my thesis, I have fashioned a design for a community garden and recorded the implementation of it as far as time allowed. I discuss what other schools have done in my same position to allow me to fully understand the situation ahead of me so that I may improve upon and learn from what they have already done. I have also researched the actual execution of a garden and how to achieve a successful crop to further my understanding of how a garden and all its natural processes function. Above all this thesis has become an outlet to allow me to think like a plant and its ecosystem so that I can become a truly successful gardener. I will be presenting my thesis in three parts. The first part will chronicle the successes and road blocks that other schools have met in order to create a picture of the nationwide movement. These stories will allow me to build off what they’ve accomplished in order that we may create our own success story. The second part will include the actual garden plan and include the scientific research that will help us create a fertile plot. I will explain how we need to improve our soil and what we should grow in it, as well as the basics of gardening. The third, and final, part will be a plan for sustainability. This will include worker management, funding, and other practices that will help the garden to succeed in the future. Together, these three sections will provide a guideline and information for those, who just like me, are new to gardening and what steps can be taken to increase the fruits of one’s gardening labors. Whether the Justice Acre is a tale of triumph or failure will not be known for many years, but what I have enclosed in this thesis will be a resource that can be consulted to make sure that it is the former more so than the latter.

My study combines the use of the maximum entropy approach to species habitat prediction with the need for a West Nile Virus (WNV) infection risk model for the state of Montana to produce a statewide null model of Culex tarsalis habitat to be used as the basis for a future infection risk model. My study assumes that C. tarsalis is the primary vector for WNV in Montana, and that MAXENT software can reliably generate a habitat suitability model for C. tarsalis throughout Montana using presence only data. I successfully generated a statistically sound, statewide model of C. tarsalis habitat using MAXENT software, C. tarsalis presence data, and readily available environmental datasets. Presence points were determined by verification in the lab via microscopic determination of the target species from mosquito samples collected over a four year period. Samples were acquired by me and my undergraduate colleagues, as well as by graduate students from MSU and a number of cooperators around the state, and the sample site locations were verified either through direct GPS measurement or a combination of GIS (Geographic Information System Software) and aerial photos. The final product is a map of the state showing potential C. tarsalis habitat in fourteen increments of increasing suitability (indicated by color), as well as a set of charts produced by the software demonstrating the statistical methods used in determining the various levels of suitability predicted by the model. In the process of creating the final model, a series of preliminary models were generated, and unnecessary environmental layers eliminated to ensure that the final model uses as few variables as possible to produce statistically significant results. Included along with the final model results, in appendices to the report are examples of statistical data and maps generated in preliminary model attempts that demonstrate the reasoning behind refinements made at various stages of the model’s evolution.

For my thesis, I have fashioned a design for a community garden and recorded the implementation of it as far as time allowed. I discuss what other schools have done in my same position to allow me to fully understand the situation ahead of me so that I may improve upon and learn from what they have already done. I have also researched the actual execution of a garden and how to achieve a successful crop to further my understanding of how a garden and all its natural processes function. Above all this thesis has become an outlet to allow me to think like a plant and its ecosystem so that I can become a truly successful gardener. I will be presenting my thesis in three parts. The first part will chronicle the successes and road blocks that other schools have met in order to create a picture of the nationwide movement. These stories will allow me to build off what they’ve accomplished in order that we may create our own success story. The second part will include the actual garden plan and include the scientific research that will help us create a fertile plot. I will explain how we need to improve our soil and what we should grow in it, as well as the basics of gardening. The third, and final, part will be a plan for sustainability. This will include worker management, funding, and other practices that will help the garden to succeed in the future. Together, these three sections will provide a guideline and information for those, who just like me, are new to gardening and what steps can be taken to increase the fruits of one’s gardening labors. Whether the Justice Acre is a tale of triumph or failure will not be known for many years, but what I have enclosed in this thesis will be a resource that can be consulted to make sure that it is the former more so than the latter.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is caused by an accumulation of misfolded prion proteins (PrPsc) and subsequent plaque formation in the central nervous system. CWD is horizontally transferable; misfolded prions from one animal can enter another and cause normal prion proteins (PrPc) to misfold. This misfolding process is termed prion conversion. In natural deer populations an allelic variation in the prion gene is thought to confer resistance to CWD. Wild type mule deer are serine (S) homozygotes at codon 225. Mule deer that are Serine/ Phenyalanine (S/F) heterozygotes exhibit resistance to prion infection. In this study the F encoding allele was cloned into a bacterial vector. From this stage a recombinant virus can be made and used to determine the biochemical mechanisms responsible for disease resistance. A further area of study focused on membrane microdomains or cholesterol rafts. Prion proteins are concentrated to these lipid raft regions. This may affect the conversion process. Using insect cells cultured in cholesterol depleted medium, lipid raft reduction occurred. Conversion assays can now be performed on cholesterol depleted cells to determine if lipid raft reduction influences prion conversion.

My study combines the use of the maximum entropy approach to species habitat prediction with the need for a West Nile Virus (WNV) infection risk model for the state of Montana to produce a statewide null model of Culex tarsalis habitat to be used as the basis for a future infection risk model. My study assumes that C. tarsalis is the primary vector for WNV in Montana, and that MAXENT software can reliably generate a habitat suitability model for C. tarsalis throughout Montana using presence only data. I successfully generated a statistically sound, statewide model of C. tarsalis habitat using MAXENT software, C. tarsalis presence data, and readily available environmental datasets. Presence points were determined by verification in the lab via microscopic determination of the target species from mosquito samples collected over a four year period. Samples were acquired by me and my undergraduate colleagues, as well as by graduate students from MSU and a number of cooperators around the state, and the sample site locations were verified either through direct GPS measurement or a combination of GIS (Geographic Information System Software) and aerial photos. The final product is a map of the state showing potential C. tarsalis habitat in fourteen increments of increasing suitability (indicated by color), as well as a set of charts produced by the software demonstrating the statistical methods used in determining the various levels of suitability predicted by the model. In the process of creating the final model, a series of preliminary models were generated, and unnecessary environmental layers eliminated to ensure that the final model uses as few variables as possible to produce statistically significant results. Included along with the final model results, in appendices to the report are examples of statistical data and maps generated in preliminary model attempts that demonstrate the reasoning behind refinements made at various stages of the model’s evolution.

The question of waste disposal has always been an inherent problem of urbanized environments. The passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, specifically the 1972 Amendments known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), legislated secondary treatment of all municipal wastewater and provided funds to construct or upgrade facilities. Since the passage of the CWA and the implementation of secondary wastewater treatment facilities, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have developed and enforced increasingly stringent effluent limitations to protect surface waters and human health. Today small Montana communities face a critical juncture. The mechanical components of their 30 to 40 year old wastewater treatment facilities have reached the end of their useful design lives and the treatment capabilities of the existing facilities can no longer meet stringent effluent limits, especially for ammonia. Many small Montana communities have been affected; this thesis analyzes the impacts on three communities. The City of Conrad is addressing this issue through the construction of a mechanical treatment plant. The City of Glasgow is utilizing an advanced covered lagoon treatment system. However, as demonstrated by the City of Deer Lodge, the future of treated effluent limits is also at a critical juncture as the EPA and MDEQ take a holistic watershed approach to effluent limits by considering both point and non-point sources of pollution through watershed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs).

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is caused by an accumulation of misfolded prion proteins (PrPsc) and subsequent plaque formation in the central nervous system. CWD is horizontally transferable; misfolded prions from one animal can enter another and cause normal prion proteins (PrPc) to misfold. This misfolding process is termed prion conversion. In natural deer populations an allelic variation in the prion gene is thought to confer resistance to CWD. Wild type mule deer are serine (S) homozygotes at codon 225. Mule deer that are Serine/ Phenyalanine (S/F) heterozygotes exhibit resistance to prion infection. In this study the F encoding allele was cloned into a bacterial vector. From this stage a recombinant virus can be made and used to determine the biochemical mechanisms responsible for disease resistance. A further area of study focused on membrane microdomains or cholesterol rafts. Prion proteins are concentrated to these lipid raft regions. This may affect the conversion process. Using insect cells cultured in cholesterol depleted medium, lipid raft reduction occurred. Conversion assays can now be performed on cholesterol depleted cells to determine if lipid raft reduction influences prion conversion.

For my thesis, I have fashioned a design for a community garden and recorded the implementation of it as far as time allowed. I discuss what other schools have done in my same position to allow me to fully understand the situation ahead of me so that I may improve upon and learn from what they have already done. I have also researched the actual execution of a garden and how to achieve a successful crop to further my understanding of how a garden and all its natural processes function. Above all this thesis has become an outlet to allow me to think like a plant and its ecosystem so that I can become a truly successful gardener. I will be presenting my thesis in three parts. The first part will chronicle the successes and road blocks that other schools have met in order to create a picture of the nationwide movement. These stories will allow me to build off what they’ve accomplished in order that we may create our own success story. The second part will include the actual garden plan and include the scientific research that will help us create a fertile plot. I will explain how we need to improve our soil and what we should grow in it, as well as the basics of gardening. The third, and final, part will be a plan for sustainability. This will include worker management, funding, and other practices that will help the garden to succeed in the future. Together, these three sections will provide a guideline and information for those, who just like me, are new to gardening and what steps can be taken to increase the fruits of one’s gardening labors. Whether the Justice Acre is a tale of triumph or failure will not be known for many years, but what I have enclosed in this thesis will be a resource that can be consulted to make sure that it is the former more so than the latter.

My study combines the use of the maximum entropy approach to species habitat prediction with the need for a West Nile Virus (WNV) infection risk model for the state of Montana to produce a statewide null model of Culex tarsalis habitat to be used as the basis for a future infection risk model. My study assumes that C. tarsalis is the primary vector for WNV in Montana, and that MAXENT software can reliably generate a habitat suitability model for C. tarsalis throughout Montana using presence only data. I successfully generated a statistically sound, statewide model of C. tarsalis habitat using MAXENT software, C. tarsalis presence data, and readily available environmental datasets. Presence points were determined by verification in the lab via microscopic determination of the target species from mosquito samples collected over a four year period. Samples were acquired by me and my undergraduate colleagues, as well as by graduate students from MSU and a number of cooperators around the state, and the sample site locations were verified either through direct GPS measurement or a combination of GIS (Geographic Information System Software) and aerial photos. The final product is a map of the state showing potential C. tarsalis habitat in fourteen increments of increasing suitability (indicated by color), as well as a set of charts produced by the software demonstrating the statistical methods used in determining the various levels of suitability predicted by the model. In the process of creating the final model, a series of preliminary models were generated, and unnecessary environmental layers eliminated to ensure that the final model uses as few variables as possible to produce statistically significant results. Included along with the final model results, in appendices to the report are examples of statistical data and maps generated in preliminary model attempts that demonstrate the reasoning behind refinements made at various stages of the model’s evolution.

Jack Kerouac’s protagonist, Salvatore Paradise, began an exploration of self identity and fulfillment across the physical landscape of the United States. On the Road may be considered as the novel that started the Beat Generation, and indeed Jack Kerouac coined the term “beat” in this novel. However, it is not the first work of literature that expresses a desire to find the pearl, this ultimate source of meaning and fulfillment. On the Road records Sal’s interaction with the sublime nature of his world during five road trips across the United States. What Sal discovers, however, is that the fulfillment he is yearning for does not lie hidden within the ever-changing physical landscape, but rather within the changes he makes in how he understands himself and how he relates to other people. He recalls, “I woke up as the sun was reddening; and that was the one distinct time in my life.. .when I didn’t know who I was -1 was far away from home.. .1 was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future” (Kerouac 20). Sal may have left Paterson, New Jersey, in the hope of avoiding a dull existence and the resignation of stationary life, but he discovers that constant movement can also be a form of stasis. Sal does not have many constants in his life. Cities and towns are always different, faces are always changing, and although both of these elements are united in their ever-changing status, the one constant in Sal’s life is his friendship with Dean. Therefore, the novel explores how Sal and Dean relate to each other in unfamiliar towns across the Midwest and western coast of the United States. The final scene with Dean and Sal is emotionally complex. They are forced to say good-bye on a New York City street as Sal is getting into a car to go uptown. The location of New York City is important because it is not the familiar Paterson, New Jersey, nor on the outskirts of something bigger. The setting symbolizes his realization

This collection of poems was born out of a desire to honor and preserve those moments and people, that in the past four years, have inspired me, taught me to love, broken my heart, and pushed me to be a better and truer person than I ever dreamt I could be. Most of these poems focus on personal relationships I have had, including those with family, friends, and romantic partners. Human beings are largely defined by the people they share their life with, and if we did not have such people to bless our lives, in both good and bad ways, we would hardly have motivation to keep breathing every day. Producing these poems became a therapeutic act that helped me heal many wounds, but these poems were not written for myself. I wrote these poems as tributes to those remarkable individuals, ones present and gone from my life now, who had the courage to become a part of my life and give pieces of themselves to me, which I will carry in my heart forever. The intensity and passion exuded by these poems is a reflection of the deep emotions that these people instilled in me. My one hope is that these poems demonstrate my love and gratitude to these people, as well as encourage others to let the people most important to them know just how valued they are.

The semi-arid western United States views water as a valuable commodity. Because of water’s expense and difficulty to obtain, western states struggle with water supply, use, and rights issues. The existing supply may not support an increasing population. Since the battle for freshwater is on-going, a special conservation method is being used by some states. Four different states have adopted laws allowing gray water irrigation, and as a result have been able to mitigate some of their water issues. Montana is now exploring this possibility. In April 2007, the state legislature passed a bill permitting the regulated use of gray water. From the resulting statute, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been designated to develop, adopt, administer, and enforce administrative rules for gray water use. The rules are currently under review pending their final approval. Under these rules, each household can use at least forty gallons of gray water per person per day during the months April through October. While this is a positive step in water conservation, the economic feasibility needs to be determined. This study investigates the financial costs and/or savings that could result from implementing a gray water system for a residential use in Lewistown, Montana. This document shows findings from efforts to measure gray water volumes and to obtain cost estimates for home water system modifications. The intent of this study is to provide baseline information pertaining to the feasibility of gray water use in a Montana residence.

When I first heard of the Hungarian students who came to Carroll College, I was already developing an interest in the Cold War and the Soviet Union. The Cold War’s effects were felt everywhere, even during my childhood in Fairbanks, Alaska. Growing up, I remember seeing recently outdated maps ofthe world, including a vast and enigmatic nation called the “U.S.S.R.” I found out as I grew older that my hometown was heavily impacted by the Cold War and United States-Soviet relations. Even before the Cold War began, a strong connection in World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union was visible in that northern city. At that time, Fairbanks was a vital point in the United States-Soviet lend-lease program in which U.S. aircraft were flown to Alaska, given to Soviet pilots and flown to the U.S.S.R. My father, having grown up in rural Alaska, remembered a simple tune that admonished young students to “Make like a turtle and duck and cover.” Even my parents’ alma mater, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, had traces of the fifty-year conflict: according to local legend, the Gruening building, an imposing concrete edifice in the center of campus, was designed to be a hiding point for students in the event of a Soviet ground invasion. That legend is fiction, but it shows that the Cold War was more than a battle of words between Washington, D.C., and the Kremlin; it was a nebulous conflict that reached across the world and changed the lives of millions. Above all else, I have always enjoyed a good story, and the experiences of Mr. Kintli and Mr. Kecskes are among the best I have heard in my life. When the Hungarian revolt broke out on October 23, 1956, newspapers across the world followed the ensuing events with rapt attention. The Hungarian “freedom fighters,” as the Western media called them, were seen as fighting a bold and patriotic struggle against Soviet oppression. Truly, these young Hungarians were fighting for the basic freedoms of speech, political expr

An individual’s depression level was measured as a function of their birth order. An individual’s personality style was also evaluated based as a function of their birth order. Individuals were classified into one of five categories based on their birth order: oldest, middle of three, middle of four or more, youngest, and only child. Results indicated that birth order is not a significant dimension when it comes to evaluating depression levels. Youngest children and only children typically showed higher depression levels on a Beck Depression Inventory. Results also showed that birth order was a factor that should be considered when it comes to determining an individual’s style of personality. Middle children, particularly those in a family of three, showed a high level of introversion. Middle children of families of four or more showed a higher score of feeling, or being emotional, than they did as a thinker or intellectual. A significant majority of the participants also showed more ‘judger’ characteristics, which include being on time and following rules and norms.

Formation and degradation of peroxisomes are not well understood, but their absence leads to serious consequences. In the study described in this thesis, 1 sought to (1) verify previous work indicating that switching from glucose-rich medium to lipid-rich medium induces peroxisome formation; (2) reveal that switching back from lipid-rich to glucose-rich medium induces peroxisome degradation; (3) test the hypothesis that Pex3p is a class II PMP that enters the peroxisome from the endoplasmic reticulum during de novo peroxisome formation; and (4) test the hypothesis that Pxalp is a class I PMP that enters the peroxisomal membrane from the cytosol. I followed the pattern of fluorescence in yeast cells expressing Pex3p-Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and Pxalp-GFP fusion proteins after cells were transferred either from a glucose-rich to a lipid- rich medium or vice versa. I succeeded in producing GFP transformants for two peroxisome genes. I also confirmed that switching to lipid-rich medium induced peroxisome formation and demonstrated that switching the peroxisomes back into the glucose medium triggered a rapid degradation. Evidence consistent with the hypotheses that Pex3p moves from the ER to the peroxisomal membrane and that Pxalp is transported from the cytosol to the membrane was obtained, but the overall support was weak.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the P3 pedal angle of the feet of healthy equine exhibiting no P3 bone rotation in comparison to equine with corrective shoeing or apparent P3 bone rotation or laminitis. The internal pedal bones of 51 equine were radiographed, digitally photographed, and scanned into the EponaTech program. The overall internal pedal anatomy of the Pl, P2, P3, and navicular bone was compared between all 51 equine. Seven landmarks were used in assessment: angle of the palmer surface of P3, hoof wall to coffin bone length, dorsal hoof wall depth, length of the bottom of the navicular bone to the ground, parallel relationships between Pl, P2, and P3, distance from the tip of the coffin bone to the toe, and the length from the tip of the coffin bone in relation to the tip of the frog. Results show that a significant number of healthy equine had angles of the palmer surface of the P3 pedal bone to the ground angles that were greater than five degrees compared to the number of healthy equine with P3 angles less than five degrees. Results also suggest a significant difference in hoof morphology between healthy equine versus equine with significant P3 bone rotation.

The purpose of my study was to produce a seed collection protocol and field manual working in partnership with the USDA Forest Service Native Plant Material (NPM) Policy, to assist in the FY08 Region One Seed Transfer Zone Study as well as future endeavors with the ecological restoration of the three grass species Festuca campestris, Festuca idahoensis, and Pseudoroegneria spicata. This can also be used as a field guide for the identification oft hese grasses in the native areas ofMontana and the surrounding region. My study describes the morphology, seed collection protocol, and overall plant identification methods for F. campestris, F. idahoensis, and P. spicata. My study also lists the tools and equipment necessary to complete an accurate seed collection, as well as ways to determine which populations are acceptable for sampling. The Seed Transfer Zone Study will contribute to the understanding of genetic variation in core revegetation grass species within Region One (Fox, 2008). The seed collection ofthese three grass species was a fundamental step towards the potential restoration ofthese species in areas ofneed, and a key component ofthe FY08 Region One Seed Transfer Zone Study.

Polymorphic pigmentation in natural populations has served as a model for understanding diversity and evolutionary change among populations. Melanism is a rare phenotype in garter snake populations that is used to study the adaptation of color and evolutionary processes associated with change in pigmentation among populations. Additionally, melanistic phenotypes can complicate species identification in situations of conservation interest. This study examined the association between phenotype and species of garter snakes found along the Missouri River near Townsend, MT by analyzing Cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequences of Thamnophis elegans (Western Terrestrial Garter Snake), T. sirtalis (Common Garter Snake), and melanistic individuals. Morphological evidence from a previous study suggests a close relationship between T. elegans and melanistic individuals. Taxon sampling and DNA extraction were conducted on the two known species and the melanistic individual. Maximum parsimony heuristic and bootstrap analyses and Neighbor-joining analyses were performed. The results showed that the melanistic snake sequences are more similar to sequences of T. elegans than to those of T. sirtalis and the melanistic snakes group with T. elegans in phylogenetic analyses. This study corroborates the findings from the morphological studies and contributes greatly to the understanding of Montana garter snake populations by confirming the species identification of melanistic individuals.

This thesis investigates the multiple drug resistant (MDR) characteristic within enteric Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates and their ability to transfer this phenotype via resistant-plasmid (R-plasmid) conjugation. E. coli were isolated from bovine fecal samples in the western Montana region. These isolates were subjected to antibiotic resistance testing, then sorted and stored based on general resistance to two broad-spectrum antibiotics, ampicillin and chlorotetracycline. All isolates underwent molecular differentiation using RAPD PCR, then plasmid extraction using a Qiagen Maxi kit. These results were compared to determine if genetically similar isolates, as determined by RAPD PCR, were more likely to contain a plasmid. Isolates containing a plasmid were subjected to conjugation assays to determine transferability of plasmids. In the conjugation assay, each MDR donor isolate was mated with azide-resistant strain, J53AZr. The following hypotheses were addressed: 1) a strain of E. coli will demonstrate a MDR pattern with resistance to more antibiotics if a plasmid is present and 2) the ability to transfer the MDR characteristic to other strains lacking the plasmid is specific to the donor strain of E. coli and its MDR pattern designated by a plasmid. Plasmid presence in E. coli isolates increased with level of MDR. Results also demonstrated plasmid conjugation between E. coli isolates was more likely to occur as level of MDR increased; however the conjugation assay may require larger sample size to confirm the trend. The RAPD PCR method should also be altered to illustrate more accurate banding patterns and verify molecular differences between strains containing plasmids.