Digital Commons Network^™

University Of Montana Forensic Case #12: Comprehensive Case Analysis, Lauren Leanne Richardson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The remains labeled University of Montana Forensic Case #12 (UMFC 12) were unearthed on August 30, 1983 during the construction of Cruse Avenue in Helena, Montana near the old School Administration Building on Allen Street. Construction workers, using a bulldozer accidently exposed the decomposing grave (Roesgen, 1983). It has been speculated that these remains might belong to a Chinese laborer dating back to the gold rush (Joyce, 1983). An 1884 map of Last Chance Gulch, in which the remains were discovered, indicate that a Chinese cemetery is in the area but the exact coordinates have never been determined (Joyce, 1983). …

Different Challenges And Different Blessings: Life Experiences Of Young Mothers Of Children With Down Syndrome, Janice Driscoll Nugent

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Life experiences of young mothers of preschool aged children with Down syndrome were explored in this qualitative narrative study. Intensive interviews of four purposefully chosen young women were conducted. The findings of this study illustrate the impact of a preschool aged child with Down syndrome on the life of a young woman.

A variety of themes were identified. The primary themes were the background of the woman, including her public school experience, learning of the diagnosis of Down syndrome, supports, the child's medical complications, learning to cope and the impact of that disability on their day-to-day lives.

Child care and …

An Assessment Of The Hiv Prevention Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Montana, Kelly A. Hart

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to collect information about the HIV prevention needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) living in Montana. Prevention needs were explored by identifying the environmental factors and behaviors that put MSM at risk for HIV infection, describing the demographic and contextual factors that influence those behaviors, and comparing current prevention needs to existing resources and services. To evaluate the prevention needs, primary qualitative data was collected in the form of four focus groups and nine key informant interviews. Supporting secondary quantitative and qualitative data in the form of an online survey and …

Interactions Between The Glycosylated Gag Protein Of A Murine Leukemia Virus And Murine Apobec3: Novel Insights Into How A Murine Leukemia Virus Counteracts A Restriction Factor, Angelo Kolokithas

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

APOBEC proteins have evolved in mice and humans as potent innate defences against retroviral infections. APOBEC3G (hA3G) in humans and mouse APOBEC3 (mA3) deaminate cytidine in single-stranded DNA which ultimately results in hypermutation of newly synthesized proviral DNA. Other deaminase-independent mechanisms of inhibition have been identified, such as directly inhibiting reverse transcription. Both HIV and murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) have evolved mechanisms to evade the action of the APOBEC proteins. HIV encodes the Vif protein which binds to hA3G and facilitates its rapid degradation through the proteasome. The mechanism(s) by which exogenous MuLVs evade mA3 inhibitory activity is unknown.

Exogenous …

Hidden Consequences Of Living In A Wormy World: Nematode-Induced Immune Suppression Facilitates Tuberculosis Invasion In African Buffalo, Vanessa O. Ezenwa, Rampal S. Etienne, Gordon Luikart

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Most hosts are infected with multiple parasites, and responses of the immune system to co occurring parasites may influence disease spread. Helminth infection can bias the host immune response toward a T-helper type 2 Th2) over a type 1 Th1) response, impairing the host's ability to control concurrent intracellular microparasite infections and potentially modifying disease dynamics. In humans, immune-mediated interactions between helminths and microparasites can alter host susceptibility to diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis TB), and malaria. However, the extent to which similar processes operate in natural animal populations and influence disease spread remains unknown. We used cross-sectional, experimental, and …

Hidden Consequences Of Living In A Wormy World: Nematode‐Induced Immune Suppression Facilitates Tuberculosis Invasion In African Buffalo, Vanessa O. Ezenwa, Rampal S. Etienne, Gordon Luikart, Albano Beja-Pereira, Anna E. Jolles

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Most hosts are infected with multiple parasites, and responses of the immune system to co-occurring parasites may influence disease spread. Helminth infection can bias the host immune response toward a T-helper type 2 (Th2) over a type 1 (Th1) response, impairing the host’s ability to control concurrent intracellular microparasite infections and potentially modifying disease dynamics. In humans, immune-mediated interactions between helminths and microparasites can alter host susceptibility to diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. However, the extent to which similar processes operate in natural animal populations and influence disease spread remains unknown.We used cross-sectional, experimental, and genetic studies …

An Earth System Data Record For Land Surface Freeze/Thaw State, John S. Kimball, Kyle C. Mcdonald, Youngwook Kim, J. Lucotch, Joseph M. Glassy

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

No abstract provided.

Organophosphorus Pesticides Decrease M2 Muscarinic Receptor Function In Guinea Pig Airway Nerves Via Indirect Mechanisms, Becky J. Proskocil, Donald A. Bruun, Charles M. Thompson, Allison D. Fryer, Pamela J. Lein

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Epidemiological studies link organophosphorus pesticide (OP) exposures to asthma, and we have shown that the OPs chlorpyrifos, diazinon and parathion cause airway hyperreactivity in guinea pigs 24 hr after a single subcutaneous injection. OP-induced airway hyperreactivity involves M2 muscarinic receptor dysfunction on airway nerves independent of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, but how OPs inhibit neuronal M2 receptors in airways is not known. In the central nervous system, OPs interact directly with neurons to alter muscarinic receptor function or expression; therefore, in this study we tested whether the OP parathion or its oxon metabolite, paraoxon, might decrease M2 receptor function on …

An Antibody Directed Against The Fusion Peptide Of Junin Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Gpc Inhibits Ph-Induced Membrane Fusion, Joanne York, Jody D. Berry, Ute Stroeher, Qunnu Li, Heinz Feldmann, Min Lu, Meg Trahey, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) initiates infection in the host cell through pH-induced fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes. As in other class I viral fusion proteins, this process proceeds through a structural reorganization in GPC in which the ectodomain of the transmembrane fusion subunit (G2) engages the host cell membrane and subsequently refolds to form a highly stable six-helix bundle structure that brings the two membranes into apposition for fusion. Here, we describe a G2-directed monoclonal antibody, F100G5, that prevents membrane fusion by binding to an intermediate form of the protein on the fusion pathway. Inhibition of syncytium …

A Dna-Binding Peroxiredoxin Of Coxiella Burnetii Is Involved In Countering Oxidative Stress During Exponential-Phase Growth, Linda D. Hicks, Rahul Raghavan, James M. Battisti, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that resides within the harsh, acidic confines of a lysosome-like compartment of the host cell that is termed a parasitophorous vacuole. In this study, we characterized a thiol-specific peroxidase of C. burnetii that belongs to the atypical 2-cysteine subfamily of peroxiredoxins, commonly referred to as bacterioferritin comigratory proteins (BCPs). Coxiella BCP was initially identified as a potential DNA-binding protein by two-dimensional Southwestern (SW) blots of the pathogen's proteome, probed with biotinylated C. burnetii genomic DNA. Confirmation of the identity of the DNA-binding protein as BCP (CBU_0963) was established by matrix-assisted laser …

Linking Environmental Nutrient Enrichment And Disease Emergence In Humans And Wildlife, Pieter T. J. Johnson, Alan R. Townsend, Cory C. Cleveland, Patricia M. Glibert, Robert W. Howarth, Valerie J. Mckenzie, Eliska Rejmankova, Mary H. Ward

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Worldwide increases in human and wildlife diseases have challenged ecologists to understand how large-scale environmental changes affect host–parasite interactions. One of the most profound changes to Earth's ecosystems is the alteration of global nutrient cycles, including those of phosphorus (P) and especially nitrogen (N). Along with the obvious direct benefits of nutrient application for food production, anthropogenic inputs of N and P can indirectly affect the abundance of infectious and noninfectious pathogens. The mechanisms underpinning observed correlations, however, and how such patterns vary with disease type, have long remained conjectural. Here, we highlight recent experimental advances to critically evaluate the …

Probable Causes Of Increasing Brucellosis In Free-Ranging Elk Of The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, P. C. Cross, E. K. Cole, A. P. Dobson, W. H. Edwards, K. L. Hamlin, Gordon Luikart, A. D. Middleton, B. M. Scurlock, P. J. White

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

While many wildlife species are threatened, some populations have recovered from previous Overexploitation, and data linking these population increases with disease dynamics are limited. We present data suggesting that free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) are a maintenance host for Brucella abortus in new areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Brucellosis seroprevalence in free-ranging elk increased from 0-7% in 1991-1992 to 8 20% in 2006-2007 in four of six herd units around the GYE. These levels of brucellosis are comparable to some herd units where elk are artificially aggregated on supplemental feeding grounds. There are several possible mechanisms for this increase …

Synthesis And Structure Activity Relationship Studies Of A Natural Product-Derived Compound Library, Paul Whitney Swain Iii

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Infectious diseases will always be a public health concern. The incidence of bacterial strains found in clinical settings that exhibit resistance to our current arsenal of antimicrobial drugs has risen sharply in the past twenty years and is projected to keep rising. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) stated that more people die of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections per year in US hospitals than HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined. However, stagnation of research in the area of infectious diseases over the past forty years has left us dreadfully behind in the battle against these deadly pathogens.

Recently, researchers have …

Female Competition And The Role Of Testosterone In A Polygynous System, Lars Stefan Ekernas

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Testosterone plays an important role in male competitive ability, and it may play a similar function in females. Female-female competition for resources is often associated with high testosterone, both within females and in comparison to males. Positive associations between testosterone and competition are most likely to be seen in systems with high female-female competition. Resource defense polygyny may be one such system since females congregate on high-quality nutrient sources, leading to substantial opportunities for interference competition. I studied female Grant’s gazelle (Nanger granti), a classic resource defense polygynous species, to investigate female competition and its relationship to testosterone. I found …

Influence Of Prion Protein Expression On Function Of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters In Mouse Primary Astrocytes, Melissa Selvy Pathmajeyan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Prion protein (PrP) is expressed on a wide variety of cells and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. However, its normal function remains unclear. Mice that do not express PrP exhibit deficits in spatial memory and abnormalities in excitatory neurotransmission suggestive that PrP may function in the glutamatergic synapse. Here we show that transport of D-aspartate, a non-metabolized L-glutamate analog, through excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) was faster in astrocytes from PrP knockout (PrP KO) mice than in astrocytes from C57BL/10 SnJ wildtype (WT) mice. Experiments using EAAT subtype-specific inhibitors demonstrated that in both WT …

Insurance And Climate Change, Greg Munro

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

This article examines insurance industry awareness of climate change and its implications, what risks it presents to insureds and insurers, what action insurers are taking to address it, and how the insurance industry could be a major force in getting the world to address climate change and mitigate its effects.

Mathematical And Computational Applications In Disease And Landscape Ecology, Erin Landguth

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Individualized Interdisciplinary Program (IIP) at the University of Montana allows students to work with faculty in the design of a graduate curriculum tailored to their unique academic, creative, and professional needs. The principal goal of the National Science Foundation's IGERT: Montana - Ecology of Infectious Diseases (MEID) program is to produce graduates with expertise to lead the collaborative, cross-, and inter-disciplinary efforts in education and research needed to address complex problems as exemplified by the ecology of endemic, epidemic, and emergent infectious diseases. Under the envelope of these two programs, I have developed a Ph.D. program in which I …

The Discipline Of Identity: Examining The Challenges Of Developing Interdisciplinary Identities Within The Science Disciplines, Nicholas Richard Burk

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Conducting scientific research that integrates multiple disciplines is an increasingly important, and yet challenging endeavor. This study employs the construct of identity to characterize and examine the obstacles to successful interdisciplinary work. It is argued that identity provides a useful lens into the process of scientific investigation, because as a construct, it has been shown to influence the way one sees oneself, others, and the practice of “good science.” It is therefore assumed that scientists’ identities may be an under-examined, mitigating factor in whether they develop an interest and aptitude for interdisciplinary collaboration. This study qualitatively examines 20 postgraduate students …

Population Dynamics Of The Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana Luteiventris): Inference From Long-Term Demography, Rebecca Marie Wahl Mccaffery

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Worldwide extinctions of amphibians are at the forefront of the biodiversity crisis, with climate change figuring prominently as a potential driver of continued amphibian decline. Changes in both the mean and variability of climate conditions may affect amphibian populations in complex, unpredictable ways. However, few studies have evaluated effects of climate change on individual vital rates and subsequent population dynamics of amphibians. I investigated the population dynamics of a high elevation population of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) in relation to climate variation over a ten-year period.

I documented an increase in survival and breeding probability as severity of …

Hemin Acquisition In Bartonella Quintana, Nermi Lee Parrow

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Bartonella quintana, a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen, causes Trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis and endocarditis. Transmitted by the human body louse (Pediculus humanus corporis), the agent has a tropism for erythrocytes in humans. In vitro growth requires an extraordinary concentration of hemin, and genomic analyses indicate several potential uptake systems and iron-responsive regulators. Transcription of the hbp genes (hemin binding protein genes) is responsive to alterations in available hemin and an HbpA homolog in B. henselae reportedly functions as a hemin receptor in E. coli hemA strain EB53. B. quintana hbpA was not able to complement EB53, indicating that …

Group I Introns And Inteins: Disparate Origins But Convergent Parasitic Strategies, Rahul Raghavan, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

H1n1 Nasal Spray Vaccine Goes To Students In Um Residence Halls, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Assembly Of Arenavirus Envelope Glycoprotein Gpc In Detergent-Soluble Membrane Microdomains, Sudhakar S. Agnihothram, Brooke Dancho, Kenneth W. Grant, Mark L. Grimes, Douglas S. Lyles, Jack H. Nunberg

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The family Arenaviridae includes a number of highly pathogenic viruses that are responsible for acute hemorrhagic fevers in humans. Genetic diversity among arenavirus species in their respective rodent hosts supports the continued emergence of new pathogens. In the absence of available vaccines or therapeutic agents, the hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses remain a serious public health and biodefense concern. Arenaviruses are enveloped virions that assemble and bud from the plasma membrane. In this study, we have characterized the microdomain organization of the virus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) on the cell surface by using immunogold electron microscopy. We find that Junin virus (JUNV) GPC …

Montana Business Quarterly, Fall 2009, University Of Montana--Missoula. Bureau Of Business And Economic Research

Montana Business Quarterly, 1949-2021

This is an academic publication produced by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Montana’s College of Business. This is volume 47, number 3.

Pt 565.01: Physical Therapy For Children, Cathryn Rase

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 1990-2010

No abstract provided.

Pubh 510.01: Introduction To Epidemiology, Curtis W. Noonan

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 1990-2010

No abstract provided.

Pubh 535.01: Health Policy, Craig A. Molgaard

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 1990-2010

No abstract provided.

Pubh 595.01: Epidemiology Of Infectious Diseases, Larry Frisch

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 1990-2010

No abstract provided.

Pestilence, Persistence And Pathogenicity: Infection Strategies Of Bartonella, Michael F. Minnick, James M. Battisti

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

It has been nearly two decades since the discovery of Bartonella as an agent of bacillary angiomatosis in AIDS patients and persistent bacteremia and 'nonculturable' endocarditis in homeless people. Since that time, the number of Bartonella species identified has increased from one to 24, and 10 of these bacteria are associated with human disease. Although Bartonella is the only genus that infects human erythrocytes and triggers pathological angiogenesis in the vascular bed, the group remains understudied compared with most other bacterial pathogens. Numerous questions regarding Bartonella's molecular pathogenesis and epidemiology remain unanswered. Virtually every mammal harbors one or more Bartonella …

Tri-Trophic Linkages In Disease: Pathogen Transmission To Rainbow Trout Through Stonefly Prey, Sandra M. Adams, Aaron S. Adams, William E. Holben

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT Relationships between macroinvertebrates and microorganisms in aquatic environments are only poorly understood despite the fact that many aquatic macroinvertebrates feed on microbial biofilms during some life stage. Better understanding of trophic interactions between microbial biofims, macroinvertebrates, and fish may also help control fish diseases and loss of natural resources. It has also been suggested that pollution, habitat fragmentation, and poor water quality may contribute to increased pathogenesis and mortality in fish. Increased disease incidence is difficult to assess, however, in part because of the complexity of pathogen transmission dynamics. Several environmental pathogens exist whose reservoir(s) and means of transmission …