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Glutamate Transporter Modulation Of Ambient And Synaptic Glutamate Levels, Weinan Sun

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. An accurate spatial and temporal glutamate concentration profile during signaling is crucial for reliable neural computation. In these studies, we investigated the roles of glutamate transporters in controlling both ambient glutamate levels and dynamic glutamate concentrations profiles during synaptic transmission. Using the Xenopus oocyte expression system, we demonstrated that glutamate transporters act as an effective sink and are capable of maintaining >200 fold glutamate concentration gradient between the bath and cell surface when expressed at levels corresponding to physiological transporter densities in the CNS. We also characterized the …

The Development And Study Of Surface Bound Ruthenium Organometallic Complexes, Geoffrey Reuben Abbott

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The focus of this project has been on the use of mono-diimine ruthenium organometallic complexes, of the general structure [H(Ru)(CO)(L)2(L’)2][PF6] (L=PPh3, DPPENE and L’=Bpy, DcBpy, MBpyC, Phen, AminoPhen) bound to surfaces as luminescent probes. Both biological and inorganic/organic hybrid surfaces have been studied. The complexes were characterized both bound and unbound using standard analytical techniques such as NMR, IR and X-ray crystallography, as well as through several photophysical methods as well.

Initially the study focused on how the photophyscial properties of the complexes were affected by incorporation into biological membranes. It was found that by conjugating the probes to a …

The Identity Of Upholding Indigenous Lifeways, Sean Falcon Chandler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This qualitative study examined the role of Native Lifeways in tribal colleges as perceived by their presidents and other influential leaders on the campuses of three tribal colleges. Tribal colleges were founded in part to support and promote Native Lifeways, as demonstrated within their respective mission statements. Given the fact that TCUs are at the forefront of the defense of Native Lifeways, they continue to be in a state of endangerment as a result of the history of U.S. Indian Policy.

Data was acquired from the face-to-face interviews of 15 leaders within the three tribal colleges located in northwest United …

Consequences Of Color Vision Variation On Performance And Fitness In Capuchin Monkeys, Andrea Theresa Green

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The origin and maintenance of variation in natural populations are central to the study of evolution. When alternative alleles have obvious effects on phenotype and are common in a population, the maintenance of these alleles requires some form of balancing selection. Understanding how selection maintains multiple phenotypes in a population requires integration of genetic analyses of phenotypic differences with field studies on the performance consequences of these differences within an ecological context.

The color vision polymorphism characterizing most diurnal platyrrhine and strepsirrhine primates provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the maintenance of variation in natural populations. The polymorphism leads to …

Demographic And Epidemiological Changes On The Flathead Reservation 1887-1935, Christina Joy Heiner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This dissertation examines the patterns of health among the Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai tribes living on the Flathead Reservation in the late 19th and early 20th century. Previous research on early Native American demographic and epidemiological patterns has essentially focused on patterns following European contact to the pre-reservation era, ignoring that Native populations continued to struggle with ill-health and disease under the control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This research found while large infectious disease epidemics did not occur after the 1900s, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia were the leading causes of death for all ages …

Microscopic Examination Of Rib Heads: A Useful Adjunct In The Investigation Of Infant Deaths, Walter Loren Kemp

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine infant rib heads microscopically, document clefts in the anterior portion of the metaphysis and other findings including metaphyseal lesions, and statistically analyze these clefts and various features about the child, including circumstances of death (e.g., SIDS, bed sharing, or suspicious for abuse), whether or not CPR was performed, birth method, age in months at death, estimated gestational age at birth, and various socioeconomic factors (e.g., married or unmarried mother, biological father or boyfriend involved with care of child). The glass slides with microscopic sections of rib head, neck and variable amounts of …

The Relationship Between Intergenerational Educational Experiences, School Culture/Climate, And Racial Identity Among American Indian High School Students, Sandra Lee Boham

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This research focused on the whether or not there was a relationship between (a) school culture and climate, (b) racial identity, and (c) inter-generational educational experiences of American Indian students in urban/off-reservation AA high schools in Montana as perceived by American Indian students, American Indian parents, administrators, teachers, and staff. Data were collected at four schools located in two school districts in different geographical locations in Montana. The data were collected using the (a) School as a Caring Community Profile (SCCP-II) survey, (b) People of Color Racial Identity Attitude Scale (PRIAS) survey, (c) demographic survey data, (d) academic achievement data, …

Visual And Geometric Analysis Of Maxillary Sinus Region Variability For Identification Of Unknown Decedents, Kelsey Michelle Collins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Positive identification of unknown individuals is highly important in the medicolegal field. Comparison of antemortem and postmortem radiographs is a popular and successful method of making a positive identification, but these methods are often extremely limited due to a lack of antemortem records. A positive identification method utilizing a type of radiograph that is more common in the antemortem record would be very useful for forensic anthropologists and other medicolegal professionals and could increase the likelihood of the individual in question being identified. Panoramic dental radiographs are commonly included in the standard dental exam and provide a clear view of …

"It Was My Job To Keep My Children Safe": Sandra Steingraber And The Parental Rhetoric Of Precaution, Mollie Katherine Murphy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Advancing the environmental movement requires overcoming a number of rhetorical challenges. Rhetors must negotiate the significant dichotomies of environmental rhetoric including human/nature, public/private, and science/experience. Moreover, they face the challenge of educating and mobilizing uninformed citizens to take action. This analysis focuses on how Sandra Steingraber, an ecologist, writer, and environmental activist, negotiates these challenges. I argue that Steingraber negotiates these challenges by turning to three interrelated rhetorical strategies: the feminine style, autobiography, and synecdoche. I illustrate this through an analysis of two texts Steingraber wrote after becoming a mother: Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood, and Raising Elijah: …

Right Of Possession: A Comparative Legal Analysis Of Nagpra, Jaclyn Lee Schmidt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Repatriation attempts to reconcile opposing values regarding human skeletal remains. Repatriation has sometimes been contentious because it raises the question of which aspect of human remains is more important, cultural or scientific values. Repatriation is also an issue of power. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) provides a procedural framework with which to negotiate power relationships between scholars, tribes, and the U.S. government. Property rights are integral to power, as the holder controls the use of and access to and interpretation of indigenous skeletal remains. Property rights concerning Native American human remains are an integral part of …

Evaluating Morphoscopic Trait Frequencies Of Southeast Asians And Pacific Islanders, Melody Dawn Ratliff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

When assessing ancestry in a forensic context, individuals are generally classified into one of four categories: belonging to European, African, Asian, or Native American ancestry. With only these four assessments, individuals from Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands are usually phenotypically classified as Asian. While the oceanic regions of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands will most likely have trait frequencies similar to those of mainland Asia because of their shared ancestral lineages, there is still a great deal of variability in this region that could cause these trait frequencies to differ. To address this variability, sixteen morphoscopic traits were …

Orphic Ecology: Melancholy And The Poetics Of Robert Duncan, Robert Nolan Knapp

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper explores the poetry of Robert Duncan and the political potential of melancholy. Relying on Judith Butler’s examination of the difference between “mourning” and “melancholy” in Precarious Lives, I argue that Robert Duncan enacts a condition of melancholia that he might respond to what Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands identifies in Queer Ecologies as “the psychically ungrievable”: homosexual desire and the environment. I contend in this thesis that one might enact an active experience of melancholy as both a preservative and rejuvenative force. In the first chapter of the thesis I explore Robert Duncan’s revisitation of a passage from Ovid’s Metamorphoses in …

Causes Of Annual Reproductive Variation And Anthropogenic Disturbance In Harlequin Ducks Breeding In Glacier National Park, Montana, Warren Kevin Hansen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Annual reproductive variation is the central focus of many ecological studies. Variation in reproductive success is an important vital rate to study because it can lead to inferences about population health, extinction risk, human disturbance and habitat quality. The identification of the causes of reproductive variability can help guide conservation and management efforts of a species. In Glacier National Park, Montana I studied causes of annual reproductive variation and behavioral responses to human disturbance in a breeding population of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus). Harlequins are rare sea ducks with a Holarctic distribution and winter along rocky coast lines of North …

Tracking The Trackers, Does Citizen Science Help Or Hinder Rare Carnivore Research, Thomas Charles Kuglin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Citizen science has gained a strong foothold in wildlife research in recent years. The quest for information about wildlife existing at the most extreme locations at the lowest densities requires more people than most research projects can pay for. Using volunteers for everything from wilderness monitoring to aquatic studies has become common practice in the face of budget short falls and efforts to gain public support. While reporting on citizen science used in small carnivore studies, I found a group of volunteers poised to help researchers learn about animals like wolverines, lynx, fishers, marten and wolves. Compelling people chasing captivating …

Yerba Mate (Ilex Paraguariensis) Production, Agricultural Change, And Livelihood Security In Southeastern Paraguay, Mason Robert Bradbury

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Smallholders in Southeastern Paraguay are threatened by the advance of mechanized farming, environmental degradation, and limited access to credit and inputs. Agroforestry initiatives have been proposed as a way to increase smallholder livelihood security in the face of such vulnerability. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a tree crop native to Paraguay that may be grown in agroforestry systems. While prices paid to farmers for yerba mate have increased in recent years, spurring interest and adoption of yerba mate production among some farmers, to this date, there have been no analyses of the effects that yerba mate production may have on …

Testing The Utility Of Environmental Cluster Analysis Based Upon Biodiversity Surrogates Within Geographic Information Systems For Conservation Planning: A Case Study Of Inland Temperate Rainforest In The Northern Rocky Mountains, Matthew J. Heimel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental surrogates have been proposed as a method for addressing a lack of taxonomic data in biodiversity conservation planning. These surrogates, used as variables in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, can be used in classification procedures to classify areas that are hypothesized to support or be able to support a targeted species or community. The peripheral range of the inland temperate rainforest’s (ITRF) in northwest Montana and northern Idaho was used as a case study for testing the utility of a method known as Environmental Cluster Analysis (ECA) within a GIS using abiotic environmental variables encompassing broad environmental attributes to …

Fast Food Results In Similar Post-Exercise Glycogen Recovery And Exercise Performance Compared To Sport Supplements, Michael Joseph Cramer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A variety of dietary choices are marketed to enhance glycogen recovery after physical activity. Past research provides recommendations regarding the timing, dose, and nutrient compositions to facilitate glycogen resynthesis. This study examined the effects of isocaloric sport supplements (SS) vs fast-food (FF) on glycogen resynthesis and exercise performance. Eleven male completed two experimental trials in a randomized, counterbalanced order. Each trial included a 90-minute glycogen depletion ride followed by a 4-hour recovery period. Absolute amounts of macronutrients (1.54±0.27 g.kg-1 carbohydrate, 0.24±0.04 g.kg-1 fat, and 0.18±0.03 g.kg-1 protein) as either SS or FF were provided at 0 and 2 hours. Muscle …

Relactation: A Phenomenological Study, Amy Nicole Lommen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of women in Montana who chose to attempt relactation. A phenomenological approach was utilized to understand the lived experiences of the 10 participants. In depth interviews were conducted and a 21 item, categorical and open-ended survey was administered seeking demographic and experiential data. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to organize and analyze the data. Most participants reported having good support from family, friends, lactation specialists, and/or physicians. Despite this support, the participants experienced breastfeeding difficulty. An overarching theme was having a difficult baby; whether it was colic, latching difficulties, …

Effect Of Exogenous Ice Slurry On Physiological Strain Index During Exercise In The Heat, Felipe Von Sydow

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

EFFECT OF EXOGENOUS ICE SLURRY ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRAIN INDEX DURING EXERCISE IN THE HEAT. F. von Sydow, T.J. Hampton, J.S. Cuddy, B.C. Ruby, FACSM, and C.L. Dumke, FACSM. The University of Montana, Missoula, MT Ice slurry solution (IS) ingested during exercise in the heat may alleviate physiological strain index (PSI) by lessening the rise of core temperature (Tc), and heart rate (HR.) PURPOSE: To investigate IS influence on PSI during submaximal running in the heat. METHODS: Six recreationally trained subjects (60+3 ml*kg-1*min-1) participated in two running trials on an outdoor track (30+1.5˚C, 25%RH). The two trials were run at the …

Impacts Of Montana Public Wolf Hunting And Trapping On Tolerance And Acceptance Of Gray Wolves Among Rural Resident Ranchers, Trappers, And Big Game Hunters, Alia Winn Mulder

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Public Trust Doctrine placed wildlife in trust, via state control and regulation, for the benefit of the people. Managing agencies that lose sight of the importance of public acceptance of predator policies and management actions may find themselves legislatively or judicially subverted. This study examines how the Montana public wolf hunting and trapping seasons have affected tolerance and acceptance of gray wolves (Canis lupus) among rural resident ranchers, hunters, and trappers. Twenty residents from the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Ninemile Valleys were qualitatively interviewed over the summer and fall of 2013. Potential participants were initially identified using purposive sampling, with …

Ecology And Engagement: The Importance Of Direct Experience Of Nature In Culture And Scholarship, Chris Baldwin Humm

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Our culture is becoming increasingly detached from nature. We spend more of our time indoors than ever. While the indoors may offer certain benefits, it’s becoming increasingly clear that our alienation from nature has serious downsides. We depend upon nature for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and without it. The opposite of detachment is engagement. Engagement involves direct experience of nature, whether in national parks, wilderness, backyard woods, or unkempt vacant lots. If we want to reverse the problems associated with detachment, we need to encourage engaged alternatives. Only through a culture of engagement, one that recognizes and values …

The Role Of Nadph Oxidase In The Modulation Of Pp2a, Nicole M. Byrnes

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transient, but severe global ischemia results in AMPA receptor (AMPAR) mediated delayed neuronal death (DND). AMPARs, a major glutamatergic receptor in the CNS, are heteromeric complexes composed of GluA1 - GluA4 subunits. Most AMPARs in the hippocampus are calcium-impermeable due to the presence of the edited form of the GluA2 subunit. Ischemia results in a down-regulation of GluA2 mRNA and protein expression, resulting in the expression of GluA2- lacking, calcium/zinc-permeable AMPARs. It has been indicated that these GluA2-lacking AMPARs play a key role in promoting DND following ischemic injury. Recent studies report that an oxidative stress signaling pathway is responsible …

Habitat Quality Influences Migratory Strategy Of Female White-Tailed Deer, Charles R. Henderson Jr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Partial migration is a life history strategy that is common for ungulate species living in seasonal environments. One factor that influences the decision to migrate by ungulates is access to high quality habitat. We evaluated the influence of access to winter habitat of high quality on the probability of an individual migrating, the differences in seasonal habitat use between and within migratory and resident classes of deer, and the effects of this decision on the survival of female white-tailed deer. We hypothesized that deer with home ranges of relatively low quality in winter would have a relatively high probability of …

Assessing The Determinants Facilitating Local Vulnerabilities And Adaptive Capacities To Climate Change Impacts In High Mountain Areas: A Case Study Of Northern Ladakh, India, Kimiko Nygaard Barrett

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climate change is increasingly redefining the dialectic exchange between human systems and ecological processes. While the rhetoric of climate change is articulated within broad arenas of governance and policy, the realities of climate change are experienced at the local scale. Effective adaptation measures must therefore be commensurate with local resources, needs and objectives while remaining aligned with larger decision-making efforts. The impacts of climate change are heterogeneous and vary with geographic context. Biophysical parameters interface with socioeconomic and political forces to greatly influence the outcome of climate-related risks at the local level. In the high mountains of the western Himalayas …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of A Library Of Polyacetylene Compounds Based On An Antiprotozoal Natural Product From Cussonia Zimmermannii, John Hoody

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Leishmaniasis is one of several tropical diseases classified as a ôneglected tropical diseaseö. Its global prevalence is 12 million people with an estimated at-risk population of 350 million people.1 Current treatments include antimonials, amphotericin B, pentamidine, and miltefosine. Access to these medications is often limited in the impoverished nations that Leishmaniasis predominantly affects. Drug resistance and toxicity are also significant drawbacks to the current treatments.3 Therefore, there is an immediate need for the research and development of novel therapeutic molecules and strategies to combat Leishmaniasis.

Testing Of High Speed Ground Reaction Force Treadmill For Kinetic Analysis For Running In Static And Dynamic Loading Conditions, Michael Ora Powell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis proposal describes the design, fabrication, and testing of a high-speed force treadmill capable of measuring the vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces imparted to the bed during the stance phase of human running. Natural frequency, crosstalk, linearity, use of aluminum line shaft with flexible couplings, center of pressures, and comparison to over-ground running were investigated. The natural frequency of the treadmill bed was 113 Hz achieved in part through the use of the line shaft to remove the mass of the motor (36.8 kg) with negligible dissipation of imparted force to the treadmill. The linearity test results showed …

Poisons In The Basement: An Analysis Of X-Ray Fluorescence Tests For Heavy Metal Pesticides In The University Of Montana’S Ethnographic Collection, Alexis Berger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis focuses on the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing that was performed on the University of Montana’s (UM) ethnographic collection. This collection is housed in a repository in the UM Anthropological Curation Facility (UMACF). The main concern over the artifacts and the reason behind the decision to perform such testing was to determine if any hazardous pesticides were used as part of past conservation treatments on the collection over the course of its history at the University of Montana. The XRF tests were performed during the winter of 2011-2012 on over 350 artifacts. The results had been previously unanalyzed. The …

Correlates Of Canada Lynx Reproductive Success In Northwestern Montana, Megan K. Kosterman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to threaten the persistence of forest carnivores in the contiguous US. The recovery of federally threatened species, such as the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), will be greatly enhanced by identifying a demographic-based definition of lynx habitat based on habitat analyses of animals with differential reproductive success. We collected field data on denning and offspring survival in northwestern Montana from 1998–2012. We used these data to define four response variables as measures of female Canada lynx reproductive success: (1) potential reproductive events, (2) initial litter size, (3) litter success (≥1 survivor), and (4) surviving …

The Effects Of Seed Source Health On Whitebark Pine Regeneration Density After Wildfire, Signe B. Leirfallom

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is declining nearly range-wide largely from mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks and the exotic pathogen Cronartium ribicola, which causes the disease white pine blister rust. With high mortality in cone-bearing whitebark pine, seed production may not be sufficient to support natural regeneration after disturbance such as wildfire. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between whitebark pine seed source health and whitebark pine regeneration density in adjacent, stand-replacing burns. I sampled regeneration patterns and seed source health and status in 15 burns within six national forests and …

Quantifying The Influence Of Past Wildfires On The Severity And Size Of Subsequent Wildfires, Sean Aaron Parks

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfire is arguably one of the most important and widespread natural disturbance agents in western U.S. forests. It has a substantial impact on ecosystem structure and function by influencing soils, nutrients, carbon budgets, wildlife habitat, and vegetation. Wildfires also influence fuel amount, type, and structure, potentially influencing the severity and size of subsequent wildfires through site- and landscape-level feedback mechanisms. Until relatively recently, the ability to quantitatively evaluate how these feedback mechanisms operate has not been feasible because of data limitations (i.e. there has not been enough wildfire). However, due to increased fire activity over the last ~25 years, there …