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Annual Financial Report 2012, University Of Montana--Missoula

University of Montana Annual Financial Reports, 1918-2012

University of Montana annual financial report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.

Activation Of Alcohols Toward Nucleophilic Substitution: Conversion Of Alcohols To Alkyl Halides, Amani Atiyalla Abdugadar

Master's Theses

The conversion of alcohols into alkyl halides is one of the most important reactions in organic chemistry. Development of new methodology is still desirable in academic research. Unfortunately, the hydroxyl group of the alcohol is relatively difficult to replace under normal conditions. That necessitates the conversion of alcohols to a more activated functionality before nucleophilic substitution becomes viable. Under vigorous conditions, the replacement is straightforward. Procedures for the generation of halides from alcohols have been extensively examined, e.g., using HX or Mitsunobu inversion. However, these methods require time, strong acid, or catalysis to proceed. These classical methods suffer from issues …

Understanding Nanoparticle-Cell Interaction, Ran Chen

All Dissertations

Nanotechnology has revolutionalized the landscape of modern science and technology, including materials, electronics, therapeutics, bioimaging, sensing, and the environment. Along with these technological advancements, there arises a concern that engineered nanomaterials, owing to their high surface area and high reactivity, may exert adverse effects upon discharge to compromise biological and ecological systems. Research in the past decade has examined the fate of nanomaterials in vitro and in vivo, as well as the interactions between nanoparticles and biological and ecosystems using primarily toxicological and ecotoxicological approaches. However, due to the versatility in the physical and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, and due …

Mir-786 Regulation Of A Fatty-Acid Elongase Contributes To Rhythmic Calcium-Wave Initiation In C. Elegans, Benedict J. Kemp, Erik Allman, Lois Immerman, Megan Mohnen, Maureen A. Peters, Keith Nerhke, Allison L. Abbott

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Rhythmic behaviors are ubiquitous phenomena in animals. In C. elegans, defecation is an ultradian rhythmic behavior: every ∼50 s a calcium wave initiating in the posterior intestinal cells triggers the defecation motor program that comprises three sequential muscle contractions. Oscillatory calcium signaling is central to the periodicity of defecation. The posteriormost intestinal cells function as the pacemaker for this rhythmic behavior, although it is unclear how the supremacy of these cells for calcium-wave initiation is controlled.

Results: We describe how the loss of the mir-240/786 microRNA cluster, which results in arrhythmic defecation, causes ectopic intestinal calcium-wave initiation. mir-240/786 expression …

Skin Cell Proliferation Stimulated By Microneedles, Horst Liebl, Luther C. Kloth

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

A classical wound may be defined as a disruption of tissue integrity. Wounds, caused by trauma from accidents or surgery, that close via secondary intention rely on the biological phases of healing, i.e., hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling (HIPR). Depending on the wound type and severity, the inflammation phase begins immediately after injury and may last for an average of 7–14 days. Concurrent with the inflammation phase or slightly delayed, cell proliferation is stimulated followed by the activation of the remodeling (maturation) phase. The latter phase can last as long as 1 year or more, and the final healed state …

Effects Of A Chronic Increase In Plasma Corticosterone On The Brooding Behavior Of The Prairie Skink, Plestiodon Septentrionalis , Alexander James Anton

Student Work

The effects of chronic corticosterone (CORT) increases on the maternal behavior of the Prairie Skink, Plestiodon septentrionalis were studied in the laboratory during the summer of 2012. It was hypothesized that chronic increases in plasma CORT would result in decreased maternal effort and higher egg mortality, with similar results to analogous studies in birds. Plasma CORT was elevated using a non-invasive, exogenous treatment and behaviors were observed using video recordings. CORT treatments significantly reduced the amount of time spent tightly coiled around eggs in experimental individuals, and significantly decreased the amount of time experimental females spend in contact with their …

What About The Children: How Children Of Same-Sex Couples Are Left Without State-Run Support, Ann Kathryn Watson

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

States should enact legislation affording same-sex partners the same rights and responsibilities to their children as opposite-sex partners. Although federal law mandates specific duties owed to the child, the language is silent about whether it applies to same-sex partners. Moreover, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. Some states—namely Texas—have passed their own version of DOMA. These states have subsequently denied same-sex partners the same rights granted to opposite-sex partners—such as conservatorship, visitation, and child support. Same-sex partners have used DOMA as a legal strategy to either avoid …

Role Of Human Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase In Carcinogen Metabolism And Human Breast Cancer Progression., Carmine Simone Leggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) is a phase II cytosolic enzyme that occurs as two isozymes, NAT1 and NAT2. This family of polymorphic enzymes catalyzes the detoxification and/or activation of many aromatic and heterocyclic amine drugs and carcinogens. These metabolism reactions can lead to detoxification of xenobiotics by N-acetylation, or bioactivation by O-acetylation which is preceded by cytochrome P450 (CYP) hydroxylation. This study evaluates the role of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase in carcinogen metabolism as it pertains to substrate selectivity, kinetic activity towards arylamine and alkylaniline substrates, and toxicological risk. Here we introduce the use of immortalized human fibroblasts (GM4429) to investigate …

Improved Fabrication And Modeling Of Piezoresistive Microcantilever Beams For Gas Detection And Sensing., Ni Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Symmetric piezoresistive microcantilever beams have been demonstrated in previous research to be capable of sensing the presence of surrounding gas. This occurs as the damping effect of the gas changes the beam resonance behavior. Device sensitivity has been increased dramatically after changing the symmetric beam base to an asymmetric beam base. This dissertation seeks to improve on beam fabrication and simplify the fabrication procedure compared to earlier approaches. By changing to a polymer mask and using new equipment, an entire wafer can be fabricated in far less time compared to the previous approach. While this new approach shows great promise, …

Anxiety In Older Adults With Dementia Residing In Long-Term Care Facilities., Lauren Summer Hess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dementia, depression, and anxiety are the most common psychiatric disorders among long-term care residents and, because dementia is associated with behavioral problems that can be difficult to manage, the growing number of long-term care residents with dementia and mental health disorders presents a challenge for providing quality care. Research has established the co-occurrence of depression and anxiety and anxiety and agitation in this population. However, a consensus on the conceptualization of the co-occurrence of these constructs has not been reached. It has also been postulated that older adults with dementia may not be able to experience anxiety as conceptualized due …

The Role Of Gene Duplication And Unconstrained Selective Pressures In The Melanopsin Gene Family Evolution And Vertebrate Circadian Rhythm Regulation, Rui Borges, Warren E. Johnson, Stephen J. O'Brien, Vitor Vasconcelos, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

Melanopsin is a photosensitive cell protein involved in regulating circadian rhythms and other non-visual responses to light. The melanopsin gene family is represented by two paralogs,OPN4x and OPN4m, which originated through gene duplication early in the emergence of vertebrates. Here we studied the melanopsin gene family using an integrated gene/protein evolutionary approach, which revealed that the rhabdomeric urbilaterian ancestor had the same amino acid patterns (DRY motif and the Y and E conterions) as extant vertebrate species, suggesting that the mechanism for light detection and regulation is similar to rhabdomeric rhodopsins. Both OPN4m and OPN4x paralogs are found …

Peroxiredoxin Ii Regulates Effector And Secondary Memory Cd8+ T Cell Responses, Ryan D. Michalek, Katie E. Crump, Ashley E. Weant, Elizabeth M. Hiltbold, Daniel G. Juneau, Eun-Yi Moon, Dae-Yeul Yu, Leslie B. Poole, Jason M. Grayson

Biology Faculty Articles

Reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) generated in response to receptor stimulation play an important role in cellular responses. However, the effect of increased H₂O₂on an antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cell response was unknown. Following T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation, the expression and oxidation of peroxiredoxin II (PrdxII), a critical antioxidant enzyme, increased in CD8⁺ T cells. Deletion of PrdxII increased ROI, S phase entry, division, and death during in vitro division. During primary acute viral and bacterial infection, the number of effector CD8⁺ T cells in PrdxII-deficient mice was increased, while the number of memory …

How The Leopard Hides Its Spots: Asip Mutations And Melanism In Wild Cats, Alexsandra Schneider, Victor A. David, Warren E. Johnson, Stephen J. O'Brien, Gregory S. Barsh, Marilyn Menotti-Raymond, Eduardo Eizirik

Biology Faculty Articles

The occurrence of melanism (darkening of the background coloration) is documented in 13 felid species, in some cases reaching high frequencies at the population level. Recent analyses have indicated that it arose multiple times in the Felidae, with three different species exhibiting unique mutations associated with this trait. The causative mutations in the remaining species have so far not been identified, precluding a broader assessment of the evolutionary dynamics of melanism in the Felidae. Among these, the leopard (Panthera pardus) is a particularly important target for research, given the iconic status of the ‘black panther’ and the extremely …

Effect Of Rising Temperature Due To Ozone Depletion On The Dynamics Of A Prey-Predator System: A Mathematical Model, O. P. Misra, Preety Kalra

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

It is well recognized that the greenhouse gas such as Chlorofluoro Carbon (CFC) is responsible directly or indirectly for the increase in the average global temperature of the Earth. The presence of CFC is responsible for the depletion of ozone concentration in the atmosphere due to which the heat accompanied with the sun rays are less absorbed causing increase in the atmospheric temperature of the Earth. The increase in the temperature level directly or indirectly affects the dynamics of interacting species systems. Therefore, in this paper a mathematical model is proposed and analyzed using stability theory to asses the effects …

Numerical Studies For Solving Fractional Riccati Differential Equation, N. H. Sweilam, M. M. Khader, A. M. S. Mahdy

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, finite difference method (FDM) and Pade'-variational iteration method (Pade'- VIM) are successfully implemented for solving the nonlinear fractional Riccati differential equation. The fractional derivative is described in the Caputo sense. The existence and the uniqueness of the proposed problem are given. The resulting nonlinear system of algebraic equations from FDM is solved by using Newton iteration method; moreover the condition of convergence is verified. The convergence's domain of the solution is improved and enlarged by Pade'-VIM technique. The results obtained by using FDM is compared with Pade'-VIM. It should be noted that the Pade'-VIM is preferable because …

On The Numerical Solution Of Linear Fredholm-Volterra İntegro Differential Difference Equations With Piecewise İntervals, Mustafa Gülsu, Yalçın Öztürk

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The numerical solution of a mixed linear integro delay differential-difference equation with piecewise interval is presented using the Chebyshev collocation method. The aim of this article is to present an efficient numerical procedure for solving a mixed linear integro delay differential difference equations. Our method depends mainly on a Chebyshev expansion approach. This method transforms a mixed linear integro delay differential-difference equations and the given conditions into a matrix equation which corresponds to a system of linear algebraic equation. The reliability and efficiency of the proposed scheme are demonstrated by some numerical experiments and performed on the computer algebraic system …

An Approximate Analytical Algorithm For Solving The Multispecies Lotka-Volterra Equations, Abdolsaeed Alavi, Asghar Ghorbani

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, a new efficient method called the parametric iteration method (PIM) is applied to accurately solve the multispecies Lotka–Volterra equations (MLVEs). Some cases of MLVEs are highlighted in order to show the simplicity and efficiency of the method. The results obtained in this work demonstrate that the present algorithm is a powerful analytic tool for the solution of MLVEs.

Students In Differential Equations And Epidemiology Model A Campus Outbreak Of Ph1n1, Meredith L. Greer, Karen A. Palin

All Faculty Scholarship

We describe a semester-long collaboration between a mathematics class and a biology class. Students worked together to understand and model the trajectory of the pandemic H1N1, pH1N1, outbreak across campus in fall 2009. Each course had about 30 students and was an upper-level elective for majors. Some mathematics students had taken no college-level biology, and some biology students had taken no college-level mathematics. All students had taken at least three quantitative courses, so they had some experience working with data. Our goals were to allow students to work with and model a real data set that affected them personally, to …

Development And Validation Of A Process Focused Measure Of Childhood Depression, Ida Babakhanyan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of childhood depression and test its psychometric properties with depressed and non-depressed children. First, an overview of our current understanding of childhood depression and the measures used in assessment is reviewed. Following, the problems with our diagnostic classification are presented, providing justification for the development of a new measure for childhood depression. A bottom-up approach is used in this study to develop a theory driven measure for identifying depression in children which focuses on the process. Thus, varying from the primarily symptom based assessment tools that are currently used in …

The Morbidity & Mortality Of Prevalent Heart Failure, Jennifer Kwon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The first study population included 292 unselected consecutive patients from the LLUMC heart failure clinic who were enrolled in the study from January to July 2006 and were followed up through the end of December 2010. The treatment policy at the clinic was to uptitrate dosages of beta-adrenergic blockade (β-blockers), angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) to the most tolerable levels in order to reach target dosages, as recommended by the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Patients were classified into systolic heart failure (ejection fraction (EF) < 40%) or diastolic heart failure (EF≥40%). All dosages of β-blockers, ACEi and ARB were extracted through chart reviews and were used as the main predictors of the patients' survival. Results from analyses showed that reaching target dosages of β-blockers and ACEi/ARB may increase survival when compared to not reaching target among the systolic HF population (HR_{β_biockers}= 0.64, 95% CI 0.26-1.56 and HR_ACEi/ARB=0.50, …

The Rna Binding Protein Ksrp Destabilizes Gap-43 Mrna To Limit Axonal Elongation In Cultured Hippocampal Neurons, Clark W. Bird

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP) promotes the decay of AU-rich element (ARE) containing mRNAs. Although KSRP is expressed in the developing and mature nervous system, very little is known about its role in regulating gene expression in the brain. In this study, we utilized in vitro binding and decay studies to examine whether KSRP regulates the stability of the GAP-43 transcript, an ARE-containing neuronal mRNA whose protein product plays a role in axonal growth and synaptic plasticity. We found KSRP destabilizes GAP-43 mRNA by binding to the GAP-43 ARE, a process that depends on the presence of the fourth …

Cannabinoid 2 Receptor (Cb2r) Agonists Modulate Neuropathic Pain And Cytokine Expression, Jenny L. Wilkerson

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The focus of the work in this dissertation is to elucidate the efficacy of cannabinoid 2 receptor agonists, specifically targeting the spinal cord, for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. Chemical structures for all cannabinoid compounds utilized are displayed (Supplemental Figure A-1). As an orientation for the reader, the organization of this dissertation consists of five components: chapters 1 through 5. In the first chapter, a background is developed to acquaint one with the topics of chronic pain, and the use of cannabinergic compounds for chronic pain relief. This chapter is in the form of a review, and specifically addresses …

Characterization Of The Count Rate Performance And Evaluation Of The Effects Of High Count Rates On Modern Gamma Cameras, Michael S. Silosky

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COUNT RATE PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF HIGH COUNT RATES ON MODERN GAMMA CAMERAS

Michael Stephen Silosky, B.S.

Supervisory Professor: S. Cheenu Kappadath, Ph.D.

Evaluation of count rate performance (CRP) is an integral component of gamma camera quality assurance and measurement of system dead time (τ) is important for quantitative SPECT. The CRP of three modern gamma cameras was characterized using established methods (Decay and Dual Source) under a variety of experimental conditions. For the Decay method, input count rate was plotted against observed count rate and fit to the paralyzable detector model (PDM) to …

Functional Analysis Of Drosophila Integrator Complex In Snrna 3' End Processing, Jiandong Chen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Uridine-rich small nuclear RNAs (U snRNAs) play essential roles in eukaryotic gene expression by facilitating the removal of introns from mRNA precursors and the processing of the replication-dependent histone pre-mRNAs. Formation of the 3’ end of these snRNAs is carried out by a poorly characterized, twelve-membered protein complex named Integrator Complex.

In the effort to understand Integrator Complex function in the formation of the snRNA 3’ end, we performed a functional RNAi screen in Drosophila S2 cells to identify protein factors required for snRNA 3’ end formation. This screen was conducted by using a fluorescence-based reporter that elicits GFP expression …

Tradition As Past And Present In Substantive Due Process Analysis, Katharine T. Bartlett

Duke Law Journal

Tradition is often understood as an inheritance from the past that has no connection to the present. Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court on both ends of the ideological spectrum work from this understanding, particularly in analyzing cases under the substantive due process clause. Some conservative Justices say that substantive due process protects only rights that were firmly established when the Constitution was ratified. In contrast, some liberal Justices dismiss tradition as being too stagnant and oppressive to serve as a limit on substantive due process rights, relying instead on contemporary norms and reason. Both of these approaches share an …

Expansion Of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells On Synthetic Substrate In Defined Medium, Huantong Yao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have the potential to generate patient-specific cells to treat many incurable diseases by cell replacement therapy. However, so far the culture of hiPSCs depends greatly on feeder cells or Matrigel which has safety issues. Thus, chemically defined substrates that could provide niches necessary for cell attachment and proliferation are preferred for clinical application of hiPSCs. Recently, Corning Life Sciences has developed synthetic peptide-functionalized cell culture surface, referred to as Corning® Synthemax that support self-renewal and differentiation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC). In this work, we have collaborated with Corning to investigate the attachment, …

A Comparison Of Testosterone With Prostate Specific Antigen And Prostatic Acid Phosphatase For The Serodiagnosis Of Prostate Cancer In Adult Males, Annie Chu

Honors Theses

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in men. The American Cancer Society has estimated that there were 240,890 newly diagnosed cases in 2011 and 33,720 deaths from prostate cancer. Diagnosis of this disease has traditionally been done by measuring prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels through sero-chemical testing. The purpose of this study is to compare serum testosterone levels to PSA levels and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) levels in the search for new and more accurate technology. This study shows that testosterone was not efficient in correctly diagnosing those with prostate cancer. It had a …

Life History Variation Of Common Terns In The Gulf Of Maine, Jeffery Bryant Kimmons

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Life history is the inheritable rules that determine energy and time allocation towards different competing functions in the energy budget of an organism. Reproductive effort varies as organisms make reproductive decisions based on available energy. Factors influencing life histories are those that change energy and time budgets such as diet, competition, and environmental conditions.

Common tern (Sterna hirundo) life history phenotypes vary between islands in the Gulf of Maine. Common terns on offshore islands (>10km from mainland) and nearshore islands (5 to 10km from mainland) lay smaller clutches, hatching chicks with slower growth rates than common terns …

A Comprehensive Study Of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, And Comparison, Per Maximilian Gasseholm

Social Sciences

Today complimentary medicine is being increasingly sought out. Ayurveda and TCM, are among the oldest systems of medicine and have been developed for over thousands of years in India and China respectively. This paper details the philosophies, medical theories, anatomy, diagnosis, and treatments of both of these systems, including a comparison. Both of these modalities of healing operate with a microcosm – macrocosm paradigm. This makes them fundamentally similar, and compatible with each other. Ayurveda uses Tridoshic theory to apply treatments ranging from diet, massage, meditation, yoga among other therapies to bring Vata, Pitta, and Kapha into balance. TCM is …

Climate Change And The Spread Of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Courtney B. Reed

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.