Digital Commons Network^™

Factor V Leiden-Independent Activated Protein C Resistance: Communication From The Plasma Coagulation Inhibitors Subcommittee Of The International Society On Thrombosis And Haemostasis Scientific And Standardisation Committee, Eriko Morishita, Dorothy M Adcock

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Activated protein C resistance (APC-R) due to the single-nucleotide polymorphism factor V Leiden (FVL) is the most common cause of hereditary thrombophilia. It is found predominantly in Caucasians and is uncommon or absent in other populations. Although FVL is responsible for >90% of cases of hereditary APC-R, a number of other F5 variants that also confer various degrees of APC-R and thrombotic risk have been described. Acquired APC-R due to increased levels of coagulation factors, reduced levels of inhibitors, or the presence of autoantibodies occurs in a variety of conditions and is an independent risk factor for thrombosis. It is …

Reward Sensitivity Predicts The Response To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Children With Autism And Anxiety, An-Chuen Cho, Connor M Kerns, Philip C Kendall

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, research has yet to examine what cognitive characteristics may influence treatment response. The current study investigated decision-making ability and social cognition as potential (a) predictors of differential treatment response to two versions of CBT and (b) moderators of the effect of treatment condition.

Method: The study included 148 children (mean age = 9.8 years) with interfering anxiety and a diagnosis of ASD who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing two versions of CBT for anxiety (standard and adapted for ASD). …

Astrocytic-Based Controller Shifts Epileptic Activity To The Chaotic State

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Investigating an effective controller to shift hippocampal epileptic periodicity to normal chaotic behavior will be new hope for epilepsy treatment. Astrocytes nourish and protect neurons and maintain synaptic transmission and network activity. Therefore, this study explored the ameliorating effect of the astrocyte computational model on epileptic periodicity.

Methods: Modified Morris-Lecar equations were used to model the hippocampal CA3 network. Network inhibitory parameters were employed to generate oscillation-induced epileptiform periodicity. The astrocyte controller was based on a functional dynamic mathematical model of brain astrocytic cells.

Results: Results demonstrated that the synchronization of two neural networks shifted the brain's chaotic state …

Estimating Dementia Risk In An African American Population Using The Dctclock, Melissa Lamar, Lisa L Barnes, Russell Banks, Ali Jannati, David Libon, Rodney Swenson, Sean Tobyne, David Bates, John Showalter, Alvaro Pascual-Leone

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) is increasing. African Americans are twice as likely to develop dementia than other ethnic populations. Traditional cognitive screening solutions lack the sensitivity to independently identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline. The DCTclock is a 3-min AI-enabled adaptation of the well-established clock drawing test. The DCTclock can estimate dementia risk for both general cognitive impairment and the presence of AD pathology. Here we performed a retrospective analysis to assess the performance of the DCTclock to estimate future conversion to ADRD in African American participants from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Research …

Characteristics Of Type 2 Diabetes In Female And Male Youth, Ahmad Rafaey, Siripoom Mckay, Fida Bacha, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Maria J Redondo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The incidence of type 2 diabetes in children is rising and carries a worse prognosis than in adults. The influence of sex on pediatric type 2 diabetes outcomes has not been well investigated. We studied 715 youth with type 2 diabetes diagnosed at a median age of 13.7 years and compared sex differences in demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics within the first year of diagnosis. Females diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were younger and at a higher stage of pubertal development than males, yet presented with lower A1Cs, a lower prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis, and higher HDL cholesterol levels.

Religion, Spirituality, And Coping During The Pandemic: Perspectives Of Dementia Caregivers, Andrea Vanags-Louredo, Eunice Park, Nalaka S Gooneratne, Liam Fry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Religious and spiritual (R/S) practices support individuals during difficult situations. The COVID-19 social distancing restrictions may have limited access to R/S practices for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease related dementia (ADRD) and their caregivers, affecting coping and well-being. This qualitative study explored the impact of social distancing on R/S practices and coping in ADRD-caregiver dyads from the perspective of caregivers. Interviews were conducted with 11 family caregivers of older adults with ADRD residing in nursing homes (n = 4) or private homes (n = 7). Caregivers continued individual and started virtual R/S practices which improved their ability to …

Disease Modeling Of Adamts9-Related Nephropathy Using Kidney Organoids Reveals Its Roles In Tubular Cells And Podocytes, Hye-Youn Kim, Nasim Bekheirnia, Sarah Jane Swartz, Hongzheng Dai, Shen Linda Gu, Soyeon Lee, Ryuichi Nishinakamura, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Mir Reza Bekheirnia, Heon Yung Gee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Mutations in ADAMTS9 cause nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies (NPHP-RC), which are characterized by multiple developmental defects and kidney diseases. Patients with NPHP-RC usually have normal glomeruli and negligible or no proteinuria. Herein, we identified novel compound-heterozygous ADAMTS9 variants in two siblings with NPHP-RC who had glomerular manifestations, including proteinuria.

METHODS: To investigate whether ADAMTS9 dysfunction causes NPHP and glomerulopathy, we differentiated ADAMTS9 knockout human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into kidney organoids. Single-cell RNA sequencing was utilized to elucidate the gene expression profiles from the ADAMTS9 knockout kidney organoids.

RESULTS:ADAMTS9 knockout had no effect on nephron differentiation; however, it reduced …

Arts 1929c Studio Foundation Ii, Samuel King

All Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Dyslexia And The Need For General Education Teacher Training, Sheeresa S. Begay

Theses and Dissertations

General education teachers are expected to provide instruction to and promote learning in all students within a general education classroom per state and federal mandates. These mandates ensure students with disabilities like dyslexia are given access to a general education classroom, curriculum, and materials, and provided with support through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan. However, general education teacher training and professional development programs have often been ineffectual in preparing general education teachers for delivering instruction to and promoting learning in individuals with dyslexia. As a result, many general education teachers are unprepared for supporting students with dyslexia …

Dynamics Of Flood Flow In Red River Basin, Vida Atashi

Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, flooding has become a major issue in many areas of the Upper Midwest. Many rivers and streams in the region had considerable increases in mean annual peak flows during this period, which was driven by a combination of natural factors including discharge synchrony with the spring thaw, ice jams, glacial lake plain, and a decrease in gradient downstream. The Red River of the North is a prominent river in the United States and Canada's Upper Midwest. It flows from its headwaters in Minnesota and North Dakota to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. The river is well-known for its …

Soil Bacteria Composition In Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Of The Great Plains, Lydia M. Kantonen

Theses and Dissertations

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a grassland restoration program that allows landowners to remove degraded land from crop production, seed it with a perennial seed mixture, and leave it fallow for the remainder of the contract, which usually ranges from 10-15 years. While some ecosystem functions quickly improve upon CRP enrollment, soil organic carbon is slow to return to pre-agricultural levels. One explanation is that particulate organic matter left by litter takes several years to degrade even with a full bacteria community. Alternatively, it is possible that different chemical components of organic matter require different bacteria communities for full …

Tele-Mental Health For Rural Children With Cancer And Their Families, Heather Adame

Theses and Dissertations

Youth and Families from rural areas face different circumstances and challenges when managing a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Challenges such as this include lower access to both physical and mental health care (Janicke & Davies, 2011; Wallings et al., 2019). There is a significant need to investigate how to implement best Telemental health for rural families with pediatric cancer (Ros-DeMarize et al., 2021; Timones, 2019). Due to the limited research on this topic, the purpose of this study was to explore expert opinions on best practices for Telemental health services in pediatric oncology settings and rural families living with pediatric cancer. …

A Measure Predicting Treatment Outcome For Sexual Offenders, Kaitlin Alyssa Guston

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers generally agree that treatment reduces the likelihood of sexual offender recidivism. However, studies show attrition rates of up to 85% in some treatment programs for sex offenders. Because many risk factors for recidivism and treatment attrition are the same, the present study used gold-standard risk assessments to predict which sex offenders would not complete a community treatment program. The Static-99r, Stable-2007, and URICA assessed static risk factors, dynamic needs, and responsivity to treatment for 289 sex offenders. Pre-treatment scores from the sex offenders in the sample indicated that these assessment instruments could predict treatment attrition for sex offenders in …

Core Values In Higher Education: Students, Faculty, Staff, And Administrator Alignment At A Midwestern Research University, Rodney Deshan Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research exists on core values. However, limited scholarly research exists on core values in higher education institutions that operate in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. And yet, society entrusts higher education with our nation’s most important resource—our future leaders. University adopted core values serve as guideposts for institution stakeholders. Core values are important for an organization’s identity by providing concise and powerful guidelines for collective stakeholder action. Core values provide a true north values vector, especially when ambiguity and uncertainty exist. This, in turn, helps increase judgement and decision-making skills that are clearly aligned …

Self-Regulation And Goal Orientation In Physician Assistant And Medical Students, Jay Ryan Metzger

Theses and Dissertations

Self-regulation and goal orientation both play a crucial role in how medical providers learn and master the knowledge and skills that they will use throughout their careers. It is crucial that practicing physician assistants (PAs) and physicians know how to self-regulate their thoughts and actions and when to use resources such as research and peer advice (Ericsson, 2015). This research investigated self-regulation and goal orientation in the clinical training of PA and medical students, examined differences between PA and medical students, and provided insight into how goal orientation and self-regulation play a role in the education of these professionals. It …

“When You Fully Immerse Yourself, That’S Where You Gain The Most Confidence”: Integrating Clinician Perspectives To Reframe Excellence In Neurologic Physical Therapy Patient Education, Allyson Muehlemann

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the current perceptions surrounding patient education in physical therapy (PT), specifically analyzing clinicians managing patients with neurological impairments. The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first objective was to gain a better understanding of how current clinicians provide effective patient education, and the second objective was to gain better insight into how physical therapists (PTs) develop self-efficacy to effectively provide patient education to individuals with neurologic involvement. In this study, four themes emerged: effective patient education is individualized, effective education should include discharge planning, self-efficacy in providing effective patient education improves with neuro exposure and …

Parental Involvement For Spanish-Speaking English Learners: Teachers’ Perspectives, Olawumi Oluranti Salako

Theses and Dissertations

The benefit of parental involvement (PI) cannot be underestimated, most specifically, the PI that operates on mutual trust and respect, and balancing of power between homes and schools. It is particularly beneficial to students who are learning English as a second language because their parents can partner with educators to close the achievement gap. However, literature has revealed that most schools have operated using the unidirectional approach in which parents and family members are being alienated from their children’s education due to several factors like an imbalance of power between home and school (Cooper, 2009; Ishimaru et al., 2016). Hence, …

Nourishing The Brain On Deep Space Missions: Nutritional Psychiatry In Promoting Resilience, Felice N Jacka, Philip Strandwitz, Gary E Strangman, Dorit B Donoviel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The grueling psychological demands of a journey into deep space coupled with ever-increasing distances away from home pose a unique problem: how can we best take advantage of the benefits of fresh foods in a place that has none? Here, we consider the biggest challenges associated with our current spaceflight food system, highlight the importance of supporting optimal brain health on missions into deep space, and discuss evidence about food components that impact brain health. We propose a future food system that leverages the gut microbiota that can be individually tailored to best support the brain and mental health of …

Photoplethysmography-New Applications For An Old Technology: A Sleep Technology Review, Arvind Chandrakantan, Nitun Verma, Steven Holfinger, Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, Anuja Bandyopadhyay, Kelly Baron, Sumit Bhargava, Ken He, Joseph Kern, Jennifer Miller, Ruchir Patel, Dulip Ratnasoma, Maryann C Deak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Education is integral to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) mission. The AASM Emerging Technology Committee identified an important and evolving piece of technology that is present in many of the consumer and clinical technologies that we review on the AASM #SleepTechnology (https://aasm.org/consumer-clinical-sleep-technology/) resource—photoplethysmography. As more patients with sleep tracking devices ask clinicians to view their data, it is important for sleep providers to have a general understanding of the technology, its sensors, how it works, targeted users, evidence for the claimed uses, and its strengths and weaknesses. The focus in this review is photoplethysmography—a sensor type …

Documents From The December 6, 2024 Meeting Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana (Asum), University Of Montana--Missoula. Associated Students

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

Agenda and meeting minutes from the December 6, 2024 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

Quantitative Measurement Of Protac Intracellular Accumulation

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In recent years, Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) technology has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to remove disease-associated proteins by utilizing cells' own destruction machinery. To achieve successful degradation of a protein of interest (POI), the heterobifunctional PROTAC molecules must penetrate into the cells first, followed by target engagement and formation of the POI-PROTAC-E3 ligase complex. Based on this understanding, the assessment of cell permeability and in cell target engagement are of great importance to evaluate the efficacy of PROTAC candidates. PROTAC molecules can be classified as non-covalent and covalent, and covalent PROTACs can be further divided into …

Advanced Photon Counting Ct Imaging Pipeline For Cardiac Phenotyping Of Apolipoprotein E Mouse Models, Yi Qi, Zay Y Han, Prajwal Bhandari, Ketan B Ghaghada, Alexandra Badea, Cristian T Badea

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and lipid metabolism. This study aimed to develop an imaging-based pipeline to comprehensively assess cardiac structure and function in mouse models expressing different APOE genotypes using photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT).

Methods: 123 mice grouped based on APOE genotype (APOE2, APOE3, APOE4, APOE knockout (KO)), gender, human NOS2 factor, and diet (control or high fat) were used in this study. The pipeline included PCCT imaging on a custom-built system with contrast-enhanced in vivo imaging and intrinsic cardiac gating, spectral and temporal iterative reconstruction, spectral decomposition, and deep learning cardiac …

Clinical Efficacy Among Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps And Clinical Features Of Obstructive Lung Disease: Post Hoc Analysis Of The Phase Iii Sinus-24 And Sinus-52 Studies, Nicola A Hanania, Benjamin Ortiz, Naimish Patel, Leda P Mannent, Amy Praestgaard, Nami Pandit-Abid, Shahid Siddiqui, Megan Hardin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: To provide a descriptive summary of clinical efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and clinical features of obstructive lung disease in the Phase III dupilumab studies SINUS-24 and SINUS-52 (NCT02912468, NCT02898454).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients met a "broad" definition of having clinical features of obstructive lung disease with any of 3 criteria: (i) pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV

RESULTS: Across both studies, 131 patients met the "broad" definition, of whom 90 also had asthma, and 115 patients met the "narrow" definition, of whom 74 had …

The Small Intestinal Microbiome: Vibing With Intestinal Stem Cells

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The epithelial lining of the small intestine mediates its absorptive and secretory function and thus is a critical component of human health. Regeneration and renewal of the epithelium is the result of proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Many cell types and molecular factors are known to regulate the ability of ISCs to proliferate, including adjacent neighboring epithelial cells and the underlying, supportive stromal cells. The microbiome resides in the lumen of the small intestine and is in close contact with the epithelium. Due to its proximity to ISCs, it has been hypothesized that species within the microbiome have the …

The Use Of Reframing: Increasing The Importance Of Lifestyle Medicine, Craig A Johnston

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lifestyle behavior modification is an essential component to prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases worldwide. For the last 40 years, studies have recognized that there is suboptimal training of physicians in lifestyle medicine and its implementation in clinical settings. The lack of nutrition and exercise counseling occurring in the medical office does not reflect the high level of evidence supporting its use. Lifestyle behavior counseling is complex; as are the individualized needs of patients. Therefore, we suspect that the lack of knowledge in nutrition and exercise prescriptions are not the only barriers to providing optimal care. Reframing lifestyle medicine interventions …

Habenular Molecular Targets For Depression, Impulsivity, And Addiction

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Gastrointestinal Polymerase Chain Reaction Panels On Antibiotic Utilization In Hospitalized Adult Patients, Amna Ahmed, Krithika Srinivasan, Jesica Hayon, Todd Lasco, Rosie Amini, Sabra Shay, Prathit A Kulkarni, Mayar Al Mohajer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multiplex stool polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels offer rapid comprehensive testing for patients with infectious diarrhea. We compared antibiotic utilization among hospitalized patients with suspected infectious diarrhea who underwent diagnostic testing with either a stool culture or stool PCR panel. No significant differences in antibiotic utilization were identified.

Pattern-Based Target Selection For Treatment Of Irregular Past Tense: A Single-Case Experimental Design For Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Kirsten M. Russell, Amy Wilder, Julie L. Wambaugh

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Many children with developmental language disorder (DLD) demonstrate
difficulty inflecting irregular past tense verbs. We evaluated using phonological-
based patterns (i.e., schemas) to select targets for treatment of irregular verb inflection for children with DLD. We hypothesized this approach would result in acquisition of treated verbs, generalization to untreated verbs within the same phonological schema, and increased use of correct irregular verbs in naturalistic contexts. Method: Treatment was provided to three 7-year-old participants with DLD in the context of multiple baseline designs across behaviors and participants. Phonological schemas included vowel change, final alveolar, and dual change irregular verbs. Treatment …

Adaptive Reuse Of The Suburban Office Building, Olivia Mora

Architecture Theses and Projects

My thesis addresses the current issues of office vacancy and the housing shortage. Living in the Portland, Maine area my entire life, I’ve noticed a lot of gentrification happening in the city downtown, including my dad’s little neighborhood he grew up in. I want to create a space where people of all incomes levels have the opportunity to live in.

After a thorough GIS analysis, the ideal site was determined to be 300 Southborough Drive in South Portland. This is only 10-15 minutes from downtown Portland. When adapting a vacant, standalone suburban office building like this one, there are a …

Factors Influencing The Relationship Between The Latinx Community And Law Enforcement, Silvia Gramajo Mazariegos

Social Justice | Senior Theses

The study has quantitative and qualitative aspects. The quantitative aspect measures how attitudes toward law enforcement and fear are related and how attitudes toward law enforcement and willingness to seek help from law enforcement are related. The qualitative aspect explores how trust plays a role in the relationship between the Latinx community and law enforcement. The qualitative aspect of the study also seeks to address how the overall relationship between the Latinx community and law enforcement can be improves. Participants completed a quantitative survey that measured their attitudes towards law enforcement, fear towards law enforcement, and willingness to accept help …