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An Analysis of Dendritic Cooperativity in Protein Hydrolysis: Author: O'Dell, Jacob Webb; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Chemistry; Abstract: Catalysts are compounds that increase the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy while not being permanently altered. Adding a catalyst to a reaction, while increasing the rate, complicates purification because the catalyst must be separated from the product(s) of the reaction. If the catalyst is a drastically different size than the product then seperation can be achieved as easily as filtering over a membrane. Dendrimers are becoming popular scaffolding for tethering catalysts. Attaching a catalyst to a dendrimer makes a bigger catalytic unit that is easily separated f...; Download File | View full details

Analysis of the Small GTP Binding Protein Rac2: Author: Snodgrass, Meagan Alyssa; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Microbiology; Abstract: Human neutrophils serve as the first line of immune defense against invading pathogens. In many cells, including neutrophils, Rac proteins are key regulators of many diverse cellular functions through their affects on cytoskeletal organization and in neutrophils, the NADPH oxidase complex, a critical mechanism for host defense. The primary purpose of this research is to examine the possibility that Rac2 interacts directly with the actin cytoskeleton. A different small GTP binding protein, Rap2 has been shown to interact with actin through direct binding. To test our hypothesis, GST-Rac2 and GS...; Download File | View full details

Application of the Modeling Role-Modeling Theory to Mentoring in Nursing: Author: Lamb, Patricia Darlene; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Nursing; Abstract: Mentoring has existed in some form since the days of Greek mythology. Today the debate is whether mentoring is really valuable at all, if the absence of a single definition interferes with its usefulness, and whether those in nursing perceive it useful within their profession. Purpose: The purpose was to explore the applicability of the MRM Theory to the relationship of nursing educators as mentors and students as mentees. This descriptive exploratory study aims were to 1) determine if the theory concepts were considered realistic to nursing faculty and nursing students, in relation to the men...; Download File | View full details

Belowground Competition and Response to Defoliation of Centaurea maculosa and Two Native Grasses: Author: Sartor, Karla Anne; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Land Resources and Environmental Sciences; Abstract: Invasion of native rangelands in the western United States has serious ecological and economic effects. Understanding the mechanisms behind invasion of Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) is necessary to effectively manage this species. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM), which are a type of plant fungal symbiosis, are ubiquitous in grasslands. My research explores the role of AM for increasing the competitive ability of C. maculosa. A greenhouse experiment tested the effects of AM fungi and neighbor species growth of C. maculosa, Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) and Pseudoroegneria spicata (blueb...; Download File | View full details

Best Practices for Building and Maintaining University-Industry Research Partnerships: A Case Study of Two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers: Author: Boschi, Frank Carl; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Education; Abstract: Technology transfer involves the transfer of knowledge and inventions to the corporate sector, and has contributed to an increase in university and industry partnerships. The passage of the Bahy-Dole Act in the early 1980s, greatly assisted university-industry partnerships, generated the use of knowledge and inventions that came out of government sponsored research, and allowed universities to retain the intellectual properties instead of the federal government. In 1985, the NSF initiated the Engineering Research Center (ERC) Program to develop additional university-industry partnerships. The ...; Download File | View full details

Concrete Bridge Deck Behavior Under Thermal Loads: Author: Johnson, Jeffrey Keith; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Civil Engineering; Abstract: A major area of concern with concrete bridge decks is durability. The service life of bridge decks designed by traditional procedures is often shorter than desired. Typically, the decks crack under environmental loads, which lead to corrosion of the reinforcing steel and general deterioration of the concrete. In this investigation, the response of three different bridge decks was studied in the field under environmental loads. The decks, located within a mile of each other on the same road, differ in their steel reinforcement and the type of concrete used; otherwise, they are identical. Theref...; Download File | View full details

Construction of Knowledge about Teaching Practice and Educating Students from Diverse Cultures in an Online Induction Program: Author: Bice, Lawrence Raymond; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Education; Abstract: Beginning teachers in both urban areas and geographically isolated rural areas often do not have access to a mentor teacher of the same content area or grade level in their school or district. This project is a study of learning in the online e-Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS) program, which provides induction for science and mathematics teachers in Montana and California. The study centered on a particular segment of eMSS called the Diversity Module. Two examinations were conducted: 1) Analysis of discourse by all participants in the Diversity Module, and 2) case study of five beginning t...; Download File | View full details

Distributed Control of a Segmented and Shape Memory Alloy Actuated Biologically Inspired Robot: Author: Schubert, Oliver John; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Electrical Engineering; Abstract: Today's robots are limited in mobility, flexibility, and scalability. Their rigid bodies prevent operation in many environments and often restrict movement to a two-dimensional space. Most robotic vehicles cannot operate in a confined space or unstructured terrain and are incapable of climbing surfaces a fraction of their size. Their stiff bodies significantly reduce their performance and present a major weakness. The next-generation robot must be highly adaptable, flexible and capable of operating in many environments. A possible solution is to create a flexible and scalable segmented snake ...; Download File | View full details

Dual-Polarization Cloud Lidar Design and Characterization: Author: Seldomridge, Nathan Lewis; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Electrical Engineering; Abstract: Lidar has proven to be a very useful tool in many kinds of atmospheric research and remote sensing applications. Specialized lidar instruments have been built to detect certain atmospheric constituents, some with additional capabilities such as polarization sensitivity or multiple wavelength operation. Many lidar systems are large, expensive and designed for one application only. This thesis describes the design and characterization of a lidar system for the direct detection of clouds, but which is versatile enough to be reconfigured for other applications. The source is an Nd:YAG laser at a w...; Download File | View full details

Effects of Shelterwood Management on Flower-Visiting Insects and their Floral Resources: Author: Fultz, Jessica Erin; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Entomology; Abstract: Habitat alteration can affect pollinating-insect community structure, decreasing the efficiency of pollinators on which many agricultural and natural ecosystems rely. Within the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest (TCEF), located in the Little Belt Mountains of Central Montana, two different types of silvicultural techniques, even and group shelterwood, were applied to alter the natural habitats within the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests. Following logging, surveys of the flower-visiting insects and their floral resources were conducted within four treatments, even and group shelterwo...; Download File | View full details

Effects of Temperature on Survival and Growth of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout: Implications for Conservation and Restoration: Author: Bear, Elizabeth Ann; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Fish and Wildlife Management; Abstract: Westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi have declined throughout their native range in the Northern Rockies and were considered for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Water temperature is widely regarded as playing a key role in determining their persistence, but specific lethal levels and thermal optima for this cutthroat trout subspecies had not been precisely defined. This laboratory study used the acclimated chronic exposure method to determine tolerances and thermal optima of westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, a potential nonnativ...; Download File | View full details

Entrainment Losses of Westslope Cutthroat Trout into Screened and Unscreened Irrigation Canals on Skalkaho Creek, Montana: Author: Gale, Steven Burton; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Fish and Wildlife Management; Abstract: Irrigation canals are known to entrain anadromous and potamodromous salmonids of all life stages during their annual migrations. Fish screens may reduce or eliminate entrainment, but few studies exist on their benefits and these have evaluated effects on anadromous populations only. Prior to my study, none existed on the benefits of fish screens for non-anadromous salmonids. Large numbers of post-spawn adult and downstream migrant juvenile westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) are potentially entrained into the seven irrigation canals on Skalkaho Creek, a tributary of the Bit...; Download File | View full details

Evaluating Riparian Health Assessment Methods for Perennial Streams in Montana: Author: Miller, Travis John; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Animal and Range Sciences; Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate current riparian assessment protocols and to determine if they reflect ecosystem function and/or water quality across large spatial scales, and are they congruent in their assessment of stream health. Objectives for this study include: 1) to compare three riparian assessment protocols in their agreement of evaluation of stream health, 2) to compare each protocol and a bank stability measure (Greenline) to a measure of aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and richness, 3) to compare how well these protocols reflect water quality and instream conditions o...; Download File | View full details

Habitat-Based Species-Specific Spatial Prediction: Geographical Distribution of Spiranthes diluvialis: Author: Pidgeon, Leo Edward; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: Influenced by the spirit of the American conservation tradition, federal and state land management agencies are mandated to protect threatened plant species. Field surveys conducted by the Montana Natural Heritage Program indicated the presence of a rare orchid, Spiranthes diluvialis, in southwest Montana wetlands. A study of state-managed wetlands conducted at Missouri Headwaters State Park was requested to determine existing suitable species habitats, to identify species populations, and to develop a conservation management strategy based on habitat evaluation. The objective of this project ...; Download File | View full details

The Impact of Wolves on the Market for Elk Hunting in Montana: Hunter Adjustment and Game Agency Response: Author: Batastini, John Walter; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Applied Economics; Abstract: The gray wolf has become a symbol of controversy in the American West. Hunters, however, are one group that has diverse attitudes toward wolf recovery stemming from the conflicting impacts the presence of wolves creates. Impacts on hunters and big-game populations also affect state game agencies. As of 2005, wolves are still managed by the federal government, so the impact of wolves is exogenous to state game agencies. However, state game agencies can exert control over how wolves affect hunters by adjusting management of big-game hunting. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a method to a...; Download File | View full details

The Influence of Riparian-Canopy Structure and Coverage on the Breeding Distribution of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher: Author: Brodhead, Katherine May; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Earth Sciences; Abstract: There is a long history of relating bird species diversity and distributions to heterogeneity in foliage structure as seen from within the habitat and measured from the ground up. There is also an overwhelming contribution in the literature promoting and justifying a broad-scale approach to characterizing spatial patterns, especially for the purpose of relating to, and predicting, species distributions. This study draws from the relationship between birds and habitat structure but assesses heterogeneity in structure from a broader perspective. For this analysis, I compared the spatial distribu...; Download File | View full details

The Lived Experience of Patients with Psoriasis: Author: Gittings, Megan McGonigle; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Nursing; Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease affecting an estimated 4.5 million adults. Symptoms can be mild to severe, and consist of silvery exfoliative plaques of skin. Although there are various forms of treatment, there is no cure. Existing data regarding psoriasis confirms a link between decreased quality of life and psoriasis. Subjective data regarding the disease has been documented since 1976, however, there exists a lack of qualitative nursing research regarding psoriasis. Additionally, only one study was found in which the lived experience of psoriasis patients was documented. This phenomeno...; Download File | View full details

A Model for a Human Factors Based Design Guidelines Handbook for Residential Living Environments for the Elderly: Author: Pendergast, Brian Daniel; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Industrial and Management Engineering; Abstract: The elderly in America represent a significant and growing population. One relevant engineering aspect of an aging population is the suitability of residential environments for the independent-living elderly. Engineers, architects, and designers are increasingly involved in the design and assessment of residential living environments for elderly persons. These designs should consider the fundamental principles and techniques of human factors to make certain that residential settings enhance independence and overall quality of life for the independent-living elderly. One way to help designers w...; Download File | View full details

Modeling and Power Managenent of a Hybrid Wind-Microturbine Power Generation System: Author: Guda, Sreedhar Reddy; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Electrical Engineering; Abstract: The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the performance of a hybrid wind-microturbine energy system through computer simulation studies. The primary focus of this study is the development of dynamic models for a standalone wind energy conversion system and a microturbine generation system. The system model developed is suitable for power management in distributed generation studies. The developed model of the wind energy conversion system consists of dynamic models for a wind turbine as well as an electric generator. A detailed model of the wind turbine based on a set of nonlinear curves is pre...; Download File | View full details

Natural Resource Rents and Institutional Change: Author: Scarborough, Brandon Christopher; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Applied Economics; Abstract: Recent literature argues that nations with abundant natural resources - primarily oil and minerals - tend to grow more slowly comparatively to resource-poor nations. Much of this cross-national variation in economic performance may be explained by the interaction between natural resources and institutional quality. Focusing on the importance of economic institutions in the form of property rights and the rule of law this paper presents an alternative explanation for the diverging economic paths in resource rich nations. Economic rents generated from abundant oil and gas resources may affect in...; Download File | View full details

Nucleotide Dependent Conformational Changes in the Nitrogenase Fe Protein: Author: Sen, Sanchayita; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Biochemistry; Abstract: Nitrogenase is a complex metal-containing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of nitrogen gas to ammonia. During nitrogenase catalysis the Fe protein and the molybdenum-iron protein associate and dissociate in a manner resulting in the hydrolysis of two molecules of MgATP and the transfer of at least one electron to the MoFe protein. The role of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis in nitrogenase catalysis is one of the most fascinating aspects of nitrogenase function. The Fe protein upon binding to MgATP undergoes a huge conformational change which is important for subsequent steps of nitrogena...; Download File | View full details

Oxidation of Human Nitrosylhemoglobin Monitored by UV-Vis and EPR Spectroscopies: Detection of Products and Intermediates: Author: Williams, Elizabeth Mary; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Biochemistry; Abstract: Once viewed only as a toxic free radical, nitric oxide (NO) has been established as an essential and ubiquitous signaling and regulatory molecule in biological systems. Notably, NO was identified as the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in the blood. NO is capable of complex redox chemistry and interaction with a host of protein families. Among these proteins is hemoglobin (Hb) which can interact with NO at the level of the heme and can bind NO at Cys93 on its β subunit to form S-nitrosylated Hb (SNO-Hb). NO bound as SNO-Hb is chemically labile and thus preserves bioavaila...; Download File | View full details

Predicting Adolescent Sexual Activity using Individual, Familial, and Extra-Familial Variables: Author: Keller, Julie Ann Atkinson; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Health and Human Development; Abstract: This study examined selected individual, familial, and extra-familial variables that predict adolescent sexual activity. This secondary data analysis used data gathered from a self-report survey, from 397 adolescents age 11 to 18 in three non-urban communities in the Pacific Northwestern United States. The study employed multiple hierarchical regression analyses to examine the strength of selected variables in predicting sexual activity. The final model accounted for 58% of the variance of sexual activity among youth. The best predictors of adolescent sexual activity were peer sexual activity,...; Download File | View full details

Response of Grass Species to Soil Salt Content and Coversoil Depth on Lands Developed for Coalbed Methane: Author: Mitchem, Melissa Deanne; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Land Rehabilitation; Abstract: In areas where land is disturbed to extract energy resources such as coalbed methane, improper soil management may result in soils impaired by elevated salinity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the emergence and growth of three native grass species (Pseudorogeneria spicata, Hesperostipa comata, and Pascopyrum smithii) as a function of i) soil salt content and matric potential, and ii) coversoil depth overlying a saline substrate. The first study consisted of nine treatments, combining three soil salinity levels (0.80, 5.0 and 11.0 dS/m) and three matric potential ranges (-0.1 to ...; Download File | View full details

The Role of Upper Body Power in Classical Cross-Country Skiing Performance: Author: Alsobrook, Nathan Gabriel; Date: 2005-08-15; Program: Health and Human Development; Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between upper body power (UBP) and classical cross-country ski race performance. A group of experienced skiers (7 men, 3 women) completed 3 laboratory tests of UBP on a custom-built double poling ergometer: a 10-second test, a 60-second test, and an incremental test to exhaustion lasting 240-630 seconds. All subjects also competed in the West Yellowstone NorAm race on November 26, 2004. Unfortunately, the small subject number precluded any significant analysis of these data. A second group of skiers (10 men, 5 women) completed the same...; Download File | View full details

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