Life Sciences Commons^™

Towards Gene Therapy Of Parkinson’S Disease: Implantation Of Ruc-Gdnf Secreting Mammalian Cell Lines Into Rat Brain, Hua Liu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop a new approach for monitoring the function of implanted cells by a Renilla luciferase -glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (RUC-GDNF) fusion protein in CSF. The RUC-GDNF protein is expected to report GDNF secreted from the cell by bioluminescence through luciferase activity.

Current ex vivo gene therapy using GDNF is limited by lack of a monitoring mechanism to determine the expression of GDNF once transformed cells or vector DNA are injected into animal models. Since the therapeutic concentration of GDNF secreted into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by implanted cells is too low for …

The Toxicology Of Aluminum In The Brain: A Review, Robert A. Yokel

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Aluminum is environmentally ubiquitous, providing human exposure. Usual human exposure is primarily dietary. The potential for significant Al absorption from the nasal cavity and direct distribution into the brain should be further investigated. Decreased renal function increases human risk of Al-induced accumulation and toxicity. Brain Al entry from blood may involve transferrin-receptor mediated endocytosis and a more rapid process transporting small molecular weight Al species. There appears to be Al efflux from the brain, probably as Al citrate. There is prolonged retention of a fraction of Al that enters the brain, suggesting the potential for accumulation with repeated exposure. Al …

Effects Of Chronic Fluoranthene Exposure On Sibling Species Of Capitella With Different Development Modes, Inez Linke-Gamenick, Valery E. Forbes, Nuria Méndez

Valery Forbes Publications

Toxic effects of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene (FLU) on life-history traits and their demographic consequences were investigated in 3 non-interbreeding Capitella sibling species with different physiological tolerances and developmental modes: sensitive Capitella sp. S from oxygen-rich intertidal sediments of the North Sea (Germany); tolerant Capitella sp. M from sediments near shallow hydrothermal vents off Milos (Greece), a habitat low in organic matter with steep abiotic gradients and high sulfide concentrations; tolerant Capitella sp. I from New York (USA), known to dominate eutrophicated/polluted environments. Both Capitella spp. M and I can develop into hermaphrodites and have lecithotrophic larval development. In …

Mechanisms Of Calcium Buffering And Aging In Neurons: Testing The Limits Of Homeostasis, William James Pottorf Ii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺]i) is an ubiquitous second messenger that integrates multiple and diverse neuronal pathways that include development and maturation, gene expression, synaptic plasticity, transmitter release, excitability, and even cell death. Upon neuronal excitation the [Ca²⁺]i increases rapidly and the calcium buffering system reacts quickly to restore [Ca²⁺]i to basal levels in order to reset the cell for the next stimulus and avoid prolonged exposure to cytotoxic levels of high [Ca²⁺]i. The aging process appears to causes multiple changes in the ability of neurons to regulate [Ca²⁺]i homeostasis and an …

Growing Lavender In Western Australia, Aileen Reid

Bulletins 4000 -

Lavender oil is an essential oil, derived from plants (genus Lavendulai primarily by steam distillation of the flowers. There are several types of lavender oil. The 'true' lavender oil, and the most highly prized, comes from Lavendula augustifolia; it is primarily used in the fragrance and perfume industry. World production is about 200 tonnes per year. Spike lavender oil, derived from Lavendula latifolia, has a world production of about 150-200 tonnes per year. Lavandin oil is derived from hybrids of L. augustifolia x L. latifolia that yield much higher than L. augustifolia but the oil is lower quality, hence it …

Investigations On The Use Of Ion Mobility Spectrometry For Clinical Chemistry Applications, Henri Parson Patten

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

The major objective of this research is to examine ion mobility spectrometry as a rapid screening tool for specific application to clinical chemistry research and laboratory use. Methodology was developed for target analytes representing several classes of physiologically active substances, including anesthetics, illicit drugs, and their metabolites. The IMS characteristics of animal tissues and other compounds such as amino acids and proteins were determined. Quality assurance and control procedures were developed for specific quality data objectives. Criteria were established relating to use of IMS for assessing the precision and accuracy of data, qualitative screening, and semi-quantitative analyses.

It was found …

Validation Of Passive Air Sampling Monitors Onboard United States Navy Submarines, Larry A. Mcfarland

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

An operating submarine creates a unique air quality mixture of compounds that result from a combination of human metabolism, construction materials, materials brought onboard and compounds created through the interaction of ship systems. A comprehensive study of submarine atmospheres is ongoing during deployments of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines. As part of the overall effort, a paired air sampling comparison field validation was conducted to compare the air sampling effectiveness of passive diffusive monitors compared to more traditional active air sampling methods when sampling for acrolein, formaldehyde and ozone in the enclosed submarine atmosphere. Acrolein monitors containing 2-hydroxymethylpiperidine (HMP) impregnated glass …

Environmental Guidelines For New And Existing Piggeries, A Latto, John Noonan, R. J. Taylor

Bulletins 4000 -

These guidelines apply to the management of Western Australia piggeries in Western Australia, including intensive Growing pigs under intensive conditions where the and extensive operations, straw-based housing and animals spend their entire life cycle indoors, is an combinations of these (otherwise referred to as semi- important part of the Western Australian and intensive housing).

Japanese Use Of Beni-Tengu-Dake (Amanita Muscaria) And The Efficacy Of Traditional Detoxification Methods, Allan Grady Phipps

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The poisonous fruiting bodies of Amanita muscaria (L. ex Fr.) Pers, ex Hook, are harvested by rural inhabitants of Sanada Town, Japan. These mountain villagers consume beni-tengu-take as a local delicacy, despite its potential hallucinogenic effects. The Japanese use several methods to detoxify beni-tengu-take, but believe pickling the mushrooms to be the safest. Other methods of preparation include grilling and drying the mushrooms. I documented the preparation and consumption of each detoxification method through local interviews with Japanese informants. I then used ion-interaction rp-HPLC to quantify the hallucinogenic compounds, ibotenic acid and muscimol, and determined the efficacy of each traditional …

A Case For Caution: An Evaluation Of Calabrese And Baldwin's Studies Of Chemical Hormesis, Kevin C. Elliott

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Suggesting a need for more research, Mr. Elliott argues that it is too soon for risk-assessment policy to account for recent challenges to a toxicological linear dose-response assumption.

Effects Of Fluoranthene And Ambient Oxygen Levels On Survival And Metabolism In Three Sibling Species Of Capitella (Polychaeta), Inez Linke-Gamenick, Bent Vismann, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

The successful persistence of Capitella spp. in disturbed and/or oil-polluted habitats is widely known, but demographic adaptations might be only part of the explanation and little is known about differences among species. The present study investigates ecophysiological effects of the common PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) fluoranthene (FLU) on juvenile and adult survival, comparing 3 sibling species of Capitella (Polychaeta; Capitellidae). Subsequently, the influence of FLU on the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in the most 'sensitive' species, Capitella sp. S, and most 'tolerant' species, Capitella sp. I, was assessed. Oxygen uptake and internal succinate concentration (an indicator of anaerobic metabolism) were …

Comparing The Epa Indoor Air Quality Personal Computer Model And Field Data, Arash Behravesh, Wilbur A. Spaul

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors recommend caution in using an EPA model for reconstructing past exposure events as well as for predicting future exposures.

Toxicity Of Tolyltriazole To Bacillus Microorganisms, Christopher J. Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

The safety of air travel in cold weather depends upon the use of aircraft deicing fluids (ADAF). The environmental and toxic effects of the ADAF component tolyltriazole are not well understood. Tolyltriazole is a potential human carcinogen and has exhibited microbial toxicity in Microtox test. This research used two methods to investigate the toxicity of tolyltriazole on bacillus shaped microorganisms. The first method compared the dissolved oxygen uptake of microcosms exposed to varying concentrations of tolyltriazole. When exposed to 1000 ppm tolyltriazole, all isolated species showed inhibition in respiration. There was no evidence that tolyltriazole at

Chromate Dissociation From Primer Paint In Simulated Lung Fluid, Tiffany J. R. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

OSHA has proposed a new strontium chromate exposure standard that would potentially cause Air Force paint facilities to be in violation of the proposed standard if adopted. This proposed reduction make the continued use of chromate containing primer paints very difficult. There is currently no acceptable replacements for chromate containing primer paints on AF aircraft. This study suggests that paint particles with chromate bound in primer paint may be unavailable for bodily absorption if inhaled and a reduced standard for painting applications may be unnecessary. Primer paint overspray was collected into simulated lung fluid (SLF) and allowed 6 hr, 24 …

A Pharmacokinetic Study Of The Effects Of Stress On Chemical Exposure, Sierra H. Suhajda

Theses and Dissertations

Following the Gulf War there were many concerns raised about human exposure to the combination of chemicals and stress. Stress causes several changes in basic functions of a human body, from breathing and blood flow changes to hormonal and enzyme changes, and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Each of these changes can strongly influence chemical uptake, distribution, and accumulation in the body. The purpose of this thesis was to model and predict the changes that will occur when stress is combined with chemical exposure. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling is one tool that can be used to visualize, predict, and …

Integronlike Structures In Campylobacter Spp. Of Human And Animal Origin, Brigid Lucey, D. Crowley, P. Moloney, B. Cryan, M. Daly, F. O'Halloran, E. J. Threlfall, S. Fanning

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Resistance to antimicrobial agents used to treat severe Campylobacter spp. gastroenteritis is increasing worldwide. We assessed the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter spp. isolates of human and animal origin. More than half (n = 32) were resistant to sulphonamide, a feature known to be associated with the presence of integrons. Analysis of these integrons will further our understanding of Campylobacter spp. epidemiology.

Review Of Genes And The Environment By R. H. Burdon, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

How diverse aspects of an organism’s environment influence the structure and function of its genes is of profound importance for understanding the molecular basis of evolution as well as the causes of disease, cancer and aging. Genes and the Environment addresses these issues from a molecular biological perspective. The author covers both natural environmental influences, such as extreme temperatures and water stress, as well as humancaused environmental influences, such as exposure to toxic chemicals. The author makes an effort to compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems and highlights distinctions between major groups of eukaryotes e.g., plants versus animals. to …

Frequency Of Use And Perceived Credibility Of Information Sources And Variations By Socioeconomic Factors Among Savannah River Stakeholders, Bryan L. Williams, Alex Vallei, Sylvia Brown, Michael Greenberg

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors examine the factors effecting credibility of risk communication in the communities surrounding the Savannah River Nuclear Weapons Site.

A Computationally Based Identification Algorithm For Estrogen Receptor Ligands: Part 2. Evaluation Of A Herα Binding Affinity Model, Steven P. Bradbury, O. G. Mekenyan, V. Kamenska, P. K. Schmieder, G. T. Ankley

Steven P. Bradbury

The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of an expert system described in the previous paper (S. Bradbury et al., Toxicol. Sci. 58, 253–269) to identify the potential for chemicals to act as ligands of mammalian estrogen receptors (ERs). The basis of the expert system was a structure activity relationship (SAR) model, based on relative binding affinity (RBA) values for steroidal and nonsteroidal chemicals derived from human ERa (hERa) competitive binding assays. The expert system enables categorization of chemicals into (RBA ranges of < 0.1, 0.1 to 1, 1 to 10, 10 to 100, and >150% relative to 17b-estradiol. In the current analysis, the algorithm was evaluated with respect …

A Computationally Based Identification Algorithm For Estrogen Receptor Ligands: Part 1. Predicting Herα Binding Affinity, Steven P. Bradbury, V. Kamenska, P. Schmieder, G. Ankley, O. Mekenyan

Steven P. Bradbury

The common reactivity pattern (COREPA) approach is a 3-dimensional, quantitative structure activity relationship (3-D QSAR) technique that permits identification and quantification of specific global and local stereoelectronic characteristics associated with a chemical’s biological activity. It goes beyond conventional 3-D QSAR approaches by incorporating dynamic chemical conformational flexibility in ligand-receptor interactions. The approach provides flexibility in screening chemical data sets in that it helps establish criteria for identifying false positives and false negatives, and is not dependent upon a predetermined and specified toxicophore or an alignment of conformers to a lead compound. The algorithm was recently used to screen chemical data …

Effects Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Exposure On Development And Sexual Differentiation In Ranid Tadpoles, Mary J. Rybitski

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The effects of AroclorRTM1242 exposure on developing amphibians were examined by exposing southern leopard frogs, Rana sphenocephala, to a contaminated diet throughout the larval period. Treatment groups consisted of an untreated control, a solvent control, 17beta-estradiol, and three PCB doses (10, 100, and 1000 mug/g). PCB accumulation and biotransformation were examined. Effects of PCB exposure on metamorphosis and sexual differentiation were assessed. PCB accumulation was not statistically different between the egg masses. Levels of PCBs in the tissues differed in a dose related manner. Within treatments, body weight appeared to be the major factor correlated with PCB concentration. Congener patterns …

Ambient Toxicity Of Water Samples From Four Locations In The Elizabeth River : A Comparison Of Species Sensitivities, Morris H. Roberts, Peter F. De Lisle

Reports

In the present study, the objective was to evaluate four species for relative sensitivity when challenged with ambient water from four locations in the Elizabeth River, ranging from locations considered to be free of toxicity to an area known to have copper concentrations that exceeded water quality standards in past sampling.

Modulation Of The Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics Of Proteins By Polyethylene Glycol Conjugation, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

With the rapid advances in the field of biotechnology during the last decade, many peptides and proteins have been produced and evaluated for therapy of various diseases, including cancer. However, rapid clearance and the possibility of immunogenicity after the in vivo administration of these biotechnology-driven products have impeded their marketing. To circumvent these problems, synthetic and natural polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextrans, respectively, have been covalently attached to proteins, and some of these protein-polymer conjugates have shown promising therapeutic results. The conjugation of proteins with polymers usually causes a reduction in the recognition of the protein by …

Relicensing: Are Thai Pharmacists Ready?(การต่ออายุใบอนุญาตประกอบวิชาชีพ: เภสัชกรพร้อมหรือยัง), Sauwakon Ratanawijitrasin, Sawat Seega, Sirikwan Loongban

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Resolutions of the Thai Pharmaceutical Council in February and March 1998 set to institute a relicensing system for Thai pharmacists with continuing education as its requirement. A study was conducted between October 1998 and January 1999 to survey the o...

Comparative Study Of Blood, Vitreous Humor And Urine Alcohol Concentrations In Thai Postmortem Traffic Accidental Victims(การศึกษาเปรียบเทียบระหว่างความเข้มข้นของแอลก..., Wichian Tungtananuwat, Somsong Lawanprasert, Niti Suwongthrom

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

To utilize alcohol (referring to ethanol) concentrations in other biological specimens to estimate a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) when suitable postmortem blood sample is unavailable or contaminated, a good correlation between alcohol concentrations...

Key Word Index, Author Index(ดรรชนีกุญแจคำ, ดรรชนีผู้แต่ง), N/A

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Self-Efficacy And Nonadherence In Post Renal Transplant Patients(ความมั่นใจในสมรรถนะของตนกับการไม่ใช้ยาตามสั่งในผู้ป่วยหลังผ่าตั..., Titinun Auamnoy, Bernard Sorofman, John Bertolatus, John Brooks, William Doucette, David Min

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

This study investigated health behaviors in post renal transplant patients to examine the correlation between Self-efficacy (confidence in one's readiness to perform a specific thing in a specific situation) and adherence to medical regimens. Our purpos...

Efficacy And Safety Of Once-Daily Versus 12-Hour Dosing Of Amikacin In Thai Children At Queen Sirikit National Institute Of Child Health(ประสิทธิผลและความปลอดภัยของการให้ยาอะมิ..., Jutamat Titipankul, Wanchai Treyaprasert, Nans Waranawat

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The objective of this study was to compare the serum level, efficacy and nephrotoxicity of amikacin administrated as once-daily dosing versus every 12-hour dosing in pediatric patients at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (The Children Hos...

Methicillin Resistance In Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci(การดื้อยา Methicillin ในเชื้อพวก Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci), Mali Wirotesangthong, Pintip Pongpech

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

To investigate prevalence of methicillin-resistant, coagulase- negative staphylococci (MRCoNS), CoNS were explored from various sources in the following study population: healthy non-medical personnel (147), healthy medical personnel (115), patients with...

Once Daily Versus Twice Daily Dosing Of Gentamicin In Thai Neonates(การให้ยาเจนตามัยชินวันละครั้งเปรียบเทียบกับการให้ยาวันละสองครั..., Ampom Narongsanti, Uraiwan Chotigeat, Duangchit Panomvana Na Ayudhya

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The prospective, random ized trial of this study was conducted in 54 neonates w ith a gestation age of >34 weeks under 7 days of age at Queen Sirikit N ational Institute of Child H ealth from September to December 1998 to investigate the serum gentam ici...