Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Investigation Of The Structure And Dynamics Of Regioisomeric Eu³⁺ And Gd³⁺ Chelates Of Nb-Dotma: Implications For Mri Contrast Agent Design, Benjamin Charles Webber

Dissertations and Theses

The detection of disease and abnormal pathology by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been aided significantly by the use of gadolinium (Gd³⁺)-based contrast agents (CAs) over the past three decades. MRI and MRI CAs play a critical role in diagnosing tumors and diseases of the central nervous system. The agents used clinically have been shown to safely increase MRI contrast despite the toxicity of Gd³⁺, owing to the high kinetic and thermodynamic stability of these chelates. However, current CAs enhance contrast at a small fraction of what is theoretically possible. This leads to the necessity of …

Design, Synthesis And Development Of Transporter Targeting Agents For Image-Guided Therapy And Drug Delivery, Ning Tsao

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The purpose of this study was to design, synthesize and develop novel transporter targeting agents for image-guided therapy and drug delivery. Two novel agents, N4-guanine (N4amG) and glycopeptide (GP) were synthesized for tumor cell proliferation assessment and cancer theranostic platform, respectively. N4amG and GP were synthesized and radiolabeled with ^99mTc and ⁶⁸Ga. The chemical and radiochemical purities as well as radiochemical stabilities of radiolabeled N4amG and GP were tested. In vitro stability assessment showed both ^99mTc-N4amG and ^99mTc-GP were stable up to 6 hours, whereas ⁶⁸Ga-GP was stable up to 2 hours. Cell culture studies …

Cultivating Resistance: Food Justice In The Criminal Justice System, Caitlin M. Watkins

Pitzer Senior Theses

This Senior Thesis in Environmental Analysis seeks to explore the ways in which certain food-oriented programs for incarcerated women and women on parole critically resist the Prison Industrial Complex and the Industrial Food System by securing social and ecological equity through the acquisition of food justice. It focuses on three case studies: the Crossroads’ Meatless Mondays program, Fallen Fruit from Rising Women: A Crossroads Social Enterprise, and Cultivating Dreams Prison Garden Project: An Organic Garden for Women in Prison. Each project utilizes food as a tool to build community, provide valuable skill sets of cooking and gardening, and educate women …

Linking Environmental Toxicant Exposure To Diabetes Susceptibility, Jannifer Beth Tyrrell

Wayne State University Dissertations

An important and unresolved question in the environmental health field is whether exposure to common environmental toxicants, such as dioxin and heavy metals like Pb, increase the risk of developing diabetes, especially in combination with other common metabolic stressors such as obesity.

Previous studies suggested that dioxin exposure increased peripheral insulin resistance but did not appear to cause fasting hyperglycemia or elevated hepatic glucose output. In concordance with those findings we observed that dioxin treatment caused a strong suppression of the expression of the key hepatic gluconeogenic genes PEPCK and G6Pase. However, this suppression was not solely mediated by the …

The Effect Of Alpha-Cyclodextrin On Acute Blood Lipid And Glycemic Responses To A Fat Containg Meal, Evan Neil Fletcher

Wayne State University Theses

Obesity and hyperlipidemia have become major concerns in the United States over the past 30 years. Alpha-Cyclodextrin (á-CD), a naturally occurring soluble dietary fiber, has been shown to reduce dietary fat absorption and improve blood lipid levels in an animal model (mouse and rat) and in human studies. In the current double blind study, 34 healthy male and female participants were recruited to test if á-CD had any acute effect on blood lipid and glycemic responses to a fat containing meal. The participants received the á-CD on one occasion and a placebo the other to determine if there was any …

Toxicological Effects Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Aggregates On Caenorhabditis Elegans, Steven N. Rogers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Assessing the toxicity and unique reactivity of nanoparticles in biological systems has become an relevant and quickly growing area of environmental toxicology research. The broad use of nanoparticles in industrial and commercial commodities results in exposure of these nano-compounds to the environment, the ecosystems, and humans. While previous data has suggested that cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles are relatively safe to cultured cells much less is known about the potential toxicity of these materials at the organismal level. In this study we employed transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) strains to assess the toxicity of CeO₂ nanoparticles under “real-world” …

Does The Use Of Varenicline For Smoking-Cessation Therapy Create Or Increase Depression In Patients Without Existing Depressive Illness?, Brett R. Brown

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the use of varenicline for smoking-cessation therapy creates or increases depression in patients without existing depressive illness.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized controlled trials published in 2011 and one observational cohort study published in 2009, all English language.
DATA SOURCES: Two randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trials comparing varenicline to placebo in smoking cessation, and one observational cohort study comparing varenicline use within subjects. All articles were found using PubMed and EBSCO.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Changes in depression was evaluated using the MontgomeryÅsberg Depression Rating Scale …

Does Nicotine Replacement Therapy Reduce The Withdrawal Symptom Of Craving, Or Urge To Smoke, In Dependent Adult Smokers During Smoking Cessation?, Theresa Dijoseph

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not nicotine replacement therapy reduces the withdrawal symptom of craving, or urge to smoke, in dependent adult smokers during smoking cessation.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three English language and peer-reviewed randomized-controlled trials published in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: One single-blinded randomized-controlled crossover trial, one double-blinded, placebo controlled, randomized-controlled crossover trial, and one single-blinded, placebo controlled, randomized-controlled crossover trial

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Withdrawal symptoms of craving, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and restlessness were measured on a 100mm visual analog scale (VAS). Adverse effects (AEs) of mouth and …

Methylphenidate And Atomoxetine Treatment During Adolescence In The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: Mechanisms Underlying High Cocaine Abuse Liability In Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Sucharita S. Somkuwar

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Effects of pharmacotherapies for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on cocaine abuse liability in ADHD are not understood. Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), an ADHD model, exhibited greater cocaine self-administration than control Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar rats. Methylphenidate, but not atomoxetine during adolescence enhanced cocaine self-administration in adult SHRs compared to controls. The mesocortical dopaminergic system, including medial prefrontal (mPFC) and orbitofrontal (OFC) cortices, is important for ADHD and cocaine addiction. Dopamine and norepinephrine transporter (DAT and NET) are molecular targets for methylphenidate, atomoxetine and cocaine action.

In the current studies, SHR, Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar were administered methylphenidate (1.5 mg/kg/day, p.o.), atomoxetine (0.3 …

My Experience Exploring The Effects Of Lead (Pb +2) Toxicity In Drosophila Melanogaster Using Sociability Interaction Testing And Microarrays At The University Of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Charlton Diaz

Honors Theses

Lead is an environmental contaminant widely dispersed throughout the world. Exposure to lead causes neurological damage in humans and may be linked to neurodevelopmental pathologies such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, antisocial behavior, and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) have been used to understand the behavioral, synaptic, and molecular changes that occur after developmental exposure to lead and to study ASD-associated pathology. Flies were exposed through the mother and until eclosion to either a lead-laced medium or a control corn-based medium and were isolated until the beginning for the behavioral studies. Sociability testing was done using a …

Progress Towards Understanding Of Mechanisms Of Action Of Potent Multifunctional Disease Modifying Therapeutics For Parkinson's Disease & Investigating The Methamphetamine-Induced Striatal Microglia Activation., Mrudang M. Shah

Wayne State University Dissertations

PROGRESS TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING OF MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF POTENT MULTIFUNCTIONAL DISEASE MODIFYING

THERAPEUTICS FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

by

MRUDANG MANOJKUMAR SHAH

December 2013

Advisor: Dr. Aloke Dutta

Major: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Our long term goal is to design and develop potent multifunctional disease modifying therapeutics for Parkinson's disease. The objective of my dissertation was to understand the mechanisms of action of some potent small molecules (synthesized in our lab) as a disease modifying Parkinson's disease therapeutic. The objective was achieved by pursuing the following two specific aims:

1. Investigating anti-oxidant and neuroprotective effects of a lead molecule (D-512) …

Role Of P450 Enzymes In Tobacco Dependence And Lung Tumorigenesis, Lei Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The overall aim of this study is to better define the roles of P450 enzymes, particularly those in the CYP2A, 2B, and 2F gene subfamilies, in the metabolism and actions of tobacco-related chemicals. Tobacco smoke contains numerous compounds that are deleterious to health, including the primary addictive component nicotine and procarcinogenic compounds, such as naphthalene (NA) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Our main hypotheses are i) that CYP2A and 2B enzymes are largely responsible for nicotine metabolism, and they can impact nicotine dependence; and ii) that CYP2A, 2B, and 2F enzymes play important and tissue-specific roles in NA and NNK bioactivation, leading …

Assessment Of Human Exposure To Perchlorate And Perfluoroalkyl Substances In The United States : Biomonitoring And Environmental Monitoring Approaches, Qian Wu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Perchlorate is an oxidant in solid fuels and explosives and is produced in large quantities worldwide. Perchlorate is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant and is present in water, food, indoor environment and humans. Human exposure to perchlorate is a concern due to its ability to disrupt the thyroid gland functions.

Function And Regulation Of Intestinal P450 Enzymes : Insights From Conditional Cytochrome P450 Reductase Knockout Mouse Models, Yi Zhu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The overall goal of this thesis work was to investigate the function and regulation of intestinal P450 enzymes (P450s). The central hypotheses are that 1) small intestinal (SI) P450s play an important role in the first-pass clearance of oral drugs and in bioactivation of chemicals that cause intestinal toxicity, 2) endogenous regulatory compounds produced by intestinal P450s are important for protection against chemical-induced colon inflammation, and 3) there is a cross talk between the liver and the SI that helps to maintain the overall xenobiotic-metabolism capacity of the digestive tract.

Exposure To Persistent Organic Pollutants And Metabolic Diseases, Zafar Zayirovich Aminov

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases that tend to occur together, including diabetes, hypertension, central obesity, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been associated with increased risk of development of several of the components of the MetS.

Diet-Induced Obesity: Dopaminergic And Behavioral Mechanisms As Outcomes And Predictors, Vidya Narayanaswami

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Obesity and drug abuse share common neural circuitries including the mesocoticolimbic and striatal dopamine reward system. In the current study, a rat model of diet-induced obesity (DIO) was used to determine striatal dopamine function, impulsivity and motivation as neurobehavioral outcomes and predictors of obesity. For the outcome study, rats were randomly assigned a high-fat (HF) or a low-fat (LF) diet for 8 wk. Following the 8-wk HF-diet exposure, rats were segregated into obesity-prone and obesity-resistant groups based on maximum and minimum body weight gain, respectively, and neurobehavioral outcomes were evaluated. For the predictor study, neurobehavioral antecedents were evaluated prior to …

Asbestos Exposure In The Research Laboratory, Ediberto D. Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Asbestos has been employed in a myriad of industrial applications for more than a century. Of the 181 Mt of asbestos produced worldwide, over 31 Mt was consumed in the U.S. The production and consumption of this mineral eventually was found to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. While the brunt of the human exposure to asbestos occurred in insulation work, many more workers in other jobs were expose to asbestos fibers. Very little is known about the potential exposure to asbestos in research labs.

Goal: In order to investigate potential research lab work exposures, we simulated lab work …

Evaluation Of Occupational Risk Factors For Nurses And Cnas: Analysis Of Florida Workers' Compensation Claims Database, Sheila Mohammed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Musculoskeletal injuries lead to most claims even though needlestick injuries receive the most attention. In 2010, health expenditures in the United States neared $2.6 trillion. CNAs, orderlies, and attendants had the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders of all occupations with an incidence of 249 per 10,000 compared to 34 per 10,000 for all workers. The financial burden of back injuries in the healthcare industry is estimated to add up to $20 billion annually. Data was extracted for cause of injury, nature of injury and body part injured. Extracted data was analyzed both descriptively and by logistic and linear regression using …

The Inflammatory Response Initiated By The Spleen To Ischemic Stroke, Hilary Seifert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The peripheral immune system plays a role in delayed neural injury after stroke. This response originates from the spleen as splenectomy prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats significantly reduces infarct volume in the brain. This research is based on the hypothesis that inhibiting the splenic response will reduce neurodegeneration after stroke. Studies in animals have implicated lymphocytes as the immune cell type that is detrimental following MCAO. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) has been identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is also detrimental following stroke. IFNγ is important because it activates microglia and macrophages in a pro-inflammatory nature that …