Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

The Effects Of Environmental Prompts On Stair Usage, Lori Andersen, Tim Bungum, Sheniz Moonie Phd

Nevada Journal of Public Health

Experts have advocated exercise with little success, and have turned to encouraging physical activity by incorporating it into daily activities such as taking the stairs over elevators. Much literature exists suggesting that environmental prompts can encourage the use of stairs and literature has established that some messages may be more effective than others. This study aimed to assess the effects of selected signage prompts on stair usage. Methods: Stair and elevator use were monitored in three, two-story buildings. One building served as a control, while a fitness message was placed in another building, and the final building received a weight ...

The Association Of Lead With Cataracts And Vision-Related Problems In Perimenopausal Women, Imogene Drakes

Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Around the world, women are subject to an earlier incidence of cataracts, have a higher risk for cataracts, and also have a higher risk for other vision-related problems than men. Previous research has indicated an association between endogenous lead stored in long bones and cataracts in men over 60 years of age; however, a similar study in women did not reveal an association. This case control study was conducted to investigate whether perimenopausal mobilization of endogenous lead serves as a possible causative factor for women's generalized vision issues and cataract incidence in particular. Secondary data were gathered from 1 ...

Response Of Soil Nitrification To The Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Monensin, Ivermectin And Zinc Bacitracin, Magda A. Konopka

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pharmaceutical residues can reach agricultural land through amendment with animal or human waste. Since 2010, a series of replicated plots received annual applications of ivermectin, monensin and zinc bacitracin, either singly or in a mixture, at 0.1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg concentrations. I collected soil samples before and after the fourth annual application of pharmaceuticals and assayed them for functional changes and amoA gene abundance, a gene needed for ammonia oxidation. In 2013, I exposed the soils to 100 mg/kg in a laboratory experiment which resulted in acceleration of nitrification. Under 10 mg/kg treatments in ...

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Value-Enhancing Effects Of Nicotine, Bupropion, And Varenicline In Male And Female Rats, Scott Barrett

Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research: Department of Psychology

Smoking and tobacco dependence are serious health concerns in the United States and globally. Reward via the pharmacological effects of nicotine are believed to be the principal motivating factor that drive tobacco dependence. Research reveals differences in sensitivity between males and females to the motivational effects of nicotine in tobacco use. Enhancement of reinforcement value of non-nicotine rewards contributes to overall nicotine reward. Similar value-enhancing effects have been observed by the two most commonly prescribed smoking cessation aids, bupropion and varenicline. The present dissertation investigated the value-enhancing effects of nicotine, bupropion and varenicline in both male and female rats using ...

Numerical Simulations Of In Vitro Nanoparticle Toxicity – The Case Of Poly(Amido Amine) Dendrimers., Marcus A. Maher, Pratap Naha, Sourav Prasanna Mukherjee, Hugh J. Byrne

Articles

A phenomenological rate equation model is constructed to numerically simulate nanoparticle uptake and subsequent cellular response. Polyamidoamine dendrimers (generations 4-6) are modelled and the temporal evolution of the intracellular cascade of; increased levels of reactive oxygen species, intracellular antioxidant species, caspase activation, mitochondrial membrane potential decay, tumour necrosis factor and interleukin generation is simulated, based on experimental observations.

The dose and generation dependence of several of these response factors are seen to well represent experimental observations at a range of time points. The model indicates that variations between responses of different cell-lines, including murine macrophages, human keratinocytes and colon cells ...

Molecular Characterization Of Hemoglobin Protein In Larvae Of 4th Instar Chironomidae For Evaluating Environmental Quality, Jun Taek Oh

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Studying environmental quality is a challenging task. It is a complicated exercise since the environment is constantly influenced by numerous variables such as climate change, anthropogenic activities, and unexpected natural disasters. Traditionally, exposure to chemical pollutants depended on chemical and physical analysis of environmental media. Unfortunately, this approach has not taken into consideration bioavailability of the chemical(s) of interest to exposed organisms and/or modification of the chemical (bioactivation/detoxification) by the organism. Benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) have been chosen as bioindicators for numerous environmental biomonitoring programs geared towards the assessment of aquatic ecosystems. Biomonitoring requires a more subtle measure ...

Engaging Communities To Identify And Address Environmental Health Literacy Gaps, Anna G. Hoover

Anna G. Hoover

Frequently, decisions about the informational components and delivery mechanisms required to promote effective environmental health literacy are made by such technical experts as toxicologists, chemists, and communication scientists. However, because sensemaking processes are both retrospective and collective, context must be a central component for understanding the particular information needs of communities and stakeholder groups. Individual assessments of and tolerance for environmental health risks are rooted in past and present experiences that are understood, refined, and reinforced through dialogue with others who have shared similar experiences. Thus, the promotion of environmental health literacy requires formative engagement with communities and stakeholders to ...

Freshwater Habitats And Fishing Activities In The Buriganga River, Dhaka, Bangladesh., Md.Muzammel Hossain

Md.Muzammel Hossain

The Buriganga River has served as the central artery to economic life in Dhaka city for centuries. But Buriganga River is the most polluted river in Bangladesh. During the study period (December 2012 to November 2013), we directly observed freshwater habitats and fishing activities by boat-base survey from china-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge (90°26´12'' E and 23°40´25''N) to Amin bazar Bridge (90°20´12''E and 23°46´25''N) in the Buriganga River. Freshwater habitats were observed at babu bazar, kamrangichar, kholamora ghat and shadar ghat throughout the year in the River. Different types of fishes ...

Utilizing Indicator Of Reduction In Soils Tubes To Affirm A Serpentinitic Hydric Soil On The California Central Coast, Jason Demoss

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that are crucial in maintaining the life of rare and unique soils, plants, and animals. These ecosystems are key players in water storage, water filtration, carbon storage, and harboring unique species. Since the intervention of human development on the Earth’s surface, almost 50% of the Earth’s original wetlands have either been damaged or destroyed. The identification and assessment of both new and old wetlands is crucial in the survival of these precious ecosystems and their conservation. A 3 month-long study was performed to confirm the hydric status of a soil derived from serpentinitic parent ...

Comparative Genotype-Phenotype Mapping Reveals Distinct Modes Of Venom Expression Evolution In The Sympatric Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) And Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus Fulvius), Mark J. Margres, James J. Mcgivern, Margaret Seavy, Kenneth P. Wray, Jack Facente, Darin R. Rokyta

Department of Biological Science Faculty Publications

Selection is predicted to drive diversification within species and lead to local adaptation, but understanding the mechanistic details underlying this process, and thus the genetic basis of adaptive evolution, requires the mapping of genotype to phenotype. Venom is complex and involves many genes, but the specialization of the venom-gland towards toxin production allows specific transcripts to be correlated with specific toxic proteins, establishing a direct link from genotype to phenotype. To determine the extent of expression variation and identify the processes driving patterns of phenotypic diversity, we constructed genotype-phenotype maps and compared range-wide toxin-protein expression variation for two species of ...

Improving Understanding Of Stress Exposure In Minority Communities With Asthma: Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis) Data Collection Methods, Jeffrey Blossom, Elliot Israel, Francine Laden

Webinars

Overview: Geographic information systems (GIS) provide an important link between health data and spatial information. This webinar described GIS data collection methods and demonstrated how these methods are being used to expand data on environmental and social stress exposure in the PESBART (Effect of Physical Environment and Stress in Blacks in Relation to Asthma Severity and Response to Therapy) study. Specifically, the expanded data* in this study included incidence, prevalence, and severity of asthma in minority communities.

This webinar discussed challenges and goals of the GIS data collection process and the implications for understanding the environmental effects on health data ...

Inhalable Constituents Of Thirdhand Tobacco Smoke: Chemical Characterization And Health Impact Considerations, Mohamad Sleiman, Jennifer M. Logue, Wentai Luo, James F. Pankow, Lara A. Gundel, Hugo Destaillats

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tobacco smoke residues lingering in the indoor environment, also termed thirdhand smoke (THS), can be a source of long-term exposure to harmful pollutants. THS composition is affected by chemical transformations and by air–surface partitioning over time scales of minutes to months. This study identified and quantified airborne THS pollutants available for respiratory exposure, identified potential environmental tracers, and estimated health impacts to nonsmokers. In a ventilated 18 m3 laboratory chamber, six cigarettes were machine-smoked, and levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and 58 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were monitored during an aging period of 18 h. Results were compared ...

Lead Exposure From Aluminum Cookware In Cameroon, Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, Peter A. Lobunski, Gilbert Kuepouo, Rebecca W. Corbin, Perry Gottesfeld

Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer

Blood lead levels have decreased following the removal of lead from gasoline in most of the world. However, numerous recent studies provide evidence that elevated blood lead levels persist in many low and middle-income countries around the world at much higher prevalence than in the more developed countries. One potential source of lead exposure that has not been widely investigated is the leaching of lead from artisanal aluminum cookware, which is commonly used in the developing world. Twenty-nine samples of aluminum cookware and utensils manufactured by local artisans in Cameroon were collected and analyzed for their potential to release lead ...

Ligand-Directed Signaling And Trafficking At The Nociceptin Opioid Peptide Receptor, Gina E. Migneco

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters & Abstracts

Traditional opioid receptors such as the μ and κ opioid receptors (MOR and

KOR) are well studied and are found to be common targets for pain and

stress therapies. The nociceptin opioid receptor (NOPR/ORL1) is a most

recently discovered opioid receptor whose complete function is still relatively

unknown, however is of great interest to researchers due to its analgesic

and antidepressant properties. NOPR activation due to ligand binding

triggers a variety of downstream effects, including G-protein signaling,

arrestin-mediated signaling, and receptor internalization. A variety of NOPR

ligands, both putative agonists and antagonists, were characterized by

further examination of these ...

Treating Cocaine Dependency With Psychopharmacotherapy And Behavioral Therapy, Robyn Liebman

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

Cocaine is an addictive drug that affects more than 14 million people globally, according to the United Nations. This paper is a conceptual meta-analysis of numerous studies that tested the effects of psychopharmacological therapy along with behavioral therapy in the treatment of cocaine addiction. It is hypothesized that cocaine dependent individuals treated with a combination of psychopharmacological and behavioral therapies will be less likely to use cocaine. Measurements of cocaine use throughout the experiments were generally assessed by urine screenings. Results indicate that there is more evidence that a combination of psychopharmacological and behavioral therapies will reduce cocaine use. There ...

Health Risks Caused By Wireless Technologies, Durreeshahwar Zafarahmed, Qurrat-Ul-Ain Zafarahmed

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

There are many health issues related to the use of cellular phones, wireless local area networks, and other devices that emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Some of these systems have become a part of our daily lives and many of us are in direct or indirect contact for extended period of times with these devices. However, the general public is unaware of the health risks associated with the use of these devices. Our research covers studies done by individuals as well as organizations on the harmful effects on the health of people from these devices and their claims. We also present ...

Submonomer Synthesis And Structure-Activity Relationship Studies Of Azapeptide Inhibitors Of The Insulin Receptor Tyrosine Kinase, Lathamol A. Kurian

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Azapeptides are a class of peptide mimics (peptidomimetics), which have served as valuable tools for the development of peptide based therapeutic agents. The therapeutic promise of azapeptides has been correlated to its primary sequence modification which translates into bio-active secondary structures that improves the pharmacological properties of the native peptide sequence. More specifically, azapeptides contain a semicarbazide within the peptide backbone which restricts the peptide bond torsion angles (φ, ψ) into pre-organized b-turn secondary structures. Thus, azapeptides have been shown to stabilize bio-active b-turn secondary structures responsible for high affinity and selective binding to a target receptor or ...

In Vitro Functional Analysis Of Novel Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Oatp1b1 And Potential Clinical Relevance, Zhiyuan P. Yin

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Statin-induced myopathy is a common adverse reaction of statin therapy. Patients with elevated plasma concentration of statins are thought to be at greater risk for myopathy. Statins are transported from the blood to hepatocytes via organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1). Although single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in OATP1B1 have been associated with increased statin concentrations, we hypothesize that there may be other SNPs in OATP1B1 that can also contribute to reduced transport activity and increased plasma statin concentrations. OATP1B1 cDNA packaged in pEF6/V5-His TOPO was used as template, and 6 SNPs — c.298G>A, c.419C>T, c.463C ...

Tissue Engineering: Applications In Developmental Toxicology, Stephanie N. Thiede, Nimisha Bajaj, Kevin Buno, Sherry L. Voytik-Harbin

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In vivo toxicology assays are expensive, low-throughput, and often not predictive of a human response. Three-dimensional in vitro human cell-based tissue systems incorporating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions have promise to provide high-throughput, physiologically-relevant information on the mechanism of the toxin and a more accurate assessment of the toxicity of a chemical before progression to human trials. Quantification of the disruption of vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels from endothelial progenitor cells, can serve as an appropriate indicator of developmental toxicity since vasculogenesis is critical to the early development of the circulatory system. The current routinely used in vitro ...

Pi3k- And Mtor-Dependent Mechanisms Of Lapatinib Resistance And Resulting Therapeutic Opportunities, Samuel Brady

UT GSBS Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Breast cancers with HER2 amplification represent 20-25% of breast cancer cases and are frequently responsive to the HER2 kinase inhibitor lapatinib, but generally for only short duration. We aimed to understand how breast cancers with HER2 amplification become resistant to lapatinib, in order to identify potential therapies that can overcome lapatinib resistance. To establish lapatinib resistance models we treated three HER2+ breast cancer cell lines with lapatinib for several months until they became lapatinib-resistant. We then compared lapatinib-sensitive (parental) cells with their lapatinib-resistant (LapR) counterparts to identify changes conferring lapatinib resistance. We found that activation of PI3K, specifically the p110α ...