Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Tactical Research Fund – Asfb 2009 Workshop, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems – What to measure and monitor for fisheries and ecosystem management FRDC Project No. 2008/353.

Full Issue: Volume 4, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Full Issue: Volume 3, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Antidepressant Stimulation Of Cdp-Diacylglycerol Synthesis Does Not Require Monoamine Reuptake Inhibition, Ashiwel S. Undieh, Marwa A. Aboukhatwa

Publications and Research

Background: Recent studies demonstrate that diverse antidepressant agents increase the cellular production of the nucleolipid CDP-diacylglycerol and its synthetic derivative, phosphatidylinositol, in depression-relevant brain regions. Pharmacological blockade of downstream phosphatidylinositide signaling disrupted the behavioral antidepressant effects in rats. However, the nucleolipid responses were resistant to inhibition by serotonin receptor antagonists, even though antidepressant-facilitated inositol phosphate accumulation was blocked. Could the neurochemical effects be additional to the known effects of the drugs on monoamine transmitter transporters? To examine this question, we tested selected agents in serotonin-depleted brain tissues, in PC12 cells devoid of serotonin transporters, and on the enzymatic activity of …

A Watershed Analysis Of Salmon Lake And Mcgrath Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond (2009, 1993)

In the summer and fall of 2009, the Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) studied the water quality of Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond, located in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water quality were measured and analyzed to evaluate the current health of these lakes. Water quality data collected during the summer and fall of 2009 were compared with data from previous years to study the historic water quality trends. Land use patterns in the Salmon/McGrath watershed were also examined to investigate their impact on the lake water quality. The water quality trends …

Insomnia: Its Causes, Its Consequences, And Its Cures, Shoshana Fried

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Insomnia is a complaint that affects almost all Americans at some point throughout their lives. However, only chronic insomnia is truly a disorder. This type of insomnia can be caused by various reasons, whether physiological, molecular, or psychological. This paper will elaborate on a number of possible causes for insomnia. Furthermore, this paper will present some of the many adverse effects that are caused by the sleep deprivation resulting from chronic insomnia. There are many possible treatments available to help against insomnia. This paper will explain 53 some of the behavioral methods. In addition, it will discuss the many different …

Botox And Its Effect On Wrinkles, Rochelle Eckstein

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Clostridia Botulinum (C. Botulinum) is a bacterium that produces a unique exotoxin, botulinum toxin (BTX). BTX induces flaccid muscle paralysis by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the cholinergic nerve endings. Recently, Botox, developed from BTX, has become a popular solution to reduce the appearance of hyper-functional facial rhytids. Facial wrinkles are caused by repetitive muscle contraction, and a treatment that directly addresses this will be effective. Injections of Botox temporarily relax or paralyze these muscles. This paper will briefly discuss the bacterial basis of Botox and its development. It will explain how the mechanism of action of BTX can …

The Effect Of Exercise On Alzheimer’S Disease, Benjamin Korman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, from which there is no recovery. It begins with impaired memory and judgement and progresses to the point where those affected can no longer care themselves. Although the cause of AD is unknown, two significant abnormalities occur in the brain of its victims: neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. It has been well established that exercise improves mood and general well-being, however this paper will focus on the effect of exercise on AD. It will show that exercise can improve physical functioning of an individual with AD, however more importantly it will focus …

Rhinoviruses: The Quest For A Cure, Michelle Gordon-Grunin

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Rhinoviruses, also known as Human Rhinovirus, abbreviated HRV, are one of the many causes of the common cold. In fact, around 50 percent of all cold are caused by rhinoviruses, with the other major candidates being coronaviruses, influenza A or B virus, and minor causative agents like parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, and enterovirus (Makela and Puhakka, 1997). However, due to the complex molecular structure of rhinoviruses, a cure for the common cold caused by HRV is still in the making. Several new treatments have been discovered, impacting the virus as different stages of its life, hopefully to prevent …

Full Issue: Volume 2, Number 1 Spring 2009

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 2, Number 1 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences published Spring 2009.

Biofilms In Medicine, Marshall Gelbman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

In 1862 Louis Pasteur introduced the “Germ Theory of Disease.” Subsequently the study of microbiology has flourished greatly and its medical significance has continuously grown. Many microbial organisms implicated in disease have been identified and studies. A general science of medical bacteriology has been determined and is widely taught. Such study has been largely based upon the activity of individual free-swimming (planktonic) cells and colonies that they form. However, microorganisms often form communities called biofilms which can have properties that very different from their planktonic predecessors. Biofilms are mucoid aggregates of microorganisms which tend to grow on surfaces exposed to …

Botulinum Toxin, David Moshayev

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Although botulinum toxin is the cause of the disease botulism and can be used in a terrorist attack, there are also many other uses for botulinum toxin. Botox, a derivative of botulinum toxin, is used for cosmetic purposes. Botulinum toxin is also used in medicines to control certain conditions marked by involuntary muscle contractions. The objective of this paper is to present a strong review of botulinum toxin so that one can see all the good and bad that is botulinum.

Bisphosphonates And Osteonecrosis Of The Jaw, Chaya Leah Katz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Bisphosphonate-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) is a condition which, according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), adversely affects between .8-12percent of the population, a small yet significant amount of adults. Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) is characterized by the death of bone and suffering patients present with either a non-healing extraction socket or an exposed jawbone. In general, afflicted patients have been treated with a class of drugs known as the Bisphosphonates (BP). Bisphosphonates were originally developed in order to treat and manage many metastatic diseases of the bone and stabilize bone loss caused by …

Gestational Diabetes And Its Effects On The Fetus, Todd Pollack

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Although the common effects of gestational diabetes on the fetus are known, the outcome of a diabetic gestation is ambiguous. There is concern for complications in the fetus at delivery due to enlarged size of the fetus, as well as concerns for birth defects, fetal distress, diabetes and obesity. Yet, although there is a correlation in the previous disorders and gestational diabetes, many of the mechanisms that cause these complications are unknown. By studying the pathology of gestational diabetes, researchers have learnt that the placenta controls fetal growth and provides a great deal of protection for the fetus. Therefore, many …

Compensatory Evolution Of Gene Regulation In Response To Stress By Escherichia Coli Lacking Rpos, Daniel M. Stoebel, Karsten Hokamp, Michael S. Last, Charles J. Dorman

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The RpoS sigma factor protein of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase is the master transcriptional regulator of physiological responses to a variety of stresses. This stress response comes at the expense of scavenging for scarce resources, causing a trade-off between stress tolerance and nutrient acquisition. This trade-off favors non-functional rpoS alleles in nutrient-poor environments. We used experimental evolution to explore how natural selection modifies the regulatory network of strains lacking RpoS when they evolve in an osmotically stressful environment. We found that strains lacking RpoS adapt less variably, in terms of both fitness increase and changes in patterns of transcription, than …

Effect Of Increased Carbon Dioxide Levels On Urushiol Production In Toxicodendron Radicans And Toxicodendron Toxicarium, Meredith Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

It is hypothesized that global warming is at least partially due to increased greenhouse gases, one of which is carbon dioxide. An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has been shown to stimulate higher rates of plant productivity, including the production of plant toxins like urushiol. Urushiol, a secondary plant compound produced in members of the Anacardiaceae family, causes dermatitis in sensitive individuals. An increase in urushiol production could increase the reactivity of certain individuals to plants like poison oak and poison ivy. To determine how elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide would effect urushiol production, 16 samples of poison ivy …

A Discourse On The Public Nature Of Research In Contemporary Life Science: A Law-Policy Proposal To Promote The Public Nature Of Science In An Era Of Academia-Industry Integration, Michael J. Malinowski

Journal Articles

This article addresses the impact of integration of academia, industry, and government on the public nature of research. The article concludes that, while the integration has benefited science immensely, regulatory measures should be taken to restore the public nature of research in an age of integration.

Evaluating Acute Toxicity Of Cadmium To Chironomid Using Hemoglobin As A Molecular Biomarker, Jun Taek Oh

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Effects of cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal contaminant, on hemoglobin were investigated in aquatic midge fly larvae of the Family, Chironomidae. In this study, chironomid populations from one polluted site, Kearny Marsh, New Jersey, two reference sites, North East Creek, and Bass Harbor, ME, and a laboratory population were taxonomically identified and tested for their sensitivity to Cd. Heavy metals in tissue, water and sediment were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Water quality at each site was assessed by measuring pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation-reduction potential ( eH), salinity and temperature. Hemoglobin proteins in individual larvae were easily detected using …

Use Of Monoclonal ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Antibodies Chemically Bound To A Polystyrene Surface Using Glutaraldehyde For The Purpose Of Extracting ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid From Postmortem Whole Blood Samples For Analysis By Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Thomas Sidney Pittman

Dissertations

Quantitations of drugs and their respective metabolites in postmortem blood samples using gas chromatographic instrumentation is a primary analytical practice used to determine if drugs played a role in or were the cause of a victim's death. Postmortem blood samples often prove difficult to work with due to interfering substances formed during the putrefaction process. Attempts to eliminate interfering substances with present day extraction methods can be time-consuming, costly and often ineffective when dealing with drugs that exhibit toxicity or impairment at very low concentrations. This study was conducted using monoclonal antibodies chemically bound to a polystyrene surface to extract …

Plaster Creek Watershed Management Plan, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr, & Huber, Inc.

Watershed Reports

The quality of Plaster Creek is influenced by many factors, such as human activities within the Plaster Creek Watershed (Watershed), physical and biological characteristics of the natural resources, and the management of those resources. This document provides an overview of these diverse aspects of the Watershed, including detailed information about the sources and causes of watershed pollution, recommendations needed to address impairments, and steps to implement the recommendations.

Occurrence And Biological Effect Of Exogenous Steroids In The Elkhorn River, Nebraska, Usa, Alan S. Kolok, Daniel D. Snow, Satomi Kohno, Marlo K. Sellin, Louis J. Guillette Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent studies of surface waters in North America, Japan, and Europe have reported the presence of steroidogenic agents as contaminants. The current study has three objectives: 1) to determine if steroidogenic compounds are present in the Elkhorn River, 2) to determine if sediments collected from the Elkhorn River can act as a source of steroidogenic compounds to aquatic organisms, and 3) to determine if site-specific biological effects are apparent in the hepatic gene expression of fathead minnows. Evidence was obtained using three approaches: 1) deployment of polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS), 2) deployment of caged fathead minnows, and 3) …

The History Of Thalidomide, Ilana Fakherian

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Thalidomide, introduced in Germany in 1954, was a drug that was initially prescribed for its sedative properties. In the late 1950s, thalidomide was widely used by women as an antiemetic drug to alleviate the nausea and vomiting (morning sickness) common in the early stages of pregnancy and to help them sleep. Thalidomide gained notoriety in 1961 when it was found to cause severe malformations in the growing fetus, such as stunted development or the complete absence of limbs. More over, later studies revealed that thalidomide generates peripheral neuropathy, dizziness, constipation, and menstruation abnormalities. However, at the time, inadequate tests were …

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids), David Fleischmann

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a fatal syndrome that affects normally healthy individuals who have acquired an immune system deficiency. AIDS is acquired via a viral agent that attacks the immune system of healthy individuals and eventually erodes it, leading to the onset of a collection of deadly diseases. There are many diseases associated with AIDS, although many of them occur only when an individual has full-blown AIDS. Until then, an infected individual faces several different stages of disease.

Bacterial Toxins And Bioterrorism, Nehama Prus

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Bacterial toxins are some of the most potent substances known to man. Bacterial toxins are microbial poisons that profoundly affect the establishment and course of disease, because a single toxin can greatly increase the virulence of an organism (Alcamo, 1994). Organisms have the ability to attach to and colonize mucosal surfaces in the body, eventually invading deeper tissues. However, their ability to cause human disease is often determined by their ability to form and excrete microbial toxins (Murray, 1994). Many emerging and reemerging bacterial pathogens synthesize toxins that serve as primary virulence factors (Schmitt et al, 1999).

Acetaminophen Toxicity To The Liver, Sara Miriam Flaum

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Acetaminophen is a drug commonly used in America. Acetaminophen is an excellent antipyretic and has good analgesic effects, especially for a nonprescription drug. However, unlike other nonprescription drugs in this category, it can have significant liver toxicity. This paper discusses the potential for liver toxicity, and presents information on how acetaminophen affects specific proteins in the liver (P450). For example, not only can it inhibit drug metabolism via acting as an alternative (competitive) substrate for proteins that are responsible for drug metabolism, it can also paradoxically increase drug metabolism by increasing these proteins (induction of P450). The literature reviewed and …

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Sara Miriam Flaum

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Is the use of alcohol in the present time common and socially accepted? In society at large, bars are widespread and frequently visited by the populace. Social clubs, arenas where young people gather on weekends and meet new friends, are usually centered around the presence of alcohol. Business deals cemented over lunch or dinner are commonly accompanied by alcoholic beverages. Advertisements, whether on radio, television, or billboards, give testimony as to how the consumption of a particular alcoholic beverage with a meal would enhance the meal. There is no Super Bowl Game that is not associated with multiple prominent beer …

The Shedding Of Deciduous Teeth, Asher Diamond

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Humans are diphyodont. They develop two sets of teeth during their lives. The deciduous (baby) teeth begin to emerge when a baby is approximately six or seven months old. At about the age of six these teeth begin to fall out, or undergo shedding. They are replaced by the permanent successors. This process of shedding of the deciduous teeth and replacement by the permanent teeth is called exfoliation. Certain teeth are shed earlier than others. How this process happens has been the focus of many studies.

Use Of Intracoronary Stents In The Treatment Of Coronary Heart Disease, Rachel Musheyeva

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for about one-third of all deaths in subjects over age 35. This rate is higher in men than in women and blacks compared to whites. Prior to age 35, men have a three times higher rate of incidence of CHD than women. Coronary mortality among the Hispanic population is not as high as among blacks and whites.

Full Issue: Volume 1, Number 1, Spring 2007

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Cell Cycle Analysis Of Atrazine-Treated Human Fibroblast Cells Using Flow Cytometry, Andrea L. Austin

Honors Program Theses

Atrazine is the most frequently used triazine herbicide in the United States. Studies have shown an association between herbicide exposure and increased levels of DNA damage, reproductive and endocrine problems, and an increased risk for certain cancers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEP A) has set a maximum allowable limit at 3 parts per billion (ppb ). Previous work from our lab has shown decreased cell proliferation of normal human fibroblasts after low-level atrazine exposure for 72 hours at 0.8-100 ppb without a corresponding increase in apoptosis or necrosis.

The objective of the current study is to determine a …