Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

When Every Drop Counts: The Public Health Impact Of Drought, Steven Konkel

Environmental Health Planning and Policy

No abstract provided.

Pesticide Policy And Farmworker Health, Joan D. Flocks

UF Law Faculty Publications

Although data on the carcinogenicity of agricultural pesticides are still being generated and are thus incomplete, research such as the Agricultural Health Study indicates that populations with increased, regular exposure to pesticides have high rates of a variety of cancers (National Institutes of Health & Environmental Protection Agency 2008). Policies that regulate toxins such as pesticides are envisioned by the public to be empirical and objective, but toxins are socially produced and their regulation is just as often based on political and economic factors as it is on science (Luke 2000). This does not bode well for farm- workers who …

Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Spp. In Environmental Settings, Stephen Shost

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ninety staphylococci carrying the mecA gene, including 17 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), were isolated from environmental settings within New York State. Waterborne staphylococci harboring mecA were isolated from multiple sources: the Hudson River near a combined sewage overflow; urban streams; freshwater and marine beaches; a swimming pool; swimming pool decks; combined sewage; as well as wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) primary sewage influent, mixed liquor, aeration water, and final (unchlorinated) effluent. Environmental MRSA strains were isolated from beach water (n=3); swimming pool deck water (n=1); Hudson River water (n=2); combined sewage (n=3); as well as wastewater treatment plant mixed …

Insights Into Expression, Cellular Localization, And Regulation Of Supernatant Protein Factor, A Putative Regulator Of Cholesterol Biosynthesis, Elzbieta Ilona Stolarczyk

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

SPF (Supernatant Protein Factor) is a cytosolic protein that stimulates at least two enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway: squalene monooxygenase and HMGCoA reductase. The mechanism of action has not been established but may be related to lipid transfer between intracellular membranes.

There are three human genes for SPF: SEC14L2 (SPF1), SEC14L3 (SPF2) and SEC14L4 (SPF3). The present study differentiates these closely related genes by evaluating their tissue-specific and relative expression levels. SPF1 mRNA was found to be most abundant in liver, mammary gland and stomach. SPF2 showed negligible expression in all tissues tested; SPF3 expression pattern was similar to …

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.

Borderline Personality Disorder: An Overview Of History, Diagnosis And Treatment In Adolescents, Linah Al-Alem, Hatim A. Omar

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a cluster B personality disorder. It is characterized by erratic behaviors, emotional instability and one of its hallmarks is self injurious behavior, which starts in adolescence. Patients with BPD are difficult to treat, most have a history of child sexual abuse, about a quarter present with sexual abuse from a caretaker. Although personality disorders are diagnosed only in adults, BPD manifests itself in adolescence in the form of uncontrollable anger, self mutilations, dissociation and other such behaviors. Hence, there is a growing number of scientists discussing the possibility of diagnosing BPD in adolescents. Here, we …

Ecological Niche Of The 2003 West Nile Virus Epidemic In The Northern Great Plains Of The United States, Michael Wimberly, Michael B. Hildreth, Stephen P. Boyte, Erik Lindquist, Lon Kightlinger

United States Public Health Resources

Background: The incidence of West Nile virus (WNv) has remained high in the northern Great Plains compared to the rest of the United States. However, the reasons for the sustained high risk of WNv transmission in this region have not been determined. To assess the environmental drivers of WNv in the northern Great Plains, we analyzed the county-level spatial pattern of human cases during the 2003 epidemic across a seven-state region.
Methodology/Principal Findings: County-level data on WNv cases were examined using spatial cluster analysis, and were used to fit statistical models with weather, climate, and land use variables as predictors. …

Blood Pressure Lowering And Vasomodulator Effects Of Piperine, Syed Intasar Husain Taqvi, Abdul Jabbar Shah, Anwar Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

This study was aimed to explore underlying mechanism(s) of cardiovascular effects of piperine. Intravenous administration of piperine caused a dose-dependent (1 to 10 mg/kg) decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) in normotensive anesthetized rats, the next higher dose (30 mg/kg) did not cause any further change in MAP. The fall in blood pressure (BP) was followed by small increase in MAP after each dose. In Langendorrf's rabbit heart preparation, piperine caused partial inhibition and verapamil caused complete inhibition of force and rate of ventricular contractions and coronary flow. In rabbit aortic rings, piperine inhibited high K(+) (80 mM) precontractions and …

Acquisition De Modèles Pour L’Étude De L’Absorption Percutanée Des Substances Chimiques : Cellules De Diffusion À Flux Continu, Claude Viau, Suzanne Leroux, Ross Thuot, Sophie Lim

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans les milieux de travail où des substances chimiques sont utilisées, celles-ci peuvent se retrouver dans l’air. Les employés peuvent donc y être exposés par le fait de la respiration. C’est d’ailleurs pour ça que le règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail donne des valeurs limites d’exposition dans l’air pour près de 700 substances chimiques. Mais il est aussi possible d’être exposé par le contact des substances avec la peau. Quand on veut savoir à quel point un travailleur peut absorber des substances dans son organisme de cette manière, on doit savoir trois choses principales :

• la …

Genome-Wide Compensatory Changes Accompany Drug Selected Mutations In The Plasmodium Falciparum Crt Gene, Hongying Jiang, Jigar J. Patel, Ming Yi, Jianbing Mu, Jinhui Ding, Robert Stephens, Roland Cooper, Michael T. Ferdig, Xin-Zhuan Su

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Mutations in PfCRT (Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistant transporter), particularly the substitution at amino acid position 76, confer chloroquine (CQ) resistance in P. falciparum. Point mutations in the homolog of the mammalian multidrug resistance gene (pfmdr1) can also modulate the levels of CQ response. Moreover, parasites with the same pfcrt and pfmdr1 alleles exhibit a wide range of drug sensitivity, suggesting that additional genes contribute to levels of CQ resistance (CQR). Reemergence of CQ sensitive parasites after cessation of CQ use indicates that changes in PfCRT are deleterious to the parasite. Some CQR parasites, however, persist in the field and grow well …

The Guacamole Fund Presents...

Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues

Special Bonnie Raitt Benefit Tickets

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 …

Nrc’S Decision Process: Judging The Safety Of A Proposed Repository, Janet Kotra

Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues

Abstract:

-Provide an overview of the role of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at Yucca Mountain

-Describe the process NRC will use to decide whether or not to authorize construction of a repository at Yucca Mountain

-Explain options and highlight important milestones that apply to Tribes as potential participants in NRC’s process

Fighting Nuclear Waste At Skull Valley, Margene Bullcreek

Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues

Abstract:

-Reasons We Oppose Nuclear Waste

-Sovereignty

-Traditional values must be protected

-Protect sacredness of our culture, plants,

animals, air, and water

-Affects on community health

-Protect reservation and homeland

-To protect the air and water

-To protect future generations

-Environmental Justice

Maternal Cocaine Administration In Mice Alters Dna Methylation And Gene Expression In Hippocampal Neurons Of Neonatal And Prepubertal Offspring, Svetlana I. Novikova, Fang He, Jie Bai, Nicholas J. Cutrufello, Michael S. Lidow, Ashiwel S. Undieh

Publications and Research

Previous studies documented significant behavioral changes in the offspring of cocaine-exposed mothers. We now explore the hypothesis that maternal cocaine exposure could alter the fetal epigenetic machinery sufficiently to cause lasting neurochemical and functional changes in the offspring. Pregnant CD1 mice were administered either saline or 20 mg/kg cocaine twice daily on gestational days 8–19. Male pups from each of ten litters of the cocaine and control groups were analyzed at 3 (P3) or 30 (P30) days postnatum. Global DNA methylation, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation followed by CGI2 microarray profiling and bisulfite sequencing, as well as quantitative real-time RT-PCR gene expression …

The Influence Of Citrate, Maltolate And Fluoride On The Gastrointestinal Absorption Of Aluminum At A Drinking Water-Relevant Concentration: A 26Al And 14C Study, Yuzhao Zhou, Wesley R. Harris, Robert A. Yokel

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The objectives were to test the null hypotheses that (1) citrate, maltolate, and fluoride do not significantly influence oral Al bioavailability, C_max or T_max at an Al dose relevant to drinking water exposure; and (2) Al citrate and maltolate are absorbed intact from the gastrointestinal tract. Male Fisher rats were given 1 ml of solution intra-gastrically containing 1 nCi ²⁶Al (65 nmol total Al) as the Al³⁺ ion, or as complexes with ¹⁴C-citrate, ¹⁴C-maltolate or fluoride, during concurrent ²⁷Al iv infusion. Blood was repeatedly collected for serum ²⁶Al, total Al and ^{14 …}

Cannabinoids: A Novel Treatment Strategy For Retinal Neurodegenerative Disorders, Sandeep Samudre

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Synthetic and naturally occurring cannabinoids are known to decrease intraocular pressure (IOP). Glaucomatous damage to the retina and optic nerve progresses even after therapy to maintain normal intraocular pressure (IOP). Topical application of cannabinoids decreases IOP while not affecting blood pressure or heart rate. Based upon their effects on other tissues, we hypothesize that these analogs reduce IOP and may also confer direct neuroprotective effects on the retina, possibly via CB1 and/or CB2 receptors. The purpose of this study is to determine if the newly synthesized CB agonists, lipid soluble O-1812 (CB 1), and water soluble O-2545 (CB 1

The …

Three Models Of Anthrax Toxin Effects On The Map-Kinase Pathway And Macrophage Survival, Daniel J. Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Lethal factor (LF), a component of anthrax toxin, is the primary virulence factor that allows Bacillus anthracis to evade the immune response by blocking the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) enzymes. This research modifies three published MAPK models to reflect this signal inhibition and to estimate a first-order reaction rate by fitting the models to published viability data for two macrophage cell lines cultured with the LF-producing Bacillus anthracis-Vollum1B strain. One model appears to be ill-suited for this purpose because not all relevant MAPK components could be integrated into the inhibition equations. Despite different underlying parameters and values, the …

In Vitro Toxicity Of Aluminum Nanoparticles In Human Keratinocytes, Stephanie Mccormack-Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology promises to be the defining technology of the 21st century. At an annual investment of $1B, it provides significant contributions to manufacturing, medicine, energy conservation, and the environment. Nanoparticles are structures with at least one dimension in the 1 to 100 nanometer (nm) range. DoD and US Air Force interest in aluminum nanoparticles (AL NPs) stems from its ability to enhance combustion jet fuel, thus increasing fuel efficiency. The addition of AL NPs to JP-8 may pose a unique dermal hazard to aircraft maintenance workers. There is no published data on AL NP toxicity effects on human skin. This …

Factors That Influence The Distribution Of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In The Mud River, Wv, Timothy Shaun Dotson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Prior studies of the Ohio and Mud Rivers have shown that fecal contamination alone does not explain the distribution of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in surface waters. The objectives of this study were to determine effects on the distribution of ARB in the Mud.

Methods: Water samples and physical parameters were collected twice per season in spring through fall at 12 sites on the Mud River. Aliquots were plated on R2A agar and R2A agar plus individual antibiotics for the enumeration of total cultivable bacteria, and cultivable bacteria resistant to ciprofloxacin, virginiamycin, or tetracycline respectively. The IDEXX Quanti-Tray/2000™ method …

Combination Of Natural Variability Estimation With Real Time Measurement For Mushroom Shelf Life Assessment., Leixuri Aguirre

Doctoral

The shelf life of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is affected by the natural variability of the produce which influences the perishable vegetable quality. One of the main causes of this variability is non-homogeneity in the product maturity at harvest, resulting in each vegetable batch being at a different stage of senescence. The present work aims to study a new approach to improve the assessment of the shelf life of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) taking into account this variability. The study of variability involved the: i) study of the shelf life, quality parameters and variability of the mushrooms and modelling these experimental laboratory …

Ecotoxicological Investigations Of Pharmaceutical Compounds On A Battery Of Freshwater Test Species., Elaine Minagh

Masters

Currently interest in pharmaceuticals as potential environmental contaminants has increases significantly. This is due to the awareness of the possible adverse effects to human health and the environment caused by such contaminants. Within the past few years, the highly prescribed antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), have received attention as their occurrence in the environment has been recently documented. Prior to this, there was very little known about the ecotoxicity of SSRIs, and in particular sertraline hydrochloride. Similarly the cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins are among the most frequently prescribed agents in Ireland and worldwide for the treatment of coronary …

Differential Dynamic Properties Of Scleroderma Fibroblasts In Response To Perturbation Of Environmental Stimuli, Momiao Xiong, Frank C. Arnett, Xinjian Guo, Hao Xiong, Xiaodong Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Diseases are believed to arise from dysregulation of biological systems (pathways) perturbed by environmental triggers. Biological systems as a whole are not just the sum of their components, rather ever-changing, complex and dynamic systems over time in response to internal and external perturbation. In the past, biologists have mainly focused on studying either functions of isolated genes or steady-states of small biological pathways. However, it is systems dynamics that play an essential role in giving rise to cellular function/dysfunction which cause diseases, such as growth, differentiation, division and apoptosis. Biological phenomena of the entire organism are not only determined by …

The Evaluation Of Midazolam On Head Injured Patients In The Prehospital Setting, Dragana Klinac

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Midazolam (Hypnovel ®) is the only sedating agent used by paramedics at St John Ambulance Service W.A. in the management of many conditions including seizure activities, antisocial or uncontrollable behaviours, back pain incidents and head injuries. Midazolam, with a rapid absorption, fast onset of action and short duration on neurological activity, has been accepted as a safe and effective agent in prehospital treatment since the late-1990s. Often, if a patient is not complying with treatment or is uncontrollable or aggressive, paramedics are required to sedate the individual. This study primarily examines the use of midazolam for the sedation of unmanageable …

Lead-Contaminated Candies In Southern Nevada, Shawn Gerstenberger, Glenn Savage, Clayton Sellers, Keith Zupnik, Emmanuel C. Gorospe

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Lead-contaminated candies from Latin America are beginning to gain attention in the public media1,2 and in the medical literature.3–5 These candies come from a number of sources and are manufactured outside Food and Drug Administration regulatory control. In 2005, we sampled 50 imported Latin American candies sold in Southern Nevada. A total of 20 (40%) tested positive with an average lead content of 1.46  0.27 mg/kg in the candies’ wrappers and straws, based on standard Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry methodology. Given these results, the Southern Nevada Health District issued a cease-and-desist order on February 13, 2006, to local …

Immunoadjuvanticity Of Chlorophyll, Jocelyn Helen Parks Ramos

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Vaccines are formulations containing antigenic determinants (from non-self organic matters) and immuno-enhancers called adjuvants. Together, they evoke protective immune responses in hosts. Adjuvants are substances that further vaccines' capability to induce a robust immune response. Common side effects with conventional adjuvants used in most vaccines are toxicity, inflammation and granulomas. In this study we investigated the pigment chlorophyll (Chl) for immunoadjuvanticity. The selection of chlorophyll is based on the fact that it is a component in foods such as spinach, and that it contains an isoprenoid structure that is a feature of many conventional adjuvants, Pristane and Squalene. Chl …

Maturational Changes In Cerebrovascular Thick- And Thin-Filament Regulation, Renan Joel Sandoval

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study focused on the main hypothesis that age-related changes in myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity involve simultaneous changes in the relations between cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients, myosin phosphorylation, and force development. To define the effects of late fetal and early postnatal maturation, parallel experiments were carried out using cerebral arteries from both term lamb fetuses (140-141 days of gestation) and nonpregnant adult sheep. Fetal and adult cerebral arteries were stimulated by either mechanically, electromechanically, and/or pharmacomechanically-induced contractions, and the relations of cytosolic Ca²⁺, MLC phosphorylation, and contractile tensions were measured. These measurements allowed for stimulus and age-dependent …

Regulation Of Alpha-1-Adrenoceptor-Mediated Contractions Of The Uterine Artery By Pkc, Hongying Zhang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pregnancy is associated with a significant decrease in uterine vascular tone and a striking increase in uterine blood flow, which ensures normal fetal development. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the adaptation of uterine artery contractility during pregnancy. Both protein kinase C (PKC) and activation of ai-adrenoceptors play important roles in the regulation of uterine artery contractility. In addition, PKC mediates the pregnancyassociated decrease in myogenic tone of the uterine artery, and interacts with ajadrenoceptors leading to modulation of ai-adrenoceptor-mediated contractions of vascular smooth muscle. Yet, whether or to what extent PKC regulates ai-adrenoceptormediated contractions of the uterine artery and their …

Expansion Of The Calcium Hypothesis Of Brain Aging And Alzheimer's Disease: Minding The Store, Olivier Thibault, John C. Gant, Philip W. Landfield

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence accumulated over more than two decades has implicated Ca2+ dysregulation in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), giving rise to the Ca2+ hypothesis of brain aging and dementia. Electrophysiological, imaging, and behavioral studies in hippocampal or cortical neurons of rodents and rabbits have revealed aging-related increases in the slow afterhyperpolarization, Ca2+ spikes and currents, Ca2+transients, and L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (L-VGCC) activity. Several of these changes have been associated with age-related deficits in learning or memory. Consequently, one version of the Ca2+ hypothesis has been that increased L-VGCC activity drives many of the other Ca2+-related biomarkers of hippocampal aging. …

Healing Our Hazardous Environment, K V. Hall, B M. Afzal, Barbara Sattler

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.