Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the lower Murchison River area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2002 and 2003, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. This survey report presents …

Polymorphisms Of Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase (Alad) And Peptide Transporter 2 (Pept2) Genes In Children With Low-Level Lead Exposure, Christina Sobin, Marisela Gutierrez, Heather Alterio

Selected Works Temporary Series

Low-level lead exposure during early childhood has long been associated with altered neurocognitive development and diminished cognitive functions. Over nine thousand U.S. industrial facilities annually emit significant amounts of lead, creating exposure risk particularly for minority children. The mechanisms by which low-level lead exerts neurotoxic effects are poorly understood. Once absorbed, the only intervention is source removal, thus primary prevention is key. Genetic biomarkers could provide an efficient means of identifying children at greatest risk. Common functional variants of genes that alter lead’s neurotoxic potential have been identified and include delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD2) and peptide transporter 2 (PEPT2*2). These …

Curing Nature-Deficit Disorder: How Environmental Education Helps Kids Learn, Jamie Leigh Langley

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Walk into any public school and talk with the children about their experiences in nature and you will begin to see a pattern. Children have made few connections with the world around them. They do not spend much time outdoors and the time they do spend outdoors is not spent interacting directly with nature. Why does this matter? Look at these same kids and you will see another pattern emerging: Attention-Deficit Disorder, depression, obesity, emotional problems, etc. While not all of these problems are directly caused by a lack of interaction with the natural world, current research shows that there …

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.

Group Feeding For The Lactating Cow, Anthony Joseph Martin

Dairy Science

Feeding individualized rations for lactating dairy cattle in the commercial herd based on dietary needs is a popular issue. This has been a debating topic since evolution of the Total Mixed Ration (TMR). Since dairymen were able to mix grain in a feed wagon and mix a specific dietary ration to meet the demand for an organized group, there has been an issue in which protocol cow pen grouping should take. Dairymen have always feed cattle based on if lactating or late in their gestation, nonlactating. With the evolution of the TMR dairymen are then allowed to go into more …

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 …

Cream: A European Project On Mechanistic Effect Models For Ecological Risk Assessment Of Chemicals, Volker Grimm, Roman Ashauer, Valery E. Forbes, Udo Hommen, Thomas G. Preuss, Annette Schmidt, Paul Van Den Brink, Jörn Wogram, Pernille Thorbek

Valery Forbes Publications

Examples that clearly demonstrate the power of mechanistic effect models (MEMs) for risk assessment are urgently needed, and industry, academia, and regulatory authorities across Europe need scientists that are trained in MEMs, principles of ecotoxicology, and regulatory risk assessment.

To meet these needs, Chemical Risk Effects Assessment Models (CREAM), a European project including 20 Ph.D. and three postdoctoral projects, has been launched for September 2009 and will last for 4 years. CREAM is a “Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN)” funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme. ITNs are part of the commission’s “People” Programme and focus …

The Potential For The Use Of Agent-Based Models In Ecotoxicology, Christopher J. Topping, Trine Dalkvist, Valery E. Forbes, Volker Grimm, Richard M. Sibly

Valery Forbes Publications

This chapter introduces ABMs, their construction, and the pros and cons of their use. Although relatively new, agent-based models (ABMs) have great potential for use in ecotoxicological research – their primary advantage being the realistic simulations that can be constructed and particularly their explicit handling of space and time in simulations. Examples are provided of their use in ecotoxicology primarily exemplified by different implementations of the ALMaSS system. These examples presented demonstrate how multiple stressors, landscape structure, details regarding toxicology, animal behavior, and socioeconomic effects can and should be taken into account when constructing simulations for risk assessment. Like ecological …

Mechanistic Effect Models For Ecological Risk Assessment Of Chemicals (Memorisk) — A New Setac-Europe Advisory Group, Thomas G. Preuss, Udo Hommen, Anne Alix, Roman Ashauer, Paul Van Den Brink, Peter Chapman, Virginie Ducrot, Valery E. Forbes, Volker Grimm, Dieter Schäfer, Franz Streissl, Pernille Thorbek

Valery Forbes Publications

Recent reviews of the state-of-the-art of ecological modeling for risk assessments have highlighted the need for standardization of modeling approaches (Pastorok et al. 2003; Grimm et al. 2009). Such standardization requires concerted actions with all stakeholders involved in the regulatory process.

Therefore, a new SETAC-Europe Advisory Group on “Mechanistic effect models for ecological risk assessment of chemicals” (MEMoRisk) was established in autumn 2008. During the SETAC-Europe Annual Meeting in Warsaw in May 2008, 21 people joined the founding meeting where the necessity, scope and aim of such a group were discussed. A founding steering committee (the authors of this paper) …

Ros-Mediated Oxidative Stress Influence Anti-Apoptotic Genes And Cyt C Release In Hyperglycemic Mouse Kidneys To Initiate Late Nephropathic Complications, Krina Shah, Mayur S. Parmar, Sidhartha D. Ray

HPD Articles

Decades of intense research has shown that hyperglycemiainduced ROS production can lead to a redox-imbalance causing oxidative stress (OS) in a variety of target organs in vivo. In the absence of an efficient antioxidant counteracting system, massive OS often leads to activation of stress-responsive signaling pathways resulting in deregulated expression of pro-survival and/or pro-death genes. Persistent deregulation of such pathways eventually masterminds late complications of diabetes. Most studies hold hyperglycemia-induced OS as the ‘cause’, and premature onset of apoptosis as the ‘effect’. This ‘cause and effect’ axis ultimately initiates the development and progression of macro and microvascular complications including diabetic …

Application Of Multiple Mass Spectrometric Techniques In The Isolation, Determination And Characterisation Of The Marine Toxins; Azaspiracid, Keith O'Callaghan

Theses

The Azaspiracids are a class of polyether marine biotoxins that present a significant health risk to consumers of shellfish. Since their discovery in the late 1990s several human intoxications have been reported, and traced to Irish shellfish farms resulting in closures or harvest rejections. As such incidents involving azaspiracid shellfish poisoning have a major socio-economic impact on communities that rely on shellfish farming revenues.

Recent evidence suggests that azaspiracid poisoning events may become more commonplace. With this increased risk the understanding of azaspiracids mode of action and biological targets becomes crucial. To support these endeavours effective analytical methods need to …

Climate Change, Cities And The Poor, John Cleveland, Peter Plastrik

Social Space

Climate change on its own is an intractable issue. What if we look at climate change through a social equity lens? John Cleveland and Peter Plastrik analyse current climate adaption strategies and deliberate a more active role by ‘people on the ground’.

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 …

Raman Spectroscopy: A Potential Platform For The Rapid Measurement Of Carbon Nanotube-Induced Cytotoxicity, Peter Knief, Colin Clarke, Eva Herzog, Maria Davoren, Fiona Lyng, Aidan Meade, Hugh Byrne

Articles

In this study the suitability of Raman spectroscopy for the determination of carbon nanotube mediated toxicity on human alveolar carcinoma epithelial cells (A549) is explored. The exposure of this cell line represents the primary pathway of exposure in humans, that of inhalation. Peak ratio analysis demonstrates a dose dependent response which correlates to previous toxicological studies. Principal component analysis is employed to further classify cellular response as a function of dose and to examine differences between spectra as a function of exposed concentration. To further illustrate the potential of Raman spectroscopy in this field, Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression and …

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

Environmental Health Planning and Policy

No abstract provided.

Dispersion Medium Modulates Oxidative Stress Response Of Human Lung Epithelial Cells Upon Exposure To Carbon Nanomaterial Samples, Eva Herzog, Hugh Byrne, Maria Davoren, Alan Casey, Albert Duschl, Gertie Janneke Oostingh

Articles

Due to their large specific surface area, the potential of nanoparticles to be highly reactive and to induce oxidative stress is particularly high. In addition, some types of nanoparticles contain transition metals as trace impurities which are known to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems. This study investigates the potential of two types of single-walled carbon nanotube samples, nanoparticulate carbon black and crocidolite asbestos to induce ROS in lung epithelial cells in vitro. Carbon nanotube and carbon black samples were used as produced, without further purification or processing, in order to best mimic occupational exposure by inhalation of …

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 …

Biomonitoring Of Perfluorochemicals In Human Blood, Breast Milk, Saliva, And Urine, Lin Tao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) have been used as surfactants and surface protectors in a large number of consumer products. PFCs have been reported to elicit adverse health effects in laboratory animals and humans, and have been detected in foodstuffs and in human bodies. In this dissertation, analytical methods were developed for the determination of trace levels of PFCs in human blood, dried blood spot, breast milk, saliva, and urine. An assessment of human exposure to PFCs was performed by analyzing human specimens collected from the United States and several Asian countries. Blood, breast milk, and dried blood spots were found to be …

Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors That Cause Inter-Individual Variations In Cyp2a13 Gene Expression, Hong Wu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The overall goal of this dissertation is to investigate the mechanisms underlying the large interindividual variations in susceptibility to lung carcinogenesis. We focused on CYP2A13, a respiratory tract-specifically expressed enzyme, which is the most efficient P450 towards bioactivation of a tobacco-related carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). The expression level of CYP2A13 varies substantially among human lung samples. Our central hypothesis is that CYP2A13 expression level is affected by both genetic regulators and non-genetic factors. The specific aims are 1) to identify the mechanisms underlying the decreased allelic expression of a CYP2A13 allele (7520C>G); 2) to identify frequent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), associated …

Lipid Signaling In Brain Aging And Alzheimer's Disease: Pharmacologically Targeting Cholesterol Synthesis, Transport And Metabolism, James Lucas Searcy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The role cholesterol plays in the brain has long been underappreciated even though the brain contains a disproportionately high percentage of body cholesterol. Recent studies have found a link between the dysregulation of lipid metabolism and the risk of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as well as a predisposition to cognitive decline. The goal of these studies was to elucidate the possible role lipid metabolism plays in pathological and normal brain aging by pharmacologically manipulating lipid metabolism and determining effects on key hippocampal biomarkers of AD and age-related cognitive decline. One series of experiments used an agonist (TO901317) to the liver …

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 …

An Integrated Approach To The Toxicity Assessment Of Irish Marine Sediments Application Of Porewater Toxicity Identification Evaluation (Tie) To Irish Marine Sediments, Ailbhe Macken, Michelle Giltrap, Barry Foley, Evin Mcgovern, Brendan Mchugh, Maria Davoren

Articles

An integrated approach to the ecotoxicological assessment of Irish marine sediments was carried out between 2004 and 2007. Phase I Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) of sediment porewaters from two sites on the east coast of Ireland were conducted. Initial Tier I screening of three Irish sites identified the need for TIE after significant toxicity was observed with Tisbe battagliai and the Microtox® assay at two of the assayed sites (Alexandra Basin and Dunmore East). Porewaters classified as toxic were characterised using four manipulations, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation, sodium thiosulphate addition, C18 Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and Cation Exchange (CE) SPE. …

In-Vitro Biocompatibility Of Silver Nanoparticles Anchored On Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Alicia Brooks Castle

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were anchored on the surface of three different multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs): Ag-MWNTs (pure carbon), Ag-MWNT-COx (carbonyl and carboxyl doped), and Ag-MWNT-CNx (Nitrogen-doped). The chemical reactivity of the nanotubes was MWNTs< COx-MWNTs< CNx-MWNT. Ag-NP anchored on the MWNTs had an average size corresponding to MWNTs 6.64nm +/- 2.25nm; CNx-MWNTs, 13.24nm +/- 3.94nm, and COx-MWNT/Ag 11.75nm +/- 4.65nm. Cellular function and immune response were evaluated to determine biocompatibility of the synthesized nanomaterials (NM) on the human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). Cellular assays revealed toxicity after 24h however, full cellular recovery was observed at 48h. These results suggest Ag nanoparticles anchored on MWNTs have the ability to interact with cells without disrupting cellular function.

Effects Of Chlorpyrifos-Oxon On Prohormone Convertase Enzyme Activity, Sean William Harshman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphate (OP) compounds have been synthesized for various applications including medicine, pest control and weapons of terror. OPs irreversibly phosphorylate the active site of acetylcholinesterase, the primary target of toxicity, rendering it inactive causing a hypercholinergic state in the post synaptic cleft. However, very little is known about the effects of OPs on secondary targets of toxicity i.e. other serine hydrolases. The prohormone convertase (PC) enzymes, specifically PC1/3 and PC2, are serine hydrolases which are responsible for the processing of pro-opiomelanocortin in the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary. To test the direct interaction between OPs and the PC …