Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Classification Of Plants According To Their Heavy Metal Content Around North Mara Gold Mine, Tanzania: Implication For Phytoremediation, N. Mganga, Mlk Manoko, Z. K. Rulangaranga

Tanzania Journal of Science

Plants like other living organisms respond differently under different environmental conditions. An elevated level of heavy metals is one of the stresses which results into three classes of plants depending on their heavy metal content. The classes of plant species according to their accumulated heavy metals around North Mara Gold Mine were not known. To study such classes, a line transect of 700m long was established opposite the gold mine wastes. A total of eight sampling points were systematically established each after every 100m in that transect. Fifteen plant species were sampled; at least one species per sampling point. Approximately …

An Evaluation Of Coating Material Dependent Toxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles, Thilini Upekshika Silva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using numerous types of coating materials may exhibit different toxicity effects. The study evaluated coating material dependent toxicity by selecting 3 types of AgNP synthesis methods with different coating materials (citrate, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and branched polyethyleneimine, coated AgNPs as citrate-AgNPs, PVP-AgNPs, and BPEI-AgNPs respectively). Two acute aquatic toxicity tests were performed; 48hr D. magna and MetPLATE E. coli toxicity tests. Significantly different toxicity effects were observed in D. magna test exhibiting lethal median concentrations (LC50) for citrate-AgNPs, PVP-AgNPs, and BPEI AgNPs respectively as, 2.7, 11.2, and 0.57μg/L. Median inhibitory concentrations (EC50) for MetPLATE tests were 1.27, …

Degradation Of Atrazine By White Rot And Soil Fungi, Gerald Presley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The widespread use of atrazine in agriculture has lead to an abundance of this toxic chemical in the environment. Fungi that have the ability to degrade atrazine into less toxic products have been identified and used in the remediation of atrazine. In this study atrazine degradation in a defined liquid media was characterized in a diverse group of white rot basidiomycete and deuteromycete soil fungi. Atrazine did not have an effect on fungal growth although each species produced a different amount of biomass in culture. Statistical analysis showed that biomass production was an important factor in determining the amount of …

Modelling Β2ar Regulation, Sharat J. Vayttaden

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) regulates smooth muscle relaxation in the vasculature and airways. Long- and Short-acting β-agonists (LABAs/SABAs) are widely used in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and asthma. Despite their widespread clinical use we do not understand well the dominant β2AR regulatory pathways that are stimulated during therapy and bring about tachyphylaxis, which is the loss of drug effects. Thus, an understanding of how the β2AR responds to various β-agonists is crucial to their rational use. Towards that end we have developed deterministic models that explore the mechanism of drug- induced β2AR regulation. These mathematical models …

Living With Emerging Contaminants: Proteomics Of 4-Nonylphenol Exposed Arrow Goby (Clevelandia Ios), Sarah Emily Johnson

Master's Theses

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are widely used in industrial and household products as surfactants. APEs degrade into more toxic ethoxylates, such as 4-nonylphenol (NP), which has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor and enhance the growth of tumor cells. Nonylphenol is wider spread in Pacific estuaries than originally thought. Organisms in Morro Bay, California contain some of the highest concentrations of NP reported, while containing few other contaminants. As a benthic mud-dwelling fish, the arrow goby (Clevelandia ios) may be exposed to high levels of NP due to high contaminant sequestration rates in anaerobic mud. While ecotoxicology suggests …

Store-Operated Calcium Channels In The Function Of Intracardiac Neurons, Timetria Bonds

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proper autonomic regulation of mammalian cardiac function is dependent upon very complex and precise communication among the intracardiac ganglia and individual neurons within the ganglia. An array of neuromodulators is found within the ganglia that direct neuronal activity by modulating the movement of calcium. The current study determines that opioidergic agonists, which have been found to contribute to severe cardiac disease states and intracellular calcium mobilization, are also responsible for changes in the function of the intracardiac neuron via their effects on store-operated calcium channels (SOCs).

Previous studies suggest that phosphorylation plays a role in SOC regulation. Using Fura-2 calcium …

Mountains Of Injustice : Social And Environmental Justice In Appalachia, Michele Morrone, Geoffrey L. Buckley

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Research in environmental justice reveals that low-income and minority neighborhoods in our nation’s cities are often the preferred sites for landfills, power plants, and polluting factories. Those who live in these sacrifice zones are forced to shoulder the burden of harmful environmental effects so that others can prosper. Mountains of Injustice broadens the discussion from the city to the country by focusing on the legacy of disproportionate environmental health impacts on communities in the Appalachian region, where the costs of cheap energy and cheap goods are actually quite high.

Through compelling stories and interviews with people who are fighting for …

Minimal Structural Requirements Of Alkyl Γ-Lactones Capable Of Antagonizing The Cocaine-Induced Motility Decrease In Planarians, Debra Baker, Sean Deats, Peter Boor, James Pruitt, Oné R. Pagán

Biology Faculty Publications

We recently reported that the natural cyclic lactone, parthenolide, and related analogs prevent the expression of behavioral effects induced by cocaine in planarians and that parthenolide’s γ-lactone ring is required for this effect. In the present work, we tested a series of alkyl γ-lactones with varying chain length (1–8 carbons) to determine their ability to antagonize the planarian motility decrease induced by 200 μM cocaine. Alkyl lactones with up to a 4-carbon alkyl chain did not affect planarian motility or antagonized the cocaine-induced motility decrease; only the compound γ-nonalactone (a γ-lactone with a 5-carbon chain) was able to prevent the …

Reversal Of Glial And Neurovascular Markers Of Unhealthy Brain Aging By Exercise In Middle-Aged Female Mice, Caitlin S. Latimer, James L. Searcy, Michael T. Bridges, Lawrence D. Brewer, Jelena Popović, Eric M. Blalock, Philip W. Landfield, Olivier Thibault, Nada M. Porter

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Healthy brain aging and cognitive function are promoted by exercise. The benefits of exercise are attributed to several mechanisms, many which highlight its neuroprotective role via actions that enhance neurogenesis, neuronal morphology and/or neurotrophin release. However, the brain is also composed of glial and vascular elements, and comparatively less is known regarding the effects of exercise on these components in the aging brain. Here, we show that aerobic exercise at mid-age decreased markers of unhealthy brain aging including astrocyte hypertrophy, a hallmark of brain aging. Middle-aged female mice were assigned to a sedentary group or provided a running wheel for …

Toxic Effects And Bioaccumulation Of Nano-, Micron- And Ionic-Ag In The Polychaete, Nereis Diversicolor, Yi Cong, Gary T. Banta, Henriette Selck, Deborah Berhanu, Eugenia Valsami-Jones, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

There is increasing concern about the toxicities and potential risks, both still poorly understood, of silver nanoparticles for the aquatic environment after their eventual release via wastewater discharges. In this study, the toxicities of sediment associated nano (<100 >nm)-, micron (2–3.5 μm)- and ionic (AgNO3)-Ag on the sediment-dwelling polychaete, Nereis diversicolor, were compared after 10 days of sediment exposure, using survival, DNA damage (comet assay) and bioaccumulation as endpoints. The nominal concentrations used in all exposure scenarios were 0, 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 μg Ag/g dry weight (dw) sediment. Our results showed that Ag was able to cause …

Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling For Predicting Drug-Drug Interactions, David M. Ng, Ali Navid

STAR Program Research Presentations

Dynamics of interactions between the drugs caffeine and ciprofloxacin are predicted using physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. Pharmacokinetic means the model determines where the drugs are distributed in the body over time. Physiologically-based means the anatomy and physiology of the human body is reflected in the structure and functioning of the model. Multiple drugs can interact to increase or decrease their beneficial and/or undesired effects. This is important because some common substances, such as caffeine in coffee and soft drinks, are actually drugs that affect the body. By implementing the model as a computer program, it is relatively straightforward to perform …

Growing Oats In Western Australia For Hay And Grain, Raj Malik, Blakely Paynter, Cindy L. Webster, Amelia Mclarty

Bulletins 4000 -

The oat industry in Western Australia has made phenomenal progress in recent years with the discovery of new markets, the release of several high yielding varieties and the development of agronomic guidelines through rigorous research programs. Oat production in Western Australia for the domestic and export market has significantly increased over the past few years. Oats are now regarded as one of the most profitable cropping enterprises. Oat production is mainly export orientated and thus has a substantial economic influence on the agricultural industry.

In Western Australia, oats are grown for grain, for both milling and feed, and for hay. …

2012 Barley Variety Sowing Guide For Western Australia, Blakely Paynter, Andrea Hills, Harmohinder Dhammu

Bulletins 4000 -

This variety guide is designed as a quick reference to help growers determine which barley variety to grow in their region. It provides domestic and international market feedback, relative grain yield comparisons, disease ratings, agronomic information and herbicide tolerance ratings for all malting barley varieties, the new food variety and selected feed varieties.

Immunoregulation Of Liver Regeneration By The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor: Role Of Lymphocytes And Interferon-Gamma, Christopher John Horras

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a persistent environmental contaminant that elicits toxicity by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The toxic effects associated with TCDD exposure include immunotoxicity and dysregulated cell cycle control, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. A previous report indicates that exposure to TCDD suppresses hepatocyte proliferation in a mouse model of liver regeneration induced by 70% partial hepatectomy (PH). Based on reports that liver regeneration is negatively regulated by interferon (IFN)-γ produced by activated natural killer (NK) cells, along with the well-established immunotoxic effects of TCDD in other model systems, we hypothesized that TCDD treatment attenuates liver …

Role Of Dopamine In Impulse Control, Paul Rafael Sabandal ^, Young-Cho Kim, Kyung-An Han *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2011

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products On Survival Of Rotifers From The Rio Grande, Francisco Arredondo ^, Diana Martinez, Elizabeth J. Walsh *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2011

No abstract provided.

Sr-A Ligand And M-Csf Dynamically Regulate Sr-A Expression And Function In Primary Macrophages Via P38 Mapk Activation, Dejan Nikolic, Lindsay Calderon, Liqin Du, Steven R. Post

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is characterized by dynamic changes in the expression of cytokines, such as M-CSF, and modifications of lipids and proteins that result in the formation of ligands for Class A Scavenger Receptors (SR-A). These changes are associated with altered SR-A expression in macrophages; however, the intracellular signal pathways involved and the extent to which SR-A ligands regulate SR-A expression are not well defined. To address these questions, SR-A expression and function were examined in resident mouse peritoneal macrophages incubated with M-CSF or the selective SR-A ligand acetylated-LDL (AcLDL).

RESULTS: M-CSF increased SR-A expression and function, and required the specific …

Formulation And Characterization Of Lipid-Based Drug Delivery System Of Raloxifene-Microemulsion And Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System, Hetal Thakkar, Jitesh Nangesh, Mayur Parmar, Divyakant Patel

HPD Articles

BACKGROUND: Raloxifene, a second-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is administered orally in the form of a tablet. The absolute bioavailability of the drug is only 2% because of extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. Lipid-based formulations are reported to reduce the first-pass metabolism by promoting its lymphatic uptake. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present investigation, microemulsion and Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS) formulations of Raloxifene were prepared. The prepared formulations were characterized for drug loading, size, transparency, zeta potential, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and in vitro intestinal permeability. RESULTS: The results indicated that high …

Importance Of Characterizing Nanoparticles Before Conducting Toxicity Tests, Yi Cong, Chengfang Pang, Lina Dai, Gary T. Banta, Henriette Selck, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Rapidly expanding growth in the field of nanotechnology has led to the development of numerous applications of nanomaterials in industrial (e.g., paints, electronics) and consumer (e.g., cosmetics, clothing treatments) products. These engineered nanoparticle (NP)-containing products have, however, the potential to release particles (single or aggregates) or ions by means of wastewater discharge into the aquatic environment. SCENIHR (2006) emphasized that the behavior of NPs is critically dependent on several particle characteristics, including size, surface area and surface reactivity, and that risk assessments for both human health and the environment have to be based on these characteristics. However, in practice, risks …

Assessing The Stability, Biological Transfer And Developmental Impact Of Environmentally Relevant Nitrosamines Using A Chicken Egg Model, Nikita Joshi

Environmental Health, Occupational Health, and Toxicology: Dissertations and Student Research

Nitrosamines comprise a large group of potentially toxic compounds occurring in the environment as by-products of various manufacturing, agricultural and natural processes. Nitrosamines are produced from reaction of nitrite with a suitable secondary amine in an acidic matrix; these acidic conditions can occur in environmental media and in the mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This research focused on the stability, transfer, and impacts of the environmentally relevant nitrosamines, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosmorpholine (NMOR), and N-nitrosoatrazine (NNAT) (formed from reaction of nitrite with dimethylamine, morpholine, and atrazine), using the chicken egg and embryo model systems. Chicken eggs were used to …

Great Salt Lake Watershed: Its Role In Maintaining The Wetlands Of The Great Salt Lake, Danny C. White Jr.

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The following bioregional planning study is a direct result of the 2009- 2010 studio project initiated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The FWS contacted the study team and asked them to determine how the future growth and development of the Bear River Watershed would impact the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (BRMBR). The study looked at all of the physical and biophysical systems within the Bear River Watershed to identify the issues that had an effect on the BRMBR.

It became apparent from the original project that the future of the BRMBR and other Great Salt …

Archaeoparasitology Of Chaco Canyon, Rachel Paseka

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Ancient cultures of the Colorado Plateau have been a focus of archaeoparasitology since its inception, and a vast parasitological history is recorded in coprolites preserved in this arid region. The inhabitants of Chaco Canyon dominated Ancestral Puebloan culture between 1050 and 1120 AD and were responsible for the construction of great towns, road systems, and early agriculture. Analysis of the parasites preserved in fecal remains contributes to an increased knowledge of ancient Chacoan health and culture. Nineteen coprolites from four sites in Chaco Canyon were rehydrated and analyzed microscopically for parasite remains. Rhabditiform and filariform nematode larvae were found from …

Causes, Extent, And Consequences Of Lead-Pellet Ingestion By Chukars (Alectoris Chukar) In Western Utah: Examining Habitat, Search Images, And Toxicology, R. Justin Bingham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lead ingestion adversely affects humans and over 130 species of wildlife. Wild chukars (Alectoris chukar) are documented to ingest lead, but the causes and consequences of this ingestion are poorly understood. The objectives of this research were to 1) examine the influence of habitat use, the hunting season, and seasonal climate on the extent and severity of lead ingestion by chukars in western Utah, 2) assess the effects of habitat use, feeding behaviors, and lead density on the causes of lead-pellet ingestion in captive and wild chukars, and 3) investigate the consequences of lead-pellet ingestion in captive chukars as a …

Physician Perceptions Of Risk Regarding Mood Disorders And Pharmacological Management During Pregnancy: What Is Current Practice?, Laura G. Hendon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Mood disorders are the most common form of mental illness and one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide.  Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder have a lifetime prevalence of 16.2% and 4.4%, respectively.  Women comprise a substantial proportion of this population, and an estimated 500,000 pregnancies each year involve women with a psychiatric condition.  Management with psychotropic medications is considered standard of care for most patients with mood disorders.  However, many of these medications are known human teratogens.  Because pregnant women with mood disorders face a high risk of relapse if unmanaged, the obstetrician faces a unique challenge in …

An Exploration Of Pharmacognosy And Its Potential In The Multi-Faceted Solution Required To Address Hiv/Aids In Sub-Saharan Africa, Alexandra Sassi

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

This work has both both biological and anthropoligcal foci. It addresses research done on the medicinal properties of plants and how this research could make positive contributions to the current social and biological issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Effects Of Climate Change On Basic Animal Cell Functions, Michelle Fulbright, Andrew Andres

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Increasing global temperatures during the 21st century may have detrimental effects on basic cell functions within ectothermal animals. This project aims to systematically examine the effects of climate change on secretory cargo localization through the analysis of Rab Proteins found in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Rab Proteins play an essential role in vesicular transport within the cell and can be genetically manipulated to monitor the biological consequences of global warming.

Deep Sleep And Parietal Cortex Gene Expression Changes Are Related To Cognitive Deficits With Age, Heather M. Buechel, Jelena Popovic, James L. Searcy, Nada M. Porter, Olivier Thibault, Eric M. Blalock

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Age-related cognitive deficits negatively affect quality of life and can presage serious neurodegenerative disorders. Despite sleep disruption's well-recognized negative influence on cognition, and its prevalence with age, surprisingly few studies have tested sleep's relationship to cognitive aging.

METHODOLOGY: We measured sleep stages in young adult and aged F344 rats during inactive (enhanced sleep) and active (enhanced wake) periods. Animals were behaviorally characterized on the Morris water maze and gene expression profiles of their parietal cortices were taken.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Water maze performance was impaired, and inactive period deep sleep was decreased with age. However, increased deep sleep during the …

Comparison Of Subcellular Responses For The Evaluation And Prediction Of The Chemotherapeutic Response To Cisplatin In Lung Adenocarcinoma Using Raman Spectroscopy, Haq Nawaz, Franck Bonnier, Aidan Meade, Fiona Lyng, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Confocal Raman Micro spectroscopy (CRM) is employed to examine the chemical and physiological effects of anticancer agents, using cisplatin and A549 adenocarcinoma cells as a model compound and test system respectively. Spectral responses of the membrane and cytoplasm of the cell are analysed independently and the results are compared to previously reported spectroscopic studies of the nucleus. Moreover, Raman spectra from the proteins extracted from the control and exposed samples are acquired and analysed to confirm the origin of the molecular changes of the cell membrane and cytoplasm of the A549 cells. Multivariate data analysis techniques including Principal Component Analysis …

Library Impact Statement For Bps 455 Protein Molecular Modeling, Michael Vocino

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BPS 455 Protein Molecular Modeling. No new resources were required to support this course.

Le Développement Durable Comme Mode De Prévention Des Risques Energétiques : Une Approche Par Les Capacités D’Absorption. Le Cas De La Voiture Electrique Chez Renault, Sylvaine Castellano, Adnane Maâlaoui, Judith Schrempf-Stirling

Management Faculty Publications

Sustainability — a way to prevent energy-related risks — is the buzzword of the last decade. This trend demands radical rethinking on how society lives, consumes and produces. Herein, we focus on electric cars, which is the result of sustainable processes and initiatives in the car industry. The case of Renault illustrates how the firm based its sustainable strategy on its absorptive capacities.