Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Integrated Nanoscale Imaging And Spatial Recognition Of Biomolecules On Surfaces, Congzhou Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Biomolecules on cell surfaces play critical roles in diverse biological and physiological processes. However, conventional bulk scale techniques are unable to clarify the density and distribution of specific biomolecules in situ on single, living cell surfaces at the micro or nanoscale. In this work, a single cell analysis technique based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is developed to spatially identify biomolecules and characterize nanomechanical properties on single cell surfaces. The unique advantage of these AFM-based techniques lies in the ability to operate in situ (in a non-destructive fashion) and in real time, under physiological conditions or controlled micro-environments.

First, AFM-based …

Effects Of Hiv-1 Tat On The Enteric Nervous, Joy Ngwainmbi

Theses and Dissertations

More than 1.2 million people are estimated to be currently living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States of America. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is both a major target and an important component of HIV pathogenesis. The GI processes that are dysregulated during HIV infection are controlled by the enteric nervous system (ENS). Indeed, both clinical and experimental studies have implicated the ENS in HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) pathogenesis. In addition to direct viral effects, the HIV virus also indirectly affects the GI tract via cellular and/or viral toxins released by infected cells. Trans-activator of …

Structural Determinants Of Abuse-Related Neurochemical And Behavioral Effects Of Para-Substituted Methcathinone Analogs In Rats, Julie S. Bonano

Theses and Dissertations

Methcathinone (MCAT) is the β-ketone analog of methamphetamine, and like its amphetamine analog, MCAT functions as a monoamine releaser that selectively promotes the release of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) over serotonin (5-HT). MCAT produces amphetamine-like psychostimulant effects and is classified as a Schedule I drug of abuse by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Recently, synthetic MCAT analogs have emerged as designer drugs of abuse in Europe and the United States and have been marketed under deceptively benign names like “bath salts” in an attempt to evade legal restriction. These dangerous, recently emergent and novel drugs of abuse …

Developing A Site Specific Understanding Of The Toxicity Of Rare Earth Elements, Cerium And Dysprosium, To Daphnia Pulex And Hyalella Azteca, Oliver Vukov

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of similarly reactive metals that are divided into two groups; the light (LREEs) and heavy (HREEs) rare earths. These metals are used in a variety of industries and are critical to the function of modern society. The demand for REEs is expected to increase and as a result new mining projects are being developed with a potential for future mining in Canada. The toxicological understanding of these metals in the aquatic environment is very limited. The objective of this research is to compare the toxicological effect of REEs to the freshwater invertebrates Daphnia …

Sigma Receptor Activation Mitigates Toxicity Evoked By The Convergence Of Ischemia, Acidosis And Amyloid-Beta, Adam Alexander Behensky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of long-term disability in industrialized countries. The core region of an ischemic stroke dies within minutes due to activation of necrotic pathways. Outside of this core region is the penumbral zone, where some perfusion is maintained via collateral arteries. Delayed cell death occurs in this area due to the triggering of apoptotic mechanisms, which expands the ischemic injury over time. The cellular and molecular events that produce the expansion of the ischemic core continue to be poorly understood. The increases in the amyloid precursor …

An Assessment Of Retractions As A Measure Of Scientific Misconduct And Impact On Public Health Risks, Alison J. Abritis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research misconduct has been generally considered a limited issue, occurring in a small percentage of research studies. Studies of the number of article retractions use retraction percentages to perpetuate the idea that research misconduct is not a common event, and use information in the retraction notice to quantify types of research misconduct and types or research error. However, retractions appear to be the wrong variable with which to assess misconduct rates and characteristics. Using final misconduct findings in hard science research from the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) for investigations closed from 1993 through 2013, the number of publications and …

Effects Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Deep Sea Fishes, Arianne Ella Leary

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) released about 4.4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), making it one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history. Additionally, the depth of the spill (i.e., 1500 meters) created a unique research opportunity because most oil spills occur at the surface and affect coastal rather than deepwater habitats. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most toxic components of oil, and are often the focus of oil exposure studies. PAHs are quickly metabolized by vertebrates; therefore, indicators of biological responses to PAH exposure (PAH “biomarkers”) such as the levels …

Bioethanol: Feedstock Alternatives, Pretreatments,Lignin Chemistry, And The Potential For Green Value-Added Lignin Co-Products, Ruben Michael Ceballos, N. A. Batchenkova, M.K. Y. Chan, A. X. Duffing-Romero, A. E. Nelson, S. Man

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Major challenges still exist in the cost-competitive production of cellulosic ethanol. Lignocellulose deconstruction using physiochemical pretreatments continues to be the most efficient way to remove lignin and expose cellulose for enzyme-mediated sugar reduction. Recent interest in the development of “value-added” lignin co-products and the desire to reduce the use of hazardous materials has prompted a resurgence of interest in alternative lignocellulosic feedstock and research into environment-friendly biological pretreatments. This article provides an overview of bioethanol processes and economics, standard and alternative feedstocks, physiochemical and biological pretreatments, and lignin chemistry. The chemistry and mode of action of ligninolytic and cellulolytic enzymes …