Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Relationship Between Emissions Of Human Activities And Ozone Layer Depletion, Umer Murtaza

Environmental Management & Risk Assessment (PH 560)

Ozone depletion always holds an importance being a protective shield to humans and environment as well. Human activities and man-made substances are playing major role to this depletion which is increasing day by day. In this paper influence of man-made substances on ozone depletion and consequences of this depletion have been discussed. Role of chlorofluorocarbons as depleting agents is more comparatively other substances. Due to ozone depletion life on earth is affecting which are resulting different consequences like skin cancer, eye diseases and destruction of crops and aquatic life. EPA has worked a lot to save the ozone and many …

Exposure Monitoring In Developing Countries, Luis Collado

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Formaldehyde is widely used in the healthcare industry. Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and sterilant. In addition, formaldehyde/formalin is used as fixative/ preservative of anatomical specimens in pathology departments. Individuals may experience adverse effects following short term exposure above 0.1ppm. Following a laboratory study in the early 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen in 1987.

Although the healthcare industry in the United States made major advancement in the safe use of formaldehyde/formalin since the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Formaldehyde standard, other developing countries are still struggling with …

Blood Pressure Changes In Relation To Arsenic Exposure In A U.S. Pregnancy Cohort, Shohreh F. Farzan, Yu Chen, Fen Wu, Jieying Jiang, Mengling Liu, Emily Baker, Susan A. Korrick, Margaret R. Karagas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Inorganic arsenic exposure has been related to the risk of increased blood pressure based largely on cross-sectional studies conducted in highly exposed populations. Pregnancy is a period of particular vulnerability to environmental insults. However, little is known about the cardiovascular impacts of arsenic exposure during pregnancy.

Objectives:

We evaluated the association between prenatal arsenic exposure and maternal blood pressure over the course of pregnancy in a U.S. population.

Methods:

The New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study is an ongoing prospective cohort study in which > 10% of participant household wells exceed the arsenic maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L established by …

Bleaching, Disease, And Colonization: The Ecology Of Coral Health In Southeastern Nosy Be, Madagascar, Luella Allen-Waller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs constitute irreplaceable networks of marine biodiversity as well as an important economic resource to many coastal communities in the tropics. Many factors threaten these fragile ecosystems worldwide: overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification, and increasing sea temperatures all interact to diminish reef-building coral health in a variety of ways. This study aims to characterize the taxonomic and spatial patterns of several acute negative health conditions affecting hard corals in and near Lokobe National Park, Nosy Be, Madagascar. Bleaching, coral disease, filamentous algal overgrowth, and soft coral colonization were surveyed at six fringing reef sites representing different ecological zones. While Acropora …

Mutations In The Plasmodium Falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter, Pfcrt, Enlarge The Parasite's Food Vacuole And Alter Drug Sensitivities, Serena Pulcini, Henry M. Staines, Andrew H. Lee, Sarah H. Shafik, Guillaume Bouyer, Catherine M. Moore, Daniel A. Daley, Matthew J. Hoke, Lindsey M. Altenhofen, Heather J. Painter, Jianbing Mu, David J. P. Ferguson, Manuel Llinas, Rowen E. Martin, David A. Fidock, Roland Cooper, Sanjeev Krishna

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, are the major determinant of chloroquine resistance in this lethal human malaria parasite. Here, we describe P. falciparum lines subjected to selection by amantadine or blasticidin that carry PfCRT mutations (C101F or L272F), causing the development of enlarged food vacuoles. These parasites also have increased sensitivity to chloroquine and some other quinoline antimalarials, but exhibit no or minimal change in sensitivity to artemisinins, when compared with parental strains. A transgenic parasite line expressing the L272F variant of PfCRT confirmed this increased chloroquine sensitivity and enlarged food vacuole phenotype. Furthermore, the introduction …

An Animal Model Of Differential Genetic Risk For Methamphetamine Intake, Tamara J. Phillips, Shkelzen Shabani

Peer Reviewed Articles

The question of whether genetic factors contribute to risk for methamphetamine (MA) use and dependence has not been intensively investigated. Compared to human populations, genetic animal models offer the advantages of control over genetic family history and drug exposure. Using selective breeding, we created lines of mice that differ in genetic risk for voluntary MA intake and identified the chromosomal addresses of contributory genes. A quantitative trait locus was identified on chromosome 10 that accounts for more than 50% of the genetic variance in MA intake in the selected mouse lines. In addition, behavioral and physiological screening identified differences corresponding …

A Comparative Study Of Faecal Sludge Management In Malawi And Zambia: Status, Challenges And Opportunities In Pit Latrine Emptying, Rochelle Holm, James Madalitso Tembo, Bernard Thole

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This review paper covers the issues of pit latrine emptying national policies and regulations with a focus on Malawi and Zambia. With 2.4 billion people worldwide still lacking improved sanitation facilities, developing countries need to look at policy, regulation and practice for household sanitation service provision with a new lens. What happens “next,” when improved sanitation facilities eventually become full? An emphasis on faecal sludge management has multiplied this important issue in the past few years. The authors compare the pit latrine emptying situation in Malawi and Zambia with a focus on status, challenges and opportunities. To build this comparison, …

Effects Of Nicotine On A Translational Model Of Working Memory, David Alderson Macqueen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive research with human non-smokers has demonstrated that nicotine generally enhances performance on tasks of attention but, working memory does not appear to be affected. In contrast, nicotine has been shown to produce robust enhancements of working memory in non-human animals. To address this disparity, the present study investigated the effects of nicotine (2mg, 4mg nicotine gum, and placebo) on the performance of 30 non-smokers (15 male) completing a working memory task developed for rodents (the odor span task, OST). Nicotine has been reported to enhance OST performance in rodents and the present study sought to determine whether the effect …

Intracellular Na+ Concentration ([Na+]I) Is Elevated In Diabetic Hearts Due To Enhanced Na+–Glucose Cotransport, Rebekah Lambert, Sarah Srodulski, Xiaoli Peng, Kenneth B. Margulies, Florin Despa, Sanda Despa

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Intracellular Na⁺ concentration ([Na⁺]i) regulates Ca²⁺ cycling, contractility, metabolism, and electrical stability of the heart. [Na⁺]i is elevated in heart failure, leading to arrhythmias and oxidative stress. We hypothesized that myocyte [Na⁺]i is also increased in type 2 diabetes (T2D) due to enhanced activity of the Na⁺-glucose cotransporter.

METHODS AND RESULTS: To test this hypothesis, we used myocardial tissue from humans with T2D and a rat model of late-onset T2D (HIP rat). Western blot analysis showed increased Na⁺-glucose cotransporter expression in failing hearts from T2D patients compared …

Using Choice Experiment Valuation Methods To Measure Public Preference For A New National Park In Maine, Alexander G. Wilsterman

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

With global population increasing faster than ever, the need to protect land from development is at an all-time high. This paper seeks the measure the public preference for a new national park located in northern Maine. A national park will both protect the land and inject a much-needed economic stimulus to the surrounding communities. The study uses the choice experiment valuation method to quantify its results. Through this revealed preference we can quantify which characteristics are most important to the public so that these characteristics may be considered if the project is ever approved.

Golf Courses In Maine: Land Type Valuation Versus A Hedonic Pricing Analysis, Gregory Ladd, Jason Buco

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Many studies have been conducted analyzing the economic impact of golf courses on the local communities. These studies examine economic impacts of tournaments, endorsements, and vacation expenses of the major golf courses in the United States. However, there is little research conducted on the environmental impact of Golf courses, specifically in Maine. This paper performs a hedonic pricing analysis using housing prices in proximity to golf courses and compares it to the valuation of various land types in Maine. Housing prices were collected in the towns of Auburn, and North Yarmouth both near and distant from the local golf course. …

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Café Standards Compared To The Alternative Fuel/Carbon Tax, Brian Levinson

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

The Cafe Standards were introduced in 1975 following the Oil Embargo. The goals of this program were simple. To reduce co2 emissions in vehicles by increasing a mandatory average mpg level for car manufacturers in the United States. Recently, in 2012, the Obama Administration set new Cafe Standard requirements for car manufacturers. By 2025, all new cars on the road in the United States must average 54.5 miles per gallon, which would double the current 27 mpg average in place right now. While the intentions of this policy are to reduce co2 emissions while at the same time increasing savings …

The Economics Of The Audubon Society's Sanctuary Program For Golf Courses, Dan Hyszczak

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Millions of people play golf every year, and in 2011 Golf Courses gained $22 billion dollars in revenue. This statistic combined with golf’s inherent place in the natural environment lead to questions of value and development for golf course owners. In 1991, The Audubon Society created their Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP) to promote environmentally sustainable practices for golf courses and to recognize the courses that are the most environmentally in both the United States and around the world.

This paper builds off of prior research that connects golf course beauty with revenue by examining the effects of …

Preferences For Coral Reef And Fishery Management In Okinawa, Japan, Nils Carlson

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This study is an example of how a nonmarket valuation method – a choice experiment – can be used to influence and guide ecosystem conservation efforts. Using a choice experiment survey, this study estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for certain hypothetical attributes of a restored and conserved coral reef in Okinawa, Japan. I find that an increase in the amount of fish available to catch in ten years as well as an increase in the extent and health of the coral reefs and the number of marine biodiversity found in the Okinawan waters after ten-years, both positively affect respondent’s …

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis Of The External And Internal Effects Of Art Museums In The United States, John Eder

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis of the External and Internal Effects of Art Museums in the United States

The Effects Of Land Conservation On Productivity, Robert Mccormick, Carolyn Fuwa

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

In this research the relationship between productivity of land conservation is analyzed using panel data of the GDP and acres conserved of all 50 U.S. states from 1998-2005. Two main theories of the conservation productivity relationship exist. The first maintains that conservation impedes productivity because it does not allow land cultivation. Conversely, the second theory maintains that land conservation has a positive effect on GDP due to the recreation and tourism it creates. Through the use of fixed effects and random effects regressions, the amount of land conserved per state is not a significant predictor of state GDP The GDP …

A Survey On Climate Change: How Beliefs Shape Responsibility, Connor P. Clancy, Sarah Beth Solomon

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper examines the lack of awareness and feelings of personal responsibility for climate change. Previous literature suggests that while part of the United States population may be aware of climate change, they do not feel personally responsible for causing it despite feeling climate change’s effects just like everyone else. Furthermore, studies suggest that individuals also do not believe climate change will affect them now, but rather it is an issue for future generations. Using a survey, we examine which demographics and personal factors are most important in eliciting awareness for climate change, and furthermore, personal responsibility for its effects. …

Invited Introduction To Jerec, Noelwah Netusil

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

No abstract provided.

Welcome By The Editor, Sahan T. M. Dissanayake

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

No abstract provided.

Nanotechnology In The Real World: Redeveloping The Nanomaterial Consumer Products Inventory, Marina E. Vance, Todd Kuiken, Eric P. Vejerano, Sean P. Mcginnis, Michael F. Hochella Jr., David Rejeski, Matthew S. Hull

Faculty Publications

To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketplace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies created the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory (CPI) in 2005. The objective of this present work is to redevelop the CPI by leading a research effort to increase the usefulness and reliability of this inventory. We created eight new descriptors for consumer products, including information pertaining to the nanomaterials contained in each product. The project was motivated by the recognition that a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and state/federal government had become highly …

Development Of Polymer Peptide Conjugates For Enhanced Pancreatic Cancer Imaging, Wen Shi

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US with very poor prognosis. All clinically available biomarkers and diagnostic tools either fail to detect early stage PDAC or suffer from low specificity and sensitivity. There is an urgent need for diagnostic agents with greater efficacy for PDAC detection and staging. Nanomaterials such as N-(2-Hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers can effectively target tumors, and offer novel opportunities for the development of effective diagnostic agents for cancer. However, a major problem of many nanomaterials-based diagnostics is their opsonization and sequestration by the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), leading …

Occupational Exposure To Isoflurane Anesthetic Gas In The Research Environment, Andrea R. Mulvenon

Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a compilation of studies related to the halogenated anesthetic gas isoflurane. Historically, halogenated anesthetic gases have been used in the health care industry. In 1977 the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued a recommended exposure limit (REL) of two parts per million (ppm) averaged over one hour of exposure for halogenated anesthetic gases (NIOSH 1977). The purpose of the standard was to protect healthcare workers from exposure to halothane, methoxyflurane, and chloroform. However, isoflurane only became available after the NIOSH REL was adopted. Therefore, the NIOSH REL is not directly applicable to isoflurane. Moreover, …

Macrophage Uptake And Cytotoxicity Of Paclitaxel Nanocrystals, Deborah Lee, Emeri Zhang, Wei Gao, Tonglei Li

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Effective drug delivery remains one of the most challenging tasks in combatting cancer cells. Anti-cancer drugs such as Paclitaxel (PTX) often struggle in having a high drug effect because they are often phagocytized by macrophages in Reticuloendothelial System (RES) before reaching the cancer cells. To combat this problem, PTX was inserted in a nanocrystal, coated with non-ionic surfactant F68; it is speculated that this formulation will minimize the particle aggregation and decrease the cellular uptake in the RES, which will increase the overall efficacy of the drug in the target areas. The aim of this project was to compare the …

Chemical Oxygen Demand Reduction Using The Algae Dunaliella Primolecta And Chlorella Vulgaris, Angeles L. Mora, Alejandro Hernandez, Alejandro Calderón-Urrea

STAR Program Research Presentations

Farm industry wastewater is characterized by high organic materials and by high chemical oxygen demand (COD). Farms with large livestock and poultry operations can be a major source of wastewater thus a major concern for effective environmental and industrial management. Effective environmental and industrial management are high in cost therefor biofuels produced from plants have a potential of replacing a portion of fossil fuel consumption with a renewable efficient alternative. Due to California’s water crisis in the recent years, it is questioned if a biological treatment system that uses algal growth to create renewable energy in the form of biodiesel …

Lack Of Artemisinin Resistance In Plasmodium Falciparum In Uganda Based On Parasitological And Molecular Assays, Roland A. Cooper, Melissa D. Conrad, Quentin D. Watson, Stephanie J. Huezo, Harriet Ninsiima, Patrick Tumwebaze, Samuel L. Nsobya, Philip J. Rosenthal

Collected Faculty Scholarship

We evaluated markers of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum isolated in Kampala in 2014. By standard in vitro assays, all isolates were highly sensitive to dihydroartemisinin (DHA). By the ring-stage survival assay, after a 6-h DHA pulse, parasitemia was undetectable in 40 of 43 cultures at 72 h. Two of 53 isolates had nonsynonymous K13-propeller gene polymorphisms but did not have the mutations associated with resistance in Asia. Thus, we did not see evidence for artemisinin resistance in Uganda.

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples

Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of two chapters. Chapter one reviews what is known about adaptive plasticity in response to predators, describes the physiological systems involved in such plasticity, and outlines the evolutionary consequences of adaptive plasticity. Chapter two describes a scientific experiment that investigates how malathion may impact adaptive plasticity in the Sierran Treefrog, Pseudacris sierra. Anuran tadpoles suffer high mortality rates due to predation. In response to strong selective forces relating to these high predation rates, tadpoles evolved the ability to adaptively respond to predators through morphological and behavioral plasticity. The morphological and behavioral responses are varied and depend …

Cold Plasma Treatment Of Biodegradable Films And Smart Packaging, Shashi Pankaj

Doctoral

Cold plasma is an emerging technology offering many potential applications for food packaging. While it was originally developed to increase the surface energy of polymers, enhancing their adhesion and printability, it has recently emerged as a powerful tool for surface sterilisation of both food and food packaging materials. The food packaging industry is still dominated by petroleum derived polymers but in the past few decades there has been significant interest in the development of environment friendly, biodegradable green polymers. In this study, the interaction and effects of cold plasma with biopolymer based packaging materials (polylactic acid, zein, sodium caseinate, starch, …

Sustaining The Saco Estuary: Final Report 2015, Christine B. Feurt Ph D, Pamela A. Morgan, Mark D. O. Adams, Anna L. Bass, Carrie J. Byron, Michael C. Daley, Michael O. Esty, Noah G. Perlut, Kayla Smith, Tyler Spillane, Michelle M. Steen-Adams, James Sulikowski, Stephan I. Zeeman, Jacob Aman, Michele Dionne, Jeremy Miller, Kristin Wilson

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This study focuses on the Saco estuary, the tidal portion of the Saco River, which drains the largest watershed in southern Maine. With headwaters in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the watershed encompasses more than 4,400 km², and provides clean healthy drinking water to over 100,000 people living and working in communities in southern Maine.

When the study began in 2009, very little was known about the ecology of the Saco estuary. Researchers at the University of New England and the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve employed the process of collaborative learning to bring together people who …

An Analysis Of The Interaction Of Methylphenidate And Nicotine In Adolescent Rats: Effects On Bdnf, Elizabeth D. Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation was an analysis of the interaction of adolescent exposure to methylphenidate (MPH; trade name: Ritalin) on nicotine sensitization and conditioned place preference (CPP) in a rodent model and underlying mechanisms of this effect. Animals were treated IP with 1 mg/kg MPH or saline using a ―school day‖ regimen of five days on, two days off, from postnatal day (P) 28-50. During the final two weeks of MPH treatment, animals were either behaviorally sensitized to nicotine (0.5 mg/kg free base) or saline for 10 days, or conditioned to nicotine or saline using the CPP behavioral paradigm. In addition, three …

Association Between Arsenic Exposure From Drinking Water And Longitudinal Change In Blood Pressure Among Heals Cohort Participants, Jieying Jiang, Mengling Liu, Faruque Parvez, Binhuan Wang, Fen Wu, Mahbub Eunus, Sripal Bangalore, Jonathan D. Newman, Alauddin Ahmed, Tariqul Islam, Muhammed Rakibuz-Zaman, Rabiul Hasan, Golam Sarwar, Diane Levy, Vesna Slavkovich, Maria Argos, Molly Scannell Bryan, Shohreh F. Farzan, Richard B. Hayes, Joseph H. Graziano, Habibul Ahsan, Yu Chen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Cross-sectional studies have shown associations between arsenic exposure and prevalence of high blood pressure; however, studies examining the relationship of arsenic exposure with longitudinal changes in blood pressure are lacking.

Method:

We evaluated associations of arsenic exposure in relation to longitudinal change in blood pressure in 10,853 participants in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS). Arsenic was measured in well water and in urine samples at baseline and in urine samples every 2 years after baseline. Mixed-effect models were used to estimate the association of baseline well and urinary creatinine-adjusted arsenic with annual change in blood pressure …