Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

The Effects Of Spatial And Temporal Heterogeneity On The Population Dynamics Of Four Animal Species In A Danish Landscape, Richard M. Sibly, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Mads C. Forchhammer, Valery E. Forbes, Christopher J. Topping

Valery Forbes Publications

Background: Variation in carrying capacity and population return rates is generally ignored in traditional studies of population dynamics. Variation is hard to study in the field because of difficulties controlling the environment in order to obtain statistical replicates, and because of the scale and expense of experimenting on populations. There may also be ethical issues. To circumvent these problems we used detailed simulations of the simultaneous behaviours of interacting animals in an accurate facsimile of a real Danish landscape. The models incorporate as much as possible of the behaviour and ecology of skylarks Alauda arvensis, voles Microtus agrestis, …

Aerobic Fitness Does Not Modulate Protein Metabolism In Response To Increased Exercise: A Controlled Trial, Tracey J. Smith, Matthew A. Pikosky, Ann Grediagin, Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa, Lauri O. Byerley, Ellen L. Glickman, Andrew J. Young

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: A sudden increase in exercise and energy expenditure is associated with an increase in protein turnover and nitrogen excretion. This study examined how a sudden increase in exercise-induced energy expenditure affected whole body protein metabolism and nitrogen balance in people of differing levels of aerobic fitness. We hypothesized that alterations in whole-body protein turnover would be attenuated, and nitrogen balance would be preserved, in individual with higher levels of aerobic fitness. METHODS: Eleven men, categorized as either having a lower (LOW-FIT; n = 5) or higher (FIT; n = 6) aerobic fitness level, completed a 4-d baseline period (BL) …

A Comparison Of Fluoroquinolones Versus Other Antibiotics For Treating Enteric Fever: Meta-Analysis, Durrane Thaver, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Julia Critchley, Asma Azmatullah, Syed Ali Madni, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: To review evidence supporting use of fluoroquinolones as first line agents over other antibiotics for treating typhoid and paratyphoid fever (enteric fever).
Design: Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources: Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group specialised register, CENTRAL (issue 4, 2007), Medline (1966-2007), Embase (1974-2007), LILACS (1982-2007), selected conferences, reference lists, and ongoing trial register (November 2007).
Review methods: Trials comparing fluoroquinolones with chloramphenicol, cephalosporins, or azithromycin in culture-proven enteric fever were included. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Trials recruiting over 60% children were analysed separately from trials on …

Preparation, Characterization And Ecotoxicological Evaluation Of Four Environmentally Relevant Species Of N-Isopropylacrylamide And N-Isopropylacrylamide-Co-N-Tert-Butylacrylamide Copolymer Nanoparticles, Pratap Naha, Alan Casey, Tiziana Tenuta, Iseult Lynch, Kenneth Dawson, Hugh Byrne, Maria Davoren

Articles

Poly N-isopropylacrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide / N-tert-butylacrylamide copolymer nanoparticles of 50 to 70 nm were prepared by free radical polymerisation. The particle sizes of the copolymer nanoparticles were measured in the test media Milli-Q water, Algae Media, Daphnia Media and Microtox Diluent as a function of temperature. Whereas in Milli-Q water the particle size was seen to decrease above the lower critical solution temperature of the thermoresponsive polymer, in the test media it was seen to increase significantly, indicative of aggregation. At the temperatures employed for the ecotoxicological studies all particles, with the exception of the 50:50 copolymer existed as nanoparticles, …

Effects Of The Polycyclic Musk Hhcb On Individual- And Population-Level Endpoints In Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Signe Pedersen, Henriette Selck, Daniel Salvito, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Although the polycyclic musk 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) is frequently detected in aquatic sediments, very little is known about its effects on sediment-feeding organisms. Effects of sediment-associated HHCB on growth, feeding rate, survival and reproduction in the gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum were measured in the laboratory. Snails were exposed to six nominal HHCB concentrations: 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 30 and 100 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) sediment. Adult survival and growth were not affected by HHCB. However, juvenile growth and survival, reproduction, time to first reproduction and adult feeding rate were more sensitive endpoints and declined with increasing HHCB concentration. Individual-level endpoints for …

Water Quality Changes In A Constructed Wetland At The Springs Preserve In Las Vegas, Nevada, Aaron Mathis Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Springs Preserve near downtown Las Vegas, Nevada contains a seven-acre constructed wetland. Springs Preserve managers are planning to use water from the constructed wetland to irrigate creeks immediately north of the wetland. These creeks will be used by a variety ofaquatic wildlife, including endangered amphibians sensitive to harmful metalloids, such as selenium, lead, and arsenic.

In an attempt to answer toxicological questions about contaminant concentrations in the constructed wetland, three metals and metalloids (selenium, arsenic, and lead), two nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and the major ionic species were analyzed at four sampling locations for aqueous concentrations, in two separate …

Mercury Concentrations In Muscle Tissue From Sportfish In Lake Mead, Nevada, Joanna L. Kramer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lake Mead is the largest reservoir by volume in the United States and provides fishing opportunities for numerous anglers. Considerable attention has been given to the bioaccumulation of methylmercury in fish tissues, however, no formal study utilizing approved USEPA methodology has been conducted to quantify the amount of mercury present in fish tissue from Lake Mead. The purpose of this study is to determine the concentrations of mercury present in the most commonly consumed fish from Lake Mead and to identify if any of the 4 major basins contain fish with elevated concentrations of mercury. Largemouth bass (n=49), striped bass …

In Vitro Toxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles In Human Lung Epithelial Cells, Christina R. Kearns

Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology is quickly becoming incorporated into everyday products and uses. Silver nanoparticles, specifically, are being used in commercial products, to include aerosols. The purpose of this research was to determine whether silver nanoparticles are toxic to human lung epithelial cells. Different types (coated vs. uncoated), concentrations (10, 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL) and sizes (coated 5 and 80nm, uncoated 10 and 80nm) of silver nanoparticles were used during this study. Toxicity measurements were completed through in vitro techniques. Another study was also completed on toxicity mechanisms by measuring the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated. Results showed that silver nanoparticles induce …

Accumulation Of Artemisinin Trioxane Derivatives Within Neutral Lipids Of Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria Parasites Is Endoperoxide-Dependent, Carmony L. Hartwig, Andrew S. Rosenthal, John D'Angelo, Carol E. Griffin, Gary H. Posner, Roland A. Cooper

Collected Faculty Scholarship

The antimalarial trioxanes, exemplified by the naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin and its semi-synthetic derivatives, contain an endoperoxide pharmacophore that lends tremendous potency against Plasmodium parasites. Despite decades of research, their mechanism of action remains unresolved. A leading model of anti-plasmodial activity hypothesizes that iron-mediated cleavage of the endoperoxide bridge generates cytotoxic drug metabolites capable of damaging cellular macromolecules. To probe the malarial targets of the endoperoxide drugs, we studied the distribution of fluorescent dansyl trioxane derivatives in living, intraerythrocytic-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites using microscopic imaging. The fluorescent trioxanes rapidly accumulated in parasitized erythrocytes, localizing within digestive vacuole-associated neutral lipid …

The Future (Or Lack Of Future) Of Personalized Prescription In Psychiatry, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Rapid technological advances in genetics have created conceptual chaos regarding the genetics of drug response. Terms for differing concepts are used interchangeably: pharmacogenetics with pharmacogenomics, personalized medicine with personalized prescription. Biomarker has many definitions. The author prefers the concept of personalized prescription and uses it with implications beyond pharmacogenetics by considering all scientific information valid for prescribing medication. Genetics may not be crucial for all drugs. In this comprehensive view, clinicians must consider genetic, environmental and personal variables when prescribing medication and incorporate some basic pharmacological principles: (1) safety and efficacy, (2) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, (3) therapeutic window and prescriber's …

Mutual Information For Testing Gene-Environment Interaction

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite current enthusiasm for investigation of gene-gene interactions and gene-environment interactions, the essential issue of how to define and detect gene-environment interactions remains unresolved. In this report, we define gene-environment interactions as a stochastic dependence in the context of the effects of the genetic and environmental risk factors on the cause of phenotypic variation among individuals. We use mutual information that is widely used in communication and complex system analysis to measure gene-environment interactions. We investigate how gene-environment interactions generate the large difference in the information measure of gene-environment interactions between the general population and a diseased population, which motives …

A Watershed Analysis Of Salmon Lake And Mcgrath Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond (2009, 1993)

In the summer and fall of 2009, the Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) studied the water quality of Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond, located in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water quality were measured and analyzed to evaluate the current health of these lakes. Water quality data collected during the summer and fall of 2009 were compared with data from previous years to study the historic water quality trends. Land use patterns in the Salmon/McGrath watershed were also examined to investigate their impact on the lake water quality. The water quality trends …

An Evaluation Of Potential Occupational Exposure To Asbestiform Amphiboles Near A Former Vermiculite Mine, Julie Hart, Terry Spear, Tony Ward, Caitlan Baldwin, Marissa Salo, Mohamed Elasheb

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Amphibole asbestos (AA) has been detected on the surface of tree bark in forests neighboring an abandoned vermiculite mine near Libby, Montana. In the present study, simulations were performed to assess potential AA exposure associated with United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS) occupational activities. Bark samples were collected prior, and personal breathing zone (PBZ) and Tyvek clothing wipe samples were collected during and immediately after trials that simulated FS activities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed AA bark concentrations up to 15 million structures per square centimeter (s/cm2). AA was detected in 25% of the PBZ TEM samples. …

In Vitro Studies On Metabolism Of Salvinorin A, Lukasz M. Kutrzeba, Vardan T. Karamyan, Robert C. Speth, John S. Williamson, Jordan K. Zjawiony

Office for Research Publications and Presentations

Microbial transformation of natural products is a well established model for mammalian metabolism. Salvinorin A, a diterpenoid isolated from the hallucinogenic mint Salvia divinorum Epling & Játiva-M (Lamiaceae), is a potent non-nitrogenous κ-opioid receptor agonist. The metabolism of salvinorin A has still not yet been well established. Thirty fungal species were screened for the ability to metabolize salvinorin A. We observed that salvinorin A undergoes fast hydrolysis of the acetate group at carbon atom C2, resulting in formation of the pharmacologically inactive product, salvinorin B. Ex vivo experiments were also performed using organelle fractions isolated from rat liver and brain. …

Effects Of Direct Mechanical Ventricular Actuation On The Apoptotic Signaling Of A Failing Heart, Scott Kerns

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease accounts for more than 40% of all deaths in the United States (AHA-2004 report). A non blood contacting ventricular assist device (VAD) can be used to treat heart failure without the complications that arise from blood contacting VADs. This study used cellular markers of heart failure as indicators of heart function in an attempt to assess if direct mechanical ventricular actuation (DMVA) support lessened the impact of heart failure in rabbits. Cell signaling proteins were monitored using enzyme activity measurements and quantitative immunoblotting with antibodies against intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways during heart failure with and without DMVA …

Insomnia: Its Causes, Its Consequences, And Its Cures, Shoshana Fried

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Insomnia is a complaint that affects almost all Americans at some point throughout their lives. However, only chronic insomnia is truly a disorder. This type of insomnia can be caused by various reasons, whether physiological, molecular, or psychological. This paper will elaborate on a number of possible causes for insomnia. Furthermore, this paper will present some of the many adverse effects that are caused by the sleep deprivation resulting from chronic insomnia. There are many possible treatments available to help against insomnia. This paper will explain 53 some of the behavioral methods. In addition, it will discuss the many different …

Botox And Its Effect On Wrinkles, Rochelle Eckstein

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Clostridia Botulinum (C. Botulinum) is a bacterium that produces a unique exotoxin, botulinum toxin (BTX). BTX induces flaccid muscle paralysis by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the cholinergic nerve endings. Recently, Botox, developed from BTX, has become a popular solution to reduce the appearance of hyper-functional facial rhytids. Facial wrinkles are caused by repetitive muscle contraction, and a treatment that directly addresses this will be effective. Injections of Botox temporarily relax or paralyze these muscles. This paper will briefly discuss the bacterial basis of Botox and its development. It will explain how the mechanism of action of BTX can …

The Effect Of Exercise On Alzheimer’S Disease, Benjamin Korman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, from which there is no recovery. It begins with impaired memory and judgement and progresses to the point where those affected can no longer care themselves. Although the cause of AD is unknown, two significant abnormalities occur in the brain of its victims: neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. It has been well established that exercise improves mood and general well-being, however this paper will focus on the effect of exercise on AD. It will show that exercise can improve physical functioning of an individual with AD, however more importantly it will focus …

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 …

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 …

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 …