Other Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films For Sequential And/Or Intermittent Release Of Psychoactive Drugs, Jason Price

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT JASON BLAKE PRICE: Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films for Sequential and/or

Intermittent Release of Psychoactive Drugs For patients with psychiatric diseases, adherence to medication schedules, medication

errors, and abuse are common issues. Promising new forms of therapy for these patients, such as micro-dosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), where patients receive 10-20% of a full dose every third day, present further drug delivery challenges. Sequential or intermittent release of drugs from an implanted device could ensure long-term drug compliance, automate drug dosing during the life of the implant, and eliminate potential for abuse and medication errors. To this end, we generated …

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (Ndma) Contamination Of Ranitidine Products: A Review Of Recent Findings, Fahad S. Aldawsari, Yahya M. Alshehri, Thamer S. Alghamdi

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Ranitidine is a medication that has been used to alleviate heartburn and other disorders for over 40 years. Following reports of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) contamination in ranitidine products, there have been many recalls and registration suspensions. Here, we revise the literature information confirming ranitidine association with NDMA. Then, we highlight the documented mechanisms for NDMA release from ranitidine. In addition, the stability issue for this medicine is discussed. After that, we review and discuss the results of the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration laboratory testing of ranitidine products and the detected NDMA levels. Finally, …

The Feasibility Of Renewable Natural Gas In New Jersey, Anneliese Dyer, Amelia Christine Miller, Brianna Chandra, Juan Galindo Maza, Carley Tran, Justin Bates, Vicky Olivier, Amy Tuininga

Publications

With traditional natural gas being one of the top options for heating in the United States and the present threat of climate change, there is a demand for an alternative clean fuel source. A Renewable Natural Gas Implementation Decision-Making Conceptual Model was created to provide a framework for considering the feasibility of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects and applied to New Jersey, specifically investigating landfills and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Data from the US EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program and New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Sewage Sludge databases were used to identify seven landfills and 22 WWTPs as possible …

Inhibition Of Biofilm Formation By The Synergistic Action Of Egcg-S And Antibiotics, Shrameeta Shinde, Lee Lee, Tinchun Chu

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Biofilm, a stress-induced physiological state, is an established means of antimicrobial tolerance. A perpetual increase in multidrug resistant (MDR) infections associated with high mortality and morbidity have been observed in healthcare settings. Multiple studies have indicated that the use of natural products can prevent bacterial growth. Recent studies in the field have identified that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea polyphenol, could disrupt bacterial biofilms. A modified lipid-soluble EGCG, epigallocatechin-3-gallate-stearate (EGCG-S), has enhanced the beneficial properties of green tea. This study focuses on utilizing EGCG-S as a novel synergistic agent with antibiotics to prevent or control biofilm. Different formulations of …

Open Neuroscience Initiative, Austin Lim

College of Science and Health Full Text Publications

The Open Neuroscience Initiative is a free-to-use textbook

This project began as a means to overcoming the financial burden that face undergraduate neuroscience students when buying textbooks. By compiling and writing a completely free-to-access textbook that covers the foundations of a typical college introduction to neuroscience course, students would have one less obstacle to overcome in their educational career, allowing them to focus their valuable time and attention on learning rather than finances. To make this project a reality, I began with a humble tweet in May 2019 that managed to gain a tiny bit of traction among the neuroscience …

Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Natural And Unnatural Amino Acids As Drug Delivery Tools And Antimicrobial Agents, David Salehi

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

Cell-penetrating peptides containing arginine as positively charged residues and tryptophan or diphenylalanine as hydrophobic residues were synthesized. The synthesis was accomplished through the Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis in the presence of HBTU and DIPEA. The side-chain protected linear peptides were cleaved from the resin and cyclized in the presence of DIC and HOAt in the solution phase overnight. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was used to characterize the peptides.

The cytotoxicity of the synthesized peptides was determined in CCRF-CEM (human, lymphoblast peripheral blood), and HEK-293 (human, embryonic epithelial kidney healthy) cells using the MTS assay. A concentration of 10 µM was found …

Achieving Better Care In Pennsylvania By Allowing Pharmacists To Practice Pharmacy, Travis Murray

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Traditionally, state legislatures implemented Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (“PDMPs”) to assist prescribers, pharmacists, and law enforcement in identifying patients likely to misuse, abuse, or divert controlled substances. PDMP databases contain a catalog of a patient’s recent controlled substances that pharmacies have filled, including the date, location, the quantity of medication filled, and the prescribing health care provider. Prescribers in Pennsylvania have a duty to query the PDMP before prescribing controlled substances in most clinical settings. Pharmacists have a similar duty in Pennsylvania to dispense safe and effective medication therapy to patients and to screen patients for potential signs of misuse, …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

The Effects Of Maternal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And Cannabidiol Exposure On Fetal Heart Development In Mice, Gregory Robinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Up to 22.6% of pregnant women consume cannabis during pregnancy despite the uncertainty of teratogenicity of the main ingredients in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). This study tested the hypothesis that gestational THC and CBD exposure leads to heart abnormalities. Daily, oral THC exposure induced heart abnormalities in 68% of offspring with three main phenotypes including thickened semilunar valves, ventricular myocardial hypertrophy and hypoplastic coronary arteries in fetuses, and postnatal cardiac dysfunction. Altered gene expression of key cardiogenic regulators, increased proliferation, and reduced epicardial epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition were demonstrated implicating potential mechanisms responsible for these abnormalities. Also, maternal CBD exposure resulted …

Disadvantaged Vs. Non-Disadvantaged Drinking Water: San Joaquin County Groundwater Variable By Contaminant, Megan Brooks

Master's Projects and Capstones

This research explored drinking water wells that have detectable levels of arsenic and nitrate in disadvantaged vs. non-disadvantaged communities in San Joaquin County. The CalEnviroScreen 3.0 program and Groundwater Ambient Monitoring Program (GAMA) are used to measure disadvantaged communities and water quality data respectively. The CalEnviroScreen 3.0 scoring formula is used to calculate which census tracts are disadvantaged based on indices that measure pollution burden and population characteristics. The scoring is then combined with a census tract layer using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. The disadvantaged community data are overlaid with GAMA groundwater well data to locate which communities are …

Chemically Induced Phytoextraction Of Lead (Pb) Contaminated Soil By Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.), Austin Gilly

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Soils contaminated with lead (Pb) from human activities including industrial byproducts create an environmental and human health risk. Phytoextraction through chemical acquisition of Pb in soils offer a potentially cost effective and ecologically driven approach to remediation. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is known to have a tolerance for a wide range of heavy metals including Pb. Switchgrass is also able to grow in a wide range of climates. Soil chemistry manipulation, using chelates and plant growth promoters could provide an effective field method for phytoremediation using switchgrass. In this study chemically enhanced phytoextraction using the soil-fungicide Infuse (active ingredient …

Aspergillus Niger Decreases Bioavailability Of Arsenic(V) Via Biotransformation Of Manganese Oxide Into Biogenic Oxalate Minerals, Bence Farkas, Marek Kolenčík, Miroslav Hain, Edmund Dobročka, Gabriela Kratošová, Marek Bujdoš, Huan Feng, Yang Deng, Qian Yu, Ramakanth Illa, B. Ratna Sunil, Hyunjung Kim, Peter Matúš, Martin Urík

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of this work was to evaluate the transformation of manganese oxide (hausmannite) by microscopic filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger and the effects of the transformation on mobility and bioavailability of arsenic. Our results showed that the A. niger strain CBS 140837 greatly affected the stability of hausmannite and induced its transformation into biogenic crystals of manganese oxalates—falottaite and lindbergite. The transformation was enabled by fungal acidolysis of hausmannite and subsequent release of manganese ions into the culture medium. While almost 45% of manganese was bioextracted, the arsenic content in manganese precipitates increased throughout the 25-day static cultivation of fungus. …

Prevalence Of Tuberculosis In District Haveli, Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz, Ghazal Tariq, Ayesha Faiz, Lariab Zahra Faiz

Journal of Bioresource Management

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease with a common occurrence in population of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The current study was designed to find out the prevalence of TB among the general population of a less developed District Haveli. Samples were collected from different hospitals and TB centers located in district Haveli and tested through sputum smear microscopy for conformation of positive for TB. The three-year (2015 to 2018) study was conducted to record prevalence of tuberculosis in selected area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The trend line of prevalence was made by using (SPSS software). Results produced linear trends yearly …

Foliar Application Of Low Concentrations Of Titanium Dioxide And Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles To The Common Sunflower Under Field Conditions, Marek Kolenčík, Dávid Ernst, Martin Urík, Ľuba Ďurišová, Marek Bujdoš, Martin Šebesta, Edmund Dobročka, Samuel Kšiňan, Ramakanth Illa, Qian Yu, Huan Feng, Ivan Černý, Veronika Holišová, Gabriela Kratošová

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Nano-fertilisers have only recently been introduced to intensify plant production, and there still remains inadequate scientific knowledge on their plant-related effects. This paper therefore compares the effects of two nano-fertilisers on common sunflower production under field conditions. The benefits arising from the foliar application of micronutrient-based zinc oxide fertiliser were compared with those from the titanium dioxide plant-growth enhancer. Both the zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were delivered by foliar application in nano-size at a concentration of 2.6 mg·L⁻¹. The foliar-applied nanoparticles (NPs) had good crystallinity and a mean size distribution under 30 nm. …

Understanding Neonicotinoid Related Immunosuppression: A Potential For Beneficial Bacterial Intervention, John A. Chmiel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The use of neonicotinoid pesticides has been implicated in the recent decrease of honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations. In this thesis, a Drosophila melanogaster model was used to characterize immune impairment associated with imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) exposure and test the ability of beneficial bacteria (lactobacilli) to alleviate these harmful effects. The experiments outlined in chapters 2 and 3 demonstrate that imidacloprid alters the gut microbiota by exploiting the cooperation between gut immune pathways. The pesticide reduces expression of Duox via dysregulation of the immune deficiency pathway resulting in decreased hydrogen peroxide production. This contributes to the microbiota changes but …

Optimization Of Dna Extraction From Human Milk, Cassandra Z. Rutherford

Graduate Theses

Background: Techniques are emerging for determining the best and most cost-effective way to test for human milk adulteration. Currently, the literature is focused on the use of qPCR testing, a technique used to isolate and amplify pieces of DNA for analysis. However, no recommendation currently exists on the best DNA extraction kit to use to achieve optimal DNA yield or purity from human milk samples for downstream qPCR use. Thus, the objective of this study is to assess and compare two DNA extraction kits for use with human milk samples for future DNA-based analysis in the testing for bovine milk …

Hexadecane Petroleum, And Biofuel Utilization In Marine Bacteria Isolated From Ballast Tanks, Alex Yashchenko

Student Dissertations & Theses

This study characterized the growth of bacteria isolated from ballast tank fluids in hexadecane, petroleum, plant, and algae-derived fuels. The study was performed to explore the capacity of ballast tank isolates to survive and grow within fuels that may be stored within ballast tanks. Results of the hexadecane analysis indicated that most isolates had higher viable cell counts in media supplemented with hexadecane. Members of Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, and a single Brevundimonas species had viable cell counts that were one or several orders ofmagnitude greater than that of controls. Results offuel analysis indicated higher viable cell counts in pure JP-5 and …

Volatile Organic Compound Exposure And Cardiometabolic Syndrome Risk In A Nationally Representative Cohort., Stacey Lane Konkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The relative importance of environmental exposures such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the paramount public health priorities of our time, yet is presently unstudied. VOCs are ubiquitous in the environment and have been associated with numerous adverse health effects, including a number of cardiovascular and metabolic effects that are components of Cardiometabolic Syndrome (CMS). OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between CMS and individual-level exposures to VOCs, measured as urinary metabolites of VOCs (UM-VOCs), in a nationally representative sample. METHODS: Associations between urinary biomarkers of exposure to 19 parent VOCs and CMS were assessed using the National …

The Influence Of Acidification And Copper Exposure On Copper Accumulation And Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Responses In The Pond Snail, Lymnaea Stagnalis, Gretchen K. Bielmyer-Fraser, Francis Alip, Ruth Adeyemi, Nolan Carney, Fasinia Santiago, Kyla Siemen, Kiley Donaghy

Georgia Journal of Science

Atmospheric carbon dioxide is rising at an accelerated rated due to increased anthropogenic activities. Metals have also been a noted problem; however, little research has addressed combined exposure of both pollutants to sensitive, calcifying organisms in freshwater habitats. This study examined copper accumulation (over 7 d) and activity of the antioxidant enzymes, catalase and glutathione peroxidase (over 2 d), in the freshwater common pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, after exposure to ambient and increased (2000 µatm) CO₂ and copper (control, 5, and 20 µg/L). Results demonstrated increased copper accumulation in soft tissue of snails exposed to copper; however, exposure to …

It’S Not Cuul To Juul: Nicotine Addiction, The Rise Of E-Cigarette Usage, And How Zebrafish Can Help, Anna Pearson

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

The Diffusion Of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Methods And Data Analytics Into An Undergraduate Nursing Research Course, Mary Anne Schultz

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

The project is the adoption of principles of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning and Data Analytics into a traditional nursing research (hypothesis testing) course. Necessitated by the recent entrance of “Big Data” use in health care, there is an urgent need to inject an understanding of the AI/ML techniques necessary to extract, organize and derive meaning from this huge amount of evidence in clinical decision-making. In fact, our department recently approved the adoption of Precision Health (PH) (the clinical use of the plethora of highly-individualized data in health & medical decisions) principles into six undergraduate courses, NURS 4222 (Nursing Research & …

The Effect Of Seasonality On Yellow Perch Ecology And Ecotoxicology Within Lake Manganese, Bailey Duxbury

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Seasonality is a consistent component of aquatic ecosystems yet most fish biological and ecotoxicological studies commonly employ field sampling protocols focused during the warm open water season with minimal emphasis placed on winter sampling, especially for north-temperate latitude ecosystems. Such strategies limit our understanding of poikilotherm biology and ecology during the overwintering seasons. Here, I investigated seasonal changes in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) biology, ecology and ecotoxicology over a one-year period in Lake Manganese. Significant seasonality was observed for metrics including fish energy densities (kJ/g), gonadosomatic indices, whole-body lipid contents, and carbon stable isotope values (δ¹³C). …

Antifungal Defense Molecules From Bacterial Symbionts Of North American Trachymyrmex Ants, Georgia Scherer

CMC Senior Theses

Defensive symbioses, in which microbes provide molecular defenses for an animal host, hold great potential as untapped sources of therapeutically useful antibiotics. Fungus-growing ants use antifungal defenses from bacterial symbionts to suppress pathogenic fungi in their nests. Preliminary chemical investigations of symbiotic bacteria from this large family of ants have uncovered novel antifungal molecules with therapeutic potential, such as dentigerumycin and selvamicin.

In this study, the bacterial symbionts of North American Trachymyrmex fungus-growing ants are investigated for antifungal molecules. Plate-based bioassays using ecologically-relevant fungal pathogens confirmed that these bacteria have antifungal activity. In order to purify and identify the antifungal …

The Exploration Of Nanotoxicological Copper And Interspecific Saccharomyces Hybrids, Matthew Joseph Winans Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Nanotechnology takes advantage of cellular biology’s natural nanoscale operations by interacting with biomolecules differently than soluble or bulk materials, often altering normal cellular processes such as metabolism or growth. To gain a better understanding of how copper nanoparticles hybridized on cellulose fibers called carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) affected growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mechanisms of toxicity were explored. Multiple methodologies covering genetics, proteomics, metallomics, and metabolomics were used during this investigation. The work that lead to this dissertation discovered that these cellulosic copper nanoparticles had a unique toxicity compared to copper. Further investigation suggested a possible ionic or molecular mimicry …

Hear Me Roar, Abigail R. Seethoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Hear Me Roar, a compilation of personal essays interspersed with short forms, grapples with the nuances of compliance versus autonomy in the context of the male gaze, beauty standards, and pop culture. The collection also explores what it means to treasure something—another person, an object—and how to express and deepen that affection.

The Effect Of Prebiotics On Intestinal Digestion Of Carbohydrates In Lead Intoxicated Rats, Lubov S. Kuchkarova, Irodakhon I. Karimova, Gulchekhra T. Kudeshova, Khasan Yu. Kayumov

Bulletin of National University of Uzbekistan: Mathematics and Natural Sciences

It has been shown the lead intoxication of growing rats result in increase the cavity and membrane carbohydrate hydrolysis and glucose absorption from small intestine which leads to hyperglicemiya. The oral treatment of intoxicated rats with inulin or lactulose results in decrease of carbohydrate assimilation in small intestine and content glucose level in blood. The correcting effect of lactulose on normalization of carbohydrate assimilation is more expressed in compare with inulin. So, inulin and/or lactulose take part in improving of adaptation of the carbohydrate assimilation system in the small intestine during intoxication with lead ions in growing rats. This suggests …

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Induces Accumulation Of Lysosomes And Caspase-Independent Cell Death In U373mg Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells, Gillian Conway, Zhonglei He, Ana L. Hutanu, George P. Cribaro, Eline Manaloto, Alan Casey, Damien Traynor, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Orla Howe, Carlos Barcia, James T. Murray, Patrick Cullen, James Curtin

Articles

Room temperature Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) has shown promising efficacy for the treatment of cancer but the exact mechanisms of action remain unclear. Both apoptosis and necrosis have been implicated as the mode of cell death in various cancer cells. We have previously demonstrated a caspase-independent mechanism of cell death in p53-mutated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells exposed to plasma. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in caspase-independent cell death induced by plasma treatment. We demonstrate that plasma induces rapid cell death in GBM cells, independent of caspases. Accumulation of vesicles was observed in plasma …

Mechanisms Of Simvastatin Myotoxicity: The Role Of Autophagy Flux Inhibition., Arya Emami, Shahla Shojaei, Simone C. Da Silva Rosa, Mahmoud Aghaei, Ehsan Samiei, Amir Reza Vosoughi, Forouh Kalantari, Philip Kawalec, James Thliveris, Pawan Sharma, Amir A. Zeki, Mohsen Akbari, Joseph W. Gordon, Saeid Ghavami

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Statins are some of the most widely used drugs worldwide, but one of their major side effects is myotoxicity. Using mouse myoblast (C2C12) and human alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines (RH30) in both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) cell culture, we investigated the mechanisms of simvastatin's myotoxicity. We found that simvastatin significantly reduced cell viability in C2C12 cells compared to RH30 cells. However, simvastatin induced greater apoptosis in RH30 compared to C2C12 cells. Simvastatin-induced cell death is dependent on geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) in C2C12 cells, while in RH30 cells it is dependent on both farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and GGPP. Simvastatin inhibited …

Molecular Responses To Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Contaminants In Estuarine Fish, Elizabeth Jones

Dissertations

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill resulted in the oiling of approximately 2100 km of shoreline. During that time, resident organisms had to contend with the effects of multiple contaminants and suboptimal environmental conditions. This research examines the molecular effects of DWH oil spill contaminants in estuarine fish (CyprinodonvariegatusandFundulusgrandis) across multiple life stages, contaminant concentrations, and in conjunction with environmental stressors.

Our results indicate that:

1. Oil elicits substantial transcriptional effects across life stages in C. variegatus. In adults, exposure to low concentrations of oil and dispersant results in transcriptional effects related …

A Pharmacokinetic Model Of Lead Absorption And Calcium Competitive Dynamics, Anca R. Radulescu

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.