Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Echinococcus Multilocularis In Foxes And Raccoon Dogs: An Increasing Concern For Baltic Countries, Guna Bagrade, Gunita Deksne, Zanda Ozoliņa, Samantha Jane Howlett, Maria Interisano, Adriano Casulli, Edoardo Pozio

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Background

In Europe, the life cycle of Echinococcus multilocularis is predominantly sylvatic, involving red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as the main definitive hosts and rodents such as muskrats and arvicolids as intermediate hosts. The parasite is the etiological agent of human alveolar echinococcosis, a malignant zoonotic disease caused by the accidental ingestion of eggs shed by definitive hosts in their feces. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of E. multilocularis in red foxes and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and to study the environmental factors favoring the perpetuation of the parasite in Latvia. …

Bioactivity/Cytotoxicity Of Micro-/Nano-Materials And Novel Development Of Fiber-Optic Probes For Single Cell Monitoring, Qingbo Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Manufactured nano-/micro-materials (MNMs) have been widely used and their interactions with niche biological environment are highly concerned for both of their biohazardous and bioactive effects, whereas no available comprehensive evaluations or regulations have been provided yet. This dissertation thus focuses on three major aspects: 1) fundamental toxicity understandings of a typical MNMs (zinc oxide nanoparticles), 2) bioactivity evaluations of representative bioactive MNMs, and 3) development of novel micro-probes for high spatial resolution monitoring. Firstly, the NP's concentration, irradiation, hydrodynamic size, and the localized pH, ionic strength, NP zeta-potential as well as dissolved oxygen levels were found correlated with the production …

Lifetime And Effectiveness Evaluation Of Ceramic Pot Filters, Carlo Salvinelli

Doctoral Dissertations

"Poor water quality is a major contributing factor to disease in developing countries. Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) represent an effective and sustainable technology for poor communities, but the characterization of CPF lifetimes is on-going, and the water production seems to be the limiting factor. This dissertation describes laboratory and field investigations conducted to characterize the parameters that impact CPF effectiveness and lifetime in terms of water production and treatment efficacy, both under controlled and real use conditions.

CPF initial flow rate is the most common quality control parameter, but it may not be representative of the long-term effectiveness of the …

The Role Of Oxidative Stress In The Mechanisms Of Ammonia-Induced Brain Swelling And Tolerance In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), David F. Jones Lisser Mr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Toxic build-ups of ammonia can cause potentially fatal brain swelling in mammals, but such swelling is reversible in the anoxia- and ammonia-tolerant goldfish (Carassius auratus). The mechanisms of ammonia-induced brain swelling and tolerance remain elusive, but several studies have suggested a role for reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may damage proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane of astrocytes in the brain. As a result, osmotic gradients across cell membranes may be altered leading to water uptake by astrocytes and swelling. While a role for ROS has been proposed in mammals, no studies have addressed this question in …

Do Toxicity Modifying Factors Influence Acute Or Chronic Toxicity Of Thulium To Hyalella Azteca?, Alexandria H. Loveridge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The industrial demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is growing and as a result, environmental exposure is a concern. Very little is understood about the toxicity of REEs in aquatic environments. The objective of this research is to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicity of Tm and to also understand the toxicity modifying influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and cationic competition (Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+). Furthermore, the aim of this study was to determine linkages between Tm bioaccumulation, growth and survival during chronic exposures. Standard methods (Environment Canada) were followed for both 96h acute and 14d chronic tests, in …

Attached Algae As An Indicator Of Water Quality: A Study Of The Viability Of Genomic Taxonomic Methods, Allison R. Wood

Honors Theses and Capstones

This research involved evaluating algae as an indicator of water quality in New Hampshire's rivers, with a focus on the Great Bay Estuary. The project had three main goals. First, determining whether or not algae would work as an indicator of water quality in the great bay ecosystem, an environment where tidal currents are strong and water composition is mixed. The second goal was to compare traditional microscopic methods of taxonomy with emerging genomic methods, increasing the economic viability of attached algae monitoring. The third project goal, still underway, is to evaluate massive amounts of genomic data from the Great …

Childhood Obesity, A Public Health Crisis: Narrative Review Of Public Health Interventions For Childhood Obesity, Sumera Aziz Ali, Savera Aziz Ali, Nadir Suhail, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Gulshan Bano

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: Child obesity is the major pediatric public health crisis of the current century and its trend is increasing in the developing countries due to nutrition and epidemiologic transition. Considering the burden of childhood obesity and its associated outcomes need for obesity prevention in children has become priority both for government and researchers.
Objective: The objective of this review is to provide the updated knowledge and evidence from various research studies, designed to provide interventions either in school or at home.
Methodology: Electronic databases like Google scholar, PubMed and Sciencedirect were used as search engines. Key terms used during the …

The Smell Of Hopelessness, Juline Cariba Rachel Party

Capstones

Rafts of sargassum seaweed kilometers wide have been invading the Caribbean for more than five years, but 2015 was the worst. Tons of seaweed stretch from Texas south to Trinidad and Tobago, with the Lesser Antilles suffering the most damage. Residents near beaches are exposed to an insidious and pernicious danger, scientists say, from fumes that smell like rotten eggs, emitted by the decaying algae. The odor also drives tourists away from beaches and restaurants, and the tourism economy is collapsing.Amid the algae crisis, an elderly woman, Virginie Mark, is trying to survive. She struggles with her health, finances and …

Compensatory Mechanisms And T Cell Migration In Mouse Models Of Dopaminergic Loss, Kristi M. Anderson

Theses & Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder and second most common neurodegenerative disorder. PD is characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and dopamine neurotransmitter within the substantia nigra and termini in the striatum. Progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons occurs over many years in PD, and by the time movement disorder symptoms manifest, up to 50-70% of dopaminergic neurons have been lost. Several aspects of PD pathology have been described in detail, but a better understanding of PD progression is needed to develop more efficient treatments.

Motor symptoms associated with PD do not manifest until significant …

The Role Of The State, Multinational Oil Companies, International Law & The International Community: Intersection Of Human Rights & Environmental Degradation Climate Change In The 21st Century Caused By Traditional Extractive Practices, The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous People And Universal Jurisdiction To Resolve The Accountability Issue, Marcela Cabrera Luna

Master's Theses

Local, national and international conventions that protect indigenous sovereignty and their territories, where many of the resources are extracted from by multinational corporations (MNCs) particularly oil, the number one commodity of the world and cause of climate change, continue to be jeopardized because of the lack of a clear international legal framework that can protect them and potentially hold multinationals accountable for their actions. These practices are causing not only environmental issues to the indigenous and surrounding communities, but climate change is in fact, the real human rights issue of the 21^st century and it affects everyone. By using …

Impact Of Executive Order 13211 On Environmental Regulation: An Empirical Study, Elizabeth Ann Glass Geltman

Publications and Research

A great deal has been written about the Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempting oil and gas operations using hydraulic fracturing from the purview of certain federal environmental laws. Far less attention has been paid to George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13211 (EO 13211), entitled “Actions Concerning Regulations that Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution or Use.” The executive order requires federal agencies to evaluate the impact of federal regulations on “supply, distribution and use of energy.” This study examined the impact of EO 13211 on United States environmental and conservation regulations proposed and promulgated by federal agencies. The study found …

Is Dexamethasone 4mg A More Effective Anti-Emetic Than Dexamethasone 8mg For The Prevention Of Early Post-Operative Nausea And Vomiting In Women Undergoing Laparoscopic Gynecological Surgery?, Steven B. Doyle

Doctoral Projects

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common problem in the surgical setting. It affects as much as 20 to 80 percent of patients undergoing surgery (D'souza, Swami, & Bhagwat, 2011). PONV can lead to increased patient costs and recovery time by causing the patient to stay in the healthcare facility for a longer period of time. A retrospective cohort study was completed to examine whether or not there was a significant difference between patients who received 4mg and 8mg of dexamethasone in the incidence of PONV. All patients studied received ondansetron intraoperatively as their primary anti-emetic. English speaking patients …

The Effectiveness Of A Preoperative Multimodal Antiemetic Regimen On Reducing Early Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients, Jerry Mosley

Doctoral Projects

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) occurs frequently in all types of surgeries including after total joint orthopedic procedures. The resulting PONV can lead to many unwanted occurrences including immobilization, distress, and many serious adverse health complications. These unwanted occurrences may then lead to increased cost to the patient and healthcare facility. Administration of a preoperative multimodal regimen known to reduce PONV has the potential to reduce such unwanted anesthetic side effects influencing a reduction in overall healthcare cost. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the preoperative kit which includes the administration of metoclopramide, famotidine, ondansetron, …

Chronic Ethanol Exposure Enhances The Aggressiveness Of Breast Cancer: The Role Of P38Γ, Mei Xu, Siying Wang, Zhenhua Ren, Jacqueline A. Frank, Xiuwei H. Yang, Zhuo Zhang, Zun-Ji Ke, Xianglin Shi, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that ethanol may enhance aggressiveness of breast cancer. We have previously demonstrated that short term exposure to ethanol (12–48 hours) increased migration/invasion in breast cancer cells overexpressing ErbB2, but not in breast cancer cells with low expression of ErbB2, such as MCF7, BT20 and T47D breast cancer cells. In this study, we showed that chronic ethanol exposure transformed breast cancer cells that were not responsive to short term ethanol treatment to a more aggressive phenotype. Chronic ethanol exposure (10 days - 2 months) at 100 (22 mM) or 200 mg/dl (44 mM) caused the …

Street Drug Markets Beyond Favelas In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Elenice De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Silva, Marcos Oliveira Prates

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines whether social disorganization mechanisms that explain clusters of street drug markets in socially disorganized neighborhoods in developed countries can also help explain geographical patterns of drug dealing across neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data for this study includes drug arrests from 2007 to 2011 and socio demographic data from the 2010 Census. To examine the influence of exploratory variables on drug market locations, the Negative Binominal regression model was used at two levels of analysis—the Belo Horizonte city center and other neighborhoods including favelas. The findings show that a high hot spot of street drug markets located …

Lead Exposure In Children Through Water And Soil, Sravya Maru

Environmental Management & Risk Assessment (PH 560)

Lead is a metal which has the ability to spread in the earth’s crust and has corrosive property. It is a naturally occurring metal which is soft in nature. Lead exposure in children is through various pathways and the major concentrated sources are the soil and drinking water. Children are most susceptible to lead exposure is due to their growing/developing bodies which are very sensitive to lead. Lead poisoning in children is a preventable environmental disease affecting many children around the world. This paper discusses how soil and water plays a major role in lead exposure to children’s routine life. …

High Prevalence And Genetic Heterogeneity Of Rodent-Borne Bartonella Species On Heixiazi Island, China, Dong-Mei Li, Yong Hou, Xiu-Ping Song, Ying-Qun Fu, Gui-Chang Li, Ming Li, Marina E. Eremeeva, Hai-Xia Wu, Bo Pang, Yu-Juan Yue, Ying Huang, Liang Lu, Jun Wang, Qi-Yong Liu

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

We performed genetic analysis of Bartonella isolates from rodent populations from Heixiazi Island in northeast China. Animals were captured at four sites representing grassland and brushwood habitats in 2011 and examined for the prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella species, their relationship to their hosts, and geographic distribution. A high prevalence (57.7%) and a high diversity (14 unique genotypes which belonged to 8 clades) of Bartonella spp. were detected from 71 rodents comprising 5 species and 4 genera from 3 rodent families. Forty-one Bartonella isolates were recovered and identified, including B. taylorii, B. japonica, B. coopersplainsensis, B. grahamii, B. washoensis …

Comparative Aquatic Toxicity Of A Commercial Naphthenic Acid And Processes For Mitigating Risks, Ciera Kinley

All Theses

Comparative toxicity data can inform predictions of relative risk, and can be used to implement strategies for altering exposures to mitigate risk. Naphthenic acids (NAs) are a complex group of carboxylic acids that naturally occur in petroleum sources and energy-derived process waters (e.g. refinery effluents and oil sands process affected waters). These compounds are relatively persistent in water and can be a source of toxicity to aquatic organisms. In the first experiment of this thesis, responses of sentinel aquatic organisms to 7-d exposures of commercial (Fluka) NAs were measured (in terms of acute toxicity) to discern relative sensitivities. In terms …

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Ethanol Neurotoxicity, Fanmuyi Yang, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Ethanol abuse affects virtually all organ systems and the central nervous system (CNS) is particularly vulnerable to excessive ethanol exposure. Ethanol exposure causes profound damages to both the adult and developing brain. Prenatal ethanol exposure induces fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) which is associated with mental retardation and other behavioral deficits. A number of potential mechanisms have been proposed for ethanol-induced brain damage; these include the promotion of neuroinflammation, interference with signaling by neurotrophic factors, induction of oxidative stress, modulation of retinoid acid signaling, and thiamine deficiency. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) regulates posttranslational protein processing and transport. The accumulation of …

Macrobenthic Communities In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxic Zone: Testing The Pearson-Rosenberg Model, Shivakumar Shivarudrappa

Dissertations

The Pearson and Rosenberg (P-R) conceptual model of macrobenthic succession was used to assess the impact of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen [DO] ≤ 2 mg/L) on the macrobenthic community on the continental shelf of northern Gulf of Mexico for the first time. The model uses a stress-response relationship between environmental parameters and the macrobenthic community to determine the ecological condition of the benthic habitat. The ecological significance of dissolved oxygen in a benthic habitat is well understood. In addition, the annual recurrence of bottom-water hypoxia on the Louisiana/Texas shelf during summer months is well documented.

The P-R model illustrates the decreasing …