Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Covid-19 Vaccination And Alcohol Consumption: Justification Of Risks, Pavel A. Solopov

Bioelectrics Publications

Since the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions have been actively working to develop vaccines, and the mass roll-out of vaccinations against COVID-19 began in January 2021. At the same time, during lockdowns, the consumption of alcoholic beverages increased. During the peak of vaccination, consumption remained at high levels around the world, despite the gradual relaxation of quarantine restrictions. Two of the popular queries on search engines were whether it is safe to drink alcohol after vaccination and whether this will affect the effectiveness of vaccines. Over the past two …

Biomonitoring Of Exposure To Multiple Metal Components In Urine, Hair And Nails Of Apprentice Welders Performing Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Smaw), Jairo Buitrago-Cortes, Philippe Sarazin, Denis Dieme, Jonathan Côté, Capucine Ouellet, Naïma El Majidi, Michèle Bouchard

Études primaires

Welding fumes are associated with various diseases. Increased air levels of metals were reported during welding. However, few multielement biomonitoring studies were conducted to assess the actual dose of metal components absorbed in apprentice welders in a learning environment. This research aimed to establish the nature and level of exposure to welding fumes and their metallic components in apprentice welders performing ‘Shielded Metal Arc Welding’ (SMAW), based on multi-element and multi-matrix analyses. A total of 86 apprentice welders were recruited in three different schools in Montreal, Québec, Canada. Twenty-one elements were measured in urine, hair, fingernail, and toenail samples collected …

Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Quantitation Of O-Cresol In Hydrolyzed Human Urine To Assess Toluene Exposure, Eric Langlois, Sébastien Gagné

Études primaires

Rationale

Toluene is a volatile organic compound used in domestic and industrial applications. The main routes of workplace exposure to toluene are inhalation and dermal contact. As toluene exposure can cause severe nervous system damage, its quantification is crucial to prevent occupational illness. Toluene is metabolized mainly as hippuric acid, S-benzylmercapturic acid and epoxides. These are rapidly converted to o-/p-cresol, which is then excreted in the urine as conjugated glucuronides and sulfates. o-Cresol and its conjugates can be chemically hydrolyzed to form free o-cresol, which can then serve as a urinary biomarker of toluene exposure. Current …

Bioaccumulation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Compounds And Mercury In A Mining Impacted Aquatic Ecosystem, Michelle Bollini

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Keweenaw area continues to be influenced by the century of copper mining that ended nearly 50 years ago. This project is focused on Torch Lake, an aquatic ecosystem that has been heavily impacted by mining waste disposal. The watershed has been impaired by mine discharge and tailings, smelter and smokestack plumes, and poor waste disposal practices. The lake is listed as a Great Lakes Area of Concern with beneficial use impairments of restrictions on fish consumption and a degraded benthic community. Polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs) and methylmercury (MeHg) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs). These contaminants pose threats …

Concrete Everywhere: A Project-Based Analysis Of The Unequal Distribution Of Warehouses In Fontana, Chanah Haigh

Scripps Senior Theses

Unjust legislation and zoning practices drive the excess of warehouses in Fontana, California whose impacts fall disproportionately on low income communities of color. This paper addresses the environmental and health impacts of warehouses, as well as the legislation and the use of zoning which bring them to Fontana. Original maps show the spread of warehouses over census tract level data depicting race, income, and environmental factors such as diesel particulate matter. State and local legislation is analyzed to determine its intended effect and how well it has been enforced. Research was conducted through a project based thesis done in conjunction …

Mitoq Alleviates Hippocampal Damage After Cerebral Ischemia: The Potential Role Of Sirt6 In Regulating Mitochondrial Dysfunction And Neuroinflammation, Ayman A. Ibrahim, Sherif S. Abdel Mageed Dr, Marwa M. Safar Prof.Dr, Mohammed F. El-Yamany Prof.Dr., Mamdouh A. Oraby Dr.

Pharmacy

Aims: Mitochondrial perturbations are the major culprit of the inflammatory response during the initial phase of cerebral ischemia. The present study explored the neuroprotective effect of the mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, Mitoquinol (MitoQ), against hippocampal neuronal loss in an experimental model of brain ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury. Main methods: Rats were subjected to common carotid artery occlusion for 45 min, followed by reperfusion for 24 h. MitoQ (2 mg/kg; i.p daily) was administered for 7 successive days prior to the induction of brain ischemia. Key findings: I/R rats exhibited hippocampal damage evidenced by aggravated mitochondrial oxidative stress, thereby enhancing mtROS and oxidized …

Teaching Agroecology: Preparing Students For Navigating Uncharted Territory, Charles A. Francis, Steve Gliessman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Agroecologists understand that farming and food systems are more complex than the aggregation of their components. This realization drives our choices of learning strategies and activities that will prepare students for complexity and uncertainty. Our quest for a just, sustainable, and nutritious food system adequate to equitably serve everyone on the planet today and into the future is an enormous challenge. An undertaking of this magnitude will be met only with major adjustments informed by thoughtful teaching and practicing problem solving skills through a new educational lens. The principles of agroecology help us focus this lens on the wicked problems …

Developmental Pharmacokinetics Of Indomethacin In Preterm Neonates: Severely Decreased Drug Clearance In The First Week Of Life., Wojciech Krzyzanski, Bradley Stockard, Andrea Gaedigk, Allison Scott, Whitney M. Nolte, Kim T. Gibson, J Steven Leeder, Tamorah Lewis

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Indomethacin is used commonly in preterm neonates for the prevention of intracranial hemorrhage and closure of an abnormally open cardiac vessel. Due to biomedical advances, the infants who receive this drug in the neonatal intensive care unit setting have become younger, smaller, and less mature (more preterm) at the time of treatment. To develop a pharmacokinetics (PK) model to aid future dosing, we designed a prospective cohort study to characterize indomethacin PK in a dynamically changing patient population. A population PK base model was created using NONMEM, and a covariate model was developed in a primary development cohort and subsequently …

The Impact Of Gestational Diabetes On The Offspring, Deborah Daniel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

A prevalent pregnancy condition known as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels while pregnant. GDM poses implications for both maternal and fetal health. Through extensive research, this paper provides a thorough analysis of the potential effects of GDM on the offspring. According to studies, GDM can negatively impact fetal growth and development, increasing the risk of macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, and neonatal hypoglycemia. Additionally, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension are among the metabolic and cardiovascular disorders that infants born to women with GDM are more likely to experience as adults. These long-term effects may be …

Full Issue: Volume 17, Number 1, Fall 2023

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 17, Number 1 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences. Published Fall 2023.

Stroke Recovery, Laya Brodie

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

For years the brain was thought not to be regenerative, yet research has highlighted the role of neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, and deep brain stimulation in promoting brain recovery and enhancing stroke rehabilitation. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize neural pathways in response to environmental or structural changes. Stroke recovery is possible due to the plasticity of the brain; the brain can create new neural pathways and neurons. Traditionally it was believed that humans were limited to generating new neurons in the brain, recent studies have shown that neurogenesis occurs throughout adulthood, particularly in the hippocampus, a region as- sociated with …

Immunotherapy For The Treatment Of Pediatric Cancers: What Is The Best Option?, Miriam Raitport

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in the pediatric population in the United States. The current standard of care for treating pediatric cancer is traditional: chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. However, these conventional approaches have many unpleasant short-term and long-term side effects and do not offer a genuine cure. Immunotherapy as a cancer treatment is a new approach that has produced very promising results in the pediatric population. Four leading therapies for pediatric cancers are CAR T-cell therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, monoclonal antibody treatments, and cancer vaccines. Some of the therapies have more promising results than others, and different …

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome And Its Effects On Brain Development, Miriam Bayaz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Birth defects caused by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy, such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), are well-documented and preventable. The etiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, prevalence, and long-term effects of FAS are all covered in this paper’s thorough evaluation of the current state of knowledge. The teratogenic effects of alcohol on the growing fetus, as well as genetic, environmental, and maternal variables, all play a role in the complex etiology of FAS. A wide spectrum of physical, mental, and behavioral problems resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal development are discussed. FAS is characterized clinically by facial dysmorphology, growth retardation, central …

Immunosuppression After Cardiac Transplantation: What Is The Best Approach?, Sara Batya Friedman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Cardiac transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients in end-stage heart failure. Since the first heart transplant in 1967, survival rates have steadily increased. This is largely on account of advancing immunosuppressive therapies, although immuno- suppression protocol still varies greatly among transplant centers, with no ideal regimen to follow. A fine balance lies between under-immunosuppression leading to rejection, and over-immunosuppression causing complications, toxicity, and adverse effects. Some successful therapies include steroids, lymphocyte proliferation inhibitors, and calcineurin inhibitors. Much of the available evidence as to which regimens have been successful is from retrospective analyses, indicating the need for more studies to …

What Is The Best Treatment For Osteoporosis?, Joshua Sodden

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that leads to frail bones, caused by osteoclasts destroying more bone than osteoblasts can create. It is more common among elderly people due to a lack of growth factors that promote osteoblasts. Estrogen plays a very important role in bone homeostasis of women; therefore post-menopausal women are most commonly affected because of their lack of estrogen production. Currently the FDA has approved eleven different drug treatments for osteoporosis. These treatments include anabolic treatments such as parathyroid hormone and anti-sclerostin, as well as catabolic treatments which include bisphosphonates, estrogen hormone, SERMs and anti-RANKL. This paper describes …

Is Growth Hormone The Fountain Of Youth?, David Youlus

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Finding the cure for aging has been a sought-after quest for as long as the world has existed. Growth hormone has been shown as a possible treatment to negate the phenotypic effects of aging. Growth hormone is released from the adenohypophysis in response to sleep, exercise and stress. This in turn stimulates insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) secretion from the liver. Growth hormone circulation decreases in volume during aging. Studies on growth hormone therapy have indicated youth-like benefits, such as the reversal of sarcopenia, improved cognitive function, and boosted immunity. However, creating an imbalance of growth hormone and insulin-like factor-1 also …

Differences In The Neurological Pathways Of Innate And Learned Fear, Efrat Jacob

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Fear is a fundamental emotion for survival. However, not all fears are the same, leading to a necessary distinction between the two main subsections of fear; innate and learned. This research paper investigates whether the neural pathways underlying innate and learned fear are independent of each other. Using optogenetics and pharmacology, researchers have manipulated specific brain regions and circuits involved in fear processing, such as the amygdala, hypothalamus, and PAG (periaqueductal gray). By measuring the behavioral and physiological indicators of fear in rodents exposed to different types of stimuli, research suggests that there may be partial overlap between the neural …

Preclinical Study On Hepatoprotective Potential And Antioxidant Status Analysis Of The Fruit Extract Of Rivina Humilis L. (Red Pigeon Berry) In Rats, Raju Asirvatham, Dinu George, P. A. Daisy, Dawn V. Tomy, G. Boby Johns

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant potential of hydromethanolic extract of Rivina humilis L. fruit (HMERH) was studied using the carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and paracetamol (PCM) induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. In both models, rats were divided into five groups having six rats in each. Group I received distilled water. Group II, disease control, Group III received 100 mg/kg of Silymarin. Group IV and Group V received 500, 1000 mg/kg of HMERH. All groups except Group II received treatment twice daily for 7 days. CCl4 (1.5 mL/kg, PCM (2 g/kg), p.o) were administered after the last dose. The degree of liver protection against …

Development Of A Thai Pharmacists’ Cultural Competency Self-Assessment Scale, Auttakrit Aunkaew, Puckwipa Suwannaprom, Siritree Suttajit

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Objective: The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate a cultural competency assessment form for Thai pharmacists. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved item development based on the Campinha-Bacote’s and the ACPP’s concept of cultural competency and the self-assessment of perceived level of cultural competence questionnaire. Seven experts assessed the content validity and face validity. The revised scale was tested for comprehension among 12 pharmacists using the think-aloud technique. Phase 2 constituted the scale development and scale evaluation. The Thai pharmacist cultural competency self-assessment (TPCCS) scale developed from Phase I was …

Pharmacological Evaluation Of The Antirheumatic Activity Of Callicarpa Macrophylla Leaves Extracts By The Estimation Of Hepatic, Renal, And Inflammatory Markers, Harjinder Kaur, Ganesh N. Sharma, Mayur Bhurat

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Callicarpa macrophylla is used in traditional medicine to treat many disorders including analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory. The aim of this study is to investigate the ethanolic and ethylacetate extracts of C. macrophylla leaves against rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: Acute toxicity was studied in vivo to determine the toxic doses of the ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts. Anti-rheumatic activity was also evaluated in vivo using formaldehyde and Complete Freund’s Adjuvant models in Wistar rats. After that paw volume was evaluated by the digital Vernier caliper and blood sample was taken by retro-orbital plexus route for the estimation of …