Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Identification Of The New Synthetic Opioid Bucinnazine And Its Metabolites Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms), Karissa N. Resnik

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In the past 20 years, the rate of opioid use increased drastically in the United States. The country has experienced an enormous number of deaths caused by opioid overdose, opioid use disorder (OUD), as well as other harms as a consequence of the high numbers of opioid prescriptions. Fentanyl, a well-known synthetic opioid, has been a contributor to the opioid crisis since 2013 due to its popularity in clinical and illicit use. It has a high potency, which makes it an effective analgesic but a dangerous illicit substance. A new synthetic opioid, bucinnazine, has recently become a new black-market opioid …

Circling The Drain: The Extinction Crisis And The Future Of Humanity, Rodolfo Dirzo, Gerardo Ceballos, Paul R. Ehrlich

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Humanity has triggered the sixth mass extinction episode since the beginning of the Phanerozoic. The complexity of this extinction crisis is centered on the intersection of two complex adaptive systems: human culture and ecosystem functioning, although the significance of this intersection is not properly appreciated. Human beings are part of biodiversity and elements in a global ecosystem. Civilization, and perhaps even the fate of our species, is utterly dependent on that ecosystem’s proper functioning, which society is increasingly degrading. The crisis seems rooted in three factors. First, relatively few people globally are aware of its existence. Second, most people who …

Creating A Pre-Illness Covid-19 Action Plan: A Web-Based Public Education Initiative, Brian S. Hustad

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm in the beginning stages of 2020. Public health agencies were overwhelmed, undermanned, and therefore slow to respond. Information began to flow at an unprecedented rate. Yet, very limited resources were put into place to present this information or to instruct the public on evidence-based prevention, treatment, or care at home during active infection.

Intervention: A project website was created and accessed through a QR code on the project flyer or by entering the URL into any browser. Participants were able to access three evidence- based video modules, which introduced the …

Toxicity Of The Technology Critical Elements Germanium And Yttrium To Daphnia Magna And Hyalella Azteca And The Influence Of Toxicity Modifying Factors, Rashid Shah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Technology critical elements (TCEs) are increasingly used in high and green technologies but there is little aquatic toxicity data for TCEs, particularly in fresh water. The objective of this study was to investigate the toxicity of two TCEs, Ge and Y, to Daphnia magna and Hyalella azteca and to understand the role of natural organic matter and cations on toxicity modification. Testing followed standard methods. The 48 h EC50 for D. magna was 11.6 (95% CI of 9.64-13.8) mg Ge/L based on measured dissolved concentrations at test end. The addition of NOM at 10 mg DOC/L resulted in a significant …

Additive And Interactive Associations Of Environmental And Sociodemographic Factors With The Genotypes Of Three Glutathione S-Transferase Genes In Relation To The Blood Arsenic Concentrations Of Children In Jamaica, Mohammad H Rahbar, Maureen Samms-Vaughan, Yuansong Zhao, Sepideh Saroukhani, Sheikh F Zaman, Jan Bressler, Manouchehr Hessabi, Megan L Grove, Sydonnie Shakspeare-Pellington, Katherine A Loveland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that has been classified as a xenobiotic with toxic effects on human beings, especially on children. Since the soil in Jamaica contains As, dietary intake is considered the main source of As exposure in Jamaicans. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, including

The Synthesis And Biological Assessment Of Novel Ursolic Acid Derivatives As Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents For Cancer, Julie Rose Mae Mondala

Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM) is considered to be the most biologically aggressive type of brain tumour accounting for approximately 48% of all malignant primary brain tumours. GBM patients diagnosed have poor prognosis with a low five-year survival rate of

The aim of this study was to develop novel UA derivatives to enhance its bioavailability. Nine novel UA derivatives: three different diamine linkers, with Boc-protected and deprotected ends, and with folic acid were designed and synthesized to improve compound activity and/or delivery. The structures of the newly synthesised compounds were confirmed using mass spectrometry, FTIR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The structural activity …

Development Of Phase Change Thermal Storage Medium: Cooking With More Power And Versatility, Martin Osei

Masters Theses

With an Insulated Solar Electric Cooker (ISEC), a 100 W solar panel directly cooks food while providing 5W off-grid electricity access; but it cooks slowly. Storing the day’s energy with phase change thermal storage allows ISEC to cook more rapidly as well as cook after sunset. The ISEC is made by sticking a 3ohm resistive to an aluminum pot (inner phase change assembly PCA) where another cooking pot fits. The resistive heater is surrounded by a bigger pot (outer PCA) that contains the PCM and is tightly sealed. The solar panel is connected to the resistive heater with a thermal …

The Susceptibility Of Penicillin, Ceftriaxone, And Cefotaxime Against Streptococcus Pneumoniae Isolated From Patients With Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases At A Teaching Hospital In Thailand, Jantima Traipattanakul, Sudaluck Thunyaharn, Juthathip Suphanklang, Wichai Santimaleeworagun

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Objective: Pneumococcal disease is a severe invasive infection causing morbidity and death, so the appropriate antimicrobials are greatly important. We aimed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of penicillin, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone against S. pneumoniae. Methods: The clinical isolates were obtained from patients with invasive pneumococcal disease admitted to Phramongkutklao Hospital, Thailand over a period of 10 years between 2006 and 2015. The in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing of antibiotics including penicillin, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime against S. pneumoniae isolates were determined by E-test. The MIC range, MIC50, and MIC90 (μg/ml) and percentage of susceptible isolates were recorded. Results: Forty …

Prevalence, Distribution, Treatment, And Modern Methods For In Vitro Diagnosis Of Alzheimer’S Disease In India: Challenges And Future Prospective, Sopan Nangare, Pravin Patil

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

In India, the plethora of evidence indicates that neurodegenerative conditions are a significant public health issue wherein over 4 million Indian peoples have been affected. For the past two decades, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is growing rapidly in India that may due to the significant lack of health-care services and poor knowledge of AD and another form of dementia. Therefore, this in turn to develop ultramodern techniques for the efficient detection of AD biomarkers that helps to the prognosis and diagnosis of AD. Recently, significant progress has been observed in the area of AD that includes prognosis, and …

Gc-Ms Fingerprints Combined With Chemometric Analysis For The Authentication Of Morus Alba Leaves From Thailand, Malai Satiraphan, Aye Thida, Lawan Sratthaphut, Patcharawan Tanamatayarat, Onoomar Toyama

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Introduction: Morus alba L. is one of the economic plants in Thailand. Several varieties are grown in various parts of the country. Different varieties from different regions may produce dissimilar chemical fingerprints. Objectives: The gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprints of 2 varieties of M. alba leaves from three locations in Thailand, along with tea products will be established. Materials and Methods: The GC-MS chromatograms combined with chemometric analysis were used to analyze the extracts of M. alba leaves and their tea products. Results: A total of 83 compounds comprising terpenes, saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids and …

Determination Of Sugars And Amino Acids In Japanese Wine Using Core-Shell Liquid Chromatography Tandem Electrochemical Detection, Kana Yoshimura, Aiko Sano, Ryuichiro Suzuki, Shun-Ichi Mitomo, Yukiko Negishi, Toshiki Mutai, Florencio Arce Jr., Gerard Lee See, Takashi Tanikawa

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

In this study, sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and amino acids in plum and yuzu wines were quantified with a new and simple method involving an electrochemical detector (ECD) and core-shell column [S-30/70=St (styrene)/DVB (divinylbenzene)-5TMDAH (tetramethyldiaminohexane)]. Analysis was conducted under the following conditions: A column temperature (40°C), flow rate (0.3 mL/min), injection volume (20 μL), and mobile phase (0.1 mol/L NaOH). Glucose, fructose, and sucrose had retention times of 14.68 min, 16.22 min, and 19.29 min, respectively, when measured using an ECD. When the sugar content was compared among the plum wines, plum wine A had the lowest sugar content. …

Effect Of Chronic Kidney Disease On Warfarin Responsiveness Among Thai Patients, Sasimaporn Yaengkratok, Manat Pongchaidecha, Wichai Santimaleeworagun, Pornwalai Boonmuang

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

This study aims to determine the effect of chronic kidney disease on warfarin response, including initial doses, maintenance doses, time in therapeutic range (TTR), and international normalized ratio (INR) variability. This is a retrospective cohort study at Rajavithi Hospital from 2015 to 2018. A total of 189 patients were included and divided into five groups based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (G1, eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2; G2, 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m2; G3, 15–29 mL/min/1.73 m2; G4, ≤ 15 mL/min/1.73 m2; and G5, ≤ 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 with dialysis). The median age was 65.00 years, and 60.9% of patients were …

Comparison Of Free Versus Encapsulated Drugs On 3t3 Differentiation, Simon H. Friedrich, Gabriel Volpe

UROP Posters

The scope of this project was to design, synthesize and test targeted nanoparticles containing hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs that promote browning in adipose tissue. For hydrophilic drugs the use of liposomes and their hydrophilic core is more useful than the PLGA nanoparticles which have hydrophobic cores. The inhibition of the FOXO1 pathway and modulation of autophagy in adipose tissue can promote browning of white adipose tissue, or an energy burning state where excess energy is burned as heat instead of stored in the cell. If successful, these drugs would offer an alternative treatment for obesity where changes to the patient's …

Emerging Technologies For The Production Of Nanocellulose From Lignocellulosic Biomass, Dileswar Pradhan, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Nanocellulose is a unique and promising natural nanomaterial and has gained significant attention due to its applications in several important areas. Thus, researchers are continuously looking for the most efficient, sustainable, economically viable, and environmentally friendly production technologies to fulfil its growing demand. Conventional production technologies, which include various physical, chemical, and physicochemical methods, are currently inadequate for this purpose and have several limitations such as long processing time, high energy consumption, low recovery of nanocellulose, and many others. To overcome these shortcomings, scientists have investigated the prospect of utilizing emerging processing technologies such as microwave irradiation, deep eutectic solvent, …

Biofabrication Of Magnetic Nanoparticles And Their Use As Carriers For Pectinase And Xylanase, Shady S. Hassan, Brendan Duffy, Gwilym A. Williams, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized via exposure of fungal cell filtrate from Aspergillus flavus to aqueous iron ions. The extracellular synthesis of MNPs was monitored by UV–Vis spectrophotometry and showed an absorption peak at 310 nm. The morphology of MNPs was found to be flake-like, as confirmed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), while the average crystallite size was ∼16 nm, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was performed to confirm the presence of elemental Fe in the sample. Pectinase and xylanase were covalently immobilized on MNPs with efficiencies …

Mechanisms And Treatment Of Pain-Depressed Behavior In Male And Female Mice, Clare M. Diester

Theses and Dissertations

One of the largest discrepancies between preclinical and clinical assessment of pain and analgesia is the type of behavioral endpoint used. Although most preclinical research has historically focused on drug effectiveness to block reflexive withdrawal behaviors stimulated by a noxious stimulus, increasing evidence shows that drug-induced restoration of pain-depressed behaviors provides increased clinical translation with decreased susceptibility to false-positives. Accordingly, the first portion of this dissertation designed a behavioral battery that featured pain-depressed behaviors as well as more conventional pain-stimulated behaviors for testing candidate analgesics in male and female mice. The main findings are as follows. (1) Intraperitoneal injection of …

Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers For The Selective Extraction Of Analytes, Haley A. Mulder

Theses and Dissertations

Sample preparation is a critical steps in bioanalysis. Traditional methods such as solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction are laborious and ultimately incapable of properly separating target analytes from matrix and interferents. The co-extraction of these components interferes with the analytical instrument’s ability to properly detect and quantitate analytes. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic polymers that have been “imprinted” with a template analyte in a co-polymer system. MIPs are capable of selectively extracting analytes from complex biological matrices and can be employed in off-line, benchtop extractions or for on/in-line instrument extractions. MIPs offer faster and more selective sample preparation, leading …

Modulating Ketamine’S Locomotor Activating And Reinforcing Effects Through Drug Combinations, Tegshjargal Baasansukh

Theses and Dissertations

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects approximately 280 million people worldwide. The standard of care for pharmacological treatment of MDD has been monoaminergic antidepressants (MAA). However, MAAs have serious clinical limitations including a relatively slow onset of action and up to 40% of patients failing to respond and being diagnosed as “treatment resistant”. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, was originally approved for use as an injectable anesthetic. In addition, ketamine has been shown to rapidly improve depressive symptoms in patients with treatment resistant depression. In 2019, (S)-ketamine was approved as a nasal spray (Spravato®) for patients with MDD and treatment-resistant depression in …

Behavioral Screening And Chiral Bioanalysis Of Emerging Stimulant-Type Drugs In Rats, Tyson R. Baird

Theses and Dissertations

The epidemic of drug use in the United States and elsewhere in the world has resulted in tragic loss of life and substantial economic costs. Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are one of the contributors to this problem, and the lack of information about many of these drugs compounds their risk. This dissertation proposes a strategy to use intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) as a behavioral screening tool to assess emerging drugs of abuse for their abuse potential in order to generate a proactive threat assessment. A series of stimulant-type drugs including methcathinone, α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP), cocaine, and the phenyltropane analogs of cocaine WIN35428 …

Unleaded: Montana’S Silent Epidemic, Erica Zurek

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Lead is a cumulative toxin that can affect multiple systems in the human body. Exposure occurs through various sources, such as outdated and deteriorating infrastructure, paint, soil and drinking water. This project, a three-part audio series on lead exposure in Montana highlights various paths of exposure and how young children under age six years of age are particularly vulnerable. Part one is a story about a new state requirement to test all k-12 schools for lead in water fixtures. Part two: A house remodel exposes a family’s children to lead. Getting a diagnosis wasn’t easy. Part three: A look at …