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Biomedical subjects

M L Hanson

Publications and source records attributed to M L Hanson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Field assessment of oxytetracycline exposure to the freshwater macrophytes Egeria densa Planch. and Ceratophyllum demersum L.

In a microcosm study, two aquatic macrophytes, Egeria densa and Ceratophyllum demersum were exposed to nominal concentrations of 0, 5, 20, 50, and 250 microg/L oxytetracycline (n=3), plus 20 microg/L oxytetracycline amended with additional nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Responses were monitored bi-weekly over a six-week exposure period. Both plant species exhibited a significant decline in growth in the 250 microg/L oxytetracycline and the N- and P-amended units. Decreased light penetration resulting from accumulating oxytetracycline by-products appears to be the primary modifier in the growth of these plants. Increased susceptibility to oxytetracycline exposure was noted in some paired plantings (e.g., E. densa root development), relative to individual plants in these treatments, however, no clear explanation for this response is available. Based on the toxicity data generated in this study, we estimate that current concentrations of oxytetracycline in freshwater environments do not pose a direct risk to E. densa and C. demersum.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Microcosm evaluation of the toxicity and risk to aquatic macrophytes from perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is an anthropogenic contaminant detected in various environmental and biologic matrices. This compound is a fluorinated surfactant, a class of molecules renowned for their persistence and their global distribution but for which few ecotoxicological data are currently available, especially under field conditions. The toxicity of PFOS to the aquatic macrophytes Myriophyllum sibiricum and M. spicatum was investigated using 12,000 L outdoor microcosms. Replicate microcosms (n = 3) were treated with 0.3, 3, 10, and 30 mg/L PFOS as the potassium salt and assessed at regular intervals during a period of 42 days. M. sibiricum was more sensitive to PFOS under these simulated field conditions than M. spicatum. Toxicity was observed in the evaluated end points at > 3 mg/L PFOS for EC10s and > 12 mg/L PFOS for EC50s for M. spicatum and in M. sibiricum at > 0.1 mg/L PFOS for EC10s and > 1.6 mg/L PFOS for EC50s. The no observed-effect concentration (NOEC) for M. spicatum was consistently > or = 11.4 mg/L PFOS, whereas the NOEC for M. sibiricum was > or = 0.3 mg/L PFOS. A risk assessment for these plants estimated a negligible probability of toxicity being observed in these plants from PFOS exposure at current environmental concentrations.

Alkanesulfonic Acids↗

Effect of heat treatment of milk on activation of Bacillus spores.

The quality and shelf life of fluid milk products are dependent on the amount and type of microorganisms present following pasteurization. This study evaluated the effects of different pasteurization processes on the microbial populations in fluid milk. The objective was to determine whether certain pasteurization processes lead to an increase in the amount of bacteria present in pasteurized milk by activating Bacillus spores. Samples of raw milk were collected on the day of arrival at the dairy plant. The samples were pasteurized at 63 degrees C for 30 min (low temperature, long time), 72 degrees C for 15 s (high temperature, short time), 76 degrees C for 15 s, and 82 degrees C for 30 min. The pasteurized samples were then stored at 6 and 10 degrees C for 14 days. The samples were analyzed for standard plate count and Bacillus count immediately after pasteurization and after 14 days of storage. Pasteurization of milk at 72 and 76 degrees C significantly (P < 0.05) increased the amount of Bacillus spore activation over that of 63 degrees C. There was no detection of Bacillus in initial samples pasteurized at 82 degrees C for 30 min, but Bacillus was present in samples after storage for 14 days, indicating that injury and recovery time preceded growth. The majority of isolates were characterized as Bacillus mycoides and not Bacillus cereus, suggesting that this organism might be more a cause of sweet curdling of fluid milk than previously reported.

Animals↗

The fate and persistence of trifluoroacetic and chloroacetic acids in pond waters.

The environmental fate of trichloro-, dichloro-, and monochloroacetic acids, and trifluoroacetic acid was investigated using field aquatic microcosms and laboratory sediment-water systems. Trifluoroacetic acid was extremely persistent and showed no degradation during a one-year field study, though it appeared to undergo transient partitioning within an unknown pond phase as the temperature of the surroundings was reduced. Of the three chloroacetic acids, trichloro had the longest residence time (induction and decay) (approximately 40 d), dichloro the shortest (approximately 4 d), and monochloro an intermediate residence time (approximately 14 d). Laboratory studies suggest that the biodegradation of trichloro-, dichloro-, and monochloroacetic acids leads primarily to the formation of chloride and oxalic, glyoxalic, and glycolic acids, respectively.

Acetates↗

Chlorodifluoroacetic acid fate and toxicity to the macrophytes Lemna gibba, Myriophyllum spicatum, and Myriophyllum sibiricum in aquatic microcosms.

Chlorodifluoroacetic acid (CDFA) is a novel haloacetic acid (HAA) and has been recently documented in aquatic systems. It is a suspected degradation product of the refrigerants 1,1,2-trichloro-1,1-difluoroethane (CFC-113) and 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane (HCFC-142b). Haloacetic acids can be phytotoxic, putatively acting through inhibition of the citric acid cycle. Replicate (n = 3) 12,000-L model aquatic ecosystems (microcosms) were dosed once at 0.5, 1, 5, and 20 mg/L of neutralized CDFA. Three microcosms served as controls. Each microcosm was stocked with eight individual apical shoots of both Myriophyllum spicatum and Myriophyllum sibiricum and sampled at regular intervals over a 42-d exposure period. The plants were assessed for the somatic endpoints of plant length, root growth, node number, and wet and dry mass and the biochemical endpoints of chlorophyll-a/b and carotenoid content as well as citric acid levels. The duckweed Lemna gibba was also introduced into these systems and monitored over a period of 14 d for wet/dry mass, plant/frond number, chlorophyll content, and growth rate. Concentrations of CDFA remained constant in the water column over the course of the fate investigation (241 d), indicating that this compound undergoes little, if any, degradation in aquatic systems. Results showed few statistically significant differences from controls for all three plant species with exposure to CDFA but no biologically relevant impacts. Overall, CDFA does not appear to pose any risk to these aquatic macrophytes at current environmental concentrations.

Acetates↗

Deformations in infants of diabetic and control pregnancies.

Severe and mild deformations in newborn infants of insulin dependent diabetic mothers (IDDMs) and control mothers were evaluated with respect to the types of anomalies and previously hypothesized constraint factors. Factors evaluated were gestational length, birth weight, corrected birth weight for gestation (weight ratio), maternal height and parity, and severe deformations. Newborn infants from 81 control and 133 insulin dependent diabetic pregnancies were recruited periconceptually as part of a larger study of diabetes in early pregnancy. Examinations were done at 48 to 72 hours of life by one examiner blinded to maternal status using a checklist of major and minor deformations and malformations. Mild deformations were found to be common and were present in 84% of newborn infants. Severe deformations occurred in three (1.4%) IDMs, with two of three newborn infants having major malformations involving the CNS and/or musculoskeletal system which affected fetal movement. There was no significant difference between IDMs and control newborn infants with respect to the number with deformations; however, fetal macrosomia was not present in study participants. Using the entire cohort, a significantly greater number of deformations were present in newborn infants with a gestation > 36 weeks (P < 0.001), birth weight > 3,000 g (P < 0.001), and weight ratio > or = 1.2 (P = 0.05). There was no significant association with primiparous mothers or women with a height < 165 cm and the presence of deformations. For gestational age and birth weight, mild deformations were apparent only after 33 weeks gestation (P << 0.001) and/or birth weights of 2.0 kg or more (P << 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Birth Weight↗

Stuttering as a phenotype for behavioral genetics research.

Stuttering is a broad behavioral phenotype with an adult prevalence of 0.7-1.0%. Family, twin, and segregation studies all indicate that stuttering has a large genetic component to its etiology. The relatively simple phenotype, the early onset, and the apparent rarity of phenocopies of adult stuttering all make stuttering a promising model for the study of the genetics of broad behavioral phenotypes.

Adult↗

Tongue-thrust and the stability of overjet correction.

Long-term study of incidence of tongue-thrust from age 4 to 18 finds the dysfunction disappearing in some individuals and appearing in others. A small study of the effect of tongue-thrust therapy on stability of overjet correction suggests a beneficial effect.

Adolescent↗