A Librarian and a Hashtag: Embedded Virtually in a Classroom via Twitter

Tweeting in the classroom has started to take off, with some notable examples such as Monica Rankin\u27s history class experiment at UT-Dallas and Cole W. Camplese\u27s classroom backchannel at Penn State-University Park. Taking these experiments one step further, Dr. Gardner Campbell, Baylor University\u27s Director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of Literature and Media in the Honors College, invited Ellen Filgo, Baylor Libraries\u27 E-Learning Librarian to participate in his First Year Seminar\u27s Twitter experiment by becoming the class\u27 Twitter-based reference librarian. The students in Dr. Campbell\u27s class were required to blog faithfully on the class readings and tweet their observations and notes during the class period. Filgo was visible in the class\u27 Twitter stream, providing links and library resources related to the discussion, as well as in the class motherblog and syllabus wiki. By having a librarian virtually embedded in real-time in the class, the students were able to draw on a wider web of information both during and after the class discussion. The students\u27 views of the library and library services also underwent a transformation as a result of this experiment. This presentation will highlight the librarian\u27s experiences with the class, summarize best practices, and suggest opportunities for application within your own institution

Early Life Chemical Exposures and Latent Mammary Effects in Male and Female Rats

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are common industrial solvents used in a number of cleaning agents and solvents. In the United States, spikes in birth defects, infant mortality, reproductive cancers and leukemia have occurred in areas with high levels of VOCs in drinking water. My thesis is focused on the effects of a VOC mixture on mammary gland development and risk for mammary tumor formation following prenatal/perinatal exposures in a 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumor rat model. To gain an understanding of the animal model used in my studies, the Harlan Sprague Dawley (HSD) rat, an atlas of mammary gland development was created for both sexes, starting at embryonic day 15.5 through postnatal day (PND) 70. In addition, prenatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and diethylstilbestrol were used to demonstrate delayed and accelerated mammary gland growth, respectively. This atlas of mammary gland development in the HSD rat will be a key component in understanding and interpreting effects of chemicals in this rat strain. To specifically test the VOC mixture in this rat model, time-pregnant HSD rats and their offspring were given access to water containing a mixture of VOCs at concentrations 5X, 10X and 50X times those detected in contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, to determine VOC body burden in both dams and pups. Mammary gland development was found to be accelerated in both sexes at the 5X and 10X concentrations. DMBA was given to VOC-exposed animals at PND 30 and tumors were recorded and collected 26 weeks after carcinogen treatment. There was a significant trend increase in adenocarcinomas arising in a fibroadenoma with VOC exposure in the females. Additionally, two malignant tumors formed in the males in the 10X exposure group and the males that died early due to tumor burden were from the 10X exposure group. These data demonstrate the ability of the VOC mixture to accelerate mammary gland development and enhanced the risk for tumor formation following carcinogen exposure. The mixture of VOCs was active at only 5-10 fold higher levels than what Marines or their mothers might have consumed, and these low level, prenatal exposure effects deserve further attention.Doctor of Philosoph

Hepatic Mitochondrial Alteration in CD-1 Mice Associated with Prenatal Exposures to Low Doses of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a perfluoroalkyl acid primarily used as an industrial surfactant. It persists in the environment and has been linked to potentially toxic and/or carcinogenic effects in animals and people. As a known activator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), PFOA exposure can induce defects in fatty acid oxidation, lipid transport, and inflammation. Here, pregnant CD-1 mice were orally gavaged with 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/kg of PFOA from gestation days (GD) 1 through 17. On postnatal day (PND) 21, histopathologic changes in the livers of offspring included hepatocellular hypertrophy and periportal inflammation that increased in severity by PND 91 in an apparent dose-dependent response. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of selected liver sections from PND 91 mice revealed PFOA-induced cellular damage and mitochondrial abnormalities with no evidence of peroxisome proliferation. Within hypertrophied hepatocytes, mitochondria were not only increased in number, but also exhibited altered morphologies suggestive of increased and/or uncontrolled fission and fusion reactions. These findings suggest that peroxisome proliferation is not a component of PFOA-induced hepatic toxicity in animals that are prenatally exposed to low doses of PFOA

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)–induced Liver Lesions in Two Strains of Mice Following Developmental Exposures: PPARα Is Not Required

Perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA) is a ubiquitous pollutant that causes liver toxicity in rodents, a process believed to be dependent on peroxisome proliferation activated receptor alpha (PPARα) activation. Differences between humans and rodents have made the human relevance of some health effects caused by PFOA controversial. We analyzed liver toxicity at 18 months following gestational PFOA exposure in CD-1 and 129/Sv strains of mice and compared PFOA-induced effects between strains and in wild type (WT) and PPARα-knockout (KO) 129/Sv mice. Pregnant mice were exposed daily to doses (0.01–5mg/kg/BW) of PFOA from gestation days 1–17. The female offspring were necropsied at 18 months and liver sections underwent a full pathology review. Hepatocellular adenomas formed in PFOA-exposed PPARα-KO 129/Sv and CD-1 mice, and were absent in untreated controls from those groups and WT 129/Sv. Hepatocellular hypertrophy was significantly increased by PFOA exposure in CD-1 and an increased severity was found in WT 129/Sv mice. PFOA significantly increased non-neoplastic liver lesions in PPARα-KO mice (hepatocyte hypertrophy, bile duct hyperplasia and hematopoietic cell proliferation). Low dose gestational exposures to PFOA induced latent PPARα independent liver toxicity that was observed in aged mice. Evidence of liver toxicity in PPARα-KO mice warrants further investigation into PPARα independent pathways

Mammary Gland Evaluation in Juvenile Toxicity Studies: Temporal Developmental Patterns in the Male and Female Harlan Sprague-Dawley Rat

There are currently no reports describing mammary gland development in the Harlan Sprague-Dawley (HSD) rat, the current strain of choice for National Toxicology Program (NTP) testing. Our goals were to empower the NTP, contract labs, and other researchers in understanding and interpreting chemical effects in this rat strain. To delineate similarities/differences between the female and male mammary gland, data were compiled starting on embryonic day 15.5 through postnatal day 70. Mammary gland whole mounts, histology sections, and immunohistochemically stained tissues for estrogen, progesterone, and androgen receptors were evaluated in both sexes; qualitative and quantitative differences are highlighted using a comprehensive visual timeline. Research on endocrine disrupting chemicals in animal models has highlighted chemically induced mammary gland anomalies that may potentially impact human health. In order to investigate these effects within the HSD strain, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, diethylstilbestrol, or vehicle control was gavage dosed on gestation day 15 and 18 to demonstrate delayed, accelerated, and control mammary gland growth in offspring, respectively. We provide illustrations of normal and chemically altered mammary gland development in HSD male and female rats to help inform researchers unfamiliar with the tissue and may facilitate enhanced evaluation of both male and female mammary glands in juvenile toxicity studies

Risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food

Acknowledgements: The Panel wishes to thank the following for their support provided to this scientific output as Hearing experts: Klaus Abraham, Esben Budtz-Jørgensen, Tony Fletcher, Philippe Grandjean, Hans Mielke and Hans Rumke and EFSA staff members: Davide Arcella, Marco Binaglia, Petra Gergelova, Elena Rovesti and Marijke Schutte. The Panel wishes to acknowledge all European competent institutions, Member State bodies and other organisations that provided data for this scientific output. The Panel would also like to thank the following authors and co-authors for providing additional information in relation to their respective studies: Berit Granum, Margie M Peden-Adams, Thomas Webster.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Incarnational Librarians: Liaisons Moving into the Neighborhood

The concept of “incarnational ministry,” which is often taught in cross-cultural ministry or missions training, offers practical value to academic liaison librarianship, namely: getting out of the library and going to where the users are, being a life-long learner, and modeling humility during interactions with patrons