Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Migratory Material: Epigenetics & Weaving At The Us-Mexico Border, Valerie Navarrete

Masters Theses

Discourse often sutures the body shut, disallowing representations of identity to outgrow sociopolitical interests. This issue may originate from borders, but also from the unnamable pathology that generational colonial trauma transmits to the mind, body, and environment. Without a direct form of translatability, this thesis proposes a new materialism that deviates from any object-oriented ontology. Untethered and intra-active, epigenetics and weaving represent objects that transform typical ways of knowing and seeing. Their sensitivity to the environment, in addition to their mobility across generations of time, broaden the spatiotemporal loci of the body and its embodiment. Proposing new materials that expand …

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 Exposure occurs through various sources, such as outdated and deteriorating infrastructure, paint, soil and drinking water.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 …

The Disproportionate Impact Of Toxins In Consumer Products, Meredith Bollheimer, Elissa Reitz

The Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal

The number of chemicals used in everyday products has grown exponentially over the last century. Many of these chemicals are known endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC’s) and they have not been proven to be safe for humans or for the environment. Rather, many of these chemicals have been linked to negative human health outcomes and damage to the environment. Corporate America is responsible for the production and liberal use of these chemicals in consumer and personal care products. The federal government has failed to provide effective or meaningful standards or regulations for the myriad chemicals of concern that make their way …

Contemporary Brazilian Catholicism And Healing Practices: Notes On Environmentalism And Medicalization, Juliano F. Almeida

Journal of Global Catholicism

Anthropological studies on Brazilian Catholicism traditionally focused on popular variants of this religious practice and their relationship with the official Catholicism. Encouraged by recent anthropological perspectives, which highlight the relevance of devoting researches not only on the margins, but also on the center of social practices, this paper analyzes contemporary practices of Brazilian Catholic friars and priests on health promotion. The analysis of their publications (books that include practices and tips on health and that became best sellers etc.), as well as interviews, allows us to perceive a process of environmentalization on the contemporary Brazilian Catholicism. This process seems to …

Heart Health: Lifestyle Factors That Influence Cardiovascular Well-Being, Holly K. Sawyer

Honors College Theses

Each year, one in every four deaths in the United States is a result of heart disease. As the leading cause of death among women and men from various ethnicities, heart disease may be overlooked when making everyday life decisions. As a group of genetic and behavioral conditions, heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. This may be due to the typical Western diet and daily life choices such as drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco. Heart diseases including atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease kill ten times more women than breast cancer (Lewis, et al., 2017). White men have …

The Biocompatibility Of Various Dental Materials, Amy Noble

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Dentistry is a continuously evolving field with new materials and technologies constantly innovated. The oral cavity presents a harsh environment in which restorative and implant materials must be able to withstand. Aside for meeting the appropriate physical and chemical standards, it is important that dental materials be biocompatible. Biocompatibility relates to the material’s ability to function in the body without causing harm to living tissue. It is necessary to analyze the materials being used and determine whether they interact with the body in a detrimental manner. This will enable dental professionals to choose the most beneficial material to utilize for …

Revisiting The Standard Soil Test: The Potential Of Macro- And Microbiological Measures To Improve Agricultural Health And Productivity, Gabriel Jacob Kenne

Theses and Dissertations

The agricultural ecosystem has become the largest non-ice-covered terrestrial ecosystem on the planet and has significant direct and indirect impacts on the global health of both the environment and humanity. Recent shifts in modern agriculture are beginning to focus on the health of soil versus a focus traditionally on crop health and yield at any cost. By managing farmland regeneratively, systems are able to reverse many of the problems created by conventional land management such as erosion and unwanted nutrient runoff, and simultaneously create opportunities to move C from the atmosphere back into the soil. While the ways in which …

Review: Epidemiological Evidence Of Groundwater Contribution To Global Enteric Disease, 1948–2015, Heather Murphy, Morgan Prioleau, Mark Borchardt, Paul Hynds

Articles

Globally, approximately 2.2 billion people rely on groundwater for daily consumption. It is widely accepted that groundwater is more pristine than surface water but while this assumption is frequently the case, groundwater is not ubiquitously free of contaminants; accordingly, this presumption can result in an unfounded and potentially hazardous sense of security among owners, operators and users. The current paper presents a review of published literature providing epidemiological evidence of the contribution of groundwater to global human enteric infection. An emphasis is placed on enteric pathogens transmitted via the faecal-oral route, and specifically those associated with acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). …

Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Pcb) Pollution Of The Hudson River: Social Policy And Health Considerations, Laura Schad

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine pollution in the Hudson River and the role General Electric has had in creating this problem. The focus will be on social issues and problems that have emerged as a result of the environmental damage from pollution. Until recently, there was little research done on the health and environmental justice issues that impact the New York communities where GE’s factories were located. This paper examines the material collected and studies that were done which document Hudson River pollution and the contributions as well as cleanup efforts of General Electric. The overall problems …

Ten Weeks With Green Beans...And Then Some: Determination Of Bisphenol-A (Bpa) In Canned Goods From Arkansas Markets Using Fluorescence Spectrophotometry, Rachel Pruett

Honors Theses

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical widely used in production of consumer goods. It has come under scrutiny recently after being labeled as an endocrine disruptor (ED), mostly causing adverse effects in infants and young children. It has been associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and abnormal maturation. Because it is so commonly used in product development, humans are exposed to BPA through various means, such as ingestion or dermal absorption. It is a concern that the combined exposure could cause serious effects even in small doses.

In canned foods, the chemical is made into an epoxy resin to provide a …

Health Risks Caused By Wireless Technologies, Durreeshahwar Zafarahmed, Qurrat-Ul-Ain Zafarahmed

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

There are many health issues related to the use of cellular phones, wireless local area networks, and other devices that emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Some of these systems have become a part of our daily lives and many of us are in direct or indirect contact for extended period of times with these devices. However, the general public is unaware of the health risks associated with the use of these devices. Our research covers studies done by individuals as well as organizations on the harmful effects on the health of people from these devices and their claims. We also present …

Considering Sport Participation As A Source For Physical Activity Among Adolescents, Jennifer Pharr, Nancy L. Lough

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Studies have shown participation in sport is lower among girls than boys, decreases as students matriculate through high school, is lowest among Black and Hispanic girls and has a positive relationship with SES. With sport recognized as a contributor to physical activity and health in adolescents, consideration of diminishing rates of participation appears warranted. The purpose of this study was to identify patterns related to differences in self-reported sport participation between genders, ethnic groups, grades and SES.

METHODS:

This study was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of data collected for a sport interest survey. All students in grades 8-11 attending …

Health Hazard Manual For Cosmetologists, Hairdressers, Beauticians And Barbers, Nellie J. Brown

Nellie J. Brown, MS., C.I.H.

[Excerpt] We will look at the principal occupational health hazards and exposures themselves and some of the related issues. We will look closely at the chemical composition of hairdressing products to see what components appear to be particularly hazardous, how you are exposed to them, and what you can do to minimize exposure.

Anticoagulant Half-Life Of Heparin In Human Subjects With Normal And Impaired Renal Function., Paul James Perry

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Numerous investigators have noted that individuals vary widely in their response to the anticoagulant, heparin. Animal model3 have suggested that patients with depressed renal function would be expected to clear heparin from the blood at a slower rate than patients with normal renal function.

Utilizing the Activated Coagulation Time clotting test, a method was developed to determine the anticoagulant half-life of heparin. The study calculated the half-life of heparin in a group of individuals with normal renal function and a population of patients in chronic renal failure. Intravenous heparin doses of 0,3 units/ml and 0.6 units/ml of blood were administered …