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 …

Beyond Mitosis, Plk1-Mediated Phosphorylation Re-Wires Cancer Metabolism And Promotes Cancer Progression, Qiongsi Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a well- characterized regulator of cell division and is known to be highly expressed in certain types of tumors. It has been demonstrated the multifaceted roles of PLK1 in regulation of transcription, translation, epigenetics, DNA damage and cellular metabolism et al. Despite these findings, the precise mechanisms by which PLK1 regulates these processes beyond mitosis remain unclear. PLK1-mediated phosphorylation and misregulation of its substrates has been linked to tumorigenesis, cancer progression, drug resistance and worse prognosis. In this study, we investigated the non-canonical functions of PLK1 in cancer metabolism and drug resistance. We found that …

Characterization Of The Thermophilic Xlanase Fsa272 From Candidatus Fervidibacter Sacchari Belonging To Glycoside Hydrolase Family Gh10, Nicole Torosian, Jonathan K. Covington, Allison M. Cook, Nancy O. Nou, Jan-Fang Cheng

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Candidatus Fervidibacter sacchari is a novel, facultatively anaerobic, hyperthermophilic bacterium found in terrestrial geothermal springs globally. Its genome encodes 115 putative glycoside hydrolase enzymes that are predicted to hydrolyze glycosidic bonds between carbohydrates. Fsa272, a member of the glycoside hydrolase family 10, was synthesized and cloned into Escherichia coli strain T7 Express. The transformed E. coli was grown with LB broth and ampicillin at 37°C. Fsa272 expression was induced with isopropylthio-beta-galactoside (IPTG), and the lysate was heat purified for 15 minutes at 80° C. The 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid assay identified xylanase activity with a pH range of 4.5 to 10.5 (pHopt …

Exposure To Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals And The Effects On Inflammation And Mammary Tumor Progression, Stephanie Morin

Doctoral Dissertations

The vast majority of breast cancers, ~70%, are not directly related to an inherited genetic mutation. Environmental factors play a dominant role in the etiology of most breast cancers. There is a subset of chemicals that are able to affect the homeostasis of hormones called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Many of these chemicals are pervasive and persistent making the chances for lifetime exposure more prevalent. While many of these chemicals have been deemed safe, a subset of them have come under review to reassess their safety. As estrogen is critical for breast development and can act as a mitogen in …

Developmental Exposures To Pfas Mixtures Impair Elongation Of The Exocrine Pancreas In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Emily M. Formato

Masters Theses

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of bioaccumulative toxicants used in numerous industrial and commercial products. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) alters pancreatic organogenesis during development, and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) has been suggested as a replacement for PFOS due to its shorter carbon chain, but they are often found together in surfactants, such as legacy aqueous film-forming foam. This study investigates how developmental exposures to a PFAS mixture (PFHxS + PFOS) impact the developing exocrine pancreas. Zebrafish embryos (Tg(ptf1a:GFP)) were exposed to 0.01% DMSO, or 8, 16, 32 μM PFHxS alone, 16 μM PFOS alone, and 8, 16, and 32 …

Effects Of 2,4-Di-Tert-Butylphenol On Osteogenic And Myogenic Differentiation Of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Thanh-Bình Dương

All Theses

Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) are a class of compounds used to increase the durability of polymers as well as to increase the shelf-life of food, cosmetics, and other personal care items. Of these SPAs is 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DBP). 2,4-DBP is primarily used in polyethylene crosspolymer pipes, which are now used as a replacement for the traditional copper pipes for household water distribution. However, 2,4-DBP has been found to leach from these pipes into the water, enabling a mode of exposure to humans. 2,4-DBP has been detected in human urine, serum, but more importantly, maternal serum, placenta, and cord blood. …

Aeromonas Phage Research And The Public Health Impact Of Antibiotics In Aquaculture Workers, Madelyn Merchant

Honors Projects

One of the most common fish diseases in aquaculture is Aeromonas infection. The most common way to treat this infection is through antibiotics. The bacteria in the fish can become antibiotic-resistant and perpetuate the disease. The diseases in fish create a huge financial loss and the industry loses $6 billion per year due to diseases in fish. An alternative to antibiotics is bacteriophage which causes less environmental degradation and is better for human gut flora. In aquaculture there have been examples of aquaculture workers becoming sick from the water in aquaculture ponds as well as from people eating the fish. …

Investigating The Developmental Impacts Of 3,3’-Dichlorobiphenyl (Pcb-11) In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Monika A. Roy

Doctoral Dissertations

The environmental pollutant 3,3’-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB-11) is a lower-chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener present in air and water samples. Both PCB-11 and its metabolite, 4-PCB-11-Sulfate, are detected in humans, including in pregnant women. The work conducted for this dissertation takes a developmental toxicology approach and uses zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate PCB-11’s potential impacts to the liver and pancreas. Chapter 1 introduces PCBs and the current knowledge gaps. Chapter 2 investigates PCB-11 interactions in short-term 4-day exposures with the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) pathway in both 0-20 mM individual and mixture exposures with other Ahr agonists. In Chapter 3, …

The Effects Of Radical Containing Combustion Derived Particulate Matter In Adult Mouse Respiratory System, Jeffrey Harding

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Epidemiological data associates high levels of combustion-derived particulate matter (PM) with deleterious respiratory outcomes, but the mechanism underlying those outcomes remains elusive. It has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization that PM exposure contributes to more than 4.2 million all-cause mortalities worldwide each year. Current literature demonstrates that PM exacerbates respiratory diseases, impairs lung function, results in chronic respiratory illnesses, and is associated with increased mortality. The proposed mechanisms revolve around oxidative stress and inflammation promoting pulmonary physiological remodeling. Our data demonstrate that environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) stabilized on the surface of PM are capable of inducing oxidative …

Effects Of Bisphenol-S And Estrogen On P53 Expression In Ovarian Tissue Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jess Fairbanks

Summer Research

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one the most widely used plasticizing compounds. As an endocrine disruptor, BPA could affect ovarian function and embryonic development. Bisphenol S (BPS) has been used in many plastics and resins in lieu of BPA. However, the effects of BPS are not widely known. Apoptosis is a type of genetically programmed cell death that is important in ovarian homeostasis. One of the genes that regulates apoptosis, p53, has been shown to respond to estrogen in maintaining ovarian homeostasis. We have investigated how exposure to estrogen and to BPS affects p53 expression in ovarian tissue in vitro …

Investigating The Antiviral Effects Of Vig-3 From Rainbow Trout, Shanee Herrington-Krause

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rainbow trout is the most farmed fish in Ontario, and thus is economically important to the province. Despite this, there is a lack of understanding regarding fish innate immunity, specifically with regards to interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and their antiviral effector functions. ISGs are the workhorses of the innate antiviral response, operating together to limit each step of virus replication. The Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) induced gene (Vig)-3 is a newly identified ISG within many fish species and is homologous to ISG-15 in mammals. It is a small ubiquitin-like protein inducible by type I interferon (IFN-I), and is suggested to …

Developmental Exposure To Xenoestrogens: Effects On The Mouse Mammary Gland Development And Response To Estrogen, Durga Kolla

Masters Theses

Humans experience ubiquitous exposures to estrogenic environmental chemicals from food, personal care products, and other industrial and consumer goods. Bisphenol A (BPA), a well-studied xenoestrogen, is known to alter development of estrogen-sensitive organs including the brain, reproductive tract, and mammary gland. Bisphenol S (BPS), which has a similar chemical structure to BPA, is also used in many consumer products, but its effects on estrogen-sensitive organs in mammals has not been thoroughly examined. In our study, pregnant CD-1 mice were orally exposed to BPS or ethinyl estradiol (EE2, a positive control for estrogenicity) from gestational day 9 through postnatal day (PND) …

The Effect Of Target-Specific Biomolecules In Breast Cancer, Mohannad Garoub

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the United States and the World, therefore, early effective prevention, diagnosis, and therapy is needed. Estrogens play a major role in the initiation and progression of breast cancer. Elevated lifetime exposure to estrogens is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Estrogens through influencing mitochondria contribute to estrogen induced breast carcinogenesis; however, the exact mitochondrial mechanisms underlying the estrogen carcinogenic effect in breast tissue are not clearly understood. For this dissertation, the mitotoxic and cytotoxic effects of triphenylphosphonium cation (TPP) and Origanum majorana organic extract (OME) as well as …

Effects Of Chromium On Mouse Splenic T Lymphocytes And Effects Of Ethanol Exposure During Early Neurodevelopment On Behaviors In Mice, Lu Dai

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

The dissertation consists of three major projects with the focus on the immunotoxicity of chromium and the behavior disorders caused by early ETOH exposure respectively.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is widely used in various industrial processes and has been recognized as a carcinogen. As the first line of host defense system, the immune system can be a primary target of Cr(VI). T cell population represents a major arm of the immune system that plays a critical role in host anti-tumor immunity. Dysfunction of T cells compromises host anti-tumor immunity resulting in oncogenesis. Using mouse splenic T cells as an in vitro …

An Investigation Of Juvenile Alewife (Alosa Pseudoharengus) Habitat Use And Growth Using Natural Markers, Gregory Norman Labonte Ms

All Student Scholarship

This research attempts to connect patterns in growth and migration of an anadromous species. The goal of this research was to understand habitat movements and growth of juvenile alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) in the Penobscot Estuary and Bay through the use of otolith microchemistry, otolith growth increments, and a laboratory stable isotope turnover study. Understanding the connection between growth and movement of juvenile alewives may lead to more accurate and sophisticated conservation and restoration methods for anadromous species.

Rapid Method Of Processing Sperm For Nucleic Acid Extraction In Clinical Research, Matthew K. De Gannes

Masters Theses

Background: Sperm contain highly compact nuclei, inhibiting DNA extraction using traditional techniques. Current methods extracting sperm DNA involve lengthy lysis and no means of stabilizing DNA, hindering clinical research.

Objective: We sought to optimize an efficient method of extracting high quality human sperm DNA.

Methods: Sperm from three volunteers were isolated using PureCeption. We tested 1) proteinase K with DNA/RNA Shield, 2) DTT and TCEP as reducing agents, 3) QIAshredder homogenization, and 4) stability of sperm DNA fresh (baseline) or after 4 weeks of storage at 4^OC in DNA/RNA Shield using modified Quick-gDNA MiniPrep. DNA was PCR amplified …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Basic Animal Cell Functions, Michelle Fulbright, Andrew Andres

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Increasing global temperatures during the 21st century may have detrimental effects on basic cell functions within ectothermal animals. This project aims to systematically examine the effects of climate change on secretory cargo localization through the analysis of Rab Proteins found in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Rab Proteins play an essential role in vesicular transport within the cell and can be genetically manipulated to monitor the biological consequences of global warming.

The Impact Of Tricaine Methanesulfonate, 2-Phenoxyethanol, And Carvone-Methyl Salicylate On The Innate Immune Response Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Charles R. Wulff

Honors Theses

Anesthesia plays a vital role in the maintenance of aquaculture species, where it is used to minimize stress during complex handling tasks such as transport, assessment, and harvesting. However, anesthetics have been shown to suppress the innate immune response, which could impact immunity and increase risk of infection. Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) and 2-Phenoxyethanol (2-PE) represent two of the most commonly used anesthetics in aquaculture, with R-(+)-carvone, in the form of carvone-methyl salicylate (CMS) has recently been proposed as an alternative anesthetic for food fish. These three anesthetics were used to assess the influence of anesthetics on the immune system of …

Policy For Identifying And Assessing The Health Risks Of Toxic Substances, Maine Bureau Of Health

Maine Collection

Policy for Identifying and Assessing the Health Risks of Toxic Substances

by Norman T. Anderson, Environmental Toxicology Program, Division of Disease Control, Bureau of Health (February, 1988).

Contents: Section I: Introduction / Section II: Methods / Section III: Exposure Assessment / Section IV: Hazard Identification / Section V: Hazard Assessment / Section VI: Risk Characterization / List of Figures / List of Tables