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Articles 241 - 270 of 1909

Full-Text Articles in Toxicology

Comparative Toxicity, Phytochemistry, And Use Of 53 Philippine Medicinal Plants, Lydia M. Clemen-Pascual, Rene Angelo S. Macahig, Nina Rosario L. Rojas Dec 2021

Comparative Toxicity, Phytochemistry, And Use Of 53 Philippine Medicinal Plants, Lydia M. Clemen-Pascual, Rene Angelo S. Macahig, Nina Rosario L. Rojas

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The study compares the toxicity of 53 selected medicinal plants commonly used in the Philippines to treat various diseases. It uses as a benchmark Vitex negundo L., which was approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration as an herbal drug for cough and asthma after passing clinical trials for safety and efficacy. The methods were chosen for their simplicity and accessibility even for resource-limited laboratories. Extracts (95 % ethanol) of the medicinal parts of the plants were (1) chemically profiled using qualitative phytochemical tests that detect the presence of key classes of bioactive compounds; and (2) evaluated for toxicity …


Investigation Of Toxic Chemicals In Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, Chukwunonso A. Anakwue Dec 2021

Investigation Of Toxic Chemicals In Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, Chukwunonso A. Anakwue

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Milk is a dietary component consumed all over the world and is known to be essential for development in children. Despite all the nutritional advantages associated with milk consumption, several issues like lactose intolerance, and high lipid content, etc., negatively affects the perception of cow milk consumption, and has grown into general health concerns. Issues with cow milk consumption drove for a healthier alternative and this led to plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA). Several studies have linked consumption of these PBMAs with other negative effects such as: allergy, poor nutrient profile and the presence of other foreign chemicals. This study’s main …


Development And Validation Of A Method For The Determination Of Designer Benzodiazepines In Hair By Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms), Laura C. Defreitas Dec 2021

Development And Validation Of A Method For The Determination Of Designer Benzodiazepines In Hair By Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms), Laura C. Defreitas

Student Theses

In recent years, new designer benzodiazepines have become a challenge in forensic toxicology. These substances are analogues of the classic benzodiazepines, but their pharmacology is not well known, and many of them have been associated with overdoses and deaths. As a result, there has been a surge in efforts to develop ways to accurately test for these compounds in different biological matrices. This study focused to develop and validate a method for determining 17 new designer benzodiazepines in hair by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Hair samples were decontaminated, pulverized, and 20 mg of the sample was incubated in …


Toxicity And Effects Of Tire Crumb Rubber In The Aquatic Environment, Stephanie Laplaca Dec 2021

Toxicity And Effects Of Tire Crumb Rubber In The Aquatic Environment, Stephanie Laplaca

All Dissertations

Plastic materials have provided innovative solutions to society’s evolving needs and challenges. Due to their durability and resistance to degradation, plastics remain in the environment for long periods of time and can therefore be transported to many environmental compartments such as water, sediment, and biota. Microplastics (MPs) have been defined as synthetic plastic particles that have at least one dimension less than 5 mm and are insoluble in water. Microrubber (MR), a recently acknowledged sub-group of MPs, has been documented in environmental samples more recently, frequently comprising a large portion of total MPs of various samples. In South Carolina specifically, …


Characterizing The Role Of Macrophages In Cisplatin-Induced Kidney Injury And Progression To Chronic Kidney Disease., Sophia M. Sears Dec 2021

Characterizing The Role Of Macrophages In Cisplatin-Induced Kidney Injury And Progression To Chronic Kidney Disease., Sophia M. Sears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic for treatment of many solid-organ cancers. Unfortunately, 30% of patients treated with cisplatin develop acute kidney injury (AKI), and even patients who do not develop AKI are at risk for long term declines in kidney function and development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). While traditional rodent toxicity studies have utilized a single, lethal dose of cisplatin, new models of cisplatin-induced kidney injury have revealed that repeated, low doses of cisplatin lead to development of kidney fibrosis. This model can be used to examine AKI-to-CKD transition processes. C57BL/6 mice are one of the most used …


Translating Particulate Hexavalent Chomium-Induced Chromosome Instability, Loss Of Homologous Recombination Repair And Targeting Of Rad51 From Human Lung Fibroblasts To Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells., Idoia Meaza Isusi Dec 2021

Translating Particulate Hexavalent Chomium-Induced Chromosome Instability, Loss Of Homologous Recombination Repair And Targeting Of Rad51 From Human Lung Fibroblasts To Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells., Idoia Meaza Isusi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Particulate hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a well-established human lung carcinogen. RAD51, a key protein in homologous recombination repair pathway, is inhibited after prolonged exposure to Cr(VI), leading to an increase in chromosome instability after prolonged exposures in human lung fibroblasts. chromosome instability is the proposed driver of Cr(VI) carcinogenesis. Since tumors from chromate workers develop from epithelial cells, we sought to translate these findings from human bronchial fibroblasts to human bronchial epithelial cells. We hypothesized Cr(VI) inhibits RAD51 after prolonged exposure leading to an increase in chromosome instability in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEP2D). We characterized the cytotoxicity and measured …


A Study On The Efficacy Of A Naloxone Training Program, Gillian A. Beauchamp Md, Hoonani M. Cuadrado, Seth A. Campbell Pa-C, Bennie Eliason Chw, Chase Jones Do, Aaron Fedor Do, Lauren Grantz Pharmd, Csp, Paige Roth Lsw, Marna Greenberg Nov 2021

A Study On The Efficacy Of A Naloxone Training Program, Gillian A. Beauchamp Md, Hoonani M. Cuadrado, Seth A. Campbell Pa-C, Bennie Eliason Chw, Chase Jones Do, Aaron Fedor Do, Lauren Grantz Pharmd, Csp, Paige Roth Lsw, Marna Greenberg

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: The use of naloxone to reverse a potentially fatal opioid overdose is a harm reduction strategy that reduces mortality and increases the potential for referral to substance use treatment for affected individuals. In the setting of outreach performed by a street medicine team, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention involving distribution of naloxone accompanied by a brief instructive session about opioids, opioid overdose, and medication administration. Methods: Our street medicine outreach team distributed 200 naloxone kits to clinicians and volunteers involved in caring for patients on ‘street rounds,’ as well as in shelters, soup kitchens, …


Activation Of Nrf2 At Critical Windows Of Development Alters Protein S-Glutathionylation In The Zebrafish Embryo (Danio Rerio), Emily G. Severance Oct 2021

Activation Of Nrf2 At Critical Windows Of Development Alters Protein S-Glutathionylation In The Zebrafish Embryo (Danio Rerio), Emily G. Severance

Masters Theses

Perturbation of cellular redox homeostasis to a more oxidized state has been linked to adverse human health effects such as diabetes and cancer. However, the impact of altering the regulation of redox homeostasis during development is not fully understood. Specifically, this project investigates the role of the Nrf2 antioxidant response pathway and its effect on glutathione (GSH; cellular redox buffer) at critical windows of development. To explore this, we used zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) as a model due to the function of GSH and the Nrf2 being conserved among vertebrates. We exposed zebrafish embryos to three Nrf2 activators: two antioxidant …


Investigating The Developmental Impacts Of 3,3’-Dichlorobiphenyl (Pcb-11) In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Monika A. Roy Oct 2021

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, …


Technical Memo: Incorporating Mixture Toxicity Into Bayesian Networks To Calculate Risk To Pesticides In The Upper San Francisco Estuary., Eric J. Lawrence, Skyler R. Elmstrom, Emma E. Sharpe, Wayne G. Landis Oct 2021

Technical Memo: Incorporating Mixture Toxicity Into Bayesian Networks To Calculate Risk To Pesticides In The Upper San Francisco Estuary., Eric J. Lawrence, Skyler R. Elmstrom, Emma E. Sharpe, Wayne G. Landis

Institute of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry Publications

This memo presents the methods we have developed to calculate risk of mixtures of pesticides for the Upper San Francisco Estuary (USFE). We used curve fitting to estimate the exposure-response curves for each individual chemical and then the mixture. For the mixture the models were normalized for specific ECx values. In that way the curve fitting was optimized for effects that are similar to most threshold values. A Bayesian network was then built that incorporated four different pesticides and a specific mode of action. The input distributions of the pesticides were measured amounts from each of the six risk regions. …


Characterization Of A Fluorescent Glucose Derivative 1-Nbdg And Its Application In The Identification Of Natural Sglt1/2 Inhibitors, Ting-Yu Kao, Hwa-Wei Wu, Shoei-Sheng Lee, Pi-Hui Liang, Jih-Hwa Guh, Lih-Ching Hsu Sep 2021

Characterization Of A Fluorescent Glucose Derivative 1-Nbdg And Its Application In The Identification Of Natural Sglt1/2 Inhibitors, Ting-Yu Kao, Hwa-Wei Wu, Shoei-Sheng Lee, Pi-Hui Liang, Jih-Hwa Guh, Lih-Ching Hsu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Glucose is an important energy source for cells. Glucose transport is mediated by two types of glucose transporters: the active sodium-coupled glucose cotransporters (SGLTs), and the passive glucose transporters (GLUTs). Development of an easy way to detect glucose uptake by the cell can be valuable for research. 1-(N-(7-Nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl) amino)-1-deoxy-D-glucose (1-NBDG) is a newly synthesized fluorescent glucose analogue. Unlike 2-NBDG, which is a good substrate of GLUTs but not SGLTs, 1-NBDG can be transported by both GLUTs and SGLTs. Thus, 1-NBDG is useful for the screening of SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitors. Here we further characterized 1-NBDG and compared it …


Lucigenin-Pyrogallol Chemiluminescence For The Multiple Detection Of Pyrogallol, Cobalt Ion, And Tyrosinase, Islam M. Mostafa, Muhammad Rehan Hasan Shah Gilani, Yequan Chen, Baohua Lou, Jianping Li, Guobao Xu Sep 2021

Lucigenin-Pyrogallol Chemiluminescence For The Multiple Detection Of Pyrogallol, Cobalt Ion, And Tyrosinase, Islam M. Mostafa, Muhammad Rehan Hasan Shah Gilani, Yequan Chen, Baohua Lou, Jianping Li, Guobao Xu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Developing new, cheap, sensitive and selective chemiluminescence (CL) systems with multiple detection properties is still a big challenge for biological and environmental applications. Here, we report a new CL system having multiple detection applications (environmental and biological). The developed lucigenin-pyrogallol system gave an enhancement (190 times) over the conventional lucigenin-H2O2 CL system. Cobalt ion and tyrosinase can inhibit lucigenin-PG CL intensity. Based on these phenomena, we have developed new CL methods for the detection of pyrogallol (LOD = 0.94 μM), lucigenin (LOD = 0.42 μM), cobalt (LOD = 68 μM), and tyrosinase (LOD = 1.8 μg/mL). Furthermore, …


Determination Of Cannabinoids In Hemp Oil Based Cosmetic Products By Lc-Tandem Ms, Yun-Hua Hsu, Ming-Chih Fang, Shou-Chieh Huang, Ya-Min Kao, Su-Hsiang Tseng, Der-Yuan Wang Sep 2021

Determination Of Cannabinoids In Hemp Oil Based Cosmetic Products By Lc-Tandem Ms, Yun-Hua Hsu, Ming-Chih Fang, Shou-Chieh Huang, Ya-Min Kao, Su-Hsiang Tseng, Der-Yuan Wang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Cosmetic products containing hemp seed oil as permitted raw materials required the specific compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) below 10 µg/g. THC was the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Since hemp seed oil became an increasingly popular ingredient in cosmetics over the last few years, an efficient and reliable analytical method for THC and other cannabinoids in cannabis-infused cosmetic products was in need. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) in hemp seed oil based cosmetic products was developed. Method validation was performed by fertilizing blank samples with analytes and internal …


Comprehensive Multiplexed Analysis Of Risky Drugs In Eggs Based On Magnetic Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks And Uhplc Q-Orbitrap Hrms, Wei Jia, Yuyang Liu, Xi Xu, Yanxi Zhang, Lin Shi Sep 2021

Comprehensive Multiplexed Analysis Of Risky Drugs In Eggs Based On Magnetic Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks And Uhplc Q-Orbitrap Hrms, Wei Jia, Yuyang Liu, Xi Xu, Yanxi Zhang, Lin Shi

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

A novel magnetic adsorbent solid-phase Fe3O4@ZIF-8 extraction method coupled with UHPLC Q-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry for the sensitive and high efficiency detection of fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, dyes and amphenicols in eggs is described. Under optimum conditions, CCβ and CCα of 0.62 to 26.97 μg.kg1 and 0.36 to 16.37 μg.kg1 was obtained, which is much better than that obtained by conventional methods. The accuracy, expressed as recovery, were achieved falling between 75% and 104%. The proposed strategy provides several advantages of simplicity and low energy consumption, thus retaining potential for the screening of …


An Extractive Nanoelectrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Method For Chinese Herbal Medicine Authentication, Chia-Hsin Lee, Hui-Chi Huang, Mei-Chun Tseng, Chao-Jung Chen Sep 2021

An Extractive Nanoelectrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Method For Chinese Herbal Medicine Authentication, Chia-Hsin Lee, Hui-Chi Huang, Mei-Chun Tseng, Chao-Jung Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Herein, we describe a rapid, sensitive, and nondestructive method—extractive nanoelectrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (EnESI-MS)—for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) authentication. The mass-spectral fingerprints of volatile compounds released from various TCMs can be rapidly acquired using EnESI-MS without sample pretreatment. EnESI-MS was applied to successfully differentiate between two commonly used medicinal herbs, Schisandra Chinensis and Schisandra sphenanthera, which are morphologically similar but exhibit different therapeutic effects. Specific volatile compounds of each herb in a ten-component Chinese herbal product, Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, were also identified, and the method was applied to discriminate between the commercial product and a substandard version.


Mesonosides A-H, Primeverose Derivatives From Mesona Procumbens Suppress Adipogenesis By Downregulating Pparγ And C/Ebpa In 3t3-L1 Cells, Hung-Tse Huang, Chia-Ching Liaw, Chun-Tang Chiou, Kung-Ta Lee, Yao-Haur Kuo Sep 2021

Mesonosides A-H, Primeverose Derivatives From Mesona Procumbens Suppress Adipogenesis By Downregulating Pparγ And C/Ebpa In 3t3-L1 Cells, Hung-Tse Huang, Chia-Ching Liaw, Chun-Tang Chiou, Kung-Ta Lee, Yao-Haur Kuo

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Obesity is becoming a worldwide epidemic, especially in industrialized countries. We hereby report a methanolic extract of Mesona procumbens (known as Hsian-tsao in Taiwan) significantly inhibits lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and eight new primeverose derivatives, mesonosides A-H (1-8), were isolated from the methanolic extract of M. procumbens. Structural elucidation of 1-8 was established by spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR techniques (1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) and HRESIMS. Anti-obesity evaluation revealed that isolates 1-5, 7, and 8 showed inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation and protein levels of adipogenic transcription factor, PPARγ and C/EBPa in 3T3-L1 …


Induction Of Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis By Essential Oil Of Toona Sinensis Root Through Akt, Mtor And Nf-Κb Signalling Pathways In Human Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells, Yu-Chi Chen, Chiao-Ling Hsieh, Bu-Miin Huang, Yungchia Chen Sep 2021

Induction Of Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis By Essential Oil Of Toona Sinensis Root Through Akt, Mtor And Nf-Κb Signalling Pathways In Human Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells, Yu-Chi Chen, Chiao-Ling Hsieh, Bu-Miin Huang, Yungchia Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Natural products have long been considered as a kind of complementary medicine. In this study, we investigate the apoptotic effect of essential oils of Toona sinensis roots (TSR) on human clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC). The sesquiterpene content of TSR essential oil was determined via GC/MS analysis. TSR decreased ccRCC cell viabilities, inducing ROS generation and reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, TSR inhibited Bcl-2 and Hsp90 expression but increased PARP-1 cleavage and cytochrome c release. Akt, mTOR and NF-kB phosphorylation and HIF-a expression were all inhibited, which likely contributed to the anti-proliferative and anti-adhesive effects of TSR.


Comprehensive Detection Of 120 Additives In Food Using Nontargeted Ms Data Acquisition, Che-Lun Hsu, Mingchih Fang, Hui-Chun Tseng, Ya-Tze Lin, Su-Hsiang Tseng, Der-Yuan Wang, Deng-Fwu Hwang Sep 2021

Comprehensive Detection Of 120 Additives In Food Using Nontargeted Ms Data Acquisition, Che-Lun Hsu, Mingchih Fang, Hui-Chun Tseng, Ya-Tze Lin, Su-Hsiang Tseng, Der-Yuan Wang, Deng-Fwu Hwang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

The compliance assessment on the labeling of food additives is a hard job, because there are nearly thousand legal food additives can be used in food, and countless illegal additives must also deal with. This study developed a nontargeted data acquisition screening method based on liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) in which a precursor ion and two product ions of each analyte are able to be recorded. The high throughput screening method worked as foodomics that characterized and identified every food components as long as they were ionized in terms of theory. The data acquisition method called data …


Transcriptome Analysis Of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Gg Strain Treated With Prebiotic - Bovine Lactoferrin Under A Cold Environment, Zhen-Shu Liu, Chuen-Fu Lin, Po-Wen Chen Sep 2021

Transcriptome Analysis Of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Gg Strain Treated With Prebiotic - Bovine Lactoferrin Under A Cold Environment, Zhen-Shu Liu, Chuen-Fu Lin, Po-Wen Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Lactoferrin (LF) is secreted by mammals and displays extensive biological effects. We previously reported that bovine LF (BLF) can boost the cold tolerance of a well-applied probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), to grow robustly under a cold environment, but the molecular mechanism is not clear. Here, RNA-seq analysis was conducted to ascertain molecular pathways underlying cold tolerance exerted by BLF. LGG was cultured in a cold environment (22°C) in the presence or absence of BLF. Transcriptome analysis indicated that BLF significantly elicited 1.2 to 3.2 fold (log2 Fold change) higher expression levels of genes related to stress, defense, cell …


Polydopamine And Silica Nanoparticles Magnetic Solid Phase Extraction Coupled With Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry To Determine Phenolic Acids And Flavonoids In Fruit Wine, Hui-Ling Lee, Chih-Yuan Kang, Yen-Jung Kuo, Shan-Ni Tseng Sep 2021

Polydopamine And Silica Nanoparticles Magnetic Solid Phase Extraction Coupled With Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry To Determine Phenolic Acids And Flavonoids In Fruit Wine, Hui-Ling Lee, Chih-Yuan Kang, Yen-Jung Kuo, Shan-Ni Tseng

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) have been widely applied in a variety of sample preparation techniques. Herein, Fe3O4@pDA as the sorbents for MSPE, were developed for the determination of phenolic acids and flavonoids in fruit wine samples in combination with LC-MS/MS. The Fe3O4@pDA were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Magnetometer (SQUID) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in detail. In the present study, a new, rapid, and efficient MSPE by LC-MS/MS was established for the extraction and sensitive detection of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Under the optimized condition …


Microcystis Sp. Co-Producing Microcystin And Saxitoxin From Songkhla Lake Basin, Thailand, Ampapan Naknaen, Waraporn Ratsameepakai, Oramas Suttinun, Yaowapa Sukpondma, Eakalak Khan, Rattanaruji Pomwised Sep 2021

Microcystis Sp. Co-Producing Microcystin And Saxitoxin From Songkhla Lake Basin, Thailand, Ampapan Naknaen, Waraporn Ratsameepakai, Oramas Suttinun, Yaowapa Sukpondma, Eakalak Khan, Rattanaruji Pomwised

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The Songkhla Lake Basin (SLB) located in Southern Thailand, has been increasingly polluted by urban and industrial wastewater, while the lake water has been intensively used. Here, we aimed to investigate cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the SLB. Ten cyanobacteria isolates were identified as Microcystis genus based on16S rDNA analysis. All isolates harbored microcystin genes, while five of them carried saxitoxin genes. On day 15 of culturing, the specific growth rate and Chl-a content were 0.2–0.3 per day and 4 µg/mL. The total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content was 0.37–0.49 µg/mL. The concentration of soluble EPS (sEPS) was 2 times higher …


Impact Of Sodium Dichloroacetate Alone And In Combination Therapies On Lung Tumor Growth And Metastasis, Aya Mudhafar A. Al-Azawi Sep 2021

Impact Of Sodium Dichloroacetate Alone And In Combination Therapies On Lung Tumor Growth And Metastasis, Aya Mudhafar A. Al-Azawi

Theses

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer with the highest mortality rate worldwide in 2020 despite the advances in targeted- and immuno-therapies. Metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as an essential emerging cancer hallmark in which altered metabolic pathways represent an attractive therapeutic target. Sodium Dichloroacetate (DCA), a pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) inhibitor, effect has been investigated in various tumors. Building on the already published data, this pre-clinical study aims to explore the anticancer potential of DCA in lung cancer alone and in combination with chemo- and targeted therapies using two non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines …


Do Environmental Toxins Predict Violent Crimes?, Tyler Stahl Aug 2021

Do Environmental Toxins Predict Violent Crimes?, Tyler Stahl

Symposium of Student Scholars

Do chemical pollutants that persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate in the body affect human health and behavior? Could these Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) chemicals play a role in the cause of violent crimes due to deterioration of mental and cognitive functions? In the past, Mercury, a PBT chemical, has been shown in salmon to be associated with aggression. Could similar aggression occur in humans exposed to mercury through a toxic spill? Two sources of data are utilized in this analysis. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Annual Toxic Release Inventory publishes data on toxic releases into the environment and …


Childhood Exposure To Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) And Neurobehavioral Domains In Children At Age 8 Years, Ann M. Vuong, Kimberly Yolton, Changchun Xie, Kim N. Dietrich, Joseph M. Braun, Glenys M. Webster, Antonia M. Calafat, Bruce P. Lanphear, Aimin Chen Aug 2021

Childhood Exposure To Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) And Neurobehavioral Domains In Children At Age 8 Years, Ann M. Vuong, Kimberly Yolton, Changchun Xie, Kim N. Dietrich, Joseph M. Braun, Glenys M. Webster, Antonia M. Calafat, Bruce P. Lanphear, Aimin Chen

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Toxicological studies have raised concerns regarding the neurotoxic effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, observational evidence from human studies investigating the association between childhood PFAS and neurobehavior is limited and remains unclear. Objectives: To examine whether childhood PFAS concentrations are associated with neurobehavior in children at age 8 years and whether child sex modifies this relationship. Methods: We used data from 208 mother-child dyads in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort (Cincinnati, OH, USA). We quantified PFAS in child serum at 3 and 8 years. We assessed …


Cocaine, Cocaethylene And Ethanol In Postmortem Blood Submitted To The New York City Office Of Chief Medical Examiner, Jada T. Alexis Aug 2021

Cocaine, Cocaethylene And Ethanol In Postmortem Blood Submitted To The New York City Office Of Chief Medical Examiner, Jada T. Alexis

Student Theses

Cocaine overdose deaths are on the rise in the United States. This increase may be due to the co-consumption of cocaine with other drugs. When cocaine is ingested in conjunction with alcohol, a specific metabolite called cocaethylene forms. Information regarding cocaethylene, specifically its interpretive value in post-mortem cases, has not been widely studied. Data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City revealed that there were 195 cases in 2017 positive for cocaethylene. These cases were most likely to involve black (42.1%) males (79.5%) in Manhattan (28.2%) aged 50 - 59 (34.4%). Most of the cases …


Innate Immune Activation By Checkpoint Inhibition In Human Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Tissues, Teresa W. M. Fan, Richard M. Higashi, Huan Song, Saeed Daneshmandi, Angela L. Mahan, Matthew S. Purdom, Therese J. Bocklage, Thomas A. Pittman, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Andrew N. Lane Aug 2021

Innate Immune Activation By Checkpoint Inhibition In Human Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Tissues, Teresa W. M. Fan, Richard M. Higashi, Huan Song, Saeed Daneshmandi, Angela L. Mahan, Matthew S. Purdom, Therese J. Bocklage, Thomas A. Pittman, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Andrew N. Lane

Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Although Pembrolizumab-based immunotherapy has significantly improved lung cancer patient survival, many patients show variable efficacy and resistance development. A better understanding of the drug’s action is needed to improve patient outcomes. Functional heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial to modulating drug resistance; understanding of individual patients’ TME that impacts drug response is hampered by lack of appropriate models. Lung organotypic tissue slice cultures (OTC) with patients’ native TME procured from primary and brain-metastasized (BM) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were treated with Pembrolizumab and/or beta-glucan (WGP, an innate immune activator). Metabolic tracing with 13C6-Glc/ …


Neonicotinoids Can Cause Arrested Pupal Ecdysis In Lepidoptera, Niranjana Krishnan, Russell A. Jurenka, Steven P. Bradbury Aug 2021

Neonicotinoids Can Cause Arrested Pupal Ecdysis In Lepidoptera, Niranjana Krishnan, Russell A. Jurenka, Steven P. Bradbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recently, we reported a novel mode of action in monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides: arrest in pupal ecdysis following successful larval ecdysis. In this paper, we explore arrested pupal ecdysis in greater detail and propose adverse outcome pathways to explain how neonicotinoids cause this effect. Using imidacloprid as a model compound, we determined that final-instar monarchs, corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea), and wax moths (Galleria mellonella) showed high susceptibility to arrested pupal ecdysis while painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) and red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) showed low susceptibility. Fall …


Bacteria Assessment Of Soil Samples In Houston Watersheilds; Impact Of Heavy Metal, And Stress Responses In An Eukaryotic Co-Culture System., Folasade Adedoyin Aug 2021

Bacteria Assessment Of Soil Samples In Houston Watersheilds; Impact Of Heavy Metal, And Stress Responses In An Eukaryotic Co-Culture System., Folasade Adedoyin

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Houston has a complex watershed in which bayous intersect one another making the city prone to flooding, as evidenced by the 2017 Hurricane Harvey flood. We sought to evaluate bacterial population dynamics in Houston watershed soils pre- and post-Hurricane Harvey; additionally, we evaluated population dynamics in neighboring, downstream bayous ~ 1 year later in the summer and winter of 2018. This study quantified bacterial loads for pre-Hurricane Harvey (June 2017) and post-hurricane Harvey (November 2017) soil samples, as well as competitive samples from one year later [summer (June 2018) and winter (November) 2018]. Unexpectedly, bayous closer to Houston’s densely populated …


Toxicology Of Chemical Stress To Monarch Butterflies (Danaus Plexippus L.), Annie Krueger Aug 2021

Toxicology Of Chemical Stress To Monarch Butterflies (Danaus Plexippus L.), Annie Krueger

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) population declines have caught the attention of the country and prompted nationwide conservation initiatives. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has identified insecticide exposure and loss of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) reproductive habitat as primary threats to the monarch. In the Midwestern US, milkweed largely occurs around cropland borders where there may be a spatial and temporal overlap of monarch larvae, insecticide usage, and fertilizer applications. In this study, the acute toxicity and sub-lethal effects on growth and diet consumption of two commonly used pyrethroid insecticides, bifenthrin and beta-cyfluthrin, were characterized …


The Impacts Of Embryonic Arsenic Exposure Of Fundulus Heteroclitus, Torey Bowser Aug 2021

The Impacts Of Embryonic Arsenic Exposure Of Fundulus Heteroclitus, Torey Bowser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that exceeds safe drinking water standards in groundwater in many locations worldwide. Arsenic exposure in fish has been linked to destruction of gill tissues, impairment of growth, decreased muscle mass, memory impairment, increased aggression, and avoidance behaviors. We examined the behavior of mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) following arsenic exposure during development in two studies. Embryos were collected from fish from three reference sites: Scorton Creek (SC), Massachusetts, Wells Harbor (WE), Maine, and Block Island (BLOC), Rhode Island and two contaminated sites: Callahan Mine (CM), Brooksville, Maine, and New Bedford Harbor (NBH), Massachusetts. Embryos were …