Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

The Relationship Between Lead In Groundwater And Elementary School Students' Academic Performance In Missouri, Lynnette Xiangling Li

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Lead exposure can come from various sources, e.g., lead mines, industrial areas, and lead based paint. Missouri has more than 4,128 lead mines. Lead is a neurotoxin. The objectives of the study were to investigate i) the spatial relationship between lead mines and lead distribution in groundwater, ii) the statistical impact of lead in groundwater on students' Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores, and iii) the geographic variations of lead's impact on students' MAP scores. Geographic Information Science spatial analysis tools were used to analyze the concentration of lead in groundwater within school districts in Missouri. Regression analysis was utilized to …

Gonadal Intersex In Teleosts: Mechanisms, Molecular Biomarkers And Diagnostic Assays, Ahmed M.E. Abdel-Moneim Mohamed

Open Access Dissertations

Natural and synthetic estrogenic and androgenic compounds are continuously released into aquatic ecosystems. Exposure of teleost fishes to these contaminants can negatively impact sex differentiation and reproductive output. Specifically, development of gonadal intersex in gonochoristic (fixed sex) fish species has been studied extensively in relation to exposure to this class of compounds. The main objectives of this dissertation were to: 1) conduct field and laboratory studies to investigate the molecular signaling pathways behind the development of gonadal intersex; and 2) establish molecular biomarkers and assays for testing the ability of environmental pollutants to develop this condition using a battery of …

Determining The Effects Of The Think Risk Initiative As Implemented By The Southern Nevada Health District, Karalin Nichole Cronkhite

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the United States, someone becomes infected with a foodborne illness every 2 seconds, is hospitalized by a foodborne illness every 4 minutes and dies due to a foodborne illness every 3 hours. Foodborne illness is preventable, yet each year, 1 in 6 Americans is affected by it from contaminated foods or beverages. There are over 250 different foodborne diseases, and in 2015, there were 73 confirmed cases of Salmonella infection in Southern Nevada alone. Since the emergence of public health, food establishment inspections have been an important part of the regulation of food safety. Risk-based inspections were developed by …

A Pes Study Of Factors Influencing Metal Partitioning In Aquatic Systems: “Design Of Experiment As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, And Zn”, Eid A. Alkhatib, John Rapaglia, Leon Theim

Chemistry & Physics Faculty Publications

Mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals are related to their partitioning amongst suspended sediment and water. A Particle Entrainment Simulator (PES) is used to simulate sediment resuspention in natural surface water systems. The simulations were carried out under various conditions of water/suspended solids conditions. Five factors, each at various levels, are tested collectively: the pH of water at two levels (4 and 8), shear stress on bottom sediment at three levels (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 N/m2 ) salinity of water at two levels (0.01 and 14.0 ppt), organic matter in sediment at three levels (0.50, 1.93, and 3.80%) and temperature …

Georgia’S Rapid Expansion Of Mosquito Surveillance In Response To Zika Virus, R. Christopher Rustin, Deonte Martin, Rosmarie Kelly

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Presentations (2010-2017)

Objective: To describe the Georgia Department of Public Health’s (DPH) mosquito surveillance capacity before and after Zika virus was declared a public health emergency, review and compare mosquito surveillance results from 2015 to 2016, and evaluate the risk of autochthonous vector transmission of Zika virus based on 2016 surveillance data of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Introduction: Zika virus was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization on February 1, 2016. With Georgia hosting the world’s busiest international airport and a sub-tropical climate that can support the primary Zika virus vector, Aedes aegypti, and secondary …

Network Inference Driven Drug Discovery, Gergely Zahoránszky-Kőhalmi, Tudor I. Oprea, Cristian G. Bologa, Subramani Mani, Oleg Ursu

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The application of rational drug design principles in the era of network-pharmacology requires the investigation of drug-target and target-target interactions in order to design new drugs. The presented research was aimed at developing novel computational methods that enable the efficient analysis of complex biomedical data and to promote the hypothesis generation in the context of translational research. The three chapters of the Dissertation relate to various segments of drug discovery and development process.

The first chapter introduces the integrated predictive drug discovery platform „SmartGraph”. The novel collaborative-filtering based algorithm „Target Based Recommender (TBR)” was developed in the framework of this …

Development Of A Risk Assessment Framework To Predict Invasive Species Establishment For Multiple Taxonomic Groups And Vectors Of Introduction, Alisha D. Davidson, Abigail J. Fusaro, Rochelle A. Sturtevant, Edward S. Rutherford, Donna R. Kashian

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

A thorough assessment of aquatic nonindigenous species’ risk facilitates successful monitoring and prevention activities. However, species- and vector-specific information is often limited and difficult to synthesize across a single risk framework. To address this need, we developed an assessment framework capable of estimating the potential for introduction, establishment, and impact by aquatic nonindigenous species from diverse spatial origins and taxonomic classification, in novel environments. Our model builds on previous approaches, while taking on a new perspective for evaluation across species, vectors and stages to overcome the limitations imposed by single species and single vector assessments. We applied this globally-relevant framework …

Effects Of Antibiotic Mixtures Across Marine Intertidal Trophic Levels: Examining Environmentally-Relevant Contaminant Concentrations, Jaclyn Rebecca Teixeira

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 48% of Americans use prescription drugs within each 30-day period, and there are signs this trend is increasing. Although many studies track pharmaceuticals’ fates in contaminating waterways, only fairly recent efforts have examined the potential impacts of these drugs on non-target organisms. The antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, often prescribed together to treat bacterial infections, have been detected worldwide in marine and estuarine environments at concentrations up to 700-800 ng/L each. Toxic effects of these drugs have been identified in freshwater organisms, with synergistic effects observed in short-term studies of mixtures of the two; however, little research has examined possible …

Human Exposure Modeling Using Sheds, Luther Smith, William Graham Glen

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Eco-Epidemiology Of Pacific Coast Tick Fever In California, Kerry A. Padgett, Denise L. Bonilla, Marina E. Eremeeva, Carol A. Glaser, Robert S. Lane, Charsey Cole Porse, Martin B. Castro, Sharon L. Messenger, Alex Espinosa, Jill Hacker, Anne Kjemtrup, Bonnie Ryan, Jamesina J. Scott, Renjie Hu, Melissa Hardstone Yoshimizu, Gregory A. Dasch, Vicki Kramer

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rickettsia philipii (type strain “Rickettsia 364D”), the etiologic agent of Pacific Coast tick fever (PCTF), is transmitted to people by the Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis. Following the first confirmed human case of PCTF in 2008, 13 additional human cases have been reported in California, more than half of which were pediatric cases. The most common features of PCTF are the presence of at least one necrotic lesion known as an eschar (100%), fever (85%), and headache (79%); four case-patients required hospitalization and four had multiple eschars. Findings presented here implicate the nymphal or larval stages of D …

Rabbit Control: Bait Stations, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet provides information on using bait stations for rabbit control.

Biological control agents such as the myxoma virus (myxomatosis), and rabbit haemorraghic disease virus (RHDV) or rabbit calicivirus disease, will not provide ‘magic bullets’ for reducing the impact of rabbits on agricultural production and the environment. Biological agents are more effective when they form part of an integrated approach to rabbit control. An integrated approach should use all available control options, including biological control, the use of vertebrate pesticides, shooting, and trapping programs. Control programs are most effective when they include the greatest number of properties possible (that is, …

Quantifying The Toxicity Of 1-Methylnaphthalene To The Shallow-Water Coral, Porites Divaricata, For Use In The Target Lipid Model, Nicholas Turner

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The proximity of coral reefs to coastal urban areas and shipping lanes predisposes corals to petroleum pollution from multiple sources. Previous research has evaluated petroleum toxicity to coral using a variety of methodologies, including monitoring effects of acute and chronic spills, in situ exposures, and ex situ exposures with both adult and larval stage corals. Variability in toxicant, bioassay conditions, species and other methodological disparities among studies prevents comprehensive conclusions regarding the toxicity of hydrocarbons to corals. This research evaluated the 48-hour toxicity of 1-methylnaphthalene to Porites divaricata using a continuous-flow passive dosing system. The range-finding exposure evaluated the dosing …

Rickettsiologist Pavel F. Zdrodovskii: Larger Than Life, And Not Just For His Famous Book, Marina E. Eremeeva, S. N. Shpynov, I. V. Tarasevich

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

This article highlights the biography and scientific accomplishments of Pavel F. Zdrodovskii and his contributions to understanding the biology, pathogenesis, treatment, prevention and epidemiology of brucellosis, rickettsioses and many other infectious diseases.

Manufacturer Perspectives On Content Transparency And Material Health In The Us Building Products Industry, Alexandra A. Muller

Open Access Theses

Flawed U.S. federal regulation of chemicals has resulted in a materials market that undervalues human and environmental health in favor of the more traditional attributes of price, performance and aesthetics. In the building products industry, global, dynamic supply chains and proprietary information concerns further complicate the task of assessing the material health of products.

Voluntary material health programs in the green building industry are intended to incentivize the manufacture and selection of safer products by getting companies to gather and assess ingredient, hazard and risk information from their supply chain. Building product manufacturers considered early adopters of the main material …

Improving The Roadside Environment Through Integrating Air Quality And Traffic-Related Data, Christine M. Kendrick

Dissertations and Theses

Urban arterial corridors are landscapes that give rise to short and long-term exposures to transportation-related pollution. With high traffic volumes, congestion, and a wide mix of road users and land uses at the road edge, urban arterial environments are important targets for improved exposure assessment to traffic-related pollution. Applying transportation management strategies to reduce emissions along arterial corridors could be enhanced if the ability to quantify and evaluate such actions was improved. However, arterial roadsides are under-sampled in terms of air pollution measurements in the United States and using observational data to assess such effects has many challenges such as …

In Vitro Monitoring Of Time And Dose Dependent Cytotoxicity Of Aminated Nanoparticles Using Raman Spectroscopy, Esen Efeoglu, Alan Casey, Hugh Byrne

Articles

No abstract provided.

Spectroscopic Studies Of Anthracyclines: Structural Characterization And In Vitro Tracking, Zeineb Farhane, Hugh Byrne, Malgorzata Baranska

Articles

A broad spectroscopic characterization, using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared absorption as well as Raman scattering, of two commonly used anthracyclines antibiotics (DOX) daunorubicin (DNR), their epimers (EDOX, EDNR) and ten selected analogs is presented. The paper serves as a comprehensive spectral library of UV-vis, IR and Raman spectra of anthracyclines in the solid state and in solution. The particular advantage of Raman spectroscopy for the measurement and analysis of individual antibiotics is demonstrated. Raman spectroscopy can be used to monitor the in vitro uptake and distribution of the drug in cells, using both 488 nm and 785 nm …

Investigations Of The Effects Of Different Ventilation Structures On Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling (Pbpk) Simulations, Karen A. Yokley

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Infection Prevention Strategies In Out-Patient Dialysis Units Using Agent-Based Modeling, Joanna R. Wares, Barry Lawson, Douglas Shemin, Erika D'Agata

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

Patients receiving chronic hemodialysis (CHD) are among the most vulnerable to infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), which are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines to reduce transmission of MDRO in the out-patient dialysis unit are targeted at patients considered to be high-risk for transmitting these organisms: those with infected skin wounds not contained by a dressing, or those with fecal incontinence or uncontrolled diarrhea. Here, we hypothesize that targeting patients receiving antimicrobial treatment would more effectively reduce transmission and acquisition of MDRO. We also hypothesize that environmental contamination plays a role in the dissemination of …

Comparing The Quantitation Of Opiates From Possible Drug Overdose Cases Using Results Of Blood Analysis And Liver Analysis, Lee Ann Garozzo

Forensic Science Theses

Currently the quantitation of opiates at the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office Toxicology Laboratory is conducted through whole blood analysis. The objective of this thesis project was to determine if the analysis of opiates could be conducted through liver analysis, and if the analysis of opiates would provide a more accurate quantitation compared to the blood analysis. The quantitation of opiates was conducted from the livers of sixty-four possible overdose cases that were brought into the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office between 2013 and 2015. Results showed that the opiate drugs could successfully be quantitated using the liver analysis. Generally …

Evaluation Of Pulmonary Function Among Workers Engaged In The Manufacture Of Hydraulic Fracking Ceramic Proppant, Humairat H. Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Workers involved in hydraulic fracking processes are exposed to various types of chemicals and dusts in their workplaces, such as proppants, which hold open the fissures created in the fracking process. Recently, ceramic proppants have been developed that may be less hazardous to workers than traditional proppants. Pulmonary function testing of workers producing ceramic proppant was used to assess the potential inhalation hazards of ceramic proppant. Male workers (n = 100) from a producer of ceramic proppant were evaluated with pulmonary function test data collected and evaluated using The American Thoracic Society (ATS) acceptability criteria. A comparison group was selected …

Human Health Risk Characterization Of Petroleum Coke Calcining Facility Emissions, Davinderjit Singh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Calcined coke is a high quality carbon material produced by calcining green petroleum coke. Calcining is the process of heating green petroleum coke in a kiln to remove excess moisture, extract all remaining hydrocarbons, and modify the crystalline structure of the coke into a denser, electrically conductive product. The final product, calcined coke, is primarily used to make carbon anodes for the aluminum industry and recarburizing agent for industries such as the steel industry. If not appropriately controlled, the calcining process could lead to excess production of particulate emissions from either handling or storing of raw coke, or from the …

Evaluation Of Cytotoxicity Profile And Intracellular Localisation Of Doxorubicin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles, Gabriele Dadalt Souto, Zeineb Farhane, Esen Efeoglu, Alan Casey, Jennifer Mcintyre, Hugh Byrne

Articles

In the emerging field of nanomedicine, targeted delivery of nanoparticle encapsulated active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is seen as a potential significant development, promising improved pharmacokinetics and reduced side effects. In this context, understanding the cellular uptake of the nanoparticles and subsequent subcellular distribution of the API is of critical importance. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated within chitosan nanoparticles to investigate its intracellular delivery in A549 cells in vitro. Unloaded (CS-TPP) and doxorubicin-loaded (DOX-CS-TPP) chitosan nanoparticles were characterised for size (473±41 nm), polydispersity index (0.3±0.2), zeta potential (34±4 mV), drug content (76±7 µM) and encapsulation efficiency (95±1%). The cytotoxic response to …

Chemotherapeutic Efficiency Of Drugs In Vitro: Comparison Of Doxorubicin Exposure In 3d And 2d Culture Matrices, Alan Casey, Mahmoud Gargotti, Franck Bonnier, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The interest in the use of 3D matrices for in vitro analysis, with a view to increasing the relevance of in vitro studies and reducing the dependence on in vivo studies, has been growing in recent years. Cells grown in a 3D in vitro matrix environment have been reported to exhibit significantly different properties to those in a conventional 2D culture environment. However, comparison of 2D and 3D cell culture models have recently been noted to result in differing responses of cytotoxic assays, without any associated change in viability. The effect was attributed to differing conversion rates and effective concentrations …

Comparison Of Protein Phosphatase Inhibition Assay With Lc-Ms/Ms For Diagnosis Of Microcystin Toxicosis In Veterinary Cases, Caroline E. Moore, Jeanette Juan, Yanping Lin, Cynthia L. Gaskill, Birgit Puschner

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Faculty Publications

Microcystins are acute hepatotoxins of increasing global concern in drinking and recreational waters and are a major health risk to humans and animals. Produced by cyanobacteria, microcystins inhibit serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1). A cost-effective PP1 assay using p-nitrophenyl phosphate was developed to quickly assess water and rumen content samples. Significant inhibition was determined via a linear model, which compared increasing volumes of sample to the log-transformed ratio of the exposed rate over the control rate of PP1 activity. To test the usefulness of this model in diagnostic case investigations, samples from two veterinary cases were tested. In August …

Xenoestrogens From Household Plastics Bind Estrogen Receptors And Affect Cell Proliferation, Susan G. Hurley, Brett R. Lackey, Patricia L. Tate, Sandra L. Gray

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Xenoestrogens are “foreign” chemicals or compounds that interact with estrogen receptors as either agonists or antagonists to interfere with endocrine system function. Xenoestrogens include phytoestrogens, pesticides, industrial by- products and synthetic estrogens. In this study, consumer plasticware, including baby bottles and food storage containers, were found to release xenoestrogenic compounds that bound to ERα and ERβ and affected cell proliferation.

Chemical Investigation Of Antarctic Marine Organisms & Their Role In Modern Drug Discovery, Jacqueline Lee Fries

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The chemicals produced by biological systems, whether proteins, peptides, or terpenes, will always provide an intriguing topic for researchers. Invisibly controlling every aspect of nature, these molecules are responsible for life, evolution, and death. Specifically, here is described the secondary metabolites produced by Antarctic marine organisms as well as others, and how they are used to defend or attract other animals while potentially providing health benefits to mankind. This is done through collection, extraction, and separation of individual specimens. The respective mixtures of compounds after isolation are then analyzed via spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, …

Acellular Reactivity Of Polymeric Dendrimer Nanoparticles As An Indicator Of Oxidative Stress In Vitro, Marcus Maher, Humza Khalid, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The need for rapid and cost effective pre-screening protocols of the toxicological response of the vast array of emerging nanoparticle types is apparent and the emerging consensus on the paradigm of oxidative stress by generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species as a primary source of the toxic response suggests the development of acellular assays to screen for nanoparticle surface reactivity. This study explores the potential of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) enzyme based assay with polymeric dendrimers as cofactors and serotonin as substrate, which generates H₂O₂, quantified by the conversion of the Carboxy-H₂DCFDA dye …

Structural Dependence Of The In Vitro Cytotoxicity, Oxidative Stress And Uptake Mechanisms Of Poly(Propylene Imine) Dendritic Nanoparticles, Humza Khalid, Sourav Prasanna Mukherjee, Luke O'Neill, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The in vitro cytotoxic and intracellular oxidative stress responses to exposure to poly (propylene imine) (PPI) dendritic nanoparticles of increasing generation (number of repeated branching cycles) (G0-G4) were assessed in an immortal non-cancerous human keratinocyte cell-line (HaCaT). Confocal fluorescence microscopy with organelle staining was used to explore the uptake and intracellular trafficking mechanisms. A generation and dose dependent cytotoxic response was observed, increasing according to generation and therefore number of surface amino groups. A comparison of the cytotoxic response of G4 PPI and the related G4 Poly (amido amine) dendrimer indicates that the PPI with the same number of surface …

The Real Footprint Of Electric Vehicles, And What That Could Mean For Our Future, Krista Brown

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper looks at the impact of electric vehicles on CO2 emissions specifically based on the type of electricity used in each New England state analyzed. The research looks at the question of whether or not emissions will in fact be lowered as electric cars start to take the majority of vehicles used instead of the conventional cars that take up a much larger percent of the motor vehicles used today. Taking into account the use of electricity and how many sources of electricity also release a substantial amount of emissions, we see how valid the public opinion of electric …