Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Antibacterial, Antioxidant, And Repellency Potential Of The Essential Oil From Spartium Junceum L. Grown In Lebanon, Hawraa Zahrddin, Mahmoud Khalil, Akram Hijazi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The goal of our present study is to assess the pharmacological potential of essential oil extracted from Spartium junceum cultivated in Lebanon. This oil was obtained by hydrodistillation using the Clevenger apparatus. Then, an organoleptic characterization and an evaluation of its antioxidant, repellent/insecticidal, and antibacterial activities have been evaluated. The obtained results showed that this oil had an antioxidant activity reaching 82 % dependent on the dilution used. In addition, it showed an insecticidal effect and an antibacterial effect.

Risk Factors For Emergency Medical Care Or Hospitalization Due To Heat-Related Illness Or Injury: A Systematic Review, Blair Litwiller, Amber N. Barnes

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Temperatures globally have been predicted to increase due to changes in the climate. As the earth gets warmer, it is expected that heat-related illness will also increase worldwide. An effective and appropriate public health response will be critical. Purpose: The aim of this review was to identify risk factors associated with heat-related illness and injury to provide target areas for future interventions. Methods: A review of existing literature was analyzed for risk factors that may increase the likelihood of being admitted to an emergency department for a heat related illness or injury. Results: Of the …

Quantification Of Phosphatidylethanol In Whole Blood And Dried Blood Spots By Lc-Ms/Ms, Elizabeth Yulianto

Student Theses

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an alcohol biomarker that provides a longer window of detection than direct alcohol measurement or other common alcohol metabolites, like ethyl glucuronide. PEth has become useful in assessing drinking history, such as for alcohol-withdrawal treatment, organ transplant settings or prenatal alcohol exposure determination. A method was developed and validated to quantify PEth 16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2 in whole blood and dried blood spots (DBS) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The whole blood method was applied to 149 samples from pregnant women, elucidating possible prenatal alcohol exposure. Fifty μL whole blood and 12.7 mm whole punches from …

Effectiveness And Safety Of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Among Patients With Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation And Multimorbidity, Amol Dhamane, Mauricio Ferri, Allison V. Keshishian, Cristina Russ, Nipun Atreja, Cynthia Gutierrez, Birol Emir, Huseyin Yuce, Manuela Di Fusco

Publications and Research

Introduction

In the USA, there is a steady rise of atrial fibrillation due to the aging population with increased morbidity. This study evaluated the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (S/SE) and major bleeding (MB) among elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and multimorbidity prescribed direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

Methods

Using the CMS Medicare database, a retrospective observational study of adult patients with NVAF and multimorbidity who initiated apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017 was conducted. High multimorbidity was classified as having ≥ 6 comorbidities. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the hazard …

Inhibition Of Rad18 By Arsenic, Lindsay B. Volk

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Arsenite exposure leads to the retention of UV-induced DNA damage, thus burdening translesion synthesis (TLS). Rad18 is an essential factor in initiating TLS through PCNA monoubiquitination and is implicated in homologous recombination. It contains two functionally and structurally distinct zinc fingers that are potential targets for arsenite binding. Results from this study reveal arsenite binding to both zinc fingers of Rad18 and a corresponding loss of domain function. Importantly, arsenite inhibited Rad18 RING-dependent PCNA monoubiquitination and polymerase eta recruitment to DNA damage. Further analysis demonstrated multiple effects of arsenite, including the reduction in the nuclear localization and UV-induced chromatin recruitment …

Nanofabrication For Precision Vaccinology, Karen Zagorski

Theses & Dissertations

Vaccines are among the most effective and safe therapeutics known to mankind. Historically the approach to the creation of new vaccines has been dominated by empirical research, trial, and error. This thesis focuses on the more modern, rational approaches to vaccinology based on the current understanding of the inner workings of the immune system. We used nanotechnology for the generation of novel immunogens, addressed several challenges, and characterized the immune responses.

The preparation, characterization, and troubleshooting of several vaccines against dimeric amyloid beta are covered in chapters 4-6. Despite being ultimately unsuccessful, this part provided a deeper understanding of the …

Hepatocyte-Hepatic Stellate Cell Axis In Potentiation Of Alcohol And Hiv-Induced Liver Injury, Moses O. New-Aaron

Theses & Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a global threat, with approximately 38.4 million active infections and 33 million HIV-related deaths since the first case. While many may be tempted to think of HIV as a relic of the past, emerging data suggests otherwise. By the end of 2021, approximately 1.5 million HIV incidences and 650 000 mortalities were reported globally. The etiologies of HIV-related mortality are numerous. Liver disease is one of the leading etiologies of HIV-related mortality, especially in recent times of antiretroviral therapy (ART)-induced longevity among people living with HIV (PLWH). While co-infections with hepatotropic viruses notoriously contribute to …

Étude Visant À Mieux Guider L’Évaluation Des Risques Des Travailleurs Exposés Aux Nanoparticules (Np) : Existe-T-Il Différentes Propriétés Inflammatoires Des Np Liées Au Sexe?, Marion Vanharen, Abdelaziz Saafane, Alexanne Léveillé, Thomas Mahbeer, Denis Girard

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les nanotechnologies offrent un important potentiel d’exploitation dans des secteurs industriels variés, pour lequel les bénéfices financiers ne sont pas négligeables. À l’instar des provinces canadiennes et de nombreux pays industrialisés, le Québec voit un nombre grandissant de compagnies produisant des nanomatériaux et des nanoparticules (NP) se développer, sans oublier celles qui introduisent de plus en plus de NP dans leurs produits. Le nombre de travailleurs québécois œuvrant dans la fabrication et dans la synthèse des NP augmentera dans les années à venir. De plus, le nombre de travailleurs appelés à manipuler et à transformer des NP dans les domaines …

Nanoparticle Conjugated Photosensitizer For Targeted Photodynamic Inactivation Of Cancer Cells, Symone D. Crowder

Honors College Theses

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is considered to be a potential replacement for traditional methods of chemotherapy. It includes the administration of photosensitizing agents (PS), which generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon excitation at a specific wavelength. With new outlooks and techniques, cancer research is advancing each day. It has allowed the progress of several theranostic drug delivery systems (DDS) exploring the area of nanomedicine.2 In the present work, a Rhodamine derivative, Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was used as the PS. In general, rhodamine compounds undergo cytotoxic reactions on photoexcitation by electron transfer reactions with folic acid within cells, making them a favorable …

Contextualising The Pillars Of Household Food Security: Evidence From Iringa District, Tanzania, Tiemo Romward Haule

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper contextualises the pillars of food security based on the perceptions of local communities in Iringa district, Tanzania. The pillars are food availability, food accessibility, food affordability, food adequacy, food acceptability and food stability. The study involved 376 participants. Structured interviews, field observation, focused group discussions, in depth interviews and documentary review were the methods used for data collection. Findings reveal that many households (76.2%) in Iringa were facing food shortage. The findings show that food insecurity in the district was exacerbated by the lack of steadiness in the six pillars of household food security. Given its semi-arid climatic …

Groundwater Remediation Using Modified Biochar, Kers Ung-Watson, Ismail Abdulraheem, Nikki Tibayan, Suraj Pochampally

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Biochar, a lightweight black residue made of carbon, has proved to be an effective adsorbent to remove TCE from groundwater. Not only is it an economical substitute for conventional adsorbents but it can be created by using a variety of organic materials. For this project, it will rely on walnut shell feedstock to create biochar as this had the best ability to adsorb TCE.

Synthesis Of Novel Chiral Phosphorothioic Acid Organocatalysts And Application To Synthetic Methodology, Parsa Azaei

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Much research efforts have been centered towards the synthesis of novel Bronsted acid catalysts. These organocatalyst enable synthesis of natural products, pharmaceuticals, and bioactive small molecules under toxic-metal-free conditions by donating their protons, while not being consumed in the reaction. Chiral phosphorothioic acid have significant potential as novel organocatalysts due to their high modifiability of chirality and acidity under environmentally friendly conditions; however, synthesis of these organocatalysts are far and in between. Therefore, our research aimed to i) synthesize novel phosphorothioic acid organocatalysts and ii) to apply these novel catalysts toward new methodology development.

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 …

Teaching How To Recycle Through The Medium Of Virtual Reality, Nathan Kassai

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Students, especially children in elementary and middle school, have difficulty focusing and or absorbing information from their courses. The problem lies in the scarcity of hands-on/interactive elements in classrooms as most lectures contain topics most students would be interested in but are presented in a monotonous way. To properly educate and inspire students to work on improving their academic knowledge, alternative educational mediums must be sought. Such mediums like Virtual and Augmented Reality allow students to interact with virtual objects to learn more about a wide variety of subjects, hence increasing their engagement and enjoyment in any particular topic. The …

The Global Effects Of Climate Change: Detrimental Impacts On The Environment, Ecosystem, Coral Reefs, Human Health/Well-Being, And Global Economy, Lucky Heng

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Despite criticism, scientists have been continuing to find more evidence to prove that the threats on the coral reefs around the world are real. The impact of rising climate temperature, pollution, ocean acidification, etc. has been leading to increasing amounts of mass bleaching and a massive decline in coral reefs in past decades. This research study utilizes a systematic literature review and secondary research to collect, analyze and provide evidence that climate change impacts the ecosystem, and marine life (coral reefs) species on the planet. By addressing the impact of climate change and its significance on the ecosystem and global …

Effects Of Microcystin-Lr On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Susceptibility To Microbial Pathogens (Aeromonas Hydrophila And Edwardsiella Piscicida), Alison Marchant

Theses and Dissertations

Microcystin-LR is a hepatotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella piscicida infections are leading causes of losses in market-sized channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). These older fish should have natural immunity in place and a predisposing factor is likely a prerequisite for these disease outbreaks. While microcystin-LR rarely causes mortality in warm-water aquaculture, we believe it may be a predisposing factor that leads to bacterial disease outbreaks during the summer months due to its ability to damage the liver. Our study investigated microcystin-LR’s effects on channel catfish susceptibility to these pathogens. We found that a sublethal dose of microcystin-LR induced …

Quantifying The Toxicological Effects Of The Organic Uv Filters Avobenzone And Homosalate On Acropora Cervicornis, Samantha F. Buckley

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Reports of the environmental effects of organic UV filters such as oxybenzone have led to the marketing of “reef-safe” sunscreen ingredients, including avobenzone and homosalate. Avobenzone provides broad-spectrum UV protection which blocks higher wavelength UV rays, the leading cause of aging and skin cancer. However, as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic UV filters have similar structures to crude oil and estrogens, some of which have been labeled endocrine disrupters. Common in personal care products, UV filters enter marine ecosystems via wastewater effluent and swimmers. Significant stress and mortality have been observed in juvenile and some adult scleractinian corals after exposure …

Designing And Synthesizing A Warhead-Fragment Inhibitory Ligand For Ivyp1 Through Fragment-Based Drug Discovery, Samuel Moore

Symposium of Student Scholars

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a powerful tool for developing anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Within this, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) provides a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative approach to screening and validating weak and robust binders with targeted proteins, making NMR among the most attractive strategies in FBDD. Inhibitor of vertebrate lysozyme (Ivyp1) of P. aeruginosa serves as an excellent target because of its active cellular location and implications in clinical prognosis for cystic fibrosis and immunocompromised patients. This study uses current NMR and biophysical techniques to develop a covalent, fragment-linked warhead inhibitor for Ivyp1 through synthetic methods, warhead linking, and …

A Case Of Transverse Myelitis Secondary To Covid-19 Infection, Rahul Borra, Neal T. Patel, Raheel Shaikh, Mayur S. Parmar, Sujatha Borra

HPD Articles

Infection with COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with a variety of generalized and specific symptoms, including neurological complications of both the peripheral and central nervous systems. In this case report, we present the case of a previously healthy 55-year-old woman who was diagnosed with transverse myelitis following a previous infection with COVID-19. MRI showed progressive demyelination of the cervical and thoracic spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed increased levels of protein and red blood cells and no markers of infection, including negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for COVID-19 antibodies. The patient was treated with a course of methylprednisolone, multiple treatments …

Effects Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Injections On Tissue Function And Morphology In Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Bryan Joel Patterson

Graduate Theses

Fish gills are sensitive to a variety of environmental factors because they regulate the exchange of oxygen and ions between the fish and the external environment. This study examined the effects of polyacrylic acid (PAA) coated titanium dioxide nanoparticle injections (TiO₂ NPs) on goldfish (Carassius auratus) over 14 days. Following the experimental period, we examined gill histological samples and looked for signs of an inflammatory response through blood glucose levels and relevant gene expression. TiO₂ injected fish developed a more robust ILCM (interlamellar cell mass) compared to the non-injected controls, which remained elevated over 14 days post injection. …

Insights On The Behavior Of Nano-Copper In The Agroecosystem: Mycorrhizal Associations With Spearmint (Mentha Spicata), Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology offers significant potential benefits to our society, including the agriculture sector. With the advancement of nano-enabled agrochemicals towards sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, it is essential to address environmental issues associated with the use of nanoscale materials. The same properties that give promise to applications of nanotechnology in modern agriculture could have unintended consequences on ecosystem dynamics. A point of concern for risk management is the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to beneficial microbial communities, which support a variety of ecosystem services.

Use of copper (Cu) products in agriculture are based on their abundance, role as a micronutrient, and …

Developmental Effects Of Chronic Low-Level Arsenic Exposure In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells And In Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, M. Chiara Perego

All Dissertations

Arsenic is an environmental contaminant commonly found in food and drinking water. Exposure to arsenic during embryonic development has been linked to reduced muscle growth, disrupted muscle development and locomotor activity, impaired neurodevelopment, reduced IQ, impaired memory and learning deficits. While the mechanisms responsible for developmental changes following in utero exposure to arsenic are not well known, one possibility is that arsenic might disrupt proper cellular differentiation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which arsenic exposure could alter stem cell differentiation into neurons.

First, we continuously exposed P19 mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to 0.1 μM (7.5 ppb) …

The Effect Of Volatile Organic Compounds On Endothelial Function And Atherogenesis., Samantha Mcfall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of pervasive air pollutants that are released into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and environmental sources. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to various VOCs is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between VOCs and cardiovascular disease is not well-studied. Using animal models and three select VOCs, benzene, xylene, and trichloroethylene, we studied the effects of VOCs on endothelial injury and benzene-induced atherogenesis. We found that exposure to benzene and xylene increased circulating endothelial microparticles, depleted progenitor cells, and increased platelet activation. Following the exposure to the representative …

How Will Climate Change Affect The Future, Ashanti K. Belone, Farrukh Zia

Publications and Research

Climate Change has played a massive role in the habitat of us earth dwellers and the animals that co-exists with us. I believe that essentially climate change plays a massive role because this can dictate whether or not the earth is habitable and if a need for evacuation is necessary. Many might believe that climate change only refers to the rising temperature but that’s just the icing on the cake. Earth is a system that is very much connected, this means that changes in one area will set off a chain reaction allowing these changes to happen in many other …

The Impact Of Pharmacogenetics On Oral Fluid Steady State Drug Testing Results, Aliya D. Lewis

Student Theses

Pharmacogenetics refers to the relationship between phenotypic variation in metabolism and response to certain drugs. The interface of pharmacogenetics and forensic toxicology is not well explored. A major component of the opioid metabolic pathway has to do with a family of cytochromes called cytochrome P450 (CYP450). CYP450 refers to a general family of enzymes capable of catalyzing the oxidative biotransformation of lipophilic substances, CYPs are further categorized into families and sub-families (Roller, 2015; Zanger & Schwab, 2013). The gene CYP2D6 belongs to the CYP2 family which is responsible for the biotransformation of xenobiotics. This study looked at the effect of …

Morphine-Induced Tolerance Is Reduced By The Consumption Of A Ketogenic Diet, But Not A High Fat/High Carbohydrate Diet, Nina Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Opioid drugs like morphine are used medicinally for pain relief, but also have abuse liability that can lead to opioid use disorder (OUD), which contributes to nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Another rising health concern is the global obesity epidemic, and new evidence suggests that obesity and OUD might converge to impact individuals. For example, high body mass index (BMI) is associated with greater reports of pain among women. Further, opioid overdose risk is increased among individuals diagnosed with obesity, suggesting a potential relationship that might convey enhanced vulnerability among some populations. Given the high …

Potential Use Of Engineered Nanoparticles In Ocean Fertilization For Large-Scale Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Removal, Peyman Babakhani, Tanapon Phenrat, Mohammed Baalousha M.Sc, Ph.D., Kullapa Soratana, Caroline L. Peacock, Benjamin S. Twining, Michael F. Hochella Jr.

Faculty Publications

Artificial ocean fertilization (AOF) aims to safely stimulate phytoplankton growth in the ocean and enhance carbon sequestration. AOF carbon sequestration efficiency appears lower than natural ocean fertilization processes due mainly to the low bioavailability of added nutrients, along with low export rates of AOF-produced biomass to the deep ocean. Here we explore the potential application of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) to overcome these issues. Data from 123 studies show that some ENPs may enhance phytoplankton growth at concentrations below those likely to be toxic in marine ecosystems. ENPs may also increase bloom lifetime, boost phytoplankton aggregation and carbon export, and address …

Subchronic Oral Cylindrospermopsin Exposure Alters The Host Gut Microbiome And Is Associated With Progressive Hepatic Inflammation, Stellate Cell Activation, And Mild Fibrosis In A Preclinical Study, Punnag Saha, Macayla Upright, Dipro Bose, Subhajit Roy, Ayushi Trivedi, Madhura More, Geoff Scott Ph.D., Bryan W. Brooks, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Epidemiological studies have reported a strong association between liver injury and incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma in sections of humans globally. Several preclinical studies have shown a strong link between cyanotoxin exposure and the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a precursor of hepatocellular carcinoma. Among the emerging threats from cyanotoxins, new evidence shows cylindrospermopsin release in freshwater lakes. A known hepatotoxin in higher concentrations, we examined the possible role of cylindrospermopsin in causing host gut dysbiosis and its association with liver pathology in a mouse model of toxico-pharmacokinetics and hepatic pathology. The results showed that oral exposure to cylindrospermopsin caused decreased diversity …

Investigation Of Human N-Acetyltransferases (Nat1 And Nat2) Genetic Polymorphisms In Susceptibility To Aromatic Amine And Alkylaniline Genotoxicity., Mariam Habil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases, NAT1 and NAT2, catalyze the detoxification and/or activation of carcinogens. Single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs result in different human NAT1 and NAT2 genotypes. We hypothesize that different NATs alleles will impact levels of N-acetylation, HPRT mutations, DNA damage and oxidative stress induced by carcinogens. NER-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human CYP1A2 and NAT1*4, NAT1*14B, NAT2*4, NAT2*5B or NAT2*7B have been used to investigate N-acetylation of benzidine, β-naphthylamine (BNA), and 4, 4’-methylene bis (2-chloroaniline) (MOCA) as aromatic amines and 3,4-dimethylaniline (3,4-DMA) as one of alkylanilines and their associated toxicity. Our …

Health Effects Of Neonicotinoids On An Agricultural Community, Jocelyn Rodriguez-Paar

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Mead, Nebraska, a small United States agricultural community consisting of approximately 600 people, was accidentally exposed to high amounts of neonicotinoids when AltEn, an ethanol plant that used neonicotinoid coated corn and soybean seeds for biofuel, was discovered not disposing of the toxic byproduct safely. Coincidentally, there was also a leak in their wastewater system that also contaminated the nearby areas. Although neonicotinoids are not considered highly dangerous with low dose exposures, large dose exposures can cause symptoms similarly to nicotine poisonings, such as difficulty breathing, vomiting, nausea, hypertension, tachycardia, and lethargy (Imamura, T. et al., 2010). Neonicotinoid poisoning can …