Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Élimination Des Vapeurs Toxiques Par Oxydation : Développement De Procédures D'Évaluation Des Systèmes De Purification De L'Air Des Conduits De Ventilation, Chang-Seo Lee, Fariborz Haghighat, Alireza Haghighat Mamaghani, Zahra Shayegan, Ali Bahloul, Mélanie Huard, Lexuan Zhong, Mitra Bahr

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L'exposition à des composés organiques volatils (COV) dans les lieux de travail peut avoir des effets aigus, notamment sous forme d'irritation de la peau, des yeux, de la bouche et du nez. Certains produits peuvent également provoquer des effets chroniques, comme l'asthme et le cancer. La prévention de tels effets nocifs sur la santé des travailleurs par l'adoption et la mise en œuvre de mesures visant à en éliminer ou à tout le moins réduire le risque s'avère importante. Parmi les approches développées à ce jour pour réduire l'exposition aux polluants de l'air intérieur – dont les COV –, la …

Removal Of Toxic Vapors By Oxidation: Development Of Laboratory Test Procedures For In-Duct Air Cleaning Systems, Chang-Seo Lee, Fariborz Haghighat, Alireza Haghighat Mamaghani, Zahra Shayegan, Ali Bahloul, Mélanie Huard, Lexuan Zhong, Mitra Bahr

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L'exposition à des composés organiques volatils (COV) dans les lieux de travail peut avoir des effets aigus, notamment sous forme d'irritation de la peau, des yeux, de la bouche et du nez. Certains produits peuvent également provoquer des effets chroniques, comme l'asthme et le cancer. La prévention de tels effets nocifs sur la santé des travailleurs par l'adoption et la mise en œuvre de mesures visant à en éliminer ou à tout le moins réduire le risque s'avère importante. Parmi les approches développées à ce jour pour réduire l'exposition aux polluants de l'air intérieur – dont les COV –, la …

Effects Of Covid-19 On Pregnant Women And Newborns: A Review, Bhavesh M. Patel, Deepesh Khanna, Siya Khanna, Vera Hapshy, Pragya Khanna, Payal Kahar, Mayur S. Parmar

HPD Articles

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, and spread all over the world, causing the worst pandemic of the century. The disease has a broad continuum of clinical presentations, from mild to life-threatening. The virus is highly contagious and transmittable to humans. Emerging evidence of its effects on pregnant women and newborns is inconsistent and ever-evolving. Therefore, the objective of this review is to compile the scientific literature on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on pregnancy, pregnant women, and newborns. Data were obtained by several authors using PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Web …

What Makes Mad Honey “Mad”? An Investigation Into The Obsession Of The Himalayan Wild Cliff Honey, Codi Farmer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mad honey is a rare variety of cliff honey found in the mountainous regions of Turkey and Nepal and has been harvested by Indigenous groups for centuries. In Nepal, it is found on high-hanging cliffs that people risk their lives to face, but what makes this honey so special to cause generations of Nepalis to brave the formidable heights? Through a series of reading primary and secondary sources, watching first-hand accounts of honey hunting, and interviewing honey hunters, filmmakers, authors, and laypeople alike, I work to find the answer to the puzzling question – what makes mad honey "mad"? In …

Asia’S Waste Crisis, Havovi Joshi

Asian Management Insights

Many Asian countries have drawn up national strategies to address waste management through their policy and regulatory frameworks, and put in place policies that promote green growth and sustainable development. However, nations across the continent are at vastly different stages of waste management. On one end, countries like Japan, China, and Singapore are ahead of the curve, and have invested in sound and structured waste management systems. On the other end, less developed nations continue to dispose most of their waste at open dumps.

Xenobiotic Exposures On Women’S Reproductive Health, Maria Zubizarreta Mcclam

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental and chemical exposures are continually introduced into our bodies. The female reproductive cycle is complex and particularly sensitive to toxic substances. A recent rise in infertility and reproductive diseases and cancers make reproductive toxicity a public health concern. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to explore how environmental and chemical exposures impact women’s reproductive health and overall wellbeing. To do this, a variety of topics related to women’s reproductive health are explored, including how environmental exposures can impact reproduction, methods for studying reproductive dysfunctions, fertility preservation among cancer patients, and the overall wellbeing of female cancer patients.

The …

Coastal Stormwater Pond Pollutants And The Potential For Development Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Vibrio And Enterococcus Bacteria, Cassandra L. Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The Southeastern coastal plain is the most rapidly urbanizing region in the United States. Associated landscape changes which increase imperviousness lead to hydrological cycle alterations, increasing runoff of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. Urban and agricultural NPS runoff is generally discharged into stormwater ponds, which sequester chemical contaminants, nutrients, and microbes to reduce loading into coastal ecosystems. Studies of these ponds have indicated elevated levels of trace metals, antimicrobial compounds, and bacterial contamination (SCSGC 2018).

Interactions of aquatic pathogens Vibrio vulnificus and Enterococcus faecium with trace metals (arsenic, copper, zinc) and clinically relevant antimicrobials (triclosan, ciprofloxacin, oxytetracycline) commonly found in coastal …

Monitoring Titanium Dioxide Engineered Particles In Rural And Urban Surface Waters, Md Mahmudun Nabi

Theses and Dissertations

Quantifying and characterizing engineered particles in environmental systems is key for assessing their risk but remains challenging and requires the distinction between natural and engineered particles. The Ph.D. dissertation research described in this thesis contributes to the current attempts to improve environmental nanoparticle analysis and better understand nanoparticle behavior in natural systems, with the focus being on natural streams, and the application of single particle inductively coupled plasma-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-TOF-MS) for distinguishing and tracing the origins of environmental nanoparticles. The objective of this dissertation is to characterize and quantify the concentrations of titanium dioxide engineered particles in urban …

Phytochemical Investigation, Anti-Inflammatory And Analgesic Activities Of Ethyl Acetate Extract Of Pride Of Barbados Pod (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima), Osahon K. Ogbeide, Efosa D. Omono, Precious O Ehizojie, Anthony E. Aiwonegbe, Jeremiah O. Uadia

Tanzania Journal of Science

Pride of Barbados is a therapeutic herb which has wide traditional applications in the treatments and management of diverse ailments. Diseases pose great threats to human race. This research was aimed at evaluating the phytochemicals, proximate composition, acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of the pod extract of Pride of Barbados in order to provide a scientific validation for its use as a therapeutic herb. All analyses were carried out using already established methods; the antioxidant potential was examined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, while the formalin-induced inflammation and acetic acid-induced writhing techniques were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory …

Synthesis Of Alginate/Hydroxyapatite Beads For Acetaminophen Delivery, Anesylvia Angan, Nonni Soraya Sambudi

Makara Journal of Science

Conventional drug delivery systems usually involve the intake of multiple drugs, which could amplify the risk of overdosing. Acetaminophen is a widely used pain relief substance that is prone to accidental overdosing. Hence, a controlled drug delivery system is needed to ensure its efficacy. A nanocomposite hydroxyapatite/alginate system that was used as a drug carrier for acetaminophen was synthesized through the sol-gel method, and the mechanism underlying its controlled drug delivery was investigated. Spherical nanocomposite bead samples were synthesized by incorporating 5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt% hydroxyapatite into mixtures containing alginate. The mixtures were then dropped into calcium …

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …

The Intersection Between Toxicology And Aging Research: A Toxic Aging Coin Perspective., John P. Wise Jr.

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

We are imminently faced with the challenges of an increasingly aging population and longer lifespans due to improved health care. Concomitantly, we are faced with ubiquitous environmental pollution linked with various health effects and age-related diseases which contribute to increased morbidity with age. Geriatric populations are rarely considered in the development of environmental regulations or in toxicology research. Today, life expectancy is often into one’s 80s or beyond, which means multiple decades living as a geriatric individual. Hence, adverse health effects and late-onset diseases might be due to environmental exposures as a geriatric, and we currently have no way of …

An Interdisciplinary Discussion On Climate Change, Aamira Shah, Jaley F. Adkins, Kelsey Littrell, Priyadarshini Chandrashekhar

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Cannabis, Psychosis, And Schizophrenia In Adolescents, Lauren Moment

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

The effects of cannabis use on the brain, mind, and body have been studied for decades. The developing brain, particularly the adolescent and young adult brain, undergoes critical development that makes it especially susceptible to the effects of cannabis use. Among the adverse effects of cannabis use in adolescence and young adulthood, psychosis and psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) have been examined. The association of cannabis use with schizophrenia was first elucidated in a Swedish study of army conscripts. Specifically, conscripts reported their cannabis use exposure and were followed longitudinally to assess the emergence of schizophrenia. The authors found that those …

In Silico Screening Of Violacein As An Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor, Smitha S Bhat, Sindhu R, Shashanka K Prasad

International Journal of Health and Allied Sciences

EGFR is a key player in the signalling cascades of various kinds of cancers and tyrosine kinase inhibitors block EGFR signalling. Natural products have long been used as candidates for therapy in the management of cancer. Violacein, a bacterial pigment, has been known for its numerous biological applications such as antimicrobial, antileishmanial, antiviral, as well as antitumoral. Computational studies have concluded that it may have activity against cancers like pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, and endometrial cancer indicating its potential application as a broad range of anti-cancerous drug. This study aimed to perform the molecular docking of violacein with …

Understanding The Status Of Important Criteria Air Pollutants And Its Health Effects – A Review, Christeena Varghese, Lingaraju H G, Shankramma Kalikeri

International Journal of Health and Allied Sciences

In India, airborne pollutant is serious, and a growing illness cause of concern, adding considerably to the country's disease burden. Atmospheric effects are generally known to have several harmful health implications. India's air pollution has risen significantly because of population expansion, rising vehicle numbers, fuel usage, inefficient transit networks, poor land use patterns, industrialisation, and most importantly, insufficient environmental legislation. Because air pollution is a major factor, this has an impact on human health. People gradually understood that contaminated outdoor air had detrimental consequences on human health. Hypercholesterolemia, breathing problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma are all connected …

Diallyl Disulfide Inhibits Proliferation, Epithelial—Mesenchymal Transition, And Invasion Through Rorα-Mediated Downregulation Of Wnt1/Β-Catenin Pathway In Gastric Cancer Cells, Jian Su, Hui He, Yu-Kun Li, Hong Xia, Fang Liu, Ying Zeng, Xi Zeng, Hui Ling, Bo Su, Qi Su

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Overactivation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway due to dysfunction of retinoid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) is related to cancer development and progression. Diallyl disulfide (DADS), an active component of garlic, has been reported in our previous study for upregulation of RORα expression in gastric cancer (GC) cells. It remains to be elucidated the role and mechanism of RORα in DADS against GC. This study revealed that DADS treatment resulted in reduced expression levels of Wnt1, β-catenin, TCF-4, intranuclear β-catenin and p-β-catenin in GC cells, concomitant with the compromised expression of β-catenin target genes (Axin, c-Jun, and c-Myc). RORα overexpression augmented DADS-induced downregulation …

Melatonin Exerts Anti-Fibrinolytic Effects By Regulating Il-1Β-Induced Changes In Upa, Upar, And Pai-1 Expression/Production In Human Dental Pulp Cells, Mei-Chi Chang, Bor-Hao Zhong, Hui-Na Lee, Fu-Hsiung Chuang, Ming-Shu Lee, Hsiao-Hua Chang, Yu-Hwa Pan, Jiiang-Huei Jeng

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Interleukin-1b (IL-1β) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine and its expression is increased in inflamed dental pulp. IL-1β affects plasminogen activation system molecules, which are crucial for tissue inflammation, fibrinolysis, matrix turnover, and cell adhesion and migration. Melatonin, which provides circadian and seasonal signals, is a physiological endocrine generated by the pineal gland. It has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies are warranted to determine whether melatonin prevents IL-1β-induced expression/production of plasminogen system molecules. Human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) were exposed to IL-1β or melatonin alone or to IL-1β with/without pretreatment with melatonin or other inhibitors. The mRNA expression of uPA, uPAR, and …

Stress Amelioration And Anti-Inflammatory Potential Of Shiikuwasha (Citrus Depressa Hayata) Essential Oil, Limonene, And Γ-Terpinene, Yonathan Asikin, Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Hironori Iwasaki, Hirosuke Oku, Koji Wada

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) essential oil (SEO) extracted from Shiikuwasha fruit pulp contains two major volatile components, limonene and γ-terpinene (56.56–57.31 and 24.41–24.98%, respectively). In this study, we showed that the aroma streams of SEO, limonene, and γ-terpinene exhibited significant physiological stress amelioration effects in nine healthy female panelists tested in a 30-min visual display task. While SEO administration significantly reduced work errors by 15 min compared to the odorless control condition, the limonene stream reduced work errors only at the first and fourth 5-min intervals, and the γ-terpinene effect lasted only for the initial 5-min. However, γ-terpinene inhalation …

Composition Decipherment Of Ficus Pumila Var. Awkeotsang And Its Potential On Covid-19 Symptom Amelioration And In Silico Prediction Of Sars-Cov-2 Interference., Hao-Chun Hu, Szu-Yin Yu, Xiao-Shan Hung, Chun-Han Su, Yu-Liang Yang, Chien-Kei Wei, Yuan-Bin Cheng, Yang-Chang Wu, Chia-Hung Yen, Tsong-Long Hwang, Shu-Li Chen, István Szatmári, Attila Hunyadi, Yi-Hong Tsai, Fang-Rong Chang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

The jelly from achenes of Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang (FPAA) is a famous beverage ingredient in Taiwan. In this work, ficumarin (1), a new compound was obtained from its twigs (FPAT) and elucidated with comprehensive spectroscopic data. The biosynthetic origin was proposed from the p‐coumaroyl‐CoA pathway. Alloxanthoxyletin, betulinic acid, and catechin were identified as the major and active constituents responsible for relieving neutrophilic inflammation by FPAT. Among them, the most potent alloxanthoxyletin was found to interact with PRO350 and GLU377 of human INOSOX. Further, Nrf2 activating capacity of the FPAT fraction and its coumarins was confirmed. With …

Phytochemical Characterization, Antioxidant Potential, And Health Risk Assessment Of Radix Oryzae Glutinosae, Hai-Ping Liu, Jian-Feng Tang, Kai Ren, Tong-Jun Chen, Ping-Ping Zhu, Dong-Dong Sun, Wei-Yun Wang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Radix Oryzae Glutinosae (ROG) has been used as a traditional anhidrotic agent in China. Ten samples were systematically assessed based on four aspects of their chemical profiles and antioxidant activity. The former was achieved using ultraviolet-visible spectra (UV), infrared absorption spectra (IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) fingerprints, and antioxidant activity was assessed using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assay, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The presence of amino acids, flavonoids, organic acids, and sugars was indicated in all samples. A hierarchical …

Systems Pharmacology Dissection Of The Mechanisms And Therapeutic Potential Of Cassiae Semen For Hepatoprotection And Brightening Eyes, Jing-Xiao Zhang, Zi-Yi Chen, Xue-Zhen Huang, Lin-Yue Qi, Wei Zhou

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Cassiae semen has been shown to play significant roles in reversing “liver fire” to improve vision. The systems mechanism of Cassiae semen for hepatoprotection and brightening eyes has not been fully explored. The systems pharmacology approach is proposed to dissect the potential pharmacological mechanism of Cassiae semen for hepatoprotection and brightening eyes. The results showed that 26 active components of Cassiae semen that connected with 230 targets were obtained. Gene ontology enrichment, network and pathway analysis explored that Cassiae semen is responsible for hepatoprotection and brightening eyes. The current study will contribute to the research and development of functional foods.

Exploring The Relationship Between Metabolite Composition And The Cold/Hot Properties Ascribed In Traditional Chinese Medicine By Mass Spectral Molecular Networking–A Pilot Study, Chun-Han Su, Yu-Chieh Cheng, Kuei-Hung Lai, Yu-Chia Chang, Chi-Hui Sun, Po-Wen Tu, Ching-Chih Lin, Tsong-Long Hwang, Yu-Liang Yang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been applied to improve human health for millennia. In the TCM system, “medicinal property” (yao xing; hot and cold properties) is a core concept used to describe the influences of medicinal materials on human physiological conditions, and metabolites are believed to be one of the major ingredients of TCMs that affect their medicinal property. However, due to a lack of comprehensive analyses of TCM metabolomes, information about the relationships between TCM metabolite composition and medicinal property remains limited. In this pilot study, a mass spectral molecular networking-based platform was established and applied to …

Quantification Of Anthocyanosides In Grapes By Quechers And Biphenyl-Uhplc Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Lun-Chi Yang, Sung-Fang Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

In this study, the QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS/MS method using a biphenyl stationary phase was developed and applied for the rapid separation of 12 anthocyanosides in grapes. Efficient separation was achieved for a wide range of mono- and un-glycosylated anthocyanosides. The linear ranges of the target anthocyanosides were 0.5 to 500 ng mL⁻¹. The intra- and inter-day precisions were both below 11.8%. Anthocyanosides in grapes from different sources were successfully quantified. Thus, the developed QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS/MS method provide an attractive alternative for the quantification of anthocyanosides in grapes.

Fluorescence Detection Of Malachite Green In Fish Based On Aptamer And Sybr Green I, Jia Wang, Chengyi Hong, Zhengzhong Lin, Zhi-Yong Huang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

A simple fluorescence method to quantitatively monitor malachite green (MG) was introduced based on the conformation switch effect of MG-aptamer (Apt) and the fluorochrome of SYBR Green I (SGI). SGI can embed in the stem–loop structure of Apt to produce fluorescence. However, the fluorescence will be quenched when MG is introduced because of the specific binding of Apt to MG. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence method displayed excellent linear relationship between the fluorescence quenching efficiencies and the MG concentrations ranging from 0.02 μmol L⁻¹ to 1.0 μmol L⁻¹. The detection limit of the method was 0.67 …

Bromelain Activates The Amp-Activated Protein Kinase-Autophagy Pathway To Alleviate Hepatic Lipid Accumulation, Po-An Hu, Man-Chen Hsu, Szu-Han Chen, Chia-Hui Chen, Yu Ru Kou, Jenq-Wen Huang, Tzong-Shyuan Lee

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Bromelain, a cysteine protease found in pineapple, is known to exert protective effects against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of bromelain using in vivo and in vitro models. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without bromelain (20 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks. We found that treatment with bromelain alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation accompanied by the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and autophagy flux, as evidenced by the elevated levels of phosphorylated AMPK, ATG5, ATG7, LC3-II, and …

Metabolism-Involved Drug Interactions With Traditional Chinese Medicines In Cardiovascular Diseases, Ren-Jong Liang, Shu-Hao Hsu, Tien-Yu Chang, Tzu-Yi Chiang, Hong-Jaan Wang, Yune-Fang Ueng

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Herbal medicines have been widely used for the past millennia. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a major modality in Chinese medical care and has garnered global attention owing to its pharmacological effects and multi-targeted actions. The increased incidence of sequential or concurrent use of herbs and drugs in patients forces us to consider herb-drug interactions (HDIs) in this modern era. One of the main causes of HDIs is modulation of drug metabolism, in which cytochrome P450 (CYP), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), and transporters play primary roles. In this review, we focus on in vivo studies of HDIs, particularly in the treatment of …

Real-World Evidence Of The Herb-Drug Interactions, Hsueh-Yi Pan, Li-Wei Wu, Pin-Chun Wang, Ping-Hung Chiu, Meng-Ting Wang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Herbal medicine (HM) is a type of medicine that uses active ingredients made from plants to treat diseases and maintain health and wellbeing. Due to its increasing worldwide usage, the possibility of HMs and conventional drugs being concurrently used is high, potentially leading to adverse events resulting from herb-drug interactions. Despite the safety concerns regarding such interactions, few studies have been conducted for assessing clinical consequences of using HMs with conventional drugs in real-world settings. As clinical trials are not forthcoming rapidly enough to provide the evidence for herb-drug interactions, observational studies are considered as an alternative approach. The present …

Mesures À Haute Sensibilité Du Passage De Contaminants Nanométriques À Travers Les Gants De Protection Par Imagerie Médicale, Mahmoud Mohamed Omar, Amélie Augé, Myriam Laprise-Pelletier, Ludovic Tuduri, Marc-André Fortin

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les gants de polymère sont utilisés comme équipements de protection individuels dans de nombreux secteurs d’activité professionnelle où les risques chimiques sont présents. Leur efficacité à bloquer le passage de certains contaminants doit être mesurée par des méthodes d’essais précises et standardisées. Les mesures de résistance chimique sont généralement effectuées en utilisant une cellule de perméation, un petit appareil contenant deux réservoirs séparés par la membrane dont on veut mesurer le potentiel-barrière : l’un contient le contaminant, l’autre contient un milieu collectant le contaminant après que celui-ci ait passé à travers la membrane. Au fur et à mesure de l’expérience, …

Information Needs And Seeking Behaviour Of Illegal Oil Bunkers In Imiringi Town Of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Tangkat Yusuf Dushu Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study focused on the information needs and seeking behavior of Illegal oil bunkers in Imiringi Town of Bayelsa state. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. and was carried out using 150 questionnaires in order to ascertain the information needs and information seeking behavior of Illegal oil bunkers. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the data. The result showed that the Illegal oil bunkers do not have access to adequate information because the libraries as well as the local government, who this responsibility rests on, have been inefficient. Recommendations …