Environmental Health Commons^™

High Circulatory Leptin Mediated Nox-2-Peroxynitrite-Mir21 Axis Activate Mesangial Cells And Promotes Renal Inflammatory Pathology In Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Firas Alhasson, Ratanesh K. Seth, Sutapa Sarkar, Diana A. Kimono, Muayad S. Albadrani, Diptadip Dattaroy, Varun Chandrashekaran, Geoffry Scott, Samir Raychoudhury, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti, Anna Mae Diehl, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

High circulatory insulin and leptin followed by underlying inflammation are often ascribed to the ectopic manifestations in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) but the exact molecular pathways remain unclear. We have shown previously that CYP2E1-mediated oxidative stress and circulating leptin in NAFLD is associated with renal disease severity. Extending the studies, we hypothesized that high circulatory leptin in NAFLD causes renal mesangial cell activation and tubular inflammation via a NOX2 dependent pathway that upregulates proinflammatory miR21. High-fat diet (60% kcal) was used to induce fatty liver phenotype with parallel insulin and leptin resistance. The kidneys were probed for mesangial cell …

Variation In Airborne Pollen Concentrations Among Five Monitoring Locations In A Desert Urban Environment, Tanviben Y. Patel, Mark P. Buttner, David Rivas, Chad L. Cross, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Joram S. Seggev

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

The urbanization of the Las Vegas Valley has transformed this part of the Mohave Desert into a green oasis by introducing many non-native plant species, some of which are allergenic. Typically, one monitoring station is established per city to obtain pollen counts for an entire metropolitan area. However, variations in pollen concentrations could occur among different microenvironments. The objective of this study is to measure and compare pollen concentrations in five locations in Las Vegas to determine if there are significant differences between microenvironments within the city. Air samples were collected from five sites across the Las Vegas Valley over …

Functions Of Ecosystems: Stream Metabolism As An Efficient And Effective Means To Gage The Health And Understand The Interworking Of Urban Streams In A Watershed Of Rock Island, Il, Ryan Johnson, Dr. Kevin Geedey

Celebration of Learning

Stream metabolism is a critical functional measure of stream health that integrates physical parameters like slope and discharge, with ecosystem functions like photosynthesis and respiration. Stream metabolism is widely studied; however, urban stream metabolism remains poorly understood. Stream metabolism was measured for five streams ranging from 1^st to 5^th orders from October 11^th to October 18^th 2017 and four streams ranging from 1^st to 4^th order from October 22^nd to 25^th 2017 located within an approximately 9.3 square kilometer watershed of Rock Island, IL that has an urban to suburban type of …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Effects Of Urbanization, Mesophication And Prescribed Burns On Oak Woodlands In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Chad Populorum

Celebration of Learning

Urban expansion has had devastating impacts on forest ecosystems, especially within the past century. Human attempts to dominate nature have diminished natural disturbance regimes, which have maintained the biodiversity and historic composition of these ecosystems. Fires have been a prominent force in maintaining the structure of oak, hickory and other heliophytic (sun loving and fire-adapted) forest systems. Human induced fire suppression has led to mesophication across North America. Mesophication is the transition from drier conditions with open canopies to wetter conditions with closed canopies. These new conditions decrease the survival rates of these important species and begin to favor mesophytic …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

An Examination Of The Community And Environmental Impact Of A Las Vegas Convention Food Rescue Program, Samantha H. To

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Food insecurity affects millions of Americans each year, inflicting negative consequences on the physical and mental health outcomes at all ages. Concurrently, millions of tons of leftover edible foods are sent to landfill each year. Not only does this pose a question of ethics, but increasingly harms the environment by misusing resources and increasing the release of

greenhouse gases.

Food rescue advisory meetings highlighted the need for more focused research to be conducted that assessed the impacts of donating rescued convention food on local environmental and community health. A mixed-method approach was used to detail the food rescue process between …

Science, Advocacy, Policy, Planning: Tools For Advancing Transportation Equity, Garrett S. Mcallister

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The theme of this portfolio is how different tools and approaches can be used for advancing transportation equity. Broadly defined, transportation equity is about fairness in transportation. There are a number of ways this fairness can be assessed. The most common way to assess transportation equity is by looking at the fairness of outcomes, distributed geographically, socially, or even by mode of transportation. Equity can also be defined by the fairness of processes. The first half of the portfolio illustrates some of the problems with the current transportation system and how it is unhealthy (Piece 1) and unjust (Piece 2). …

Cloning And Characterization Of A Pyrethroid Pesticide Decomposing Esterase Gene, Est3385, From Rhodopseudomonas Palustris Psb-S, Xiangwen Luo, Deyong Zhang, Xuguo Zhou, Jiao Du, Songbai Zhang, Yong Liu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Full length open reading frame of pyrethroid detoxification gene, Est3385, contains 963 nucleotides. This gene was identified and cloned based on the genome sequence of Rhodopseudomonas palustris PSB-S available at the GneBank. The predicted amino acid sequence of Est3385 shared moderate identities (30–46%) with the known homologous esterases. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Est3385 was a member in the esterase family I. Recombinant Est3385 was heterologous expressed in E. coli, purified and characterized for its substrate specificity, kinetics and stability under various conditions. The optimal temperature and pH for Est3385 were 35 °C and 6.0, respectively. This enzyme could …

Levels Of Heavy Metals In Drinking Water, Cosmetics And Fruit Juices From Selected Areas In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, John Am Mahugija

Tanzania Journal of Science

Heavy metals were determined in samples of drinking water, cosmetics (nail polish, lip glosses and hair dye) and fresh fruit juices in Dar es Salaam. The samples were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) after digestion with concentrated acids, filtration and dilution. Lead, zinc and iron were detected in the water samples and the concentration ranges were below detection limit (BDL) to 0.114, 0.01 to 1.47 and 0.027 to 0.39 mg/L, respectively, whereas cadmium was not detected. The concentrations of lead in 70.83% of the samples exceeded the WHO permissible limit, implying that the water in most of the areas …

Heavy Metals And Cyanide Distribution In The Villages Surrounding Buzwagi Gold Mine In Tanzania, Edwin Sifuel Gomezulu, Agnes Mwakaje, Jamidu, H.Y. Katima

Tanzania Journal of Science

The study aimed at assessing the levels of heavy metals and cyanide in water and sediments in villages surrounding Buzwagi gold mine, both during wet and dry seasons.  A total of 56 samples of water (28 from each season) and 44 samples of sediments (22 from each season) were collected from the wells in the area and were analyzed for total cyanide and heavy metals.  The total cyanide was analyzed spectrophotometrically whilst the heavy metals were analyzed by an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). The Pb and Fe levels in water were found to exceed 10 µg/L and 2000 µg/L respectively, …

Status Of Selected Heavy Metals Dispersion From Top Soil In And Around Automobile Workshop Areas In Zanzibar Municipality, Tanzania, John Am Mahugija, Hawa M Sheikh

Tanzania Journal of Science

The distributions of selected heavy metals in top soil in areas with and without automobile workshops in Zanzibar municipality were investigated. Sampling was done during dry and rainy seasons. The samples were digested with aqua regia (HCl and HNO3, 3:1) and analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The concentrations of zinc, copper and lead in the samples ranged 0.27–419.2, 0.10–167 and 0.02–271 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. The concentrations were higher in areas with automobile workshops than those without. The concentrations of the heavy metals were highest at point sources and decreased with increase in distance during the dry season. The concentrations …

Assessment Of Heavy Metal And Radioactivity Levels In Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) Grown At Bahi Wetlands In Dodoma Region, Najat K. Mohammed, Boniface Haule

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study reports on the levels of heavy metals and radionuclides in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) grown in Bahi wetlands in Dodoma Region. The farm soil in Bahi wetland has been reported to contain elevated concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K due to the existence of shallow uranium deposit in the area. In this study, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) grown in three zones of Bahi district were analyzed for heavy metals and radioactivity associated with the uranium deposit in the area. The concentrations of elements were determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXRF) of Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, Arusha. The activities of …

A Model To Study The Effects Of Whole Life Chronic Exposure To Arsenic Or Cadmium On The Development Of Adult Metabolic Syndrome : Initial Characterization Of Hepatic Changes., Jamie L. Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases affecting < 30% of adults. Although obesity is a major risk for the development of MetS, it does not account for all cases, suggesting contribution of other risk factors. We hypothesized that early life exposure to arsenic (As) or cadmium (Cd) may represent such a risk. The purpose of this study was to characterize a model to discern the effects of early life exposures to Cd and As on high fat diet (HFD)-induced MetS. Adult C57BL/6J mice were exposed to control or metals containing drinking water. Pregnant dams and offspring were continuously exposed to the same toxicants as their parents. At weaning, offspring were fed LFD or HFD and sacrificed 10 or 24 weeks later. Metal exposure caused time- and sex-dependent alterations in HFD-induced variables of liver damage. The initial results suggest that these toxicants enhanced obesity-induced liver injury.

Comparison Of Habitat And Water Quality In The Blue River's South And Salem Forks In Southern Indiana To Support Watershed Management, Erin Crone

Undergraduate Theses

A stream’s habitat and water quality are heavily influenced by land use and geology within its watershed. Pollutants and sediment loading from watershed drainage can make streams less habitable for certain species, reducing biodiversity. Watershed management strategies, such as the promotion of best management practices in agriculture, can help to combat stream degradation from watershed inputs. The upper Blue River in southern Indiana is a biodiversity hotspot but is experiencing degradation and biodiversity loss due to watershed inputs. This is exemplified by the disappearance of the eastern hellbender salamander, an indicator species, from this area. Fine sediment loading is particularly …

Water Capacity Of Paramo Soils, Rafael Robert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The pȧramo ecosystems in the high Ecuadorian Andes are grasslands characterized by challenging abiotic factors such as low temperatures and high solar radiation. Another key feature of pȧramos is the humidity and water availability in the ecosystem. Pȧramos are very important to the hydrology of the inter-Andean valley because they are water reserves that distribute fresh water to lower elevations. These hydrologic properties are made possible by the porous volcanic ash soils formed by the volcanic arc along the mountain range. This study is focused in the region of Chimborazo approximately 20 km from Riobamba the capitol city of the …

Barriers To The Elimination Of Plastic In Single Use Beverage Containers In Byron Bay, Nsw, Katherine Senechal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Plastic debris is a global threat to the natural environment. The accumulation of plastic debris has resulted in the destruction of marine habitat as well as a threat to marine wildlife. Single use plastics, including plastics associated with single use food and beverage containers are contributing to a considerable amount of debris and other litter in the world’s oceans. As awareness of this issue spreads, both large corporations and small businesses are beginning to transition to plastic alternatives for their single use beverage containers. In Byron Bay, Australia, an area of increasing environmental awareness, businesses are beginning to reduce single …

An Inordinate Fondness For Beetles: A Study Of Insect Species Diversity And Abundance In Mazumbai Forest Reserve Versus Nearby Agricultural Areas, Emma Weisner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates how human disturbance of ecosystems alters insect diversity and abundance, specifically exploring how insect communities inside Mazumbai Forest Reserve in Tanzania differ from insect communities in agricultural areas near the reserve. Following methods of previous studies on the effect of disturbance on insect populations (Bellamy et al. 2018; McLaughlin & Mineau 1995; Perry et al. 2016), this research utilizes pitfall traps and yellow bowl traps in multiple locations throughout the two study areas to catch insects, which are then identified to their specific order. The collected data support the hypothesis that insect order diversity and abundance vary …

Takataka Talk: Waste Presence And Management In Ushongo, Kristen Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Increasingly high levels of waste are being generated each year, resulting in millions of tonnes of plastic and other debris ending up in marine and coastal environments. The impacts of the debris on these environments are wide ranging, affecting both environmental health and human wellbeing. Still though, there is a lack of information concerning the presence and effect of garbage in many coastal and marine ecosystems around the globe. This project studied the presence and management of coastal waste along a small portion of the coast of Tanzania, near the village of Ushongo. General distribution, level, and type of garbage …

How Does Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi) Affect Environmental Pollution, Ming Wie Khoo, Michael Davidsson

Paper Presentations

The Research paper I am presenting is to find out the effect of FDI towards environmental pollution. Headlines of New York Times on June 15, 2011 found high level of lead concentration in 233 adults and 99 children which could lead to brain, kidney, liver, nerves, stomach damage and could lead to death. The purpose of my study is to validate three hypotheses which is the pollution haven hypothesis, endowments factor hypothesis, and chain effect hypothesis made by Soilita, 2005.The dependent variable would be environmental pollution while the independent variable of the study would be bird, fish, and plant species …

Integration Of Plastic Recycling Within A Smaller Community: Reducing Plastic Pollution In The Environment, Olivia Palenscar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research is to bring awareness to plastic pollution and find a way integrate plastic recycling workshops in a smaller community. Plastic pollution is a worldwide issue. Plastic is a versatile material and can be used to make almost anything, which is an attractive trait but the amount of plastic being consumed is alarming and only continues to increase. Plastic essentially never goes away because the degradation of plastic can last hundreds of years. The challenge is to find ways that everyone can recycle plastic because over 90% of plastic does not end up being recycled. Most …

Breastfeeding As A Predictor Of Serum Concentrations Of Per- And Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances In Reproductive-Aged Women And Children: A Rapid Systematic Review, Brianna N. Vannoy, Juleen Lam, Ami R. Zota

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Purpose of Review: Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals widely detected in human serum, and at low levels in breast milk. We conducted a rapid systematic review on breastfeeding practices and serum concentrations of PFASs – specifically PFOS and PFOA - among reproductive-aged women and young children using the Navigation Guide systematic review methodology.

Recent Findings: We included 14 studies examining associations between breastfeeding and PFASs in infants/toddlers or pregnant/postnatal women. Breastfeeding was significantly associated with lower PFASs exposure among women and higher PFASs exposure among children. Summary: We concluded there was “sufficient” evidence supporting an association …

Occupational Exposure To Solvents And Associated Neurotoxicity In Construction Painters: A Systematic Review, Allison Cailliau

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background

Existing evidence suggests that occupational exposure to solvents can have devastating and adverse effects on cognitive function. Individuals in the construction industry, specifically construction painters, often come in contact with these harmful chemicals on a regular basis. A solvent is a liquid that can dissolve, suspend, or extract other materials without chemical change to the solvent itself. They are present in a wide range of industries and can be used for extraction of fats and oils, degreasing, or manufacturing of paints and plastics. Their main routes of exposure are through inhalation and skin absorption, and they have a tendency …

Evaluation Of Pm Emissions Of A Diesel Engine Fueled With Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel: A Systematic Review, Omobolanle H. Oshinusi, George M. Gray

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: The Navigation Guide developed by Johnson et al was used to conduct a robust systematic review of six experimental intervention studies looking at particulate matter (PM)emissions from conventional petroleum diesel and a biodiesel alternative utilizing waste cooking oil in heavy-duty petroleum diesel engines. Waste cooking oil biodiesel is thought to be a more sustainably sourced alternative to its fossil fuel counterpart.

Objectives: Application of the Navigation Guide systematic review methodology to answer the question: Does the replacement of petroleum diesel with waste cooking oil biodiesel reduce hazardous PMemissions? Methods: The study question was specified, evidence was selected and the …

Agriculture In The Classroom Farm Day Lesson Plan, Tessa Nicole Thompson

Agricultural Education and Communication

Nontraditional educational programs have been proclaimed desirable by many teachers, and proven effective through data collection and feedback (Coombs and Ahmed, 1974). Of the more popular unconventional educational programs, outside learning activities are commonly implemented as they are not only advantageous to students, but to teachers as well (Cengelci, 2013; Knoblock, 2008). Though nontraditional, much thought must be put into creating lesson plans for these educational programs.

El Dorado County’s Agriculture in the Classroom program utilizes nontraditional outdoor learning activities to conduct “Farm Day.” This lesson plan, created for Farm Day, is to teach third graders the importance of composting …

Physico-Chemical Characteristics Of Evaporating Respiratory Fluid Droplets, Eric P. Vejerano, Linsey C. Marr

Faculty Publications

The detailed physico-chemical characteristics of respiratory droplets in ambient air, where they are subject to evaporation, are poorly understood. Changes in the concentration and phase of major components in a droplet—salt (NaCl), protein (mucin) and surfactant (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine)—may affect the viability of any pathogens contained within it and thus may affect the efficiency of transmission of infectious disease by droplets and aerosols. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the physico-chemical characteristics of evaporating droplets of model respiratory fluids. We labelled these components in model respiratory fluids and observed evaporating droplets suspended on …

Assessment Of Temperature And Ultraviolet Radiation Effects On Sunburn At An Inland U.S. Beach: A Cohort Study, Jason W. Marion, Jiyoung Lee, James Rosenblum, Timothy J. Buckley

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

Increases in outdoor temperature may lead to increases in sunburn, outdoor exposure, and skin cancer in human populations.

Objective

This study aimed to quantify sunburn incidence and risk for Ohio beachgoers exposed to varying outdoor conditions.

Methods

Sunburn incidence data were obtained through a prospective cohort study at East Fork Lake (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA). Recruitment occurred over 26 weekend days. Beach interviews and follow-up telephone interviews obtained exposure and health information. New sunburns were self-reported 8–9 days post-enrollment. Survey data were paired with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) index and temperature data for statistical analysis.

Results

Among 947 beachgoers, new sunburns …

Horse-Related Injuries: Causes, Preventability, And Where Educational Efforts Should Be Focused, Fernanda Camargo, William R. Gombeski Jr., Polly Barger, Connie Jehlik, Holly Wiemers, James Mead, Amy Lawyer

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

A high percentage of equestrians will experience accidents, with different degrees of severity, throughout their riding careers. Horse-related injuries have the highest likelihood of requiring hospitalization based on individuals visiting US emergency departments. Studies have shown that the majority of injured riders said they could have prevented the accident and the injury was due to rider/handler error. Therefore, equestrians reported their injuries, and a panel of experts analyzed these reports to better understand the causes, how to prevent, and where to invest educational resources to generate a reduction in horse-related accidents. The majority of riders reported intermediate riding skills, most …

Investigating Sociodemographic Disparities In Cancer Risk Using Web-Based Informatics, Hong-Jun Yoon, Georgia Tourassi

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Cancer health disparities due to demographic and socioeconomic factors are an area of great interest in the epidemiological community. Adjusting for such factors is important when developing cancer risk models. However, for digital epidemiology studies relying on online sources such information is not readily available. This paper presents a novel method for extracting demographic and socioeconomic information from openly available online obituaries. The method relies on tailored language processing rules and a probabilistic scheme to map subjects’ occupation history to the occupation classification codes and related earnings provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Using this information, a case-control study is …

Uncovering Discursive Framings Of The Bangladesh Shipbreaking Industry, S. M. Mizanur Rahman, Chelsea Schelly, Audrey L. Mayer, Emma S. Norman

College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Publications

Shipbreaking in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh supplies metal to meet the needs of the nation’s construction sector. The shipbreaking industry has received international attention for environmental contamination and workers’ insecurity. However, these issues have been framed without considering the actors that produce them and their associated motives. This paper illuminates the conflicting discourses regarding the industry between two divergent groups of actors. On the one hand, national and international NGOs collaborate to enforce a discourse focused on negative localized impacts. On the other hand, yard owners, yard workers, and local community members forge a counter discourse, focused on positive …

Modeling Chlorophyll Concentrations On The Ohio River Using Remotely Sensed Data, Thaddaeus Stephen Tuggle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Traditional direct water quality methodologies limit the ability to spatially and temporally predict algal blooms in lotic systems due to the size and characteristics of large river systems. Algal blooms potentially can be predicted by knowing the spatial and temporal patterns of change in cyanobacteria concentrations at large scales. Remote sensing studies investigating freshwater algal blooms, some known to secrete harmful toxins, are primarily conducted on lentic systems while large lotic systems are greatly ignored. In this study I developed a chlorophyll concentration estimation model for the Ohio River using a satellite remote sensing approach. Ground-truth water quality measures, including …