Other Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Investigating The Acute Physiological Effects Of Effluent Crystal Violet On The Freshwater Bioindicator Daphnia Pulex, Hoang K. Ho

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This study examines the effects of acute exposure to crystal violet (CV) on the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia pulex in response to growing concerns over synthetic dyes from industrial runoff in aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective is to assess CV's impact on D. pulex's heart rate, mobility, morphology, and lethality via a series of acute exposure tests. 48-h acute toxicity (0-2000 μg/L), 48-h immobilization (0-180 μg/L), and 9-h heart rate (0-2,000 μg/L) tests were conducted using third-generation daphnids, followed by stereomicroscopic examination and statistical analysis. Results showed increasing mortality and decreasing mobility and heart rate with increasing CV concentration; the …

Impact Of Imidacloprid On Forebrain Mitochondrial Enzymatic Activities Ec50, Ic50 And Impacts Of Mellissa Extracts, Sarra Zouaoui, Rachid Rouabhi, Chahinez Taib, Zina Bouteraa, Salim Gasmi, Brahim Benaicha, Nadjiba Toualbia

Journal of Bioresource Management

Neonicotinoids are new generation of neuroactive pesticides, used against a wide specter of insect species, and many non-target beings are affected with these pesticides’ impacts. Our work was focused on the impact of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/kg of Imidacloprid the nicotinergic neuronal pathway inhibitor (N-ACh receptors) on the activities of mitochondrial detoxification enzymes (Catalase, SOD, GST and GPx) and acetylcholine esterase (AchE) in forebrain region of Wistar rats. Direct impact on enzymes activities was measured and the IC50, EC50 with or without Mellissa extracts were investigated. Our results showed that the IC₅₀ of imidacloprid on …

A Randomized Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial To Assess The Safety And Efficacy Of A Patented Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum) Seed Extract In Type 2 Diabetics, Rajinder Singh Gupta, Amarjit Singh Grover, Pawan Kumar, Apurva Goel, Samudra P. Banik, Sanjoy Chakraborty, Mehul Rungta, Manashi Bagchi, Partha Pal, Debasis Bagchi

Publications and Research

Background: Fenugreek plant (Trigonella foenum-graecum) constitutes a traditionally acclaimed herbal remedy for many human ailments including diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, and reproductive disorders. It is also used as an effective anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-fungal agent. The seed of the plant is especially enriched in several bioactive molecules including polyphenols, saponins, alkaloids, and flavonoids and has demonstrated potential to act as an antidiabetic phytotherapeutic. A novel patented formulation (Fenfuro^®) was developed in our laboratory from the fenugreek seeds which contained >45% furostanolic saponins (HPLC).

Objective: A placebo-controlled clinical compliance study was designed to assess …

Validation Of A Triple Quadrupole Lcms Instrument For Cocaine And Amphetamines, Isabel R. Nichols

Honors Theses

Despite the opioid crisis taking headlines, the abuse of cocaine and amphetamines remains rampant and laboratory instruments must be able to effectively and reliably handle the overwhelming case load. In this study, an Agilent 6475 Triple Quadrupole (QQQ) LCMS, recently acquired by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office (TCMEO) in Fort Worth, Texas, was validated for identifying and quantifying CocAmps. Results show that the instrument was fit-for-purpose and that the instrument passed all validation tests. Reproducibility was ≤ 20% RSD for 12 QC replicates, 6 of blood and 6 of urine. Accuracy was ± 20%. A 98.9% recovery was yielded …

Validation Of A Passive Sampler For Tracking Harmful Algal Toxins In Natural Waters, Hailee Eiker

Honors Theses

Algal blooms that produce toxins that are harmful to the health of people, animals, and the environment are known as harmful algal blooms (HABs). Recently, rising global temperatures, nutrient pollution, and an increase in the frequency of extreme hydrologic events have made HABs a bigger problem. This has all led to greater cultural eutrophication which is a major contributor to the spread of HABs. Cyanobacteria make up the bulk of HABs in freshwater systems, microcystins being among the cyanotoxins that are most frequently reported and studied. Taking grab samples of water is the current standard procedure for sampling cyanotoxins, however, …

Elucidation Of Mismatch Repair Regulation By Abl1: Advantages/Disadvantages Of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment, Hannah Daniels

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a critical repair process necessary for not only repairing mispairs incorporated into the DNA during replication, but also for inducing apoptosis in response to certain types of DNA damage. MMR is required for maintaining genomic integrity and due to the importance of this pathway, any impairment of its function can lead to increased mutation frequency, which is well known to be a driving force of cancer development, progression, and resistance. Despite extensive studies involving the proteins involved in the MMR pathway, the regulation of those proteins remains relatively unknown. Regulation of MLH1, a protein necessary …

The Biobehavioral Effects Of Embryonic Exposure To Neural Inflammation And Oxidative Stress In Zebrafish, Dalton J. Anderson

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this research is to improve understanding of the neurodevelopmental effects of embryonic exposure to elevated inflammation and oxidative stress induced by the antipyretic drug acetaminophen (APAP). Our study was the first to examine the interactive effects of APAP and inflammation in zebrafish embryos and how the treatments affect brain development and larval behavior. Experimental groups of zebrafish larvae were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation, APAP, or LPS + APAP and larval behavior was analyzed using Ethovision automated behavioral tracking software. We also measured changes in whole-brain Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (GSK3B) and GSK3B phosphorylation, …

Implementation Of Prognosticator Algorithm For Initiation Of Serious Illness Discussions And Improving The Rate Of Palliative And Hospice Referrals, Joy Isebor

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Context: Early serious illness conversations related to end-of-life and goals of care with seriously ill patients have been associated with improving patients' outcomes and quality of care (Bernacki et al., 2015). However, initiating these serious illness discussions has been challenging in the home-based primary care setting.

Objectives: To train and support home-based primary care clinicians in integrating best practices in serious illness discussions and decision-making engagement among patients sixty-five and older with serious illnesses, optimize the alignment between patient goals and the medical care they receive, improving their quality of life and the rate of palliative care and hospice referrals. …

Determining Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid Adsorption On Nanoparticles Using Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry, Iqra Shakoor

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The contamination of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS, C₈F₁₇SO₃H) in water is considered a threat to humans and the environment. The strength of carbon and fluorine bond is responsible for its high stability in the environment. Therefore, it can be transferred from the environment to food sources and eventually humans. This study assessed the ability of nanoparticles to adsorb PFOS from water. The experiment was performed by preparing suspensions of PFOS (10 ppm) and different concentrations (1000 ppm, 500 ppm, 250 ppm) of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂-NPs) or magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs). The suspensions …