Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Invasion Of Microplastics Into The Reproductive Tissues Of Feral And Domestic Felines, Emma K. Quade

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although plastics have many useful properties in modern society, once these materials are introduced into the environment, they can cause extensive damage. Following degradation into microplastics (MP), plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, these contaminants can make their way into a variety of different environments and organisms. There are many studies that have investigated the prevalence of MP in marine environments, but fewer studies have looked into terrestrial systems, and even less that have focused on contamination in companion animals. This study sought to investigate the invasion of MP into the reproductive tissues of felines, Felis catus, …

Public Perception Of Environmental Contamination And Its Implications For Fish And Community Health In West Bengal, India, Libia Hazra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In West Bengal, India, the highest fish-consuming state in the country, fish are woven into everyday life, including ceremonies of birth and marriage, prayers offered during harvesting and the cultural memory of communities whose identities are inseparable from aquatic life. However, the rivers, wetlands, and ponds that sustain these fish-human relationships are increasingly threatened by environmental contamination resulting from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and inadequate environmental management. Understanding how communities perceive these environmental changes is essential for developing effective conservation and public health strategies.

In collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) Kharagpur, India, and Michigan Technological University (USA), …

Mineral-Associated Organic Nitrogen Pool Size, Composition, And Accessibility Mediated By Agricultural Management And Soil Geochemical Characteristics, Gabriella M. Griffen, Andrew H. Whitaker, Emma L. Bergh, Marian Carrell, Erik Knatvold, Aniko Konya, A. Stuart Grandy, Andrea Jilling Ph.D., Marco Keiluweit, Rachel Hestrin

Faculty Publications

Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) contains a substantial portion of soil nitrogen (N). MAOM-N could serve as an important N source for crops, but its availability and response to agricultural management across different soil types remains largely unknown. We characterized MAOM-N isolated from nine paired soils spanning a range of geochemical characteristics and maintained under two land uses—more intensively managed annual cropping systems or less intensively managed grasslands. On average, we found that MAOM contained approximately two-thirds of total soil N. Across all soil types, more intensive agricultural management resulted in a 50% decline in MAOM-N stocks, as well as a …

Investigation Of Genx Exposure To Pathways Associated With Colorectal Cancer Risk, Emily J. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely detected in drinking water and food sources, resulting in chronic human exposure. Among these compounds, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), commonly known as GenX, has been introduced as a short-chain replacement for legacy PFAS such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Although GenX is believed to be a safer alternative, emerging research suggests it can still affect human health.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, highlighting the need to better understand environmental …

Ion-Imprinted Polymer-Based Sensors For Toxic Metal-Ion Detection In Water: Coordination Chemistry, Transduction Strategies, And Environmental Applications, Ghita Yammouri, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Toxic metal contamination in aquatic environments remains a persistent threat to human health and ecosystems. Yet, the high cost, infrastructure demands, and centralized nature of conventional analytical methods constrain routine monitoring. Ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs), a subclass of molecularly imprinted polymers, have emerged as promising synthetic recognition materials for metal-ion sensing because they generate coordination-defined binding sites with high selectivity, chemical stability, low cost, and reusability. This review summarizes recent advances in Ion-imprinted polymer (IIP)-based sensing technologies for toxic metal-ion detection in water from 2016 to 2026. It examines the fundamental recognition chemistry of IIPs, major synthesis strategies used to generate …

Data For Forthcoming Article: "Employing Zebrafish To Understand Genetic Drivers Of Epilepsy-Related Comorbid Behaviors", Colleen Carpenter-Swanson

Biology Faculty Publications

Forthcoming from Frontiers in Pharmacology:

"Children with epilepsy frequently experience a range of significant comorbidities beyond seizures, such as motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and neurodevelopmental delays. In some cases, these comorbidities contribute more significantly to overall disease burden than the seizures themselves. To improve quality-of-life (QOL) for these children, treatment options should be selected that control seizures and ameliorate comorbidities. Unfortunately, such therapeutics remain largely elusive. Addressing this issue requires suitable preclinical models. Here we used CRISPR-generated zebrafish with single-gene mutations linked to pediatric epilepsy and applied clinically-relevant behavioral assays to study the effects of these mutations. Using high-throughput locomotion-based …

Identifying Rna Splicing Changes During Alcohol Withdrawal Using An Optimized Rna-Seq Analysis Pipeline, Yasaswi Veera, Luana Martins De Carvalho, Amy Lasek

Undergraduate Research Posters

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes long-lasting changes in brain gene expression and RNA splicing, particularly in the ventral hippocampus. This study analyzes RNA-Seq data from rats exposed to chronic alcohol and withdrawal to identify transcript-level and splicing alterations. An optimized RNA-Seq pipeline using STAR, FeatureCounts, edgeR, and WGCNA improved efficiency by 25-40% while maintaining consistency across 25 datasets. Results reveal changes in neural signaling and stress-response pathways associated with withdrawal. This work provides both biological insight into AUD and a reproducible computational framework for transcriptomic analysis.

Impact Of Cigarette Smoke On Immune And Stromal Cells, Justin Wong

Master's Projects

Cigarette smoke is a plight on human health, being a major contributor to lung diseases. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) directs immune regulation and metabolic adaptation in response to environmental toxins. This study investigates transcriptomic changes between wild-type and AHR knockout mouse lung tissue under smoke and air conditions. Single-cell RNA sequencing data were generated by the Butcher Lab and analyzed in Seurat for differential gene expression (DGE) analysis. A two way ANOVA framework was used with DGE analysis to classify genes as smoke induced or suppressed in an AHR dependent or independent manner, and these gene sets were analyzed …

Harnessing Activated Sludge For The Treatment Of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Wastewater: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Cyrus Li, Jiefu Wang, Meicen Liu, Yi Zheng, Sandeep Kumar, Isamu Umeda, Chandan Mahata, John Norton

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Although hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is the leading technology in converting wet biomass into bioenergy, the treatment of its toxic-laden aqueous phase wastewater presents a major challenge on its path toward commercial viability. This study presents the first-ever assessment of sewage sludge-fed HTL wastewater (SS-HTLWW) treatment and toxic compound removal using municipal activated sludge (AS) by optimizing its cultivation condition. It was found that AS with optimized pretreatment can remove up to 91.2% of the soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) in SS-HTLWW, of which up to 82% can be attributed to biological mineralization and adsorption of sCOD by AS. Conventional bioprocess …

Thyroid Storm At Sea: A Case Report Of Algae-Induced Thyrotoxicosis, Alynna Knaub, Amanda Cecchini, John Janousek, Laura Strojny, Jairo Noreña, Zachary Pawlikowski

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis (IIT), also known as the Jod-Basedow phenomenon, is a rare yet recognized cause of hyperthyroidism. While iodinated contrast is the most frequent trigger, iodine-rich supplements such as seaweed products or supplements can also precipitate thyrotoxicosis, particularly in individuals with prior chronic iodine deficiency or preexisting thyroid nodular disease. We present a case of thyroid storm following short-term ingestion of Irish sea moss as part of a “crash diet.” A 37-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes mellitus, well controlled on subcutaneous insulin therapy, presented with nausea and vomiting after 6 days of following a restrictive diet consisting solely of …

Investigating The Role Of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine For Cancer Symptom Management In Older Adults: A Rapid Review, Isabelle C. Karshner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Patients with cancer often experience symptoms related to disease, complications, and treatment. One potential method of alleviating these symptoms is traditional Chinese herbal medications (TCHM). This rapid review explores the role of traditional Chinese herbal medications in treating cancer-related symptoms in older adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this rapid review is to gain and provide a better understanding of the effects of TCHM on cancer-symptom management in the older adult population. This review explores the association between TCHM and effects on cancer symptoms in older adults, including interactions, toxicity, and signs/symptoms of TCHM use that may be useful information …

External Validation Of A Knowledge-Based Clinical Toxicology Consultant For Diagnosing Single Exposures, Hugo Lerogeron, Joel D. Schipper, Jay L. Schauben, Laurent Guéguen, Valentine Lacotte, Kim An Nguyen

Publications

Introduction

Clinical prediction models assist healthcare providers in estimating disease likelihood using multiple patient-specific factors. While these models are increasingly used, few undergo the essential process of external validation, which limits their clinical utility. In toxicology, timely diagnosis is crucial and expertise scarce, making knowledge-based systems an excellent choice to support medical decision making. A knowledge-based system developed using data from the Florida Poison Information Center Network has shown promise but lacks external validation. This study aims to evaluate its performance using data from the Lyon Poison Information Center to assess its generalizability

Methods

To externally validate the Florida diagnostic …

Ex Vivo Sensitivity Assays With Molecular Validation To Guide Preclinical Drug Selection For Schwann Cell Tumors, Ethan W. Hass

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Schwann cells are the glial cell of the peripheral nervous system. They are dependent on receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated RAS signaling, cell matrix adhesion, and cell-cell contact to proliferate during nerve development and repair. These pathways become deregulated with loss of function of the merlin tumor suppressor encoded by NF2, leading to benign tumors called schwannomas. Patients with NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN) develop bilateral vestibular schwannomas that cause hearing loss, tinnitus, and death from brainstem compression if untreated. Severe NF2-SWN causes multiple spinal and peripheral schwannomas and neuropathic pain. Schwannomas require careful monitoring, trial and error use of repurposed anti-cancer …

Biofunctional Characterization Of A Polyherbal Formulation, Muhammad Ameer Qarib Naqvi, Iqra Saleem, Fatma Hussain

Journal of Bioresource Management

Polyherbal formulations (PHFs) have greater medicinal importance due to their enhanced bioactivities. To check whether a combination of several plants enhances bioactivities, the current study was designed. Methanol, aqueous and n-hexane solvents were used to prepare PHF of Syzgium cumini, Origanum vulgare, Aloe vera barbadensis Miller and Gymnema sylvestre. DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging) assay was used to analyze antioxidant activity. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) estimations were done by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and AlCl₃ colourimetric techniques, respectively. Bactericidal activity was measured by agar well diffusion method, anti-diabetic profile was assessed by …

Psoriasis Treatments In The Stabilization Of Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review, Lixin Ji, Sowmya Ravi, Laura Wright, Vi Nguyen, Jose Wiley, Milena Vukelic, Sangkyu Kim

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

This systematic review explores the relationship between achieving minimal disease activity in psoriasis and the progression of atherosclerosis. It investigates how biologic therapies and other treatments impact atherosclerosis markers, offering insights into therapeutic strategies. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted from January 1, 2000, to April 1, 2023, using terms such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, atherosclerosis, biologic therapy, vascular stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Eligible studies were those involving human subjects over 18, written in English, that provided quantitative atherosclerosis markers, including CIMT, CCTA, arterial pulse wave velocity …

Machine Learning–Based Prediction Of Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing In Geriatric Patients Presenting To The Emergency Department At Al-Qatif Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia, Aymen Alqurain

Saudi Toxicology Journal

Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is an avoidable factor leading to adverse drug events in older adults, particularly in the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to train and validate a machine learning (ML) model to predict the probability of PIP in elderly patients in the ED. This retrospective analysis encompassed patients aged 65 years and above who presented to the Al-Qatif Central Hospital. PIPs were identified using a validated screening tool designed for older persons to ensure appropriate treatment. Variables have been detected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. An extreme gradient boosting model was trained and assessed …

Developing A Tool To Measure Resistance To Sustainable Food Choices: A Pilot Study In Ireland And The Netherlands, Kate Flanagan, Bart Sinteur, Patricia J. Bulsing, John M. Kearney

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Consumer uptake of a sustainable diet is critical for addressing environmental challenges and promoting public health. Understanding why consumers resist adopting sustainable eating habits can inform targeted interventions and policies. This pilot study examines whether a newly developed scale can effectively detect consumer resistance to a sustainable diet. Currently, there is a lack of research on a tool to measure consumer resistance to a sustainable diet, highlighting the need for a reliable instrument.

The aim of this study is to develop a scale, based on existing literature, to measure consumer resistance to a sustainable diet. Additionally, the study aims to …

Editorial-Sure Journal Volume 7, Issue 2, Geraldine M. Dowling, Eva Campion, Sinead Loughran, Ariane Perez-Gavilan, Josephine Treacy

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

An Integrative Systems Biology Approach To Study Metabolic Changes Associated With Pfas Exposure In Xenopus Laevis, Claire Wolfer-Jenkins

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

What Are The Global Differences In Air Quality Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic?, Jude Spencer, Ian Mcgee, Brandon Solis-Martinez

Student Scholar Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented global disruptions, including significant changes in air quality due to lockdown measures, reduced industrial activity, and shifts in transportation patterns. Air pollution, primarily from nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and particulate matter (PM2.5), is a major environmental and public health concern. While some studies suggest temporary improvements in air quality during lockdowns, long-term impacts remain uncertain across different regions. To examine this, we investigated the research question: "What are the global differences in air quality due to the Covid-19 pandemic?" Using peer-reviewed studies from the Greenfile and ScienceDirect databases, along with EPA data, …