Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Parents Perceived First Aid Skills In Dealing With The Ingested Poisoning Products, Saudi Arabia, A Cross-Sectional Study, Maher Hassan Nahari, Bsaim Abdulsalam Altirkistani, Athoub Nasser Kadasa, Saleh Salah Alilwani Et.Al.

Saudi Toxicology Journal

Introduction: Toxins are substances that can lead to harmful effects when introduced to the body. Accidental poisonings remain a critical concern for pediatric health, so understanding the nature of toxins and the potential risks associated with them is a fundamental aspect of child safety. Parents' knowledge and attitudes towards toxins and poisoning incidents significantly influence the outcomes of accidental exposures. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study conducted across various regions of Saudi Arabia in March 2024. Participants were selected by convenience sampling. A total of 1,997 participants took the self-administered questionnaire. Results: The majority of the participants are married …

Detection And Quantification Of Total Airborne Fungi And Coccidioides Species In Environmental Samples, Theresa T. Roehr

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fungal exposure can cause acute and chronic illnesses or exacerbate existing illnesses. Some fungi are opportunistic pathogens and can lead to serious systemic fungal infections. In 2020, more than 150 million cases of severe fungal infections were reported globally resulting in an estimated 1.7 million deaths. Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is classified as a serious fungal infection caused by the fungi Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii. These particular fungi are prevalent in the soil of the Southwestern United States, including Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2024, there were a total of 269 cases of Valley fever reported in Nevada, and …

Quick And Easy Method For The Determination Of Cocaine And Six Metabolites In Postmortem Hair, Samantha C. Mulkeen

Student Theses

Hair testing is increasing in popularity in toxicology because of its long window of detection and ease of collection and sample storage. However, it has its limitations largely due to external contamination of drugs. In particular, cocaine (COC) is a common offender of this as it has several routes of consumption. Analyzing metabolites of COC may be the key to distinguishing between consumption and external contamination. The aim of the present study was to develop a quick, easy, and sensitive method for the detection and quantification of COC, benzoylecgonine (BE), norcocaine (NCOC), cocaethylene (CE), anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), meta-hydroxy-cocaine (m-OH-COC), …

Pfas Levels In Hair: Comparing Us Populations To Global Trends, Ashef Ameer

Student Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that raise significant toxicological concerns due to their environmental persistence and potential health hazards. This research examines the presence and concentration of selected PFAS compounds in human hair samples from volunteers in New York, comparing these results with global trends found in peer-reviewed research. Hair was selected as the biological matrix for its non-invasive collection method, ability to reflect exposure, and long-term chemical stability. For analysis, a validated LCMS/ MS technique was utilized to analyze hair samples (n = 27) for three compounds: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluoroheptanoic acid …

Sodium Valproate-Induced Hyperemesis In A Patient Post-Bariatric Surgery, Mohammed Alsubhi, Khalid Alharb, Bandar Alrehaili

Saudi Toxicology Journal

Long-term treatment of patients with medications is associated with adverse drug reactions and continues to be a challenge. Sodium valproate is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder and epilepsy. It can induce adverse gastrointestinal effects, and its absorption may vary depending on the excipient used. In this case study, a middle-aged woman with a history of bipolar disorder developed hyperemesis after the use of a generic sodium valproate formulation. The patient had undergone gastric sleeve surgery 3 years ago and lost weight. Using generic formulation of sodium valproate stimulated vomiting 3 years after the patient had been tolerating the branded …

Exploring The Landscape Of Animal Advocacy In Egypt: Insights Into Stray, Wildlife, And Farmed Animal Rights, Yara Moussa, Wasseem Emam

General - Animal Protection

This article examines the landscape of animal advocacy in Egypt, a nascent and growing field in one of Africa’s largest economies and most densely populated countries. It focuses on three types of animal advocacy: 1) stray animal welfare, 2) wildlife conservation, and 3) farmed animal welfare. The paper critically analyses current practices and trends in each of these areas, highlighting the main challenges and opportunities facing the growth of the movement. Our research draws on insights from interviews with active animal welfare organizations, situating their practical experiences, daily operational struggles, as well as instances of success, within Egypt’s wider socio-economic …

Menthalactone From Mentha Piperita L., A Monocot-Selective Bioherbicide, Adam Soltani

Honors Theses

The challenge of managing invasive weed species continues to affect the agricultural industry, presenting ecological, economic, and agronomic hurdles that lead to over 100 billion USD in annual crop losses globally. One such concern is the management of Agrostis stolonifera L., commonly known as creeping bentgrass, particularly due to its ability to form hybrids. This scenario underscores the urgent need for innovative, effective, and environmentally sustainable herbicides, steering the focus toward natural substances as potential candidates. We report here a promising natural lactone, commonly known as menthalactone, which is derived from Mentha piperita L. Its phytotoxic activity was assessed against …

Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective, Christian L. Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish …

Household Point-Of-Use Faucet Filters For Lead Removal: Field Performance And User Experiences, Jeannie M. Purchase, Chantaly Villalona, Adrienne Katner, Kelsey Pieper, Marc Edwards

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Lead certified point of use (POU) faucet filters were field tested in two Louisiana cities in a total of 21 occupied homes during normal use and in two unoccupied homes with very high risk of water lead (Pb) contamination. In an unoccupied home with a 28 m lead service line (LSL) with average lead of 17 μg/L in flushed water, treatment by POU filters generally produced water with < 5 μg/L Pb even when tested to 200% of rated capacity. In the unoccupied home with a disturbed LSL, the water had erratic influent particulate lead of 9-3053 μg/L, and the POUs did not consistently produce water with < 10 μg/L Pb despite very high percentage removals. When testing POUs in occupied homes known to occasionally have lead over 5 μg/L, POUs always reduced lead to < 1 μg/L. In addition, POUs were also effectively removing high levels of iron and manganese present in the water of one city, but this also caused clogging before reaching half of their rated capacity. Laboratory experiments confirmed POU susceptibility to iron clogging.

Rising Use Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors And The Escalating Burden Of Gastrointestinal And Hepatic Toxicities: A Nine-Year Analysis, Donghyun Ko, Do Han Kim Md, Pedro Palacios Argueta Md, Wilhelm S. Basegoda Md, Jose A. Porres, Francis F. Fadi, Jana G. Hashash, Francis A. Farraye, Paul T. Kroner Md

Posters

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including programmed death 1 (PD-1), PD-L1, and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, has revolutionized cancer therapeutics, markedly improving survival in various malignancies. However, their expanding utilization has been paralleled by the emergence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), particularly gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatic toxicities, which pose significant challenges in clinical practice. These toxicities can manifest as a spectrum of conditions, from mild transient symptoms to severe, life-threatening complications, necessitating a better understanding of their prevalence and trends. This study aims to evaluate the temporal changes in ICI use and associated GI and hepatic …

Frontier Healthscapes: Competing Narratives Of Disease, Environment, And Wellbeing In Early Minnesota, Aidan Reynolds

Geography Honors Projects

Across settler societies, health narratives were shaped by evolving tensions between lay and expert knowledge, frameworks of disease causation, and perceptions of the environment as both a source of health and a threat. In the decades following Euro-American settlement (1860-1900), Minnesota became a focal point for these debates, with its landscape fostering complex and competing narratives on health, wellbeing, and disease. This paper explores how public health discourse developed in Minnesota through the perspectives of institutions, the public, and economic interests. Combining environmental history with critical discourse analysis of archival materials, this study examines shifts within the Minnesota State Board …

Mechanisms Of Particulate Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Inhibition Of Homologous Recombination Repair: Targeting The Bcdx2 Complex Considered Through A One Health Perspective., Aggie W. Brownell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, often linked to smoking. However, smoking alone does not account for all cases. Exposure to environmental metals like hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] also contributes to lung cancer. Cr(VI) causes lung cancer by inducing chromosome instability (CIN), an early hallmark of its carcinogenic mechanism. While it has been established that Cr(VI) induces chromosome instability, the precise mechanisms underlying the chromosome instability are poorly understood. This dissertation investigates the mechanisms of carcinogenesis associated with zinc chromate, a particularly potent particulate form of hexavalent chromium. Studies show Cr(VI) induces DNA double-strand breaks and impairs the …

Passive Electronic Cigarette Exposure Initiates Squamous Metaplasia In A Developing 3d Human Tracheobronchial Epithelial Tissue In-Vitro Model, Edgar Rolon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The prevalence of vaping has rapidly increased. ECs are often perceived as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. A recent meta-analysis showed electronic cigarette (EC) aerosols adversely affected the respiratory system, similar to cigarette smoke, with some effects specific to EC use. Failure to prevent these alterations could lead to life-long comorbidities, and predisposition to respiratory diseases, including COPD and squamous cell carcinoma. While these effects are the result of active vaping, EC aerosols can also settle on indoor surfaces, be absorbed passively through the skin or orally, enter the blood stream, and subsequently expose internal organs, including the airway basal …

Dabigatran Reduced Acute Microgliosis In A Mouse Model With Tbi, Nicholas R. Eltman, Rashmeena Abbasi, Mary C. Kosciuk, Syed Ahmed, Jose L. Pascual, Randel L. Swanson, Nimish K. Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objective:

The study objective was to investigate the acute anti-inflammatory effects of dabigatran in a preclinical mouse controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design

Mice were separated into three groups: controlled cortical impact (CCI) with dabigatran (drug treatment, n=5), CCI with saline (positive control, n=5), and sham CCI without saline or dabigatran (negative control, n=3). Dabigatran (80mg/kg) or saline was administered orally at 2, 10, 18, 26, 34, and 42 hours following experimental CCI in the drug treatment or positive control groups, respectively. Animals in the negative control group received sham CCI only. 48h following …

Dna Gyrase Inhibition By Ni(Ii)-Schiff Base Complexes Via In Silico Molecular Docking Studies: Spectroscopic, Dft Calculations And In Vitro Pharmacological Assessment, Ikechukwu P. Ejidike, Amani Direm, Cemal Parlak, Solomon A. Olaleru, Charles O. Adetunji, Athar Ata, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The current world's life-threatening illnesses have amplified multidrug resistance infections, bringing about immune system mayhem, thus, the quest for novel antimicrobial compounds with a broad spectrum of action. Four Ni(II) complexes, [Ni(YB)Cl]·2H₂O (C1), [Ni(YB)Br]·H₂O (C2), [Ni(YB)NO₃]·3H₂O (C3), [Ni(YB)COOCH₃]·2H₂O (C4) [HYB = 4-[(1E)-N-{2-[(Z)-(4-methoxybenzylidene)amino]ethyl}ethanimidoyl]benzene-1,3-diol], were synthesized. Analytical techniques like CHNS analysis, UV–Vis, FT-IR, molar conductance, XRD, ¹H NMR, and TGA/DTA were utilized for characterization. The calculated …

Direct Synthesis Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Reducing Sugars: Enhanced Ce3+ Surface Density For Biological Application, Balaashwin Babu, Elayaraja Kolanthai, Craig J. Neal, Samarah V. Harb, Udit Kumar, Yifei Fu, Sudipta Seal

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are recognized for their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), making them promising candidates for mitigating oxidative damage in biomedical applications. However, many conventional synthesis methods limit the formation of Ce³⁺ states, which are critical for this antioxidant function. Building upon previous findings that glucose can promote Ce³⁺ formation, this study investigates the broader impact of both reducing (glucose, fructose, galactose) and non-reducing (dextran, sucrose, cyclodextrin) natural sugars on CNP synthesis. CNPs were synthesized in the presence of these sugars, and the surface densities of Ce³⁺ were measured. Results showed that reducing sugars significantly increased …

Biological Reduction Of Perchlorate In Martian Regolith Simulant Using Azospira Oryzae, Brianna Bernhardt

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Establishing a sustainable human presence on Mars will require in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to reduce costly and inefficient resupply missions. Despite containing many of the requirements for agriculture, Martian regolith is contaminated with toxic levels of perchlorate (ClO₄^-), threatening human health and agricultural success. Biological remediation using perchlorate-reducing bacteria offers a promising approach to address these challenges. This study investigated the perchlorate-reducing ability of Azospira oryzae, a facultative anaerobe capable of converting ClO₄^- to chloride (Cl^-) through dissimilatory respiration. A. oryzae was cultured in Martian regolith simulant (MGS-1) amended with 0.0%, 0.5%, …

The Effects Of Pfos Exposure On Zebrafish Dopaminergic Neurodevelopment, Allison G. Fletcher

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of environmental contaminants that cause disruptions to the nervous and endocrine systems. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is considered one of the most disruptive PFAS to the nervous system, and may disrupt neurodevelopment of the dopaminergic system, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in humans. I hypothesized that early life PFOS exposure disrupts the development of the dopaminergic system. To test this hypothesis, I exposed zebrafish to 0.05, 0.5, and 5.0 mg/L PFOS through 5 days of embryonic and larval development. To assess acute effects of PFOS on the …

Translation Of The Carcinogenic Dna Breakage-Repair Inhibition Mechanism For Hexavalent Chromium To Its Key Targets: Lung Epithelial Cells, Lung Tissue And Impacts On The Genome., Idoia Meaza Isusi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a human lung carcinogen with widespread occupational and environmental exposure. Despite the known health risks, how Cr(VI) causes lung cancer remains unclear. This dissertation investigates the mechanisms of Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis. Cr(VI) causes DNA damage, specifically DNA double strand breaks, and inhibits homologous recombination repair, a high-fidelity repair pathway. Unrepaired DNA double strand breaks or those repaired through error-prone pathways, progress to chromosomal damage, and chromosome instability. The latter is a common characteristic of Cr(VI)-exposed cells, and a hallmark of lung cancer. Although the mechanism of Cr(VI)-induced …

Fc Gamma Receptors Facilitate Antigenic Modulation Of Lilrb4 And Function As Predictive Biomarkers In Acute Monocytic Leukemia, Joshua Morse

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Acute monocytic leukemia (monocytic AML) is a subtype of AML marked by a proliferation of abnormal monoblasts. This subtype represents approximately 10% of AML cases. The prognosis of monocytic AML is poor, with a 5-year survival of ~30%. Most patients are diagnosed at an age when they are unlikely to survive first-line non-targeted cytotoxic chemotherapy as a bridge to hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Even patients who achieve remission commonly relapse. This population of patients would greatly benefit from precision-targeted therapies but currently there are none approved for monocytic AML.

Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 (LILRB4) is an immune checkpoint expressed …