Freshwater Quality For Recreation,
2026
Clemson University
Freshwater Quality For Recreation, Heather Nix, Masha Bokar
Forestry and Natural Resources
South Carolina has many water resources that provide tremendous opportunities for people to enjoy water-based recreational activities, such as swimming, boating, and fishing. Participation in these activities produces significant economic benefits and supports many jobs throughout the state. However, at times, water quality may be unsafe for immersion or skin contact due to high levels of pollutants, such as bacteria or cyanotoxins. It is important for people to be aware of potential concerns and understand methods for determining if a waterbody’s current conditions are likely to be safe for primary or secondary recreation.
Comparison Of Analytical Techniques From The Extraction Of Bioactive Compounds From Kratom, Curry, Ginger, And Turmeric,
2026
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Comparison Of Analytical Techniques From The Extraction Of Bioactive Compounds From Kratom, Curry, Ginger, And Turmeric, Riley Bruno
Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)
Plants, herbs, and spices have been used as medicines for thousands of years. Early civilizations often attributed healing properties of plants to magical or divine forces. However, as chemistry and analytical technology advanced between the 16th and 18th centuries, scientists began to understand that bioactive compounds within the plants actually caused these effects. Today, natural products remain extremely important in drug discovery. As the number of newly developed synthetic drugs declines, there has been renewed interest in identifying biologically active molecules from plants. Bioactive molecules are a group of diverse chemical compounds that stimulate a response in living tissues. The …
Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins,
2026
Bemidji State University
Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl
Biology Graduate Theses
Mercury is a persistent global contaminant that biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, with dietary and environmental factors serving as the primary drivers of accumulation in fishes. Trophic structure and methylmercury dynamics in Walleye (ogaa; Sander vitreus) and Yellow Perch (asaawens; Perca flavescens) were investigated in the Upper and Lower Red Lake basins in Red Lake, Minnesota, during 2024-2025. Diets of Walleye and Yellow Perch were assessed through stomach dissections, and tissue samples from both species were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. Additional analyses included shiners (gigoozens; Notropis spp., Hudsonius spp.) along with a variety of freshwater fish and …
Conditioned Feed Aversion As A Means Of Conditioning Livestock To Avoid Consuming Toxic Plants Growing In South Africa : An Overview,
2026
Toxicology and EVM, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
Conditioned Feed Aversion As A Means Of Conditioning Livestock To Avoid Consuming Toxic Plants Growing In South Africa : An Overview, Leendert D. Snyman, Frederick D. Provenza
Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)
Significant economic losses to the livestock industry are caused by the ingestion of toxic plants in South Africa, among which the most dangerous ones are Moraea pallida (geeltulp), Urginea/Drimea sanguinea (rooislangkop), Senecio latifolius (Staggers Ragwort), and Geigeria ornativa (vermeerbos). Conditioned feed aversion is a potential means to address this issue. Treating animals with an aversive substance along with an extract of the sensory characteristics of a specific plant conditions animals to avoid the plant. Geigeria ornativa, unlike the other three plants, is non-aversive. Following treatment for aversion, the induced aversion fades with time and eventually breaks down. Continuous exposure …
Rare Presentation Of Omental Tuberculosis With Drug-Induced Jaundice In A Teenage Female: A Case Report,
2026
JKKN college of pharmacy
Rare Presentation Of Omental Tuberculosis With Drug-Induced Jaundice In A Teenage Female: A Case Report, Archana Venkatesan, Krishna Ravi
Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery
Omental tuberculosis (TB) is a rare form of abdominal TB, often presenting with nonspecific symptoms that mimic malignancies. We report a case of a 16-year-old female from India who presented with abdominal distension, vomiting, weight loss, and amenorrhea. Imaging revealed an abdominal mass, and a diagnosis of omental TB was confirmed via histopathology. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by such atypical presentations, especially in TB-endemic regions. The patient also developed rifampicin-induced jaundice, which resolved upon drug cessation and supportive care. Anti-TB therapy was cautiously reintroduced at a modified dose. This report underscores the need for high clinical suspicion, …
Analysis Of Active Ingredients In Medicinal Herbs With High-Performance Liquid Chromatography And Related Technologies: A Review,
2026
Taiwan Food and Drug Administration
Analysis Of Active Ingredients In Medicinal Herbs With High-Performance Liquid Chromatography And Related Technologies: A Review, T.-H. Tsai, C.-Y. Hong, C.-F. Chen
Journal of Food and Drug Analysis
An increasing number of analytical techniques have been brought to bear on the herbal drugs used in traditional Chinese medicine. This in turn has led to improved quality control of medicinal herbs, ingredient stability and shelf-life tests, ensurement of the concentrations of herbal drug ingredients in biological fluids, and pharmacokinetic studies. In the past decades, gas chromatography has been the method of choice for the analysis of volatile compounds, while liquid chromatography is a highly successful separation technique for nonvolatile molecules. Recently, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with various column and detection systems have become some of the most important techniques …
Analysis Of Activated Carbon Fiber (Acf) As Particulate Filtration And Volatile Organic Compound (Voc) Media For The Development Of A Dual-Air Purifying Facepiece Respirator,
2026
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Analysis Of Activated Carbon Fiber (Acf) As Particulate Filtration And Volatile Organic Compound (Voc) Media For The Development Of A Dual-Air Purifying Facepiece Respirator, Brie Mcmahan
ETDs from 2020-2029
Exposure to particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in occupational or public settings poses adverse health outcomes such as respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive, neurological, carcinogenic morbidity and mortality. Many occupational settings expose workers to PM and VOC concurrently, yet most commercially available respirators are designed to address either particulates or vapors alone. This includes air-purifying respirators (APRs), powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), and filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) with nuisance-level vapor protection, often limited by bulk, discomfort, high pressure drop, and misuse. We identified a need for alternative dual-exposure media and a respiratory protection device that is lighter, and more comfortable …
Temporal Variation Of Benthic Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Two Upland Intermittent Streams In The Boston Mountains,
2026
Arkansas Tech University, Russellville
Temporal Variation Of Benthic Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Two Upland Intermittent Streams In The Boston Mountains, R. J. Mccollough, K. B. Hecke
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science
Benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates are some of the most highly used organisms for biomonitoring and assessing stream health. However, biomonitoring is often done in one season, potentially missing important taxa and inaccurately reflecting the community as well as stream health. In addition, while road crossing effects have also been extensively researched the last few decades, these studies are also often conducted in one season, likely misrepresenting the community structure and the overall effects of the road crossing. The highly known River Continuum Concept (RCC) is often applied to these benthic aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. This study aimed to examine aquatic macroinvertebrate communities …
Feeding Performance And Survival Of Louisiana Poeciliid Fishes Exposed To Residential Wastewater Effluent,
2026
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Feeding Performance And Survival Of Louisiana Poeciliid Fishes Exposed To Residential Wastewater Effluent, Jonathan Chapman
Masters Theses
Mosquitoes are a primary transmitter of vector-borne disease, and their larvae can thrive within shallow pools of stagnant water. Rainwater drainage ditches are a common sight in many communities, and in Louisiana, they are dually used as outlets for onsite residential wastewater discharge in neighborhoods disassociated from municipal sewage treatment. However, when discharge systems malfunction, the water becomes uninhabitable to mosquito predators, allowing mosquitoes to thrive. This research examines the predation performance of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), and least killifish (Heterandria formosa), the primary biological control agents utilized to combat mosquitoes within ditch communities. Individuals were captured …
Anticancer Efficacy Of Methyl-Cantharidimide (Mca) In Liver Cancer,
2026
Saint John's University, Jamaica New York
Anticancer Efficacy Of Methyl-Cantharidimide (Mca) In Liver Cancer, Yidong Li
Theses and Dissertations
Cancer is still one of the major public health challenges worldwide to the present day. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) that occurs in cancer chemotherapies is a non-negligible cause of cancer treatment failure and tumor recurrence. Overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters is one of the most frequent mechanisms of MDR occurrence. Therefore, the establishment of a chemotherapy agent whose anticancer efficacy would not be affected by the overexpression of ABC transporters is in demand. Methyl-cantharidimide (MCA), a cantharidin (CTD) analog, has been approved in China for clinical liver cancer treatment. This study revealed that MCA was efficacious in the ABCB1-, ABCG2-mediated …
Evaluation Of Pulmonary Toxicity To Inhaled Erbium Oxide Nanoparticles In Golden Syrian Hamsters,
2026
Saint John's University, Jamaica New York
Evaluation Of Pulmonary Toxicity To Inhaled Erbium Oxide Nanoparticles In Golden Syrian Hamsters, Randy Liang
Theses and Dissertations
Erbium oxide nanoparticles (Er2O3 NPs) are used in various products from simple pottery to semiconductors and such usage leads to an elevated risk of accidental occupational exposure. In the present study, the pulmonary toxicity of Er2O3 NPs was assessed by examining tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the lungs of Golden Syrian Hamsters following inhalation exposure. The study’s goal was to determine the severity and mechanism of toxicity upon exposure to inhaled Er2O3 NPs. Animals were divided into 4 groups all being exposed for 4 hours a day for 8 days: Group-1: room air, Group-2: vehicle control (water), Group-3: …
Evaluation Of The Mechanism Of Cell Death After Exposure To Amorphous Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles In Rat Pleural Mesothelial Cells And Golden Syrian Hamsters,
2026
Saint John's University, Jamaica New York
Evaluation Of The Mechanism Of Cell Death After Exposure To Amorphous Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles In Rat Pleural Mesothelial Cells And Golden Syrian Hamsters, Rachel P. Renda
Theses and Dissertations
Amorphous Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are widely used in the industrial processes, chemical, and cosmetics industries. Amorphous SiO2 NPs are abundant in the earth’s crust and can be released into the air through industrial and manufacturing activities. Such particles are overlooked and not as commonly studied when compared to their crystalline counterpart. Amorphous SiO2 NPs are pulmonary toxicants; however, the mechanism of toxicity is uncertain. In the current study, toxicity was assessed using both in vitro and in vivo systems to understand a possible mechanism of cell death. Rat Pleural Mesothelial Cells (RPMCs) were exposed to 50-800 μg/ml SiO2 …
When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota,
2026
Bemidji State University
When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann
Journal of Earth and Life Science
For the aquifers of Minnesota, the environmental impact statement (EIS) was a promise of protection that never left the page. An environmental impact statement is meant to be an aid in the decision making process in order to ensure that projects consider potential environmental harms that may occur. However, they are often used instead as another regulatory box to check, rather than as active considerations when planning. As such, a project plan can be flawed from the start—if project developers only consider environmental impacts after they have already put considerable time, effort, and funding into their project as-is, they may …
Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation,
2026
Marshall University
Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation, Bailey Dawn Rappold
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected globally in environmental media and biota. Legacy compounds PFOA and PFOS have been observed to be toxic and bioaccumulative in low doses and have been removed from production and industrial processes. Replacement PFAS chemicals are less understood and present a gap in current knowledge in their toxicological effects. This research utilized extended chronic toxicity studies to assess the impacts of HFPO-DA, a short chain replacement PFAS, on the standard aquatic toxicology organism Pimephales promelas. Organisms were exposed for 29 to 30 days at environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxicant, 7.8125 ng/L …
Spatial Temporal Modeling Of Infectious Disease Patterns In Texas,
2026
University of Texas at Arlington
Spatial Temporal Modeling Of Infectious Disease Patterns In Texas, Robert E. Lashbrook
Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses
The Texas Department of State Health Services monitors numerous notifiable conditions statewide, including Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Rabies, and West Nile virus (WNV). Given the substantial health, economic, and public health burden associated with these conditions, improving prediction is an important step toward reducing their overall impact. This study evaluated whether external demographic, social, climate, and environmental data could improve prediction of county-year disease activity across Texas. County level data was analyzed using supervised machine learning models, including linear regression, ridge regression, multilayer perceptron, random forest, XGBoost, as well as K-means clustering to identify broader …
A Hybrid Response Surface Methodology And Machine Learning Framework For Quantifying Effects Of Physicochemical Parameters On Pfas Distribution,
2026
North Carolina A&T University
A Hybrid Response Surface Methodology And Machine Learning Framework For Quantifying Effects Of Physicochemical Parameters On Pfas Distribution, Harsh V. Patel, Jazmin Green, Hyoshin Park, Stephanie Luster-Teasley Pass, Renzun Zhao
Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications
Predicting PFAS adsorption across diverse adsorbents and environmental matrices remains challenging because adsorbent physicochemical properties, PFAS molecular descriptors, and operational conditions simultaneously influence adsorption. This study develops and evaluates a unified hybrid modeling framework that integrates Response Surface Model (RSM) with machine-learning algorithms to quantify how six key variables, surface area, Log Kow, pHpzc, pKa, log dose, and log-initial concentration, affect PFAS distribution coefficients (Log Kd). A data set of more than 1000 adsorption observations spanning 15 PFAS compounds, multiple adsorbent types, and a broad operational range was compiled and preprocessed using …
Nutrient-Driven Transcription Factor-Dna Interactions And Their Signaling Mechanisms In Metabolic Disease,
2026
University of Kentucky
Nutrient-Driven Transcription Factor-Dna Interactions And Their Signaling Mechanisms In Metabolic Disease, Evelyn A. Bates
Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences
Metabolic homeostasis is maintained through tightly coordinated signaling networks that integrate diverse physiological inputs. Central to this regulation are transcription factors, which sense nutrient, hormonal, and vitamin-derived signals and translate them into coordinated gene expression programs. Transcription factor activity is governed by DNA binding, recruitment of coregulatory proteins, and interactions with specific response elements in gene promoters, which allows them to selectively modulate diverse metabolic pathways. Owing to their multifactorial and tunable nature, transcription factors have emerged as promising targets for the treatment and diagnosis of metabolic diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This dissertation explores the molecular …
Impact Of Cigarette Smoke On Immune And Stromal Cells,
2026
San Jose State University
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 …
Evaluating Sampling Strategies To Monitor Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Populations,
2026
Marshall University
Evaluating Sampling Strategies To Monitor Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Populations, Casey Robin Hitchens
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Reliable population monitoring is essential for evaluating wildlife translocations and informing conservation management, yet traditional monitoring approaches are often labor intensive and require prolonged sampling. This study evaluated marking techniques, survey methods, and population estimation approaches for monitoring a translocated population of southern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger niger) at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, USA (MCRDPI). From January-June 2023, I conducted six live trapping and camera trapping sessions across five survey sites. I compared the performance of color-coded collars and tail shaves for individual identification and the recapture probability between live traps and camera traps. Logistic mixed-effects …
Rna-Sequence-Driven Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes In Α-Crystallin-Deficient Zebrafish,
2026
Belmont University
Rna-Sequence-Driven Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes In Α-Crystallin-Deficient Zebrafish, Kehlie Hopper
SPARK Symposium Presentations
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition that develops in infants when exposed to alcohol in utero, leading to physical impairments such as reduced eye size and disrupted retinal function. Alpha-crystallin A is a key structural protein required for proper lens development and maintenance of transparency, while Alpha-crystallin B plays a protective role against cellular stress during eye development. In this study, I compared AB wild-type (ABWT), αA-crystallin knockout (cryaa), and αB-crystallin knockout (cryaba) zebrafish to investigate how the loss of these proteins influences eye development under ethanol exposure. The cryaa mutants exhibited reduced eye size even under control conditions, …
