Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Pathogenesis Of Dry Eye In Graft Versus Host Disease (Gvhd): Role Of Ocular Mucins And Conjunctival Fibrosis, Kiumars Shamloo

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a procedure that offers a possible cure for hematologic cancers and other hematologic disorders. Unfortunately, despite the increasing survival rate of patients, the quality of their life is adversely affected by the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation’s major side effect i.e Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD). GVHD is a complex, multi-organ disease resulting from an immunological attack by donor engrafted immune cells to host organs, including the eye surface. Mostly based on the time of disease onset after transplantation, GVHD is divided into the acute and chronic phase. The eyes may be involved in both …

Evaluating The Chronic Effect Of Food Coloring Dyes On Biological Life Functions Of Model Organism; Caenorhabditis Elegans, Demilade Adisa

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Food coloring dyes are substances known to enhance the appearance of food or drink by imparting color when it is added. They have been in large commercial food production as well as in its use in domestic food applications and non-food applications. The toxic effects of food coloring dyes have been seen in the enzymatic breakdown of the azo linkage of the dye molecule by enzyme; azo reductase. The degradation of such food dye products give rise to increased toxic effects that affect the nervous system.

Caenorhabditis elegans is a bacterial feeder, free-living soil nematode used as a model organism …

Design And Sythesis Of Conjugages Of Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Anticancer Drug And Ligand For Extra Cellular Matrix Biomarker To Provide Efficient Tumor-Targeting, Shang Eun Park

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) have emerging applications in the safer delivery of chemotherapeutics to the site of diseases to avoid the side effects associated with the drug. PDCs also improve the physicochemical property of the anticancer drug. Therefore, we have designed and synthesized various conjugates of anticancer drugs with cancer- targeting peptides using established biomarkers of cancer such as the integrin receptor and extra-domain of fibronectin (EDB-FN) at the extracellular matrix. In the first studies, a series of targeting peptides targeting EDB-FN were synthesized and conjugated to different anticancer drugs. The synthesis, characterization, stability, and hydrolysis were performed. Cell viability studies …

Effects Of Heavy Metal Pollution On The Antipredator Behavior Of Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma Spectabile), Caleb S. O'Neal

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Heavy metal pollution can have numerous negative impacts on stream fishes, including both lethal and sublethal effects. Because of the sensitivity of fishes to toxins, they are excellent environmental indicators of stream and watershed health. The Tri-State Mining District is a Superfund site located in parts of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma that offers a good opportunity to study sublethal effects of heavy metal pollutants on fish behavior. I observed the antipredator behavior of Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma spectabile) from 3 streams that varied in the abundance of heavy metal pollutants. In the lab, darters from the most polluted site …

Pectin And Alginate Extraction To Treat Liquid Cafo Manure, Clare Sunderman

Honors Projects

For this project, various extraction methods were used to extract pectin from Pastinaca Sativa and alginate from Macrocystis. These extractions were then dried and used in treating 250mL of manure along with a CaCl₂ or FeCl₃ coagulant. It was found that CaCl₂ was not as effective as FeCl₃ in coagulating manure. But the results obtained suggest that pectin and alginate obtained with a simpler extraction method is just as effective as the highly purified and refined pectin and alginate produced for the food industry, in the treatment of CAFO manure. The liquid portion of the …

Assessing The Role Of Chronic Arsenite Exposure In Disrupting The Egfr Signaling Axis., Christine Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic arsenic exposure is a risk factor for the development of pulmonary diseases, including lung cancer, but the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood. Many previous studies have relied on acute arsenic exposure (i.e. 1-10 uM arsenic for 24 hours) to study arsenic toxicological effects. However, acute exposure does not reflect the levels or duration of arsenic associated with environmental exposure, or drinking of contaminated well water. This dissertation differentiates the effects of acute versus chronic arsenic exposures on the EGFR signaling axis and suggests possible mechanisms for chronic arsenic-induced pulmonary diseases. The EGFR is a receptor tyrosine kinase …

Comparative Analysis Of Azo Dye Restriction In The International Textile Industry, Kayla Demark

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Azo dyes are the most used type of dye in the textile industry. Some of these dyes have the potential to be extremely toxic to both human health and the environment. While regulations of these dyes vary across the world, it is suggested that not enough is being done to protect consumers and the environment from potentially harmful azo dyes (Rawat et al., 2016). It is the responsibility of apparel companies to ensure that their products that contain azo dyes are safe for consumers.

The purpose of this study was to understand how azo dyes and their by-products are restricted …

Identifying The Cardiovascular Effects Of Multiple Pollutants., Katlyn Elizabeth Mcgraw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death from environmental exposures. Although exposure to PM_2.5 is an established risk factor for CVD, the contribution of other hazardous pollutant exposure to CVD is less clear. Overall, this work aimed to examine the effect of pollutants with lesser documented effects on cardiovascular disease using a multi-pronged approach to exposure assessment. The three aims were to examine the relationship between county-level toxic chemical releases and CVD mortality in the contiguous United States between 2002 and 2012, to assess the relationship between individual-level VOC metabolites and vascular function, and to build multipollutant …

Food Insecurity And Risky Sexual Behaviors Among College Students, Bertille Octavie Mavegam Tango Assoumou M

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Food insecurity and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are growing public health problems in the United States. Young people in general, and particularly college students, exhibit high prevalence of food insecurity, STIs, and risky sexual behaviors (RSB). Food insecurity and STIs among college students can have short- and long-term impacts on their academic success and their lives. Several studies have reported an association between food insecurity and some risky sexual behaviors among specific populations including HIV-infected people and homeless people. However, little is known about the relationship between food insecurity and RSB among college students. Given the high prevalence of food …

Evaluating Urban Parks Accessibility And Equity: A Case Study Of Hartford, Ct And New Haven, Ct, Natalie Roach, Mara Tu

Honors Scholar Theses

Public parks provide cities with environmental benefits, positive health effects, recreational opportunities, community building, educational spaces, and public amenities. However, certain populations have been systematically denied their fair share of these benefits because of unjust practices in the creation and maintenance of urban parks. With a lens of environmental justice, the goal of this research was to assess park quality and accessibility of two Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven, by gathering publicly available information as well as using GIS tools.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has an existing ParkScore rating system that evaluates the quality of a city’s …

Effects Of Respiratory Perturbations On Aging And Healthspan In Daphnia Magna, Millicent Nkiruka Ekwudo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aging is a degenerative process characterized by a decline in physiological functions and cellular activities. Environmental and pharmacological interventions affecting longevity pathways have been extensively studied in model organisms. This study investigated the effect of chronic mild intermittent hypoxia (4 mg O2/L) or mild mitochondrial uncoupling with three doses of 0 (control), 0.1, 1, and 5 μM of 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), on life history and gene expression in four clones of Daphnia magna. Interestingly, clones from intermittent ponds displayed better tolerance to hypoxia and DNP. Although neither treatments extended longevity, hypoxia increased fecundity and body size, and decreased food consumption and …

Evaluation Of Α-Pyrrolidindovalerophenone (Α-Pvp) And Its Isomers In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Trained To Discriminate Mdpv, Kaley Cargile

Masters Theses

Recreational use of synthetic cathinones, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and α‐pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α‐PVP), has become increasingly popular, thus prompting characterization of their behavioral and neurochemical effects. MDPV has been studied for several years now, though there is still much unknown about α‐PVP, and its isomers. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the discriminative effects of α‐PVP and its isomers in comparison to MDPV. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 0.5mg/kg MDPV from saline injections under a fixed ratio 20 (FR 20) schedule of food reinforcement. Substitution tests were conducted with MDPV (0.05-0.5mg/kg), α‐PVP (0.05-0.5mg/kg), (S)-α‐PVP (0.05-1mg/kg) and …

Lc-Ms/Ms Method Development And Analysis Of Tricyclic Antidepressants In Human Plasma, Shahbaz Gul

Honors Theses

Depression has become one of the most prominent problems in society, disrupting both personal and social lives. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were first developed in the 1950’s and became some of the leading anti-depressant medications on the market later that decade. Today, newer anti-depressants have risen to the forefront, being safer and having a lower side-effect probability. Nonetheless, TCAs continue to be prescribed for severe depression, especially in cases where the newer anti-depressants have failed. However, TCAs are still highly potent, the toxicity associated with these compounds cannot be ignored. They have considerable cardiovascular and neurological toxicity, and in the event …

Responses To Fine Particulate Matter (Pm2.5) Exposures In Two Wild-Type Zebrafish Strains, Connor Necaise

Honors Theses

Atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure poses great health risks across the globe, causing both acute and chronic illnesses in humans. Therefore, a more complete understanding of the mechanisms in which PM_2.5 induces these adverse health effects is urgently needed. Oxidative stress due to PAHs and other common components of PM_2.5 is a proposed mechanism for its adverse health effects. However, little is known about the actual mechanisms of PM_2.5 damage in humans. This study aimed to distinguish behavioral differences in two lines of zebrafish (AB & 5D) as a result of developmental exposure to …

Opioid And Naloxone Training In A Rural School District, Allyson C. Waldron

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The opioid epidemic is a national health emergency in the United States, with over 128 people dying each day due to an opioid overdose. It is estimated that 4.3 million people over the age of 12 use opioids without a medical need, and 1.3 million youth ages 12-17 use opioids inappropriately. Drug overdose deaths have become the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, prompting the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization to advise that more Americans have access to naloxone and understand how to use this life-saving drug correctly. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, used …

Effects Of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations Of 4-Methyl-1- Cyclohexanemethanol (Mchm) On General Esterase And Glutathione-S-Transferase Activity In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promela), Emily De Wind

Research in Biology

Abstract

In 2014, several thousand gallons of coal-processing chemicals, which included 4-methyl-1- cyclohexanemethanol (MCHM), spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia. The location of this spill in West Virginia’s chemical valley is historically significant in defining the exploitations of people residing in this area. The concentration of crude MCHM in the river was approximated at 0.15 µg/L. Although some initial studies did consider the effects of MCHM exposure on humans, little attention has been given to aquatic wildlife. In this project, I will expose fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, an environmentally relevant species, to concentrations of MCHM between zero …

Importance Of Understanding Genetic Predisposition, Andrew Carter

Thinking Matters Symposium

Hypersensitivity reactions can be sudden and are often fatal. Many of these reactions occur as a result of allergies to prescribed medication. Adverse drug reactions or (ADR’s) were show in a recent study to affect over 6% of hospitalized patients and resulted in over 100,000 deaths a year in the US alone. This poster will review the importance of understanding genetic predisposition, through articles about possible genetic causes of allergies to penicillin and other beta-lactams. Changes in a specific HLA gene located on chromosome 6 showed a correlation to penicillin reactions in over 600,000 participants. Another study found a conclusive …

Oxidative Potential And Composition Of Fine Particulate Matter At Two Locations In Mississippi, Victoria Claire Stevens

Honors Theses

Air pollution exposure has negative health effects on individuals across the globe. Negative impacts on human health have been documented in studies following both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution, and these adverse effects have been seen even at the lowest levels of exposure. Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has specifically been linked to these negative health effects. These effects come from many sources, but one large contribution to the negative health effects comes from oxidative stress. In this study, samples were collected from Hernando, MS and Gulfport, MS in September 2013 and November 2013. Black carbon (BC) …

Examining Public Water Systems Servicing Schools And Childcare Facilities To Inform Policy: A Study Of Lead Exposure In The Mississippi Delta, William Farmer

Honors Theses

Abstract

This study was initiated with the intent of identifying elementary schools and childcare facilities in the Mississippi Delta with children ages 6 and under that may have public water systems (PWSs) with lead exceedances of 5 ppb. We also aimed to identify the existence, and further the availability, of information regarding which public schools and childcare facilities were serviced by which public water systems. Based on the results of this study, considerations related to Mississippi’s ability to comply with the 2020 Revisions of the Lead and Copper Rule requiring testing in all public schools were determined. Seven principal counties …

Narrative Storytelling In Conjunction With Environmental Journalism, Abbey Edmonson

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the effectiveness of long-form narrative storytelling in relation to environmental journalism. It particularly focuses on effectively communicating the seriousness of climate change on a local level through narrative storytelling. The bulk of the information was gathered through multiple interviews with people experiencing the effects of climate change on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. By using interviews with local people interspersed with scientific data, I hope to be able to show the average reader that climate change is real and it can dangerously affect people on a local level, even in rural states like Mississippi.

Through my research, I …