Digital Commons Network^™

In Situ High Pressure And Temperature 13c Nmr For The Study Of Carbonation Reactions Of Co2, James A. Surface

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The aqueous reactions of carbon dioxide with various Mg-containing minerals [MgO, Mg(OH)2, and Mg2SiO4] at several different pressures: 1-200 bar) and temperatures: 25-150C) have been studied using a novel, elevated pressure and temperature 13C NMR probe. Critical observations about reaction rates, chemical exchange, and pH measurements throughout these reactions and the implications of the in situ measurements made during these reactions are discussed. A new method is used to elucidate pH under high pressure and temperature conditions which utilizes a calculation scheme wherein experimental data and a computational model are combined. Additionally, a 1D pH imaging method is employed to …

High-Resolution Low-Noise Polarization Imaging Sensor For Astronomical Applications, Radoslav Marinov

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Polarization imaging is useful to the field of astronomy because the polarization state caused by reflections, scattering events, and magnetic fields can be used to infer properties such as shape and index of refraction about celestial bodies. This work presents a low-noise high-resolution polarization imaging sensor consisting of a CCD imager overlaid with a nanowire linear polarizer filter array of four different orientations: 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°) matched to the pixel pitch. Fabrication details and experimental setup for characterization are discussed. The performance of the sensor is assessed over a range of polarization states, light intensities, wavelengths, and incident …

Dna And Peptide Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles For Biological Imaging And Transfection, Ziyan Zhang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation focuses on the development of DNA and peptide functionalized gold nanoparticles. Three nanoparticle systems have been developed:: 1) nucleic acid-directed self-assembly of a gold nanoparticle PET imaging agent;: 2) cationic peptide functionalized gold nanoparticles;: 3) gold nanoparticle templated peptide nanoshells.

The first functionalized gold nanoparticles were constructed by assembling ODN: oligodeoxynucleotide)-derivatized gold nanoparticles with functionalized complementary PNAs: peptide nucleic acids). The PNAs were conjugated with DOTA for chelating chelating 64Cu for PET imaging, PEG for conferring stealth properties, and Cy5 for fluorescent imaging. The resulting functionalized nanoparticles showed good stability both in vitro and in vivo and had …

Dynamic Characterization Of The Ikk:Κbα:Nfκb Negative Feedback Loop Using Real-Time Bioluminescence Imaging, Britney Moss

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The transcription factor NF-κB is a pivotal regulator of mammalian cell function, modulating genes implicated in cellular stress responses, proliferation, differentiation, cell survival and apoptosis, as well as immune and inflammatory responses. Improper regulation of NF-κB signaling has been implicated in a myriad of human pathological disorders, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, chronic inflammation, and various cancers. A key regulatory node within canonical NF-κB signaling is the IKK:NF-κB: IκBα negative feedback loop that plays a major role in regulating the strength and duration of NF-κB transcriptional activity. We have developed and characterized an unique bioluminescent reporter (κB_5àIκBα-FLuc) …

Specific Roles Of Macaque Parietal Regions In Making Saccades And Reaches, Eric Yttri

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A principle task of our brain is to guide movements, includng saccade: fast eye movements) and reaches towards things that we see. Regions in the parietal cortex such as LIP and PRR are active during visually-guided movements. Neurons in these areas respond differentially for saccades versus reaches, but in most parietal areas there is some response: in single unit recording as well as in fMRI imaging) with either type of movement. This raises an important question. What is the functional significance of the neuronal activity in parietal areas? Recording and imaging studies can only show correlations; causal roles must be …

Studies Of Fluorescent Imaging For Mrna Detection In Living Cells, Zhenghui Wang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation focuses on the study of imaging mRNA in living cells. To achieve this research objective, three approaches have been utilized:: 1) Imaging of a transgenic mRNA tagged by multiple repeats of malachite green: MG) binding aptamer.: 2) Imaging of inducible nitric oxide synthase: iNOS) mRNA by strand-displacement activated Peptide Nucleic Acid: PNA) probes.: 3) Imaging of iNOS mRNA by binary fluorescently labeled PNA probes. The first approach was based on the work of our former lab member Dr. Huafeng Fang, who had constructed a multiple MG binding aptamer tagged transgene: Flag-mβ2AR-GFP-MGVI), which could also express a green fluorescence …

Synthesis Of Complex Plasmonic Nanostructures For Applications In Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy And Biomedicine, Claire Cobley

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This research centers around techniques to engineer the properties of noble-metal nanostructures for applications in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: SERS) and biomedicine. Many of these potential applications are made possible by the strong localized surface plasmon resonance: LSPR) of noble-metal nanostructures, which is heavily influenced by the particle's morphology. The first part of this work focuses on the solution-phase synthesis of Ag nanostructures. In this section, I demonstrate the synthesis of Ag nanostructures with two different morphologies that are interesting for fundamental SERS studies: anisotropically truncated octahedrons and large, single-crystalline spheres. In both syntheses, control over etching was critical to morphological …