Life Sciences Commons^™

Development Of Polymer Monoliths For The Analysis Of Peptides And Proteins, Binghe Gu

Theses and Dissertations

Several novel polymer monoliths for the analysis of peptides and proteins were synthesized using polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) as crosslinker. Photo-initiated copolymerization of polyethylene glycol methyl ether acrylate and PEGDA yielded an inert monolith that could be used for size exclusion liquid chromatography of peptides and proteins. This macroscopically uniform monolith did not shrink or swell in either water or tetrahydrofuran. More importantly, it was found to resist adsorption of both acidic and basic proteins in aqueous buffer without any organic solvent additives. A strong cation-exchange polymer monolith was synthesized by copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and PEGDA. A ternary …

Synthesis And Optical Properties Of Four Oligothiophene-Ruthenium Complexes And Synthesis Of A Bidentate Ligand For C-F Bond Activation, Joseph S. Bair

Theses and Dissertations

Photovoltaic cells and fluorescence sensing are two important areas of research in chemistry. The combination of photon-activated electron donors with electron acceptors provides a strong platform for the study of optical devices. A series of four oligothiophene-ruthenium complexes has been synthesized. Variation in oligothiophene length and bipyridine substitution allowed comparison of these variables on electronic properties. The longer oligothiophenes display lower energy absorption and emission compared to the shorter ones. Aromatic conjugation appears more complete with para-, rather than meta-, substitution. Oligothiophenes and Ru(bpy)32+ are highly fluorescent individually, but fluorescence is quenched when connected. Bonds of carbon to fluorine are …

Diel And Tidal Rhythms Of Emercenge Events Based On Acousitc Observations In A Shallow Estuary, Mei Sato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field observations of emergence events by epibenthic animals were conducted with two Tracor Acoustic Profiling Systems (TAPS) in the Damariscotta River estuary, Maine, in fall 2005 and summer 2006. Spectral analysis revealed that periodic temporal variability of the acoustic signals was concentrated at four periods. One was the solar day (24 h) and the other three were lunar tidal periods of 25.82 (diurnal or Oi), 12.42 (semidiurnal or M2) and 6.21 h (half the semidiurnal period). The mysid Neomysis americana showed strong nocturnal migration patterns of water-column activity during its peak summer emergence season, regulated by the diel cycle. Toward …

Determining Environmental Drivers Of Fish Community Structure Along The Coast Of Maine, Adrian Jordaan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work presented here was conceived to determine whether structure in marine communities could be related to multiple scaled environmental parameters, as seen in lake and stream systems. Four datasets collected from 2001 to 2005 were used. The datasets ranged from local scale tidepool and estuarine surveys, to more regional intertidal/subtidal surveys and conclude using a coast-wide trawl survey. Initially, a bootstrap program for running principal component analysis (PCA) was developed and tested for utility with additional information from Pearson correlation coefficients. The bootstrap-PC A program was capable of determining confidence limits for correlations amongst species. The results from analysis …

Development Of Methods For The Study Of Phosphoproteins, Zhaoyuan Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Characterization of phosphoproteins-including detection, identification of phosphoproteins and identification of phosphorylation sites-is mostly done with radiolabeling and proteomic techniques. Three main topics related to phosphoprotein characterization are included in this dissertation. First, large-scale characterization of the CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell phosphoproteome was done using two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) separation, visualization of phosphoproteins by radiolabeling or a phosphoprotein specific dye, followed by MALDI-TOF identification. Because radiolabeling of phosphoproteins is very sensitive and straightforward to quantify, such analysis can give a clear picture of the relative phosphosphorylation of proteins present in a sample. But there are also limitations to this …

Capillary Electrophoresis Of Proteins With Selective On-Line Affinity Monoliths, Jenny Marcela Armenta Blanco

Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of proteins in biological fluids by capillary electrophoresis (CE) is of interest in clinical chemistry. However, due to low analyte concentrations and poor concentration limits of detection (CLOD), protein analysis by this technique is frequently challenging. Coupling preconcentration techniques with CE greatly improves the CLOD. An on-line preconcentration-CE method that can selectively preconcentrate any protein for which an antibody is available would be very useful for the analysis of low abundance proteins and would establish CE as a major tool in biomarker discovery. To accomplish this, an on-line protein G monolithic preconcentrator CE system for enrichment and separation …

Biochemical Investigations Of Macular Degeneration: The Significance Of Protein Oxidation Including Novel Methods For Its Study, Sarah Warburton

Theses and Dissertations

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of cells located directly behind the photoreceptor cells in the retina. These cells are involved in a variety of functions that support the visual process in the eye, namely 1) they form a blood-retina barrier which separates the neural retina from the choroid's blood supply, 2) the apical processes of RPE cells diurnally phagocytose the outer segments of photoreceptor cells, and 3) they participate in the renewal of the photopigment 11-cis retinal. Age-related macular degneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50 years in North …

Characterization Of Cucurbituril Complex Ions In The Gas Phase Using Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Haizhen Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Host-guest interactions have been well studied in the new century to obtain fundamental insights into supramolecular chemistry. Most of the pioneering works have been done using techniques such as NMR, X-ray crystallography, IR spectroscopy and so on. However, none of these techniques is universal for the investigation of all types of supramolecules, and usually they have one or more limiting factors such as relatively large sample consumption, matrix effects from solvents, etc. Electrospray mass spectrometry has been widely used to investigate host-guest interactions in the gas phase. A particular advantage of gas phase host-guest research is that the experimental results …

Microfabrication And Evaluation Of Planar Thin-Film Microfluidic Devices, Bridget Ann Peeni

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 15 years, research in the field of microfluidics has rapidly gained popularity. By seeking to miniaturize and automate separation-based analysis, microfluidic research seeks to improve current methods through decreased cost, analysis time, and sources of contamination. My work has focused on developing a novel fabrication method, based on standard microfabrication techniques, to create thin-film microfluidic devices. This microfabrication format makes it possible to generate devices that provide high efficiencies, enable mass fabrication, and provide a platform capable of integrating the microfluidic and electronic components necessary for a micro-total analysis system (μ-TAS). Device fabrication combines the processes of …

Membrane Systems With Limited Parallelism, Bianca Daniela Popa

Doctoral Dissertations

Membrane computing is an emerging research field that belongs to the more general area of molecular computing, which deals with computational models inspired from bio-molecular processes. Membrane computing aims at defining models, called membrane systems or P systems, which abstract the functioning and structure of the cell. A membrane system consists of a hierarchical arrangement of membranes delimiting regions, which represent various compartments of a cell, and with each region containing bio-chemical elements of various types and having associated evolution rules, which represent bio-chemical processes taking place inside the cell.

This work is a continuation of the investigations aiming to …

Characterization Of Β-Lactam Resistant Pandemic Serotypes Of Vibrio Cholerae Isolated From Ships' Ballast Tanks And Coastal Waters, Amanda Lynn Goodrich

OES Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio cholerae serotypes 01 and 0139 are responsible for world-wide epidemics of cholera. These pandemic causing strains must possess genes that encode for the cholera toxin (CTX) and toxin co-regulated pili (TCP) in order to infect their hosts. In this study, 284 isolates of Vibrio cholerae from ballast and coastal waters were serotyped, with 11 % testing positive for serotype 01 and 21 % testing positive for serotype 0139. PCR assays were used to detect the presence of ctxA and tcpA genes in all positive isolates, none of which contained ctxA while 2% of the isolates contained tcpA. The 01 …

Statistical Approach To Background Subtraction For Production Of High-Quality Silhouettes For Human Gait Recognition, Jennifer J. Samler

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses a background subtraction to produce high-quality silhouettes for use in human identification by human gait recognition, an identification method which does not require contact with an individual and which can be done from a distance. A statistical method which reduces the noise level is employed resulting in cleaner silhouettes which facilitate identification. The thesis starts with gathering video data of individuals walking normally across a background scene. From there the video is converted into a sequence of images that are stored as joint photographic experts group (jpeg) files. The background is subtracted from each image using a …

In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Calcium Hydroxides In Root Dentin, Josef W. Lubisich

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Enterococcus faecalis is the most commonly isolated bacteria in failed root canal treatment. Endodontic intracanal medicaments are commonly tested using standardized bovine cylinders infected with bacteria. The literature is not clear on whether calcium hydroxides are able to remove E. faecalis from the dentinal tubules. One reason for this is that there are several varying forms of calcium hydroxide commonly used. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether four commonly used calcium hydroxide products were able to reduce E. faecalis from four incremental samples of dentin and to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between …

Detection Of Proteins By Two-Photon Excitation Of Native Fluorescence, Li Li

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are of primary importance to the structure and function of all living cells. Study of proteins relies on the ability to separate a complex mixture so that individual proteins can be more easily processed by other techniques. Since protein samples often exist at low concentration in a small volume, the trend in chemical analysis is toward micro total analysis systems (µTAS) or lab-on-a-chip devices. Among µTAS separation methods, the relatively new electric field gradient focusing (EFGF) technique has shown potential. It focuses and separates analytes based on their electrophoretic migration in an opposing hydrodynamic flow. The detection principles that …

Determination Of Cholesterol In Foods By Flow Injection Analysis With Perroxyoxalate Chemiluminescence., Abisake Feleke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cholesterol is an important biological molecule with many important functions. However, high serum cholesterol is a health hazard. Thus analysis of cholesterol is important and many analytical techniques have been developed. The objectives of the proposed research are to develop an economical, rapid method for the determination of total cholesterol with good selectivity and enhanced sensitivity. For evaluation of proposed flow injection analysis with peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (FIA-POCL) method, figures of merit such as accuracy, precision, and linear dynamic range will be assessed. The proposed procedure was then applied to the determination of total cholesterol in foods. The procedure was linear …

Ferritin: Mechanistic Studies And Electron Transfer Properties, Bo Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Ferritins are ubiquitous iron storage proteins in living systems. Although much is known about the iron deposition process in ferritin and a mechanism has been developed, several important issues still remain unknown. One lingering question is the less than stoichiometric quantities of hydrogen peroxide detected in previous studies on animal ferritins. Extensive experimental data on identifying the species in competition for peroxide equivalents point to a surprising conclusion that H2O2 generated in the ferroxidase reaction is consumed by amine buffers that are commonly employed in in vitro ferritin studies, while non-nitrogen containing buffers, such as acetate, phosphate, and carbonate, do …

Modeling Large Whale Entanglement Injuries: An Experimental Analysis Of The Influence Of Tissue Compliance, Line Tension, And Draw-Length On Epidermal Abrasion Resistance, Jeremy Paul Winn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two test systems were developed to evaluate the influence of draw-length and tissue compliance on entanglement-induced epidermal abrasion in humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) and right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) tissue samples. Under straight pull abrasion tests an adult right whale fluke required 3.7 times the load and 15 times the draw-length of a right whale calf flipper to induce epidermal failure while a humpback fluke was intermediate between these extremes. Epidermal thickness did not appear to be the cause of this difference in abrasion resistance. Epidermal thickness averaged 8.0k0.2 mm for the calf flipper, 4.9k0.4 rnrn for the humpback fluke, and 5.1k0.1 …

Structure-Activity Studies Of Glycosphingolipids As Antigens Of Natural Killer T Cells, Randal Donald Goff

Theses and Dissertations

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs), composed of a polar saccharide head and a lipophilic ceramide tail, are ubiquitous components of the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. They serve in many regulatory capacities and have antigenic properties towards natural killer T (NKT) cells of the innate immune system. Critical to the recognition of glycosylceramides by NKT cells are antigen presenting cells (APC), such as dendritic cells, which are responsible for binding, processing, and delivery of ligands to these lymphocytes. This event is mediated by CD1d, a major histocompatibility complex-like protein expressed on the surface of APCs, which binds GSL antigens by the ceramide moiety …

Patterns Of Scleractinian Health In Broward County, Florida, Melody J. White

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This study was survey of disease distribution and abundance relating to coral diseases present in Broward County. Data of the 1330 scleractinian coral individuals found, 88 showed signs of disease. 19 coral species, 3 diseases and bleaching were represented. Diseases affected 9 of the species. Bleaching was the most common disease noted in this survey, followed by dark spot, red band, and yellow band.

Disease distribution appears to be scattered on the reef system. No apparent patterns were found when grouped by reef or corridor locations. MDS cluster analysis revealed a clumping of disease, but this was not correlated with …

Dna-Templated Surface Alignment And Characterization Of Carbon Nanotubes., Huijun Xin

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes are appealing materials for nanofabrication due to their unique properties and structures. However, for carbon nanotubes to be used in mass-fabricated devices, precise control of nanotube orientation and location on surfaces is critical. I have developed a technique to align single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on surfaces from a droplet of nanotube suspension under gas flow. Fluid motion studies indicate that alignment is likely due to circulation of SWNTs in the droplet. My work provides a facile method for generating oriented nanotubes for nanodevice applications. I have also devised an approach for localizing SWNTs onto 1-pyrenemethylamine-decorated DNA on surfaces. …

Enhanced Electrospray Ionization For Mass Spectrometry And Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Li Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Electrospray ionization (ESI) has become one of the most commonly used ionization techniques for mass spectrometry (MS) and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), and efforts continue to improve its performance. ESI-MS is most recognized for its wide application to biomacromolecules where high sensitivity is of paramount importance. However, the major limitation in sensitivity with ESI-MS is due to its low ion transmission efficiency from the ESI source into the sampling orifice and through any stages utilized for transfer of ions from atmosphere to vacuum in the MS. A series of atmospheric pressure ion focusing interfaces were designed and implemented to enhance …

Electric Field Gradient Focusing-Uv Detection For Protein Analysis, Shu-Ling Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Electric field gradient focusing (EFGF) utilizes a hydrodynamic flow and an electric field gradient to focus and concentrate charged analytes and order them in a separation channel according to electrophoretic mobility. Elution can be achieved by decreasing the applied voltage or increasing the hydrodynamic flow. EFGF has the advantages of concentrating a large volume (100 micro-L) of target proteins without significant band broadening and simultaneously removing unwanted components from the sample. Two types of EFGF devices have been investigated to concentrate and separate proteins: a fiber-based EFGF device and a hydrogel-based EFGF device. Using fiber-based EFGF with UV detection, a …

Model Studies Towards The Total Synthesis Of Lyconadin A Via An Acyl Radical Cascade Reaction, Koudi Zhu

Theses and Dissertations

Lyconadin A is an alkaloid possessing a unique structure and antitumor activity. The total synthesis of Lyconadin A was proposed via an acyl radical cascade reaction. To investigate the possibility and stereoselectivity of the cascade cyclization, phenyl selenoester 16 was chosen as a model substrate to study the 7-exo-5-exo radical cyclization. A synthetic route to phenyl selenoester 16 was developed. The 7-exo-5-exo radical cyclization was found to occur with a high yield and excellent stereoselectivty. Attempts were also tried to synthesize another radical precursor 14 albeit with less success. A synthetic pathway to the synthesis of 14 as well as …

The Mechanism Of Assembly Of The G-Protein Beta Gamma Subunit Dimer By Ck2 Phosphorylated Phosducin-Like Protein And The Chaperonin Containing Tcp-1, Christine M. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Phosducin-like protein (PhLP) binds G-protein beta gamma subunits and is thought to assist in assembly of the G-protein beta gamma dimer. Phosphorylation of PhLP at serine residues 18-20 by the casein kinase 2 (CK2) appears to play an essential role in this process. PhLP has also been shown to interact with the chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT) atop its apical domain, not entering the substrate folding cavity. However, the physiological role of the PhLP-CCT interaction in G-protein beta gamma dimer formation remains unclear. This study addresses the mechanism of G-protein beta gamma assembly by exploring the specific roles of CCT and …

Fabrication Of Polymeric Microfluidic Devices For Protein Analysis, Jikun Liu

Theses and Dissertations

2-Bromoisobutyryl bromide was immobilized on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates activated using an oxygen plasma. Atom-transfer radical polymerization was then performed to graft poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the PMMA surface. PMMA micro capillary electrophoresis (µCE) devices made with the covalently modified surfaces exhibited substantially reduced electroosmotic flow and nonspecific adsorption of proteins. Both column efficiency and migration time reproducibility were one order of magnitude better with derivatized PMMA µCE devices compared to untreated versions. Fast, reproducible, and efficient separations of proteins and peptides were demonstrated using the PEG-grafted PMMA µCE chips. All analyses were completed in less than 60 seconds, and …

The Environmental Impact Of Dietary Choice And Agriculture In California, Harold J. Marlow Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Food demand influences agricultural production. Modern agricultural practices have resulted in polluted soil, air and water, eroded soil, dependence on imported oil, and loss of biodiversity. The goal of this research is to investigate the environmental impact of pesticide and fertilizer application, water consumption, and energy used to produce commodities for a vegetarian and non vegetarian diet in California. The working assumption is that greater number and amount of inputs are associated with greater environmental impact. The literature supports this notion. To accomplish this goal, dietary preferences were quantified using the Adventist Health Study and state agricultural data were collected …

The Effect Of Calcium Hydroxide Pastes On Root Dentin Fracture Resistance, Kurt W. Sturz

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Calcium hydroxide is a common intracanal medicament used in the treatment of immature teeth that have been subjected to trauma or decay prior to root canal therapy. The effect of calcium hydroxide on immature root dentin is important. One area of concern is the effect that calcium hydroxide has on the fracture resistance of an immature tooth. It is the aim of this study to compare the effect of four different commercially available calcium hydroxide pastes on the fracture resistance of bovine teeth. Seventy-five freshly extracted, intact bovine incisors were prepared according to a modified Haapasalo and Orstavik technique. Each …

Effects Of Diabetes Mellitus On The Healing Of The Dental Pulp, Stuart Evan Garber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has been implicated as a factor affecting healing. The purpose of this study was to use the healing of experimentally exposed pulps subsequent to pulp capping as a model to determine the effect of DM on healing.

Twenty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups of eleven animals each. In one group, DM was induced by injection of 70 mg/KG of streptozotocin. In the other group, the animals were injected with sterile saline. Under anesthesia with Ketamine and Xylazine, the pulps of the maxillary first molars of all rats were exposed using a 1/16 round bur under …

Odonates At The Clark County Wetlands Nature Preserve: A Look At Habitat And Relative Abundance, Erin Jolley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the various species, relative abundance and habitat of dragonfly and damselfly larvae at the Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Preserve (WPNP). An accurate assessment of these insects can be useful in interpreting potential indications of environmental problems at the Wetlands. From this data, necessary improvements can be made to the dragonfly habitat as well as the habitat of other surrounding organisms. Habitat identification is considered especially important because it is "structured by instream and surrounding topographical features, and is a major determinant of aquatic community potential" (Southwood, 1977). For purposes of this …

The Contribution Of Environmental Variables On Small Mammal Species Richness And Relative Abundance In Eastern Nevada, Stephanie Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to determine how four environmental variables: elevation, latitude, soil type, and vegetation impact the relative abundance of Peromyscus maniculatus and the species richness of small mammal populations in Eastern Nevada. In order to complete this study, a survey of small mammals was completed in the following 8 Eastern Nevada valleys: Delamar, Dry Lake, Dry Lake- Muleshoe,Cave, Lake, Snake, Spring, White River. In each valley, transects of Sherman live traps will be set up for 3 consecutive nights (O'Farrell et al 1977). Data on elevation, latitude, soil type, and vegetation were taken at each trap …