Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Capsaicinoids From Capsicum Annuum As An Alternative Fabh Inhibitor Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: In Silico Study, Gabriella Chandrakirana Krisnamurti, Dewi Ratih Tirto Sari, Yohanes Bare

Makara Journal of Science

The number of tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide reached 1.5 million in 2018; thus, TB is considered a deadly disease. TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and involves lipid synthesis. Considering the importance of lipid metabolism in bacteria, FabH may be an essential protein target for repressing lipid synthesis. Capsaicinoids from Capsicum annuum demonstrate potent antibacterial activity. This study predicted the ability of capsaicinoid compounds to inhibit FabH. In silico analysis was performed by retrieving the structure of FabH from PDB and those of selected capsaicinoid derivatives from PubChem. The compounds were docked using AutoDock Vina in PyRx 0.8 software. The …

A Snapshot Investigation Into The Availability And Access To Codeine-Containing Medications Amongst The Irish Population., Katie O'Brien, Pádraig Mckeown, Joseph Phelan

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Codeine phosphate is a mild to moderate analgesic and has a weak cough suppressant activity that is available to purchase as an over the counter (OTC) painkiller in Ireland as a compound product. In recent years, countries such as Australia have introduced laws that prohibit the sale of the drug without a valid prescription. This move by Australia begs the question as to why this legislation was introduced and should Ireland follow suit.

The primary aims of the study were to determine knowledge among the general public of codeine-containing medications and their usage levels. The survey also investigated whether current …

Doors Pushed Open: For Devin Gibbs, College Seemed Like A Longshot--Until It Wasn't, Kardelen Koldas

Colby Magazine

Before enrolling, Devin Gibbs ’14 received an invitation from Colby. The letter offered to bring him to campus and provide accommodations so he could get a feel for the school. What it didn’t say was he had, in essence, been admitted. Gibbs, who lived in Waterville just minutes from campus, thought the letter was a scam. “I had never gotten anything for free before,” he said.

A Nosy Neighbor: Purification And Functional Characterization Of Lpg2149, Ashley M. Holahan

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Ubiquitination is a process that marks proteins for various cell-signaling pathways, namely protein degradation and other processes. Th ese pathways are essential in a wide array of cellular processes, including defense mechanisms against invading pathogens. Th e ubiquitination process is universally found in all eukaryotic organisms, including plants and animals, and thus plays a vital role in cellular homeostasis. Recently, more discoveries have been made on prokaryotic effector proteins that hijack the ubiquitination system even when they do not possess a ubiquitin system of their own. MavC, also known as lpg2147 (Gan, Nakayasu, Hollenbeck, & Luo, 2019; Puvar et al., …

Covid-19 In Silico Drug With Zingiber Officinale Natural Product Compound Library Targeting The Mpro Protein, Renadya Maulani Wijaya, Muhammad Aldino Hafidzhah, Viol Dhea Kharisma, Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori, Arli Aditya Parikesit

Makara Journal of Science

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a worldwide pandemic. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a rhizome, which is commonly used for culinary and medicinal purposes. In Indonesia, ginger is taken as traditional medicine by processing it into a drink known as jamu. The present study aimed to assess and evaluate the bioactive compounds in ginger that can be used in drug design for treating COVID-19. The crystal structure of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^pro) was generated from a protein sequence database, i.e., Protein Data Bank, …

The Nature Of Cofilin’S Severing Mechanism, Ethan Lester

The Yale Undergraduate Research Journal

Cofilin plays an essential role in regulating actin filament propagation through the cytoplasmic medium. Over the years, various studies have been conducted in an attempt to better understand the complex mechanism by which cofilin promotes filament severing and de-polymerization. Here, we have compiled information obtained from these studies in order to craft a more complete and succinct description of cofilin functionality. In particular, we review the precise structural and mechanical changes associated with cofilin-binding, and the subtle ways in which some of these structural changes may be interconnected.

Preparation Of Meta-Nitrobenzoylhydrazone Ferrocenoylacetone And Synthesis On Its Basis, Zilola Abduraxmonovna Sulaymonova, Bako Bafayevich Umarov Doctor Chemical Science, Professor

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

β-diketone-ferrocenoylacetone was obtained by Claisen condensation. Meta-nitrobenzoylhydrazone of ferrocenoylacetone (H₂L) was synthesized by the interaction of meta-nitrobenzoic acid hydrazide with ferrocenoylacetone. On its basis, complexes with copper(II) and nickel(II) ions were synthesized. The obtained compounds were characterized by the methods of elemental analysis, IR-, ¹H NMR andelectronic spectroscopy. The research results showed that H₂L in solution exists in the form of a tautomeric mixture: hydrazone, α-hydroxyazine, and cyclic 5-hydroxypyrazoline forms. According to the results of IR and ¹H NMR spectra, the complexes were assigned a planar-square structure, and in them the doubly deprotonated …

Effects Of Osmotic Stress Induced By Polyethylene Glycol (Peg) 6000 And Mannitol On Seed Germination And Seedling Growth Of Durum Wheat, Ratiba Bousba, Rabah Bounar, Narimene Sedrati, Randa Lakhal, Chourouk Hamla, Malika Rached-Kanouni

Journal of Bioresource Management

Seed germination is generally the critical step in seed establishment and thus the determination of successful crop production. This study was focused at examination of the biochemical and germination parameters effected by low water potential which was generated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 and mannitol, related to drought stress and growth of Waha durum wheat genotype. Two tests were carried out in a growth chamber; the first comprises seed germination into Petri dishes in the presence of different concentrations of the two osmoticums (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % of PEG6000 and mannitol). The second test was carried out …

Investigating Factors That Affect Hiv-1 Capsid Stability, Max Mao, Joshua Temple

The Yale Undergraduate Research Journal

TKH HIV caSVLd, a SURWHLQ VKHOO cRPSRVHd RI PRQRPHULc XQLWV RI CA, IRUPV a IXOOHUHQH cRQH WKaW SURWHcWV HIV¶V YLUaO JHQRPH aQd enzymes during infection. I am interested in elucidating the factors that influence stability of the capsid shell and capturing the structural interactions between HIV capsid, host restriction factors, and small molecules using biochemical and structural biology techniques. HIV capsid shell was broken down and purified into hexamer and pentamer units for in vitro study. Structural assays were performed using X-ray crystallography and biochemical analysis was performed using pelleting assays. By understanding capsid structure with factors that confer stability, …

Altering Sensory Learning By Chronic Inactivation Of Vip Interneurons, Christopher Alba, Hannah Selwyn, Katie Ferguson, Jessica Cardin

The Yale Undergraduate Research Journal

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons (VIP-INs) play a key role in the regulation of cortical circuits and are implicated in perceptual function and psychiatric disease. However, their role in perceptual augmentation and learning remains understudied. We performed chronic, localized ablation of VIP-INs in the primary visual cortex of adult mice using caspase-induced apoptosis to better understand how VIP-INs contribute to visual perception and the ability to learn a visual detection task. We find that chronic VIP-IN ablation does not affect naïve performance on a full-screen visual contrast detection task. However, mice with suppressed levels of VIP-INs achieved their final expert state …

High Altitude Ballooning As A Platform For Measuring Ozone Uptake Over Agricultural Landscapes, Thomas Sykora, Mark Potosnak

DePaul Discoveries

Measuring plant health is a key aspect in maximizing crop outputs. One often overlooked risk to crop fields is damage caused by stomatal ozone uptake; measuring this uptake is an important tool in understanding crop losses. Traditional methods for measuring plant ozone uptake are prohibitively expensive and rely on equipment that cannot easily be moved. Here, we propose high-altitude weather ballooning as a cost-effective alternative for measuring ozone uptake on a regional (~10 km) spatial scale. Ozonesounde data was obtained with weather balloons launched from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research station in Boulder, Colorado. This data was then …

X Radiation Dose Monitoring For Adolescent And Adult Patients In Selected Health Care Environment Related Places, Kevin Riandi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

A study on patient absorption dose according to age group was carried out. The amount of absorbed A study on patient absorption dose according to age group was carried out. The amount of absorbed dose of X-ray radiation affect the body cells. Health care hospitals such as clinics, environments that use ionizing radiation. Based on the procedure for using ionizing radiation for medical purposes, the Indonesian Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency recommends monitoring radiation doses for health workers on health service environment. Likewise with the patient, because the patient is directly exposed to the ionizing radiation. Some researh explained that the …

Overcoming Obstacles In Protein Expression In The Yeast Pichia Pastoris: Interviews Of Leaders In The Pichia Field, Zoe Ingram, Abha Patkar, Dahoon Oh, Kevin K. Zhang, Christina Chung, Joan Lin-Cereghino, Geoff P. Lin-Cereghino

Pacific Journal of Health

The yeast Pichia pastoris (also known as Komagataella pastoris) has been used for over 30 years to produce thousands of valuable, heterologous proteins, such as insulin to treat diabetes and antibodies to prevent migraine headaches. Despite its success, there are some common, stubborn problems encountered by research scientists when they try to use the yeast to produce their recombinant proteins. In order to provide those working in this field with strategies to overcome these common obstacles, nine experts in P. pastoris protein expression field were interviewed to create a written review and video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyC9xXVLyD0). This review describes …

Medical Schools Ignore The Nature Of Consciousness At Great Cost, Anoop Kumar

Journal of Wellness

The essential question of the relationship between consciousness and matter is ignored in medical school curricula, leading to a machine-like view of the human being that contributes to physician burnout and intellectual dissatisfaction. The evidence suggesting that the brain may not be the seat of consciousness is generally ignored to preserve the worldview of the primacy of matter. By investigating new frameworks detailing the nature of consciousness at different levels of hierarchy, we can bring intellectual rigor to a once opaque subject that supports a fundamental reality about our experience: We are human beings, not only human bodies.

Isolation And Characterization Of Ethyl Acetate Fraction From Abroma Augusta L As An Anti-Inflammatory Agent, Madyawati Latief, Indra Lasmana Tarigan, Muhaimin Muhaimin, Hilda Amanda, Nike Desvi Yulianti

Makara Journal of Science

Abroma augusta is a bush plant that lives on the edge of the river. This plant is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory drug for joints and broken bones. It contains several secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, triterpenoids, steroids, and flavonoids, which exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry of isolate 1.3 indicated absorption at a maximum wavelength of 282 nm. The wavelength suggested that the electron transition π–π* is the absorption of UV spectra typical for triterpenoid compounds that have chromophores in the form of non-conjugated double bonds. FT-IR spectrophotometer characterization data from isolate 1.3 revealed the presence of triterpenoid compounds …

Heat Shock Proteins: Classification, Functions And Expressions In Plants During Environmental Stresses., Sara Khan, Raheela Jabeen, Farah Deeba, Ummara Waheed, Plosha Khanum, Nadia Iqbal

Journal of Bioresource Management

HSPs proteins are found mostly in every cell from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. HSPs have been comprehensively studied in animals and humans. Recently their role in plants was thoroughly studied. HSPs were described as a result of heat shock conditions, but now get activate by various stresses like Ultraviolet light, cold, wound healing, drought, salinity and pathogenic infections (Lindquist et al., 1988). The term “heat shock protein” is now incorrect because HSPs are not expressed only under high temperature, also expressed under other stresses. HSPs are essential in maintaining balanced cell internal conditions under optimum and damaged growth conditions about in …

Effect Of Diabetes Mellitus And Anti-Diabetic Drugs On Bone Health-A Review, Farah Deeba, Sidra Younis, Nida Qureshi, Tahmina Mustafa, Nadia Iqbal, Saira Hussain

Journal of Bioresource Management

Osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus (DM) are widespread diseases and have a significant health burden. Type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with an increased bone fracture. In T1DM, the increased risk of bone fracture is associated with low bone mass. In patients with T2DM, the risk of fracture of the bone is increased due to low quality of bone, despite increased bone mineral density (BMD). In type 2 diabetic patients, bone fragility depends on the quality of bone instead of a reduction in bone mass. Thiazolidinediones (TZD) cause differentiation of adipocytes and inhibit differentiation of osteoblast …

Bacteria, Guano And Soot: Source Assessment Of Organic Matter Preserved In Black Laminae In Stalagmites From Caves Of The Sierra De Atapuerca (N Spain), Joeri Kaal, Virginia Martínez-Pillado, Antonio Martínez Cortizas, Jorge Sanjurjo Sánchez, Arantza Aranburu, Juan-Luis Arsuaga, Eneko Iriarte

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothems are a recognized source of paleoclimatic information, but their value as a source of signals from human activities in caves with an archaeological record has rarely been explored. Previous studies of speleothems in the Sierra de Atapuerca karst system (Burgos, northern Spain) revealed an important human fossil record, provided information about human activities in and around these caves, and the impacts on their natural environment. The present study reports the results of molecular characterization of dark-colored laminae from the stalagmites Ilargi (Galería de las Estatuas) and GS1, GS2, and GS3 (Galería del Silo), by pyrolysis-GC-MS (Py-GC-MS) and …

Modeling Of Aqueous Root Extract Compounds Of Ruellia Tuberosa L. For Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibition Through In Silico Study, Anna Safitri, Dewi Ratih Tirto Sari, Fatchiyah Fatchiyah, Anna Roosdiana

Makara Journal of Science

This study aims to analyze the inhibitory activities of aqueous root extract compounds of Ruellia tuberosa L. toward alpha-glucosidase protein by computational docking analysis. Three major compounds contained in the extracts (i.e., betaine, daidzein, and hispidulin) were selected as ligands; quercetin and acarbose were used as the reference. Computational docking analysis was performed using the HEX 8.0.0 program and visualized using the Discovery Studio Visualizer v19.1.0.18287 (2019 version) on the basis of the scoring functions. The interactions between ligands and alpha-glucosidase protein showed different binding patterns. The types of bonds involved in the interaction between the enzyme and these ligands …

Biological Activity And Solubility Of 5-Methoxy-1,4-Benzoquinone Having Bromoheptyl And Bromodecyl Substituents In The N-Octanol/Water System, Siti Mariyah Ulfa, Fath Dwisari, Laras Pangesti, Mohammad Farid Rahman

Makara Journal of Science

The biological activity and solubility of compounds are influenced by its chemical structure. These properties can be improved by substituting alkyl, alkoxy, and/or haloalkane in the parent skeleton. In this research, the synthesis of 3-(7-bromoheptyl)-2-methyl-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (3a) and 3-(10-bromodecyl)-2-methyl-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (3b) was achieved through the decarboxylation reaction. The solubility and biological activity of 3a and 3b were compared with that of thymoquinone (TQ), which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Compounds 3a and 3b were successfully synthesized and analyzed using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The FTIR spectrum showed the increasing intensity of …

The Effect Of Alcalase Concentration On The Proteins From The Shells Of Litopenaeus Setiferus (White Shrimp), Liam T. Quan

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Chitin is a naturally abundant polymer that also happens to be biodegradable. Chitin can be used in a variety of different products such as biodegradable plastics, papers, medical products, foods, and medical treatments. To extract chitin, shells must be demineralized and deproteinized. The goal of this experiment was to examine the effect of the protease Alcalase in the deproteinization of litopenaeus setiferus shells. The hypothesis was that if the concentration of Alcalase increased, then the absorbance of proteins in the spectrophotometer reading would increase. The null hypothesis was that if the concentration increased there would be no change in absorption. …

Soil Moisture And Porosity Affects The Abundance And Distribution Of Ageratum Houstonianum, Sahar Fattani, Christabel-Anne Forka, Monique Garcia, Thao Huynh, Torre Merricks, Morgan Robinson, Charcacia Sanders

Pursue: Undergraduate Research Journal

Introduction: Ageratum houstonianum is an herbaceous, drought-tolerant plant also known as Blue billygoat weed. It grows well in drained soil and shaded areas. Soil moisture and porosity are two abiotic factors that affect the abundance and distribution of A. houstonianum. An ideal condition for plants to grow includes a greater amount of soil moisture and porosity. Higher porosity would mean that there is a greater number of pores, which would result in more significant plant nutrients because of its ability to retain more water. The purpose of this research was to see how soil moisture and porosity based on …

Investigation Of Fluorescence In Selected Mammals Of Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, Terry L. Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The adaptive value of fluorescence among the vertebrates has been studied most in fishes and birds, and only a few observations have been published regarding fluorescence in the pelage of mammals. Recently, reports of fluorescence in some marsupials, the platypus, and in flying squirrels have become available. We report the occurrence of fluorescent properties in some mammals from Arkansas. Most carnivores, bats, and rodents did not exhibit the property when viewed under UV light. However, opossums, rabbits, a weasel, muskrats, and moles showed substantial UV response, and a few other mammals showed minor fluorescence. Colors fluoresced included pink, green, and …