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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Sharing The Salt Bowl: Counterion Identity Drives N-Alkyl Resorcinarene Affinity For Pyrophosphate In Water, Kwaku Twum, Seyed Iraj Sadraei, Jordan Feder, S. Maryamdokht Taimoory, Kari Rissanen, John F. Trant, Ngong Kodiah Beyeh Dec 2021

Sharing The Salt Bowl: Counterion Identity Drives N-Alkyl Resorcinarene Affinity For Pyrophosphate In Water, Kwaku Twum, Seyed Iraj Sadraei, Jordan Feder, S. Maryamdokht Taimoory, Kari Rissanen, John F. Trant, Ngong Kodiah Beyeh

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

N-Alkyl ammonium resorcinarene chloride receptors, NARX4, have been shown to act as high-sensitivity detectors of pyrophosphate (PPi), a biomarker of disease, in aqueous media through the chloride-to-PPi exchange [NAR(Cl)4 to NARPPi]. The nature of the anion of the macrocyclic NARX4 (X = Cl−, Br−, triflate OTf−) receptor greatly influences the PPi-affinity in aqueous media. The binding affinity for [NAR (Cl)4] is 3.61 × 105 M−1, while the NAR (Br)4 and NAR (OTf)4 show stronger binding of 5.30 × 105 M−1, and 6.10 × 105 M−1, respectively. The effects of upper rim ammonium cation, –N+H2R substituents (R = 3-hydroxypropyl, cyclohexyl, …


Reaction Of Alkynyl- And Alkenyltrifluoroborates With Propargyldicobalt Cations: Alkynylation, Alkenylation, And Cyclopropanation Product Pathways, Brent St Onge, S. Maryamdokht Taimoory, Jeffrey Battersby, John F. Trant, James R. Green Dec 2021

Reaction Of Alkynyl- And Alkenyltrifluoroborates With Propargyldicobalt Cations: Alkynylation, Alkenylation, And Cyclopropanation Product Pathways, Brent St Onge, S. Maryamdokht Taimoory, Jeffrey Battersby, John F. Trant, James R. Green

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

The Lewis acid-mediated Nicholas reactions of propargyl acetate–Co2(CO)6 complexes with a series of potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates and potassium alkenyltrifluoroborates are described. Alkynyltrifluoroborates directly alkynylate the intermediate propargyldicobalt cations. In contrast, alkenyltrifluoroborates proceed through one of the three modes of dominant reactivity: C-2-substituted alkenyltrifluorobrates directly alkenylate, predominantly with the retention of stereochemistry. C-1-substituted alkenyltrifluoroborates alkenylate at C-2. Potassium vinyltrifluoroborate incorporates a cyclopropane at the site propargyl to alkynedicobalt. Computational analysis of these systems explains the differential modes of reactivity of alkenyltrifluoroborates and outlines the probable mechanisms for the formation of each product.


Protocol For Fabricating Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold Strain Sensors On Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Gloves For Wearable Electronics, Sara S. Mechael, Yunyun Wu, Yiting Chen, Tricia Breen Carmichael Dec 2021

Protocol For Fabricating Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold Strain Sensors On Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Gloves For Wearable Electronics, Sara S. Mechael, Yunyun Wu, Yiting Chen, Tricia Breen Carmichael

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

This protocol describes the fabrication of patterned conductive gold films on nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) gloves for wearable strain sensors using electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) plating, a solution-based metallization technique. The resulting NBR/ENIG films are strain sensitive; resistance measurements of a patterned sensing array can be used to map human hand motions. This protocol also describes challenges related to the ENIG process and troubleshooting steps to achieve conformal gold films for strain sensing over a large working range. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Mechael et al. (2021).


Early Life Neonicotinoid Exposure Results In Proximal Benefits And Ultimate Carryover Effects, Thomas Zgirski, Pierre Legagneux, Olivier Chastel, Lyette Regimbald, Louise Prouteau, Audrey Le Pogam, Hélène Budzinski, Oliver P. Love, François Vézina Dec 2021

Early Life Neonicotinoid Exposure Results In Proximal Benefits And Ultimate Carryover Effects, Thomas Zgirski, Pierre Legagneux, Olivier Chastel, Lyette Regimbald, Louise Prouteau, Audrey Le Pogam, Hélène Budzinski, Oliver P. Love, François Vézina

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Neonicotinoids are insecticides widely used as seed treatments that appear to have multiple negative effects on birds at a diversity of biological scales. Adult birds exposed to a low dose of imidacloprid, one of the most commonly used neonicotinoids, presented reduced fat stores, delayed migration and potentially altered orientation. However, little is known on the effect of imidacloprid on birds growth rate despite studies that have documented disruptive effects of low imidacloprid doses on thyroid gland communication. We performed a 2 × 2 factorial design experiment in Zebra finches, in which nestling birds were exposed to a very low dose …


Herd Immunity Drives The Epidemic Fadeout Of Avian Cholera In Arctic-Nesting Seabirds, Jacintha G.B. Van Dijk, Samuel A. Iverson, H. Grant Gilchrist, N. Jane Harms, Holly L. Hennin, Oliver P. Love, E. Isabel Buttler, Stephanie Lesceu, Jeffrey T. Foster, Mark R. Forbes, Catherine Soos Dec 2021

Herd Immunity Drives The Epidemic Fadeout Of Avian Cholera In Arctic-Nesting Seabirds, Jacintha G.B. Van Dijk, Samuel A. Iverson, H. Grant Gilchrist, N. Jane Harms, Holly L. Hennin, Oliver P. Love, E. Isabel Buttler, Stephanie Lesceu, Jeffrey T. Foster, Mark R. Forbes, Catherine Soos

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Avian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is a common and important infectious disease of wild birds in North America. Between 2005 and 2012, avian cholera caused annual mortality of widely varying magnitudes in Northern common eiders (Somateria mollissima borealis) breeding at the largest colony in the Canadian Arctic, Mitivik Island, Nunavut. Although herd immunity, in which a large proportion of the population acquires immunity to the disease, has been suggested to play a role in epidemic fadeout, immunological studies exploring this hypothesis have been missing. We investigated the role of three potential drivers of fadeout of avian cholera …


Synergistic Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity Of Hypoxis Hemerocallidea-Derived Silver Nanoparticles And Streptomycin Against Respiratory Pathobionts, Oluwole S. Aremu, T. Qwebani-Ogunleye, Lebogang Katata-Seru, Zimbili Mkhize, John F. Trant Dec 2021

Synergistic Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity Of Hypoxis Hemerocallidea-Derived Silver Nanoparticles And Streptomycin Against Respiratory Pathobionts, Oluwole S. Aremu, T. Qwebani-Ogunleye, Lebogang Katata-Seru, Zimbili Mkhize, John F. Trant

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Respiratory tract infections arise due to the introduction of microbes into the airway, disrupting the normal, healthy, complex interdependent microbiome. The selective disruption of this community can be either beneficial or dangerous. Nanoparticles are a potential tool for modifying this population. Coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using ethanolic extracts of Hypoxis hemerocallidea (EEHH), a Southern African plant used extensively in traditional medicine and the source of many bioactive secondary metabolites. The room temperature reaction between silver nitrate and EEHH forms largely spherical AgNPs with an average diameter of 6–20 nm. These nanoparticles show similar levels of antibacterial activity as …


New Isolate From Salvinia Molesta With Antioxidant And Urease Inhibitory Activity, Nadra Naheed, Saima Maher, Farooq Saleem, Ajmal Khan, Abdul Wadood, Saima Rasheed, M. Iqbal Choudhary, Matheus Froeyen, Iskandar Abdullah, Muhammad Usman Mirza, John F. Trant, Sarfraz Ahmad Dec 2021

New Isolate From Salvinia Molesta With Antioxidant And Urease Inhibitory Activity, Nadra Naheed, Saima Maher, Farooq Saleem, Ajmal Khan, Abdul Wadood, Saima Rasheed, M. Iqbal Choudhary, Matheus Froeyen, Iskandar Abdullah, Muhammad Usman Mirza, John F. Trant, Sarfraz Ahmad

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Urease plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis pyelonephritis, urinary catheter encrustation, hepatic coma, hepatic encephalopathy, and peptic acid duodenal ulcers. Salvinia molesta was explored to identify new bioactive compounds with particular emphasis on urease inhibitors. The aqueous methanol extract was fractionated using solvents of increasing polarity. A series of column chromatography and later HPLC were performed on butanol extract. The structures of the resulting pure compounds were resolved using NMR (1D and 2D), infrared, and mass spectroscopy. The novel isolate was evaluated for antioxidant activity (using DPPH, superoxide anion radical scavenging, oxidative burst, and Fe+2 chelation assays), …


From Fat To Bilayers: Understanding Where And How Vitamin E Works, Jeffrey Atkinson, Drew Marquardt, Mitchell Dipasquale, Thad Harroun Nov 2021

From Fat To Bilayers: Understanding Where And How Vitamin E Works, Jeffrey Atkinson, Drew Marquardt, Mitchell Dipasquale, Thad Harroun

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Vitamin E was one of the last fat-soluble vitamins to be discovered. We provide here an historical review of the discovery and the increasingly more detailed understanding of the role of α-tocopherol both as an antioxidant and as a structural component of phospholipid bilayer membranes. Despite the detailed descriptions now available of the orientation, location, and dynamics of α-tocopherol in lipid bilayers, there are still gaps in our knowledge of the effect of α-tocopherol and its potential receptors than control gene transcription.


Efficient And Reproducible Synthesis Of An Fmoc-Protected Tn Antigen, Sabrina M. Piazza, Michael R. Reynolds, Jonathan Chiaramonte, Peihan Xu, Fabiola A. Chapa-Villarreal, John F. Trant Nov 2021

Efficient And Reproducible Synthesis Of An Fmoc-Protected Tn Antigen, Sabrina M. Piazza, Michael R. Reynolds, Jonathan Chiaramonte, Peihan Xu, Fabiola A. Chapa-Villarreal, John F. Trant

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

This concise total synthesis of the Thomsen-Nouveau (Tn) glycoconjugate was accomplished using a palladium-catalyzed coupling between the glycosyl donor and Fmoc-protected serine acceptor. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the shortest synthesis reported from galactose for preparing this essential building block for large-scale solid phase peptide synthesis.


Drought At A Coastal Wetland Affects Refuelling And Migration Strategies Of Shorebirds, Alexandra M. Anderson, Christian Friis, Cheri L. Gratto-Trevor, Christopher M. Harris, Oliver P. Love, R. I.Guy Morrison, Sean W.J. Prosser, Erica Nol, Paul A. Smith Nov 2021

Drought At A Coastal Wetland Affects Refuelling And Migration Strategies Of Shorebirds, Alexandra M. Anderson, Christian Friis, Cheri L. Gratto-Trevor, Christopher M. Harris, Oliver P. Love, R. I.Guy Morrison, Sean W.J. Prosser, Erica Nol, Paul A. Smith

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Droughts can affect invertebrate communities in wetlands, which can have bottom-up effects on the condition and survival of top predators. Shorebirds, key predators at coastal wetlands, have experienced widespread population declines and could be negatively affected by droughts. We explored, in detail, the effects of drought on multiple aspects of shorebird stopover and migration ecology by contrasting a year with average wet/dry conditions (2016) with a year with moderate drought (2017) at a major subarctic stopover site on southbound migration. We also examined the effects of drought on shorebird body mass during stopover across 14 years (historical: 1974–1982 and present-day: …


A Calorimetric, Volumetric And Combined Sans And Saxs Study Of Hybrid Siloxane Phosphocholine Bilayers, Mark B. Frampton, Doruntina Yakoub, John Katsaras, Paul M. Zelisko, Drew Marquardt Nov 2021

A Calorimetric, Volumetric And Combined Sans And Saxs Study Of Hybrid Siloxane Phosphocholine Bilayers, Mark B. Frampton, Doruntina Yakoub, John Katsaras, Paul M. Zelisko, Drew Marquardt

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Siloxanes are molecules used extensively in commercial, industrial, and biomedical applications. The inclusion of short siloxane chains into phospholipids results in interesting physical properties, including the ability to form low polydispersity unilamellar vesicles. As such, hybrid siloxane phosphocholines (SiPCs) have been examined as a potential platform for the delivery of therapeutic agents. Using small angle X-ray and neutron scattering, vibrating tube densitometry, and differential scanning calorimetry, we studied four hybrid SiPCs bilayers. Lipid volume measurements for the different SiPCs compared well with those previously determined for polyunsaturated PCs. Furthermore, the different SiPC's membrane thicknesses increased monotonically with temperature and, for …


Accident Experiences And Reporting Practices In Canadian Chemistry And Biochemistry Labs: A Pilot Investigation, Dana Ménard, John F. Trant Oct 2021

Accident Experiences And Reporting Practices In Canadian Chemistry And Biochemistry Labs: A Pilot Investigation, Dana Ménard, John F. Trant

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Accidents in chemistry and biochemistry laboratories are a regular occurrence and have been associated with injuries, property damage, and deaths. However, despite a high prevalence rate of accident involvement reported in previous investigations of academic lab personnel (approximately 30%), little is known about the context in which academic lab accidents occur. Previous findings also suggest a high degree of accident underreporting (25–40%), but again, little is known about this phenomenon. Pilot data was gathered from a convenience sample of 104 students and postdoctoral fellows in chemistry-related fields through an online survey. Results showed a high level of accident involvement (56.7%); …


Timing Of Breeding Site Availability Across The North-American Arctic Partly Determines Spring Migration Schedule In A Long-Distance Neotropical Migrant, Jean François Lamarre, Gilles Gauthier, Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Oliver P. Love, Eric Reed, Oscar W. Johnson, Joe Liebezeit, Rebecca Mcguire, Mike Russell, Erica Nol, Laura Koloski, Felicia Sanders, Laura Mckinnon, Paul A. Smith, Scott A. Flemming, Nicolas Lecomte, Marie Andrée Giroux Oct 2021

Timing Of Breeding Site Availability Across The North-American Arctic Partly Determines Spring Migration Schedule In A Long-Distance Neotropical Migrant, Jean François Lamarre, Gilles Gauthier, Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Oliver P. Love, Eric Reed, Oscar W. Johnson, Joe Liebezeit, Rebecca Mcguire, Mike Russell, Erica Nol, Laura Koloski, Felicia Sanders, Laura Mckinnon, Paul A. Smith, Scott A. Flemming, Nicolas Lecomte, Marie Andrée Giroux

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Long-distance migrants are under strong selection to arrive on their breeding grounds at a time that maximizes fitness. Many arctic birds start nesting shortly after snow recedes from their breeding sites and timing of snowmelt can vary substantially over the breeding range of widespread species. We tested the hypothesis that migration schedules of individuals co-occurring at the same non-breeding areas are adapted to average local environmental conditions encountered at their specific and distant Arctic breeding locations. We predicted that timing of breeding site availability (measured here as the average snow-free date) should explain individual variation in departure time from shared …


Fabrication Of An Autonomously Self-Healing Flexible Thin-Film Capacitor By Slot-Die Coating, Susanna Vu, Gnanesh Nagesh, Nastaran Yousefi, John F. Trant, David S.K. Ting, M. Jalal Ahamed, Simon Rondeau-Gagné Oct 2021

Fabrication Of An Autonomously Self-Healing Flexible Thin-Film Capacitor By Slot-Die Coating, Susanna Vu, Gnanesh Nagesh, Nastaran Yousefi, John F. Trant, David S.K. Ting, M. Jalal Ahamed, Simon Rondeau-Gagné

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Flexible pressure sensors with self-healing abilities for wearable electronics are being developed, but generally either lack autonomous self-healing properties or require sophisticated material processing methods. To address this challenge, we developed flexible, low-cost and autonomously self-healing capacitive sensors using a crosslinked poly(dimethylsiloxane) through metal-ligand interactions processed into thin films via slot-die coating. These films have excellent self-healing properties, approximately 1.34 × 105 μm3 per hour at room temperature and 2.87 × 105 μm3 per hour at body temperature (37 °C). Similarly, no significant change in capacitance under bending strain was observed on these flexible thin-films when assembled on poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) …


Environmental Studies Of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms Should Include Interactions With The Dynamic Microbiome, Helena L. Pound, Robbie M. Martin, Cody S. Sheik, Morgan M. Steffen, Silvia E. Newell, Gregory J. Dick, R. Michael L. Mckay, George S. Bullerjahn, Steven W. Wilhelm Oct 2021

Environmental Studies Of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms Should Include Interactions With The Dynamic Microbiome, Helena L. Pound, Robbie M. Martin, Cody S. Sheik, Morgan M. Steffen, Silvia E. Newell, Gregory J. Dick, R. Michael L. Mckay, George S. Bullerjahn, Steven W. Wilhelm

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

No abstract provided.


Regulation Of The Ribosome Biogenesis Factor Hyvh1 By Src-Mediated Phosphorylation, Ashley Anne Dadalt Oct 2021

Regulation Of The Ribosome Biogenesis Factor Hyvh1 By Src-Mediated Phosphorylation, Ashley Anne Dadalt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) superfamily is a major segment of the signal transduction landscape, responsible for regulating the biomolecular phosphorylation status of the cell. Diverse PTP subclasses exist, some of which are understudied and whose cellular functions are not yet fully elucidated. YVH1, an atypical PTP of the dual-specificity phosphatase (DUSP) subclass, is a pleiotropic enzyme with no known substrate. Human YVH1 (hYVH1) protects cells from cellular stressors, including heat shock and oxidative stress, regulates the cell cycle, disassembles stress granules, and acts as 60S ribosome biogenesis factor. Additionally, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) has been found to be …


Hla Blockers For Potentially Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis, Samaneh Mehri Oct 2021

Hla Blockers For Potentially Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis, Samaneh Mehri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autoimmune diseases occurs when the immune system recognize self antigens in the body as foreign invaders leads to dysfunction of tissue. RA is an autoimmune disease, caused by improper recognition of self-peptides, particularly human cartilage glycoprotein and type II collagen, by specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) receptors. Normally T-cell specific for these peptides are destroyed in the thymus before they are released, preventing autoimmunity. However, certain post-translational modifications, especially citrullination, can lead to “self-peptide” recognition by non-self T cells: in the case of RA, one HLA protein (DRB*0401), out of about 1700 possible ones, is responsible for 65% of RA …


Snow Buntings Maintain Winter-Level Cold Endurance While Migrating To The High Arctic, Audrey Le Pogam, Ryan S. O’Connor, Oliver P. Love, Justine Drolet, Lyette Régimbald, Gabrielle Roy, Marie Pier Laplante, Dominique Berteaux, Andrew Tam, François Vézina Sep 2021

Snow Buntings Maintain Winter-Level Cold Endurance While Migrating To The High Arctic, Audrey Le Pogam, Ryan S. O’Connor, Oliver P. Love, Justine Drolet, Lyette Régimbald, Gabrielle Roy, Marie Pier Laplante, Dominique Berteaux, Andrew Tam, François Vézina

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Arctic breeding songbirds migrate early in the spring and can face winter environments requiring cold endurance throughout their journey. One such species, the snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis), is known for its significant thermogenic capacity. Empirical studies suggest that buntings can indeed maintain winter cold acclimatization into the migratory and breeding phenotypes when kept captive on their wintering grounds. This capacity could be advantageous not only for migrating in a cold environment, but also for facing unpredictable Arctic weather on arrival and during preparation for breeding. However, migration also typically leads to declines in the sizes of several body components linked …


Synthesis, Characterization And Stress-Testing Of A Robust Quillaja Saponin Stabilized Oil-In-Water Phytocannabinoid Nanoemulsion, Abhinandan Banerjee, Justin Binder, Rayan Salama, John F. Trant Sep 2021

Synthesis, Characterization And Stress-Testing Of A Robust Quillaja Saponin Stabilized Oil-In-Water Phytocannabinoid Nanoemulsion, Abhinandan Banerjee, Justin Binder, Rayan Salama, John F. Trant

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Background

This study describes the design, optimization, and stress-testing of a novel phytocannabinoid nanoemulsion generated using high-pressure homogenization.QNaturale®" role="presentation">QNaturale®, a plant-derived commercial emulsifier containing quillaja saponin, was used to stabilize the lipid phase droplets in water. Stress-testing was performed on this nanoemulsion in order to evaluate its chemical and colloidal stability under the influence of different environmental factors, encompassing both physical and chemical stressors.

Methods

Extensive optimization studies were conducted to arrive at an ideal nanoemulsion formulation. A coarse emulsion containing 16.6 wt% CBD-enriched cannabis distillate and 83.4 wt% carrier (soybean) oil dispersed in 10 wt%QNaturale®" role="presentation">QNaturale®

(1.5 …


Catechin And Other Catechol-Containing Secondary Metabolites: Bacterial Biotransformation And Regulation Of Carbohydrate Metabolism, Sara Knezevic, Asma Ghafoor, Samaneh Mehri, Ali Barazi, Maksymilian Dziura, John F. Trant, Christopher A. Dieni Sep 2021

Catechin And Other Catechol-Containing Secondary Metabolites: Bacterial Biotransformation And Regulation Of Carbohydrate Metabolism, Sara Knezevic, Asma Ghafoor, Samaneh Mehri, Ali Barazi, Maksymilian Dziura, John F. Trant, Christopher A. Dieni

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Background: Catechol, 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, prepared through bacterial biotransformation from higher order polyphenols, has been proposed to regulate carbohydrate metabolism, especially in the context of type 2 diabetes. This review aims to contextualize this finding. It describes the bacterial biosynthesis of catechol both from glucose, and as a degradation product of higher order natural products through bacterial transformation. The review then considers the mechanism of action of glycemic-regulating catechol-containing materials and the complications arising from balancing their inherent activity with that of catechol, their common degradation product. It then enumerates potential dietary sources of catechin from common foods. Methods: Articles were found …


Environmental Factors Affecting Chytrid (Chytridiomycota) Infection Rates On Planktothrix Agardhii, Katelyn M. Mckindles, Makayla A. Manes, R. Michael Mckay, Timothy W. Davis, George S. Bullerjahn Sep 2021

Environmental Factors Affecting Chytrid (Chytridiomycota) Infection Rates On Planktothrix Agardhii, Katelyn M. Mckindles, Makayla A. Manes, R. Michael Mckay, Timothy W. Davis, George S. Bullerjahn

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Planktothrix agardhii dominates the cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom biomass in Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie (USA) from May until September. This filamentous cyanobacterium known parasites including the chytrid fungal species Rhizophydium sp. C02, which was previously isolated from this region. The purpose of our work has been to establish how parasitic interactions affect Planktothrix population dynamics during a bloom event. Samples analyzed from the 2015 to 2019 bloom seasons using quantitative PCR investigate the spatial and temporal prevalence of chytrid infections. Abiotic factors examined in lab include manipulating temperature (17-31°C), conductivity (0.226-1.225 mS/cm) and turbulence. Planktothrix-specific chytrids are present throughout the …


Comparison Of Approaches To Quantify Sars-Cov-2 In Wastewater Using Rt-Qpcr: Results And Implications From A Collaborative Inter-Laboratory Study In Canada, Alex H.S. Chik, Melissa B. Glier, Mark Servos, Chand S. Mangat, Xiao Li Pang, Yuanyuan Qiu, Patrick M. D'Aoust, Jean Baptiste Burnet, Robert Delatolla, Sarah Dorner, Qiudi Geng, John P. Giesy, Robert Mike Mckay, Michael R. Mulvey, Natalie Prystajecky, Nivetha Srikanthan, Yuwei Xie, Bernadette Conant Sep 2021

Comparison Of Approaches To Quantify Sars-Cov-2 In Wastewater Using Rt-Qpcr: Results And Implications From A Collaborative Inter-Laboratory Study In Canada, Alex H.S. Chik, Melissa B. Glier, Mark Servos, Chand S. Mangat, Xiao Li Pang, Yuanyuan Qiu, Patrick M. D'Aoust, Jean Baptiste Burnet, Robert Delatolla, Sarah Dorner, Qiudi Geng, John P. Giesy, Robert Mike Mckay, Michael R. Mulvey, Natalie Prystajecky, Nivetha Srikanthan, Yuwei Xie, Bernadette Conant

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater is a promising tool for informing public health decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, approaches for its analysis by use of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) are still far from standardized globally. To characterize inter- and intra-laboratory variability among results when using various methods deployed across Canada, aliquots from a real wastewater sample were spiked with surrogates of SARS-CoV-2 (gamma-radiation inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and human coronavirus strain 229E [HCoV-229E]) at low and high levels then provided “blind” to eight laboratories. Concentration estimates reported by individual laboratories were consistently within a 1.0-log10 range for …


Limited Heat Tolerance In A Cold-Adapted Seabird: Implications Of A Warming Arctic, Emily S. Choy, Ryan S. O'Connor, H. Grant Gilchrist, Anna L. Hargreaves, Oliver P. Love, François Vézina, Kyle H. Elliott Jul 2021

Limited Heat Tolerance In A Cold-Adapted Seabird: Implications Of A Warming Arctic, Emily S. Choy, Ryan S. O'Connor, H. Grant Gilchrist, Anna L. Hargreaves, Oliver P. Love, François Vézina, Kyle H. Elliott

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

The Arctic is warming at approximately twice the global rate, with welldocumented indirect effects on wildlife. However, few studies have examined the direct effects of warming temperatures on Arctic wildlife, leaving the importance of heat stress unclear. Here, we assessed the direct effects of increasing air temperatures on the physiology of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia), an Arctic seabird with reported mortalities due to heat stress while nesting on sun-exposed cliffs.We used flow-through respirometry to measure the response of body temperature, resting metabolic rate, evaporative water loss and evaporative cooling efficiency (the ratio of evaporative heat loss to metabolic heat production) …


Simulated Breathing: Application Of Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Pulmonary Lung Surfactant, Maksymilian Dziura, Basel Mansour, Mitchell Dipasquale, P. Charukeshi Chandrasekera, James W. Gauld, Drew Marquardt Jul 2021

Simulated Breathing: Application Of Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Pulmonary Lung Surfactant, Maksymilian Dziura, Basel Mansour, Mitchell Dipasquale, P. Charukeshi Chandrasekera, James W. Gauld, Drew Marquardt

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

In this review, we delve into the topic of the pulmonary surfactant (PS) system, which is present in the respiratory system. The total composition of the PS has been presented and explored, from the types of cells involved in its synthesis and secretion, down to the specific building blocks used, such as the various lipid and protein components. The lipid and protein composition varies across species and between individuals, but ultimately produces a PS monolayer with the same role. As such, the composition has been investigated for the ways in which it imposes function and confers peculiar biophysical characteristics to …


Ready-To-Wear Strain Sensing Gloves For Human Motion Sensing, Sara S. Mechael, Yunyun Wu, Yiting Chen, Tricia Breen Carmichael Jun 2021

Ready-To-Wear Strain Sensing Gloves For Human Motion Sensing, Sara S. Mechael, Yunyun Wu, Yiting Chen, Tricia Breen Carmichael

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Integrating soft sensors with wearable platforms is critical for sensor-based human augmentation, yet the fabrication of wearable sensors integrated into ready-to-wear platforms remains underdeveloped. Disposable gloves are an ideal substrate for wearable sensors that map hand-specific gestures. Here, we use solution-based metallization to prepare resistive sensing arrays directly on off-the-shelf nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) gloves. The NBR glove acts as the wearable platform while its surface roughness enhances the sensitivity of the overlying sensing array. The NBR sensors have a sheet resistance of 3.1 ± 0.6 Ω/sq and a large linear working range (two linear regions ≤70%). When stretched, the …


Fragment-Based In Silico Design Of Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease Inhibitors, Sarfraz Ahmad, Muhammad Usman Mirza, Lee Yean Kee, Mamoona Nazir, Noorsaadah Abd Rahman, John F. Trant, Iskandar Abdullah Jun 2021

Fragment-Based In Silico Design Of Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease Inhibitors, Sarfraz Ahmad, Muhammad Usman Mirza, Lee Yean Kee, Mamoona Nazir, Noorsaadah Abd Rahman, John F. Trant, Iskandar Abdullah

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

3CLpro is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and infection; its inhibition using small molecules is a potential therapeutic strategy. In this study, a comprehensive crystallography-guided fragment-based drug discovery approach was employed to design new inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. All small molecules co-crystallized with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro with structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank were used as inputs. Fragments sitting in the binding pocket (87) were grouped into eight geographical types. They were interactively coupled using various synthetically reasonable linkers to generate larger molecules with divalent binding modes taking advantage of two different fragments' interactions. In total, 1,251 compounds were proposed, and …


The Changing Face Of Winter: Lessons And Questions From The Laurentian Great Lakes, Ted Ozersky, Andrew J. Bramburger, Ashley K. Elgin, Henry A. Vanderploeg, Jia Wang, Jay A. Austin, Hunter J. Carrick, Louise Chavarie, David C. Depew, Aaron T. Fisk, Stephanie E. Hampton, Elizabeth K. Hinchey, Rebecca L. North, Mathew G. Wells, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos, Maureen L. Coleman, Melissa B. Duhaime, Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome, R. Michael Mckay, Guy A. Meadows Jun 2021

The Changing Face Of Winter: Lessons And Questions From The Laurentian Great Lakes, Ted Ozersky, Andrew J. Bramburger, Ashley K. Elgin, Henry A. Vanderploeg, Jia Wang, Jay A. Austin, Hunter J. Carrick, Louise Chavarie, David C. Depew, Aaron T. Fisk, Stephanie E. Hampton, Elizabeth K. Hinchey, Rebecca L. North, Mathew G. Wells, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos, Maureen L. Coleman, Melissa B. Duhaime, Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome, R. Michael Mckay, Guy A. Meadows

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Among its many impacts, climate warming is leading to increasing winter air temperatures, decreasing ice cover extent, and changing winter precipitation patterns over the Laurentian Great Lakes and their watershed. Understanding and predicting the consequences of these changes is impeded by a shortage of winter-period studies on most aspects of Great Lake limnology. In this review, we summarize what is known about the Great Lakes during their 3–6 months of winter and identify key open questions about the physics, chemistry, and biology of the Laurentian Great Lakes and other large, seasonally frozen lakes. Existing studies show that winter conditions have …


A Deep Dive Into Fat: Investigating Blubber Lipidomic Fingerprint Of Killer Whales And Humpback Whales In Northern Norway, Pierre Bories, Audun H. Rikardsen, Pim Leonards, Aaron T. Fisk, Sabrina Tartu, Emma F. Vogel, Jenny Bytingsvik, Pierre Blévin Jun 2021

A Deep Dive Into Fat: Investigating Blubber Lipidomic Fingerprint Of Killer Whales And Humpback Whales In Northern Norway, Pierre Bories, Audun H. Rikardsen, Pim Leonards, Aaron T. Fisk, Sabrina Tartu, Emma F. Vogel, Jenny Bytingsvik, Pierre Blévin

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

In cetaceans, blubber is the primary and largest lipid body reservoir. Our current understanding about lipid stores and uses in cetaceans is still limited, and most studies only focused on a single narrow snapshot of the lipidome. We documented an extended lipidomic fingerprint in two cetacean species present in northern Norway during wintertime. We were able to detect 817 molecular lipid species in blubber of killer whales (Orcinus orca) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The profiles were largely dominated by triradylglycerols in both species and, to a lesser extent, by other constituents including glycerophosphocholines, phosphosphingolipids, glycerophosphoethanolamines, and diradylglycerols. Through a …


The 2021 Flexible And Printed Electronics Roadmap, Yvan Bonnassieux, Christoph J. Brabec, Yong Cao, Tricia Breen Carmichael, Michael L. Chabinyc, Kwang Ting Cheng, Gyoujin Cho, Anjung Chung, Corie L. Cobb, Andreas Distler, Hans Joachim Egelhaaf, Gerd Grau, Xiaojun Guo, Ghazaleh Haghiashtiani, Tsung Ching Huang, Muhammad M. Hussain, Benjamin Iniguez, Taik Min Lee, Ling Li, Yuguang Ma, Dongge Ma, Michael C. Mcalpine, Tse Nga Ng, Ronald Österbacka Jun 2021

The 2021 Flexible And Printed Electronics Roadmap, Yvan Bonnassieux, Christoph J. Brabec, Yong Cao, Tricia Breen Carmichael, Michael L. Chabinyc, Kwang Ting Cheng, Gyoujin Cho, Anjung Chung, Corie L. Cobb, Andreas Distler, Hans Joachim Egelhaaf, Gerd Grau, Xiaojun Guo, Ghazaleh Haghiashtiani, Tsung Ching Huang, Muhammad M. Hussain, Benjamin Iniguez, Taik Min Lee, Ling Li, Yuguang Ma, Dongge Ma, Michael C. Mcalpine, Tse Nga Ng, Ronald Österbacka

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

This roadmap includes the perspectives and visions of leading researchers in the key areas of flexible and printable electronics. The covered topics are broadly organized by the device technologies (sections 1–9), fabrication techniques (sections 10–12), and design and modeling approaches (sections 13 and 14) essential to the future development of new applications leveraging flexible electronics (FE). The interdisciplinary nature of this field involves everything from fundamental scientific discoveries to engineering challenges; from design and synthesis of new materials via novel device design to modelling and digital manufacturing of integrated systems. As such, this roadmap aims to serve as a resource …


Conducting Materials As Building Blocks For Electronic Textiles, Anja Lund, Yunyun Wu, Benji Fenech-Salerno, Felice Torrisi, Tricia Breen Carmichael, Christian Müller Jun 2021

Conducting Materials As Building Blocks For Electronic Textiles, Anja Lund, Yunyun Wu, Benji Fenech-Salerno, Felice Torrisi, Tricia Breen Carmichael, Christian Müller

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Abstract: To realize the full gamut of functions that are envisaged for electronic textiles (e-textiles) a range of semiconducting, conducting and electrochemically active materials are needed. This article will discuss how metals, conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, and two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene and MXenes, can be used in concert to create e-textile materials, from fibers and yarns to patterned fabrics. Many of the most promising architectures utilize several classes of materials (e.g., elastic fibers composed of a conducting material and a stretchable polymer, or textile devices constructed with conducting polymers or 2D materials and metal electrodes). While an increasing number …