Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Investigating The Activity Of Alternative Warheads For Targeted Covalent Inhibition Of The Inhibitor Vertebrate Lysozyme Protein From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Katie Hambrick

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes blood and lung infections in hospital environments due to its ability to survive on improperly sterilized medical equipment. P. aeruginosa has developed several multi-drug resistance mechanisms that make it very difficult to treat with current antibiotics.¹ This presents the need for a new class of antibiotics that cannot be overcome by P. aeruginosa’s mechanisms of resistance.

The primary goal of this project was to develop a small library of inhibitors that could later be incorporated into lead compounds for novel antibiotic drug discovery. One of P. …

Method Development Of Standard Dilution Analysis On Molecules And Dissolution Studies Of Ibuprofen Tablets Along With Common Beverage Constituents, Scott Richardson

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

The United States Pharmacopeia sets the standards for the manufacturing, storage, and analysis of medicinal formulations. One analysis, dissolution testing evaluates the rate at which the medicinal formulation forms a solution to predict in vivo drug release. Dissolution testing on ibuprofen tablets alone and in the presence of ascorbic acid or caffeine was performed to mimic the administration using orange juice or caffeinated soft drinks to assess their impact on the dissolution rate of ibuprofen. Results using the external calibration method produced a dissolution rate of ibuprofen that decreased 4% in the presence of ascorbic acid and increased 1% in …

Desorption Of Non-Exchangeable Radiocesium In Soil From Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Grayson Phillips

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Powerplant was struck by an earthquake and a tsunami resulting in the meltdown of four of the six reactor cores operating at the plant. As a result, nuclear waste was released from the plant, contaminating the soil in the region. Most of the contamination was sequestered within the few inches of the soil but unluckily the contamination, radiocesium formed a non-exchangeable bond. The Japanese government bagged this soil and has stored it in fields surrounding the exclusion zone. Long-term storage facilities have not been determined. This is a study of the available resources to determine if, …

Understanding How Map Kinases Influence Endothelial Nitric-Oxide Synthase Activity, Xzaviar Solone

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) p38 and ERK have both been reported to bind endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) with submicromolar affinity via proposed interactions with a pentabasic non-canonical MAPK binding sequence in the autoinhibitory insertion of eNOS. The neuronal isoform, which lacks the pentabasic motif, did not bind either MAPK significantly. In the present study, the pentabasic motif was validated using predictive modeling programming, and eNOS phosphorylation by MAPKs (P38, ERK and JNK) was examined using in vitro kinase assays and immunoblotting. JNK phosphorylation at Ser¹¹⁴ contrasts with ERK, which phosphorylated Ser⁶⁰⁰, and p38, which phosphorylated …

Fast Identification Of Components Commonly Used In Homemade Explosives By Spectroscopic And Chemometric Methods, Deidre Day Vandenbos, Huggins Msimanga, Christopher Dockery

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Homemade explosives (HMEs) have become a global pandemic. This forensic research focuses on developing identification methods that can provide quick, cost effective, non-destructive analysis using portable instrumentation. These capabilities would be invaluable to first responders, military, and security officials to establish an evidentiary link between a suspect and a reference in cases of HMEs, IEDs, arson and environmental contamination.

Modern methods for quick identification of the fuels and oxidant sources used in manufacturing HMEs, include Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. Visual confirmation alone, however, is not strong enough to discriminate chemicals with nearly identical spectra, which occurs when …

Lead-Free Gunshot Residues As Forensic Evidence, Lashaundra A. Fambro

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

The analysis of gunshot residue (GSR) has been forensically relevant for many years and several methods are well characterized in scientific literature. However, the manufacture and distribution of lead-free alternatives to small caliber firearms ammunition is increasing rapidly as these types of rounds are more environmentally friendly and safer for use in indoor shooting ranges. Removing lead-containing compounds (e.g., lead styphnate) from the primer mixture eliminates a significant chemical marker vital to the legal precedent governing GSR analysis. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard ASTM E1588-95 is no longer applicable to such residues. With this emerging market, …