Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Model Of Oocyte Population Dynamics For Fish Oogenesis, Louis Fostier, Frédérique Clément, Romain Yvinec, Violette Thermes

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Why Your Clothes Could Be Killing You: The Detection Of Bpa In Clothing Using Fluorescence Spectrophotometry, Bella Bevel

Scholars Day Conference

Bisphenol-A, better known as BPA, is a carcinogenic compound found in many plastic-containing products due to its ability to add rigidity and strength to the plastic. However, BPA has been found in a wide variety of products not traditionally thought of as “plastic” including feminine hygiene products, printer receipts, and even clothing. Clothing containing a polyester/spandex blend, common in athletic wear, contains BPA, whereas traditional cotton clothing does not. Using flourospectroscopy, the presence of BPA in these types of clothing was confirmed, as well as measured over time. Strips of clothing containing polyester and spandex blends were submerged in a …

The Mental Health And Developmental Effects Of Bisphenol-A, Maryann Rettig

Scholars Day Conference

My directed study focuses on the mental health and developmental effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) on individuals in close contact with the chemical product. BPA is an organic chemical produced in large quantities that is used in the production of many polycarbonate plastics, feminine hygiene products, and epoxy resins that coat some metal food cans. Because of it being everywhere, BPA often leaches dermally and orally into the human body. The physical effects of BPA have been known and observed for years. However, its mental health effects specifically are not as commonly known. Therefore, in my directed study I would be …

Mechanistic Investigation Of C—C Bond Activation Of Phosphaalkynes With Pt(0) Complexes, Roberto M. Escobar, Abdurrahman C. Ateşin, Christian Müller, William D. Jones, Tülay Ateşin

Research Symposium

Carbon–carbon (C–C) bond activation has gained increased attention as a direct method for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Due to the thermodynamic stability and kinetic inaccessibility of the C–C bonds, however, activation of C–C bonds by homogeneous transition-metal catalysts under mild homogeneous conditions is still a challenge. Most of the systems in which the activation occurs either have aromatization or relief of ring strain as the primary driving force. The activation of unstrained C–C bonds of phosphaalkynes does not have this advantage. This study employs Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate Pt(0)-mediated C–CP bond activation mechanisms in phosphaalkynes. Investigating the …

Double-Blinded Randomized Control Trial Investigating The Efficacy Of Probiotic Mouth Rinse In Enhancing Oral Health, Sudeep C B Prof. Dr., Sunil P M Prof. Dr.

Annual Research Symposium

The efficacy of probiotic mouth rinse in enhancing oral health was investigated through a double-blinded randomized controlled trial involving 45 children aged 12 to 15 over a two-week period. Comparing probiotic mouth rinse, chlorhexidine mouth rinse, and a control group, plaque and gingival accumulation were assessed using established indices. Results indicated both probiotic and chlorhexidine groups exhibited reduced plaque compared to the control, with the probiotic group showing superior reduction in gingival inflammation. These findings suggest the potential of probiotic mouth rinse in improving oral hygiene and overall oral health.

Long-Acting Cabotegravir And The Emergence Of Drug-Resistant Hiv, Katharine Gurski

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Determining The Ideal Concentrations Of Ethanol And Propylene Glycol In Ethosomes For Transdermal Delivery Of Vitamin D3, Rebecca Conner

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Vitamin D₃ is an important chemical in the human body, however, many Americans have low levels of this vitamin. There are plenty of oral supplementations for Vitamin D₃ deficiency, but those of older age and busy schedules may struggle to meet the minimum requirement. A recently developed ethosomal transmembrane delivery system (Touitou, 2000), similar to liposomes but also containing ethanol, allows users to apply a gel dermally and have the desired drug or active ingredient reach the bloodstream faster. However, there is considerable variation in the concentration of ethanol and permeation enhancers used. Using an affordable method to …

Enhancement Of Deep Learning Protein Structure Prediction, Ruoming Shen

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Protein modeling is a rapidly expanding field with valuable applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Accurate protein structure prediction facilitates drug design, as extensive knowledge about the atomic structure of a given protein enables scientists to target that protein in the human body. However, protein structure identification in certain types of protein images remains challenging, with medium resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) protein density maps particularly difficult to analyze. Recent advancements in computational methods, namely deep learning, have improved protein modeling. To maximize its accuracy, a deep learning model requires copious amounts of up-to-date training data.

This project explores DeepSSETracer, a …

High Energy Blue Light Induces Oxidative Stress And Retinal Cell Apoptosis, Jessica Malinsky

Capstone Showcase

Blue light (BL) is a high energy, short wavelength spanning 400 to 500 nm. Found in technological and environmental forms, BL has been shown to induce photochemical damage of the retina by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Excess ROS leads to oxidative stress, which disrupts retinal mitochondrial structure and function. As mitochondria amply occupy photoreceptors, they also contribute to oxidative stress due to their selectively significant absorption of BL at 400 to 500 nm. ROS generation that induces oxidative stress subsequently promotes retinal mitochondrial apoptosis. BL filtering and preventative mechanisms have been suggested to improve or repair BL-induced retinal damage, …

Designing And Synthesizing A Warhead-Fragment Inhibitory Ligand For Ivyp1 Through Fragment-Based Drug Discovery, Samuel Moore

Symposium of Student Scholars

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a powerful tool for developing anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Within this, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) provides a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative approach to screening and validating weak and robust binders with targeted proteins, making NMR among the most attractive strategies in FBDD. Inhibitor of vertebrate lysozyme (Ivyp1) of P. aeruginosa serves as an excellent target because of its active cellular location and implications in clinical prognosis for cystic fibrosis and immunocompromised patients. This study uses current NMR and biophysical techniques to develop a covalent, fragment-linked warhead inhibitor for Ivyp1 through synthetic methods, warhead linking, and …

Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Deficiency (Ssadhd): Qualitative Needs Assessment For Patients With A Rare Neurological Disorder, Cassandra Bovee, Kayla Woodring

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Various Essential Oils Against The Sars Cov-2 Virus, Elizabeth Wagstaff, Chandrelyn Kraczek, Jack Brandon Lopez

Annual Research Symposium

A poster presentation and abstract for the Roseman Symposium. The project focuses on testing 3 essential oil blends and two disinfectants containing an essential oil blend against SARS CoV-2 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project procedure involves plaque assays, disinfection, and neutralization techniques.

Combination Chemo-Pdt Ionic Nanomedicines As Enhanced Therapeutics For Cancer, Samantha Macchi

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Cancer remains as one of the leading causes of death in humans worldwide. Nanotechnology has made great strides in improving treatment for the disease. This work describes a simplistic approach to design self-assembled combination nanomedicines. A facile one-step ion exchange reaction is utilized to combine a chemotherapeutic (phosphonium) cation and photodynamic therapeutic (porphyrin) anion. An aqueous nanomedicine is prepared from the hydrophobic ionic combination drug via a single-step reprecipitation method. Upon conversion to ionic combination drug, improved photophysical properties of porphyrin were observed. These characteristics subsequently led to increased photodynamic therapeutic activity of nanomedicines—explained by greater singlet oxygen quantum yield. …

A Novel Molecular And Cellular Study On Curcumin, Khang Nguyen

Undergraduate Research Conference

Since the discovery of G-quartet (G4)by M. Gellertin 1962, much attention has been given on G4and C4(also called i-motif) as important drug design targets for the treatment of various human disorders. G4 forming sequences are prevalent in human genome, which includes many important regions of the eukaryotic genome, such as telomere ends, regulatory regions of many oncogenes c-kit, proto-oncogene c-myc, Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRas). Curcumin(diferuloylmethane), an antiinflammatory and antioxidant compound, is found in the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa. The phytopolyphenolic chemical curcumin has been in the prominence due to its diverse pharmacological activities. Here, we …

Study Of Potential Drug For Alzheimer’S Disease: Small Organic Molecules, 1,5-Dhn And Tmpyp Inhibit Amyloid-Β Peptide Aggregation And Quench Hydroxyl Radicals, Matthew Murphy

Undergraduate Research Conference

Alzheimer disease (AD) is recognized as the six leading cause of the death in the United States. As of now, there is no cure for this fatal disease. The current treatment methods can only temporarily slow the worsening of symptoms. Research data suggested that an excess generation of hydroxyl radical in the brain causing the aggregation of Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide which is considered to be responsible for Alzheimer's disease. Thus, there is a pressing need to find a suitable drug which can quench hydroxyl radicals effectively and stop or slow down the formation of aggregation of Aβ peptide. The primary …

Biotransformation Of Hbe And Other Benzofuran Derivatives, Hannah Trauger

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Rapid Drug Detection Method For Insects Using Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Psi-Ms), Alexandria Plyler

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Insects have the ability to reflect the chemical environment that they have developed in. Thus, necrogenous insects can reflect the chemical environment of cadavers they have fed on. Forensic scientists can potentially utilize insect larvae as an alternate biological matrix to detect drugs in cadavers that are skeletonized, burned, or otherwise badly damaged. Analysis of insects using paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS), an analytical method requiring little to no sample preparation, could prove a rapid, cost-effective, and non-destructive alternative form of toxicological analysis. Traditional tissue analysis via GC and LC-MS often require lengthy sample preparation, use expensive reagents, and …

Remotely Controlled Enzyme Behavior Using Localized Thermal Gradients, Sarah Brown

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

No existing model describes an identified special case of enzyme behavior when directly stimulated with thermal energy via an RF field.

The ability to remotely influence cellular functions and outcomes is a new approach to targeted medicine. Nano-medicine and biotechnology are the future of medical diagnostics and treatment. The ability to remotely influence cellular functions and outcomes is a new approach to targeted medicine. Direct heating of an enzyme vs bulk heating changes the enzyme activity.

I tested how direct transfer of thermal energy changes rates of enzyme reactions. We created samples of enzymes, attached to ferrous (magnetic) nano-particles, and …

Characterization Of Dimerization Domains On The Mannose-6-Phosphate/Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 Receptor, Tyler Degener

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor 2 (M6P/IGF2) receptor is a transmembrane protein with the ability to sequester growth factors from the extracellular matrix. This behavior links the receptor to tumor suppression. On a structural level, the extracellular portion of the protein is segmented into 15 homologous repeats, which can be divided further into 5 triplet domains, labelled 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 13-15. Each triplet receptor displays its own unique ligand binding affinity, including the ability to form dimers with triplets on a second M6P/IGF2 receptor. In fact, previous studies indicate that this protein functions optimally when dimerized. Thus, the purpose …

Using Molecular Dynamics To Study Qs21 Interactions And Penetration Of Lipid-Cholesterol Bilayers, Sarai Guerrero, Mikko Karttunen

Western Research Forum

Saponins have been used as adjuvant agents for decades in vaccines and therapies, but none are as well studied or heavily used as QS-21. This achievement is notwithstanding the fact that QS-21 usage is limited by its stability, toxicity, and scarcity. These shortcomings have only pushed researchers to develop and experiment with artificial recreations of the saponin to harness its unique benefits. A considerable number of research hours have been poured into this topic, but like QS-21 there is a shortcoming here as well. The number of articles that look at QS-21 interactions with the bilayer or the conditions under …

Effect Of Salt Concentration On Electrochemical Detection Of Dna, Ziming Dong, Eddie Madrigal, Ryan West Dr.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Electrochemical approaches for biological sensing offer the potential advantages of facile sample preparation, fast response times, ease of parallel and multiplexed measurements, and the possibility of miniaturization (of sample sizes, electrodes, and associated electronics). All of these factors contribute towards the feasibility of electrochemical methods in biological sensing and analysis. This potential has already been achieved with the commercialization of blood glucose meters, which often rely on an electrochemical transduction mechanism. We have previously demonstrated the ability to electrochemically detect and differentiate complementary and mismatched DNA using our method of melting DNA duplexes at electrified gold surfaces, i.e. e-melting. Recently, …

Synthesis Of A Sulfur Variant For Treatment Of Trypanosomiasis, Carlos Vera-Esquivel

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Previous work in our lab has found diphenyl ether benzylamines showed a successful response with a micromolar concentration of our lead compound to treat the deadly Trypanosamiosis rhodesience. Furthermore, mammalian cell lines saw promising resistance towards damages. The goal of this study was to synthesize a diphenyl thio benzylamine variant. This variant was more active toward T. b. rhodesience but showed more toxicity to both rat 10 (IC₅₀ mM) and human cell lines (HFF, HC-₀₄, U-₂ OS, and HEK₂₉₃). The selectivity index (ratio of toxicity to activity in the same concentration units (SI)) …

Mass Spectrometry Image Creator (Msic): Ion Mobility / Mass Spectrometry Imaging Workflow In Python, Stephen Creger, Julia Laskin, Daniela Mesa Sanchez

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful characterization technique that enables identification of compounds in complex mixtures. Acquiring mass spectra in a spatially-resolved manner (i.e. over a grid), allows the data to be used to generate images that show the spatial distribution and relative intensities of every compound in a sample. These images can be used to monitor and identify biomarkers, explore the metabolism of compounds within tissues, and much more. However, the limitations of mass spectrometry can result in ambiguous compound identifications. Another characterization tool, ion mobility spectrometry (IM) can be integrated into existing MS routines to address this problem; …

Modeling Pharmaceutical Inhibition Of Glucose-Stimulated Renin-Angiotensin System In Kidneys, Ashlee N. Ford Versypt, Minu R. Pilvankar, Hui Ling Yong

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

A Chimeric Nucleobase - Phenylazo Derivative As An Intrinsic Nucleobase Quencher, Gyeongsu Park, Timothy Martin-Chan, Amer El Samm, Robert H.E. Hudson

Western Research Forum

Molecular beacons are important bioanalytical probes which are most often

constructed from a single-stranded oligonucleotide which has been labeled at

opposite termini with a fluorophore and a quencher. When the fluorophore and

quencher are in close proximity, no fluorescence is observed due to FRET

(Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer). DABCYL (4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-

4'-carboxylic acid) has been used as a quencher in the molecular beacon to absorbs

excitation energy from a fluorophore and to dissipate the energy as heat. However,

DABCYL is unable to form a base-pair and is conventionally placed as an overhanging

residue. This produces a derivative wherein the chromophore has …

Docking Studies Of Isoform-Selectivity Of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (Pi3k) Inhibitors, Kaitlin Goettsch

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) and their related pathways are reputed targets for drug-based anticancer therapies. Mutations in PI3K genes, expression, and pathways are frequent among multiple cancer types. Four isoforms of PI3Ks exist: α, β, γ, & δ and studies have identified several ligands for each isoform which are capable of serving as inhibitory therapeutic compounds. However, the biochemical efficacy of these molecules varies and the isoform selectivity is not well understood. In this study, we applied in silico docking methods and free energy calculation methods to estimate the binding of reported PI3K ligands against 5 PI3K structures: PI3Kα (PBD ID: …

Assembly Of Nucleic Acid-Based Nanoparticles By Gas-Liquid Segmented Flow Microfluidics, Matthew L. Capek, Ross Verheul, David H. Thompson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The development of novel and efficient mixing methods is important for optimizing the efficiency of many biological and chemical processes. Tuning the physical and performance properties of nucleic acid-based nanoparticles is one such example known to be strongly affected by mixing efficiency. The characteristics of DNA nanoparticles (such as size, polydispersity, ζ-potential, and gel shift) are important to ensure their therapeutic potency, and new methods to optimize these characteristics are of significant importance to achieve the highest efficacy. In the present study, a simple segmented flow microfluidics system has been developed to augment mixing of pDNA/bPEI nanoparticles. This DNA and …

Analysis Of New Hiv-1 Inhibitors As Potential Antiviral Agents For Hiv-2, Rowan Brothers

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Scalable Synthesis Of Hp-Β-Cd Pluronic Polyrotaxanes, Joseph L. Skulsky, Elizabeth A. Slepko, Bradley P. Loren, David H. Thompson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Polyrotaxanes are polymers that have macrocycles threaded onto them, analogous to beads threaded onto a string. These materials are used for a variety of different biomedical applications.^1-3 The Thompson group has been developing 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) polyrotaxanes as therapeutics for the treatment of Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease. NPC is a debilitating genetic disorder where cholesterol accumulates in the lysosomes of cells.⁴ Developing a scalable process is crucial for the advancement of these materials as NPC therapeutics. The goal of this project is to optimize the only protocol for the synthesis of HP-β-CD/Pluronic polyrotaxanes in order to develop a …

Bio-Inspired Composite Hydrogels For Osteochondral Regenerative Engineering, Grant N. Gellert, Liangju Kuang, Chunhui Jiang, Nur P. Damayanti, Joseph Irudayaraj, Meng Deng

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Treatment of osteochondral defects encompassing injury or degeneration to both the articular cartilage as well as the underlying subchondral bone presents a significant medical challenge. Current treatment options including autografts and allografts suffer from limited availability and risk of immunogenicity, respectively. The long term goal of this work is to develop an integrated scaffold system for treatment of osteochondral defects via in situ regeneration of bone, cartilage and the bone-cartilage interface. Hydrogels composed of polymer networks swollen in water provide an attractive biomaterial platform for regeneration of cartilage. In the present study, we have developed a novel composite hydrogel consisting …