Digital Commons Network^™

Semi-Rational Strategies For Antifungal Peptide Design, Akilah I. Mateen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A recently emerged opportunistic fungi, Candida auris, has been subject to increased scrutiny due to its virulence and rapid geographical spread. Due to the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials as treatments for infectious diseases and as pesticides, the ubiquitous threat of multidrug resistance (MDR) looms large. The lack of progress in antifungal development is of high concern in the treatment of infectious diseases and a rise in fungal resistance highlight the need for updated treatment strategies. This work describes three strategies used to address these concerns:

•  The synthesis of a photosensitizer-membrane-active peptide (PS-MAP) conjugate, Ir-HKII15, that combines the ability of …

Low-Dimensional Metal Halides For Light-Emitting Diodes (Leds): Photophysical Aspects And Device Engineering, Udara Madushanka Kuruppu Kuruppu Achchige Don

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, low-dimensional metal halides have garnered significant interest due to their exceptional optical properties. This dissertation focuses on the structural, optical, and photophysical properties of both lead-based and lead-free low-dimensional metal halides and investigates their applications in light-emitting diodes. In Chapter II, the nature of Mn2+ doping in two-dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites is discussed. 2D perovskites show strong excitonic and dielectric confinement due to their quantum well structures. Introducing optically active Mn²⁺ dopant ions into these 2D perovskites further enhances their optical properties and promotes energy transfer from the host to the Mn²⁺ dopants, resulting in dual …

Methylation-Dependent Regulatory Pathway That Governs The Stability Of The Sox Family Proteins And Related Developmental Regulators, Keshari Gayathri Rajawasam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The SRY (Sex-determining Region Y) protein is a transcription factor encoded on the Y chromosome and is the key regulator responsible for initiating male sex determination in mammals. During early embryonic development, SRY activates the genetic program that leads to testis formation by promoting the expression of downstream genes involved in male gonadal differentiation. Mutations or dysregulation of SRY can lead to disorders of sex development such as male-to-female sex conversion and hermaphroditism, highlighting its critical role in sex determination.

SRY belongs to the SOX (SRY-related HMG-box) family of transcription factors, which includes the proteins SOX1, SOX2 and SOX3. These …

High-Surface-Area Ficus Leaf-Extracted Cuo-Zno-Nio Ternary Nanocomposites For Rapid Adsorption-Assisted Uv-A Degradation Of Direct Blue 15, Kafa’A H. Ali, Mohammed A. Atiya, Ahmed K. Hassan

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Direct Blue 15 (DB15) is a long-lasting synthetic dye that pollutes water and is difficult to remove during wastewater treatment. Conventional treatments fail to remove DB15 adequately due to rapid electron-hole recombination, which necessitates photocatalysts with reduced recombination rates for effective dye removal. The study aims to synthesize and evaluate a CuO-ZnO-NiO ternary system as an integrated adsorption and UV-A photocatalysis platform for DB15 removal. Ficus leaf-extracted CuO-ZnO-NiO nanocomposites with four Cu:Zn:Ni ratios (1:1:1, 1:1:2, 1:2:1, 2:1:1) were prepared by co-precipitation, followed by extensive chemical and physical characterization and dye-removal performance measurements. The CuO-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite exhibited hexagonal zinc oxide, cubic …

Virtualizing Practical Science Education: A Sociological Analysis Of Undergraduate Teaching And Learning, Sina J. Fakoyede, Femi E. Babalola, Oluwatoyin T. Obateru, Oluwayemisi D. Akomolafe, Deborah O. Alabi, Stella K. Ekundayo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The study aims to investigate the perspectives of university teachers and students on integrating practical science teaching with virtual learning in a multicultural and diverse society, specifically within the context of southwestern Nigeria.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving data collection from 100 university lecturers and 400 undergraduate students across 10 universities. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with lecturers and focus group discussions with students. Quantitative data were obtained via structured questionnaires, allowing for triangulation and comprehensive analysis.

Results: Findings revealed that certain lecturers showed preferential support influenced by students’ cultural backgrounds or academic behavior during …

Development Of Dual-Stimuli Responsive Polymer-Coated Gold Nanoparticles And Their Surface Engineering Via Polyelectrolyte Layer-By-Layer Assembly, Buddhini Chathurangi Nugaduwa Vithanage

Dissertations - ALL

The modification of nanoparticles with combinations of low critical solution temperature (LCST) polymers and polyelectrolyte (PE) layers is studied. Three n-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide polymers were synthesized in which charges could be varied from neutral, to negative or positive by way of incorporating poly acrylic acid (pAAc) or poly 4-vinylpyridene (p4VP) units. Polymerization centered around a disulfide initiator, which when reduced produced two polymer chains and a convenient linkage to gold NPs (NPs). The resulting LCST-NPs conjugates possessed sharp phase changes at critical temperatures (TC), while the incorporation of pAAc or p4VP allowed for tuneable charges and pH sensitivity. Studies with 1H-NMR and …

Increasing Photocatalytic Activity Of Tio₂ Nanocrystals With Cobalt Dopants And Nio Heterojunctions, Lara A. Haack

Honors Thesis

Carbon emissions and fossil fuel usage has increased dramatically in recent decades, and the need for renewable energy has grown with it. Photocatalytic processes on titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanocrystals may be used for solar energy driven production of fuel/oxidizer pairs. Many different methods have been developed to increase the effectiveness of TiO₂ in photocatalysis, including dye sensitization, quantum dot sensitization, doping with metals and non-metals, and the surface attachment of cocatalyst materials. Impurity dopants are not susceptible to photo-bleaching or degradation and judicious selection of cocatalyst materials can lead to robust all-inorganic heteronanocrystal photocatalysts: whereas, the use of molecular dye …

The Influence Of Fermentation Duration And Secondary Fermentation Conditions On The Bioactive Compound Profile Of Kombucha, Jordan Vereen

Honors Theses

Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea produced using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) and has gained widespread popularity due to its proposed health benefits. Kombucha has been studied to understand these advantages in cardiovascular support, improved metabolism, increased antioxidant effects, enhanced antimicrobial properties, and even potentially slowing the progression of certain diseases. Despite its increasing popularity, the way in which the specific bioactive compounds responsible for these effects and the fermentation conditions that influence their production remain unclear. The present study, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Budner, focuses on quantifying bioactive compounds in kombucha to better understand …

Emaldi Ms And Oligonucleotide Analysis, Manoj Perera, Yipeng Yin, Reed Arneson, Fakhira Razzaq, Rishabh Awasthi, William Wittstock, Yinan Yuan, Shiyue Fang

Michigan Tech Publications

Enhanced matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (eMALDI MS) refers to MALDI MS in which the efficacy of desorption and ionization is enhanced by heat, volatile species, or both, generated from chemical decomposition of additives in the sample of analyte under MALDI conditions. MALDI MS has been widely used for oligonucleotide (ON) analysis. However, two challenges, limited ability to analyze long ONs and low tolerance to trace salts, significantly restrict its applications. We recently proposed the ion pair thermal model for the gas phase ion formation mechanism of MALDI MS. This model predicts an exponential increase in ion yield …

Synthesis Of A Halogenated Glyoxime For Cobalt Deposition Suppression, Liam S. Allen

Honors Theses

Dr. Qiang Huang at the University of Alabama is a chemical engineering professor and works on the electrodeposition of metals to create circuitry. During this process suppressive molecules may be added to control help the process. This project focuses on synthesizing an alpha-halogenated glyoxime to test whether the compound is a more effective suppressant in comparison to regular glyoximes. More specifically the target chemical is called bromo-dimethylglyoxime which is created in a two-stage reaction. The starting material, diacetyl monoxime, is brominated at the alpha carbon position. The product of this reaction, officially called bromodimethylglyoxalmonoxime, is then reacted with hydroxylammonium chloride …

Friedel–Crafts Addition Of 3-Alkylated Indoles To Aldehydes: 2-Hydroxyalkylation Promoted By Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate, Eric Zhou, Helen Xia, C. Wade Downey

Chemistry Faculty Publications

In the presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) and 2,6-lutidine, 3-alkylated indoles undergo Friedel–Crafts silyloxyalkylation when treated with nonenolizable aldehydes. The reaction is general across a wide range of aromatic aldehydes and tolerates a variety of N-alkylated indoles. Deprotection of the silylated product occurs under standard conditions, and in certain cases the initial TMS-protected product can be isolated in high yield.

Functionalized Nanodiamonds As Binding Platforms For Single-Stranded Dna, Mallory A. Chapman

Honors Theses

Nanodiamonds (NDs) offer a promising platform for biomolecular applications due to their stability, biocompatibility, and three-dimensional structure. This study focused on developing a nanodiamond–DNA complex in which streptavidin-functionalized NDs would form a protective shell around biotinylated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), creating a core–shell system like an “M&M” candy with DNA at the center and a protective coating on the outside. DNA has many uses in nanotechnology, including DNA origami, nanomachines, and drug delivery systems, but its degradation limits its practical use, making protective strategies essential.

ND–DNA conjugates were prepared using biotin–streptavidin interactions and analyzed using gel electrophoresis. Initial separation on agarose …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Explicit Hydration Of The Beryllium Trifluoride Anion With One To Three Water Molecules: Bef3–(H2o)N=1–3, Kayleigh R. Autry, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work investigates the micro hydration of the beryllium trifluoride anion (BeF₃^–) with up to three water molecules (BeF₃^–(H₂O)_n where n = 1–3). Full geometry optimizations and harmonic vibrational frequencies were computed on various BeF₃^–(H₂O)_n stationary points using density functional theory methods (B3LYP-D3BJ, B3LYP, ωB97XD, and M06-2X) as well as the CCSD(T) and MP2 ab initio methods with a triple-ζ correlation-consistent basis set augmented with diffuse functions on all non-hydrogen atoms (haTZ). One BeF₃^–(H₂O)₁, five BeF₃^{– …}

Research Instrumentation Center (Ric), Ryan Hilger, Purdue University Office Of Research

University Research Core Facility Boilerplate Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Asymmetric Synthesis Of Borylated Amines Via Rhodium Catalyzed Hydroboration Of Allylamine Derivatives: Surprising Role Of Counterions And Accelerators, Rukshani Wickrama Arachchilage

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Catalytic Asymmetric Hydroboration (CAHB) reaction is a valuable method for synthesizing chiral organoboron compounds. Nevertheless, key mechanistic details, including catalyst activation, ligand effects, and rate-determining steps, are difficult to generalize and remain not fully understood. Building on previous research from the Takacs group, this work explores acyclic N-acyl allylamines as substrates in rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration and investigates the formation of active catalysts from various rhodium precursors, the role of counterions (e.g. BF₄, BArF-), ligand-to-metal ratios, and the impact of external fluoride additives (e.g. TBAT). Hydroboration of acyclic N-acyl allylamines achieves up to 90% yield and 99 : 1 …

Predicting And Decoding Allosteric Binding Sites Using Protein Language Models And Structure-Based Machine Learning: An Energy Landscape-Guided Explainable Ai Framework, Kamila Riedlová, Vít Skrhák, William G. Gatlin, Max Ludwick, Lucas Turano, Marian Novotný, David Hoksza, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Computational prediction of allosteric binding sites in protein structures remains a persistent challenge, as these regulatory pockets evade detection by both sequence-based and structure-based algorithms. Both computational and physical origins of this predictive asymmetry remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we systematically examine the determinants of binding site predictability using a dual framework that integrates a fine-tuned protein language model and the structure-based method P2Rank as complementary tools probing a diverse data set of 453 human kinases, together with a physics-based interpretability layer derived from energy landscape frustration analysis. Both predictors exhibit a sharp and reproducible dichotomy on protein kinases, …

Herbularyo (Folk Healer): An Herbal Medicine Card Game, Maryjane T. Magsino, Inah Marie Q. Rivera, Armando M. Guidote, Genejane M. Adarlo

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Herbularyo, a card game teaching about herbal plants (HPs), was created and evaluated as a viable educational card game based on Tuomisto and Aksela’s criteria. A quasi-experiment was performed on 81 Grade 8 students from a private high school and 50 Grade 11 from a public high school. Independent t-test revealed that the control group (CG) and experimental group (EG) (p=0.386), and EG1 (played ≤5) and EG2 (played >5) (p=0.681) are not comparable with each other. Paired t-test showed EG performed better (p=0.001) than CG (p=0.901) whereas ANCOVA showed that playing Herbularyo improved students’ information retention (p=0.006). EG1 and EG2 …

Tissue-Specific Heavy Metal Accumulation And Sediment–Mangrove Dynamics In Port Everglades, Florida, Dimitrios Giarikos, Amy Hirons, Jason Gershman, Sophie Welch

SECLER Data

Coastal wetlands near industrialized waterways face increasing heavy metal contamination, yet the role of mangroves as biogeochemical buffers remains poorly understood. This study quantified 16 heavy metals in sediments and red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) tissues (roots, branches, and leaves) across four sites near Port Everglades, Florida, examining tissue-specific partitioning, contamination patterns, and sediment-to-plant transfer. The South Turning Basin (STB) was the principal contamination hotspot, with geometric mean (GM) concentrations of arsenic (As; 27.8 µg/g) and zinc (Zn; 203 µg/g) exceeding threshold effect levels, while Cu exceeded its probable effect level (PEL; 193 µg/g). Mercury (Hg) exceeded its PEL …

Chemometric Analysis Of Dissolved Organic Matter Using Fluorescence, Dani Fellner, Ken Overway

Honors Projects

Univariate spectroscopic techniques have been utilized to measure dissolved organic matter (DOM), but challenges arise in the separation and characterization due to similarities in chemical structures and spectral overlap. Multivariate techniques utilize a combination of known analytes with their unique excitation and emission spectra from fluorescence measurements to quantify amount of each analyte present in the mixture using parallel factor analysis. Tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine are common amino acids found in environmental samples and can be quantified due to their intrinsic fluorescence qualities. These amino acids can be utilized to estimate the amount of DOM in a sample since proteins …

Limit Of Detection Variations In Polyphenol Mixtures Using Parafac-Feem Spectroscopy, Ken Overway, Brockton Zorn

Honors Projects

Polyphenols are chemical compounds commonly found in food products like olive oil and red wine. Research suggests that their presence in such foods conveys positive cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits. This group of compounds is often difficult to quantify in such samples due to an overlap in the chemical signals and the presence of interferences, such as coloring, found naturally in the food. Use of 3D Fluorescence Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) measurements combined with pH sensitivity could establish a method in which polyphenols are identified more easily in mixtures. Binary and ternary mixtures of polyphenols were analyzed without the additional …

2-D Materials: The Synthesis Of Solid-State Fuel From Metastable Diboride, Alma Kolakji

Chemistry

2-D materials are widely recognized for their anisotropic mechanical and electrical properties, surpassing their bulk counterparts. These superior characteristics of 2-D materials arise from their high surface-to-volume ratio and strong in-plane bonds. Current routes to exfoliate bulk material into 2-D nanosheets rely on weak interlayer Van der Waals forces and traditional top-down techniques. These methods are dominated by physical “force,” such as liquid-phase and mechanical exfoliation. The downside is that they apply only to weakly bonded VdW materials, limiting the variety of possible 2-D materials. To expand the variety, researchers have studied the synthesis of borophene (boron sheets). Borophene is …

Applications Of Cyrene For Pharmaceutical Synthesis, Anjali Mae Rabindran

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Cyrene is a cellulose-derived molecule that has gained interest in green chemistry as both a solvent and precursor for pharmaceutical intermediates. In this study, biocatalytic and chemical strategies were evaluated for converting Cyrene into these intermediates. Cyrene was carried through variations of a five-step sequence: reduction, reductive amination, esterification, tosylate salt formation, and Lewis-acid mediated acetal opening to generate ring-opened pyranose products (“deoxy sugars” and “deoxy amino sugars”). We successfully synthesized deoxy sugar intermediates; however, the production of stereochemically pure deoxy amino sugar intermediates was limited by unresolved diastereomeric mixtures. These findings highlight the promise of Cyrene as a renewable …

Utilizing Pine Needles To Compare Spatial Profiles Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) In Two Urban Areas, Autumn Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important class of semivolatile air pollutants known for their adverse health impacts. This research used conifer needles as passive air samplers to create spatial maps of two Utah cities (Rose Park and Spanish Fork) to compare overall PAH exposure and identify any differences in their congener profiles or PAH “fingerprints”. Conifer needles were chosen due to their prevalence as a passive air sampler in previous research and their ubiquity in urban and suburban environments. Second year needles were collected and the concentrations are considered to be an annually averaged view of the PAH concentrations …

Volume 17, Christian O’Neill, Kyara Greene, Savva Sidorov, Laura Bisaillon, Luke Clemmer, Hannah Gordon, Kitt Benson, Taylor Blount, Rachel Danzitz, Nicholas Duellman, Chase Gionis, Hima Fernando, Seth Franzyshen, Onyx Gonzalez, Bryan Lin, Samantha Start, Ysabel Wells, Maggie Duncan

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Cover Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Yulia Uryadova

Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism

by Christian O’Neill

Life Vest by Kyara Greene

Isolation and 16S rRNA Identification of Bacteria from Fire Department Connection Pipe by Savva Sidorov

The Effectiveness of Planned Exercise in Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Children by Laura Bisaillon & Luke Clemmer

Linguistic Analysis on Confidence and Communication Strategies with Disparities Between Sign Fluency and Hearing Impairment by Hannah Gordon

Freedmen in Indian Territory by Kitt …

Cyanine Dyes As Next-Generation Fluorophores: Applications In Cell Sorting And Fingerprinting Technologies, Super-Multiplexed Spectroscopy, Biomedical Imaging, And Beyond, Lucas Allen Davis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

As biochemical, pharmaceutical, and medical sciences advance, the demand for technologies capable of probing multiple cellular targets simultaneously continues to increase. Super-multiplexed spectroscopic techniques offer a pathway toward comprehensive cellular fingerprinting by overcoming the spectral limitations of conventional fluorescence labeling. By circumventing the traditional “color barrier,” cyanine-based Raman tags enable the simultaneous discrimination of numerous cellular morphologies, allowing spectroscopy and imaging to be integrated for high-dimensional cellular analysis. Technologies developed in Goda Lab—including high-throughput flow cytometry, virtual freezing fluorescence imaging (VIFFI), Fourier-transform coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (FT-CARS), and MERdot nanoparticles—address longstanding trade-offs between throughput, resolution, sensitivity, and multiplexing capacity. Central …

Shark Immunology And Its Biomedical Potential: Evolution, Innovation, And The Imperative Of Conservation, Reesha Bhagat

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This review aims to shed light on a significant ecological deficit and its implications for the future of science and medicine. Sharks possess a uniquely adaptive, cancer-resistant, and evolutionarily refined immune system with transformative biomedical potential, making their conservation a scientific and medical imperative. We are losing something medically irreplaceable, and we don’t even fully understand it yet. Shark conservation is a pressing scientific imperative because sharks are ecologically essential and represent an irreplaceable biomedical resource.

Separating And Identifying Delta-8-Thc And Delta-9-Thc On Gc/Ms, Ann Schmidt

Honors Projects

Delta-8-THC and delta-9-THC are two psychoactive compounds found in marijuana products which are only distinguishable from each other by alternating the location of a single double bond.  This makes them a challenge to separate and identify as different compounds using the GC/MS.  These isomers are legally recognized as the different compounds, so being able to identify delta-8 and delta-9 THC separately is crucial to forensic analysis. The goal of this research project is to optimize an Intuvo 9000 GC connected to a standard MS to be able to separately and prominently identify delta-8-THC and delta-9-THC in a sample.  This was …

Crispr/Cas-Mediated Genome Editing Of Staphylococcus Aureus For Studying Phage-Pathogenicity Island-Host Interactions, Annalise Williams

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive cocci that is a common member of our microbiota, living frequently on our skin and in our nasal passages. It is known for its wide variety of clinical manifestations, including endocarditis, scalded skin syndrome, toxic shock syndrome, food poisoning, sepsis, folliculitis, impetigo, and many other infections. It is widely recognized for being acquired in both hospital and community settings and is often resistant to multiple drugs. This poses a major problem, both in the United States and globally, as many treatments are no longer effective. MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus, is one example of the many …

2026 Workshop On Bridging The Gaps: Tackling Microplastics And Nanoplastics Challenges In Coastal Ecosystems, Shenghua Wu, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Melike Dizbay-Onat, Alexandra Stenson, Jinhui Wang, Tina Miller-Way, Ebenezer Nyadjro, Bhuvnesh Bharti, John Weinstein, Yi Bao, Shihui Shen, Valerie Longa, Shenghua Zha, John Cleary, Marty Lind

Workshops

This report presents the findings from the 2026 Workshop on Tackling Microplastics and Nanoplastics (MNPs) in Coastal Ecosystems, which took place in Mobile, Alabama. More than 140 experts from universities, government, industry, and community organizations gathered to address the increasing issue of MNPs in coastal regions.