Digital Commons Network^™

Challenging Disciplinary Boundaries In The First Year: A New Introductory Integrated Science Course For Stem Majors, Lisa Gentile, Lester Caudill, Mirela Fetea, April L. Hill, Kathy Hoke, Barry Lawson, Ovidiu Z. Lipan, Michael Kerckhove, Carol A. Parish, Krista J. Stenger, Doug Szajda

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

To help undergraduates make connections among disciplines so they are able to approach, evaluate, and contribute to the solutions of important global problems, our campus has been focused on interdisciplinary research and education opportunities across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This paper describes the mobilization, planning, and implementation of a first-year interdisciplinary course for STEM majors that integrates key concepts found in traditional first-semester biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics courses. This team-taught course, Integrated Quantitative Science (IQS), is half of a first-year student’s schedule in both semesters and is composed of a double lecture and …

Development Of An Assay To Screen For Novel Proteins From Bacillus Thuringiensis With Antibacterial Activity, Auriole T. Tamegnon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces the non specific Cyt protein and the specific Cry protein. Past research has shown these proteins are toxic to insects, red blood cells, cancer cells, and some bacteria. While many antibacterial substances are known to exist, efforts to find new ones still continue. In this project we used Bt 6-2-56 (containing a novel filament associated parasporal body which appears non-toxic to insects and protozoan) and Bt 4Q13 (which has been shown to have activity against E. coli and S. aureus) to develop a simple, easy, scalable assay in a 96 well Microtitre plate to look for …

Modern Approaches For Multifunctional Hydrolyzying Thiol-Ene Networks, Nicole Marie Mackey

Dissertations

Marine fouling has been an expensive and time-consuming process for navies and fishermen by the accumulation of marine algae and animals on artificial surfaces. Many coatings have been proposed to combat marine fouling in efforts to extend the lifetime of objects immersed in sea water. However, all coatings tested have either failed to resist fouling for a significant length of time or have released toxins into the environment. We have investigated an environmentally friendly approach to address the problem of marine fouling through the synthesis and preparation of a biocidal and a self-polishing coating. Both novel monomers were prepared containing …

Arsenic Contamination In Groundwater In Vietnam: An Overview And Analysis Of The Historical, Cultural, Economic, And Political Parameters In The Success Of Various Mitigation Options, Thuy M. Ly

Pomona Senior Theses

Although arsenic is naturally present in the environment, 99% of human exposure to arsenic is through ingestion. Throughout history, arsenic is known as “the king of poisons”; it is mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic. Even in smaller concentrations, it accumulates in the body and takes decades before any physical symptoms of arsenic poisoning shows. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe concentration of arsenic in drinking water is 10 µg/L. However, this limit is often times ignored until it is decades too late and people begin showing symptoms of having been poisoned.

This is the current situation for Vietnam, …

Production Of Biodiesel From Oleaginous Organisms Using Underutilized Wastewaters, Valerie Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of the BioEnergy Team at Utah State Univeristy, my research objectives have been centered around the common theme of innovating new methods and
technology for producing biological compounds and, by means of chemical conversion and/or extraction, isolating new forms of biodiesel available for transportation fuel.
Within the broad scope of this project, I focused on the replacement of freshwater in cultivating such biological systems with wastewaters. If accomplished and correctly
applied, such research would reduce the environmental impact of biodiesel production by reducing the demand for freshwater. It also would reduce production costs by reducing the amount of …

Ph-Responsive Polymers For Biosurfaces: An Investigation Of Solution Properties And Surface Modifying Performance, Yuhong Wei

Master's Theses

Gantrez® copolymers are used widely in the personal care industry, but their mechanisms of interaction with dental surfaces are poorly understood. In this study, we determined a number of the solution and polymer properties that control deposition, adsorption and adhesion in Gantrez® polymer aqueous solutions to model dental surfaces. QCM studies specifically showed that polymer adsorption to model hydroxyapatite surfaces occurred only in solutions with polymer concentration above c*. Adsorption and adhesion was greater in solutions of higher pH, where greater charge density along the polymer backbone was expected. For films prepared via spin-coating onto mica surfaces, addition of surfactants …

Challenging Disciplinary Boundaries In The First Year: A New Introductory Integrated Science Course For Stem Majors, Lisa Gentile, Lester Caudill, Mirela Fetea, April L. Hill, Kathy Hoke, Barry Lawson, Ovidiu Z. Lipan, Michael Kerckhove, Carol A. Parish, Krista J. Stenger, Doug Szajda

Biology Faculty Publications

To help undergraduates make connections among disciplines so they are able to approach, evaluate, and contribute to the solutions of important global problems, our campus has been focused on interdisciplinary research and education opportunities across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This paper describes the mobilization, planning, and implementation of a first-year interdisciplinary course for STEM majors that integrates key concepts found in traditional first-semester biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics courses. This team-taught course, Integrated Quantitative Science (IQS), is half of a first-year student’s schedule in both semesters and is composed of a double lecture and …

A Fast Response Highly Selective Probe For The Detection Of Glutathione In Human Blood Plasma, Yixing Guo, Xiaofeng Yang, Lovemore Hakuna, Aabha Barve, Jorge O. Escobedo, Mark Lowry, Robert M. Strongin

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

A fluorescent probe for glutathione (GSH) detection was developed. Our study indicates a possible mechanism which couples a conjugate addition and micelle-catalyzed large membered ring formation/elimination sequence. This method enables excellent selectivity towards GSH over other biological thiols such as cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy). The proposed method is precise with a relative standard deviation (R.S.D) lower than 6% (n = 3) and has been successfully applied to determine GSH in human plasma with recoveries between 99.2% and 102.3%.

Cuprate Mediated Allylic Substitutions On Vinylepoxides And Conjugate Additions On 2-Pyridones, Yaxin Huang

All Dissertations

Regioselective control in allylic substitution reactions of vinylepoxides is difficult due to the competition between SN2- substitution and SN2'- allylic substitution pathway. Although excellent SN2'/SN2- and anti/syn- ratios were achieved by CuCN derived organozinc cuprates on 4,5-epoxy-2,3-enoates, application of this methodology to the vinylepoxide, trans-1-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-2,3-epoxy-4-hexene, is explored. Dialkyzinc reagents mediated by catalytic amounts of CuCN provide excellent regio-(SN2'/SN2) and diastereo-(olefinic E/Z and anti/syn-) selectivity with n-Bu, Et and t-Bu ligands, while reduced E/Z and SN2'/SN2- ratios were achieved with aromatic ligands (e.g., furyl and Ph). The assignment of regio- and stereoisomers were achieved by alternative syntheses of the authentic compounds. …

Finding A New Continent Versus Mapping All The Rivers: Recognition, Ownership, And The Scientific Epistemological Development Of Practicing Scientists And Engineers, Andrea Verdan

All Dissertations

Maintaining our nation's standing as a leader of innovative and premier science and engineering research requires that those on the trajectory of these careers receive both rigorous and exceptional training. In addition to educating students in the content knowledge of these disciplines, it is also necessary to train them in the professional skills associated with being competent and conscientious scientists and engineers. In the attempts to understand the best strategies to teach these skills, research during the past few decades has shown a steadily increasing interest in improving the scientific literacy of students in science and engineering disciplines. Researchers agree …

Analysis Of Street Drugs Using Comprehensive Two Dimensional Gas Chromatography Coupled With Time Of Flight Mass-Spectrometry, Brian B. Barnes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Density Functional Theory And Laser Flash Photolysis Investigation Of Carbofuran Photodegradation In Aqueous Medium, A. Atifi, M. Talipov, H. Mountacer, Michael D. Ryan, M. Sarakha

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Density functional theory (DFT) approach was used to study the photodegradation of Carbofuran in aqueous medium. This computational method enables us to assign the electronic transitions and interpret the dissociative behavior upon irradiation based on a thermodynamical analysis of the bond dissociation energies (BDE) of Carbofuran. According to these calculations, phenoxy C---O bond appears weaker than the C---N bonds. Hence, it was predicted that the photodegradation of Carbofuran should occur with an initial homolytic dissociation of the C---O bond of the carbamate moiety. Laser Flash Photolysis (LFP) results clearly indicate the formation of the phenoxyl radical, which support the outcome …

Rationalizing Structure, Stability, And Chemical Bonding Of Pure And Doped Clusters Isolated And Solvated Multiply Charged Anions, And Solid State Materials, Alina P. Sergeeva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chemistry is the study of materials and the changes that materials undergo. One can tune the properties of the known materials and design the novel materials with desired properties knowing what is responsible for the chemical reactivity, structure, and stability of those materials. The unified chemical bonding theory could address all these questions, but we do not have one available yet. The most accepted general theory of chemical bonding was proposed by Lewis in 1916, though Lewis’s theory fails to explain the bonding in materials with delocalized electron density such as sub-nano and nanoclusters, as well as aromatic organic and …

Structural And Mechanistic Investigations Of Phosphothreonine Lyase Class Of Enzymes, Alok Gopalkrishna Shenoy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are a highly pervasive mechanism in biology that is used by the cell to modulate enzymes and proteins. The presence of a phosphate group can activate or deactivate an enzyme. The phosphate group is linked to a protein by a phosphoester bond that is known to be highly stable in cytoplasmic pH range. Thus the breaking and formation of these bonds need to be effected by enzymes.

Recent discovery of the activity carried out by certain virulence related proteins (OspF released by Shigella and SpvC released by Salmonella) have resulted in a necessity to create a new …

Electrochemical Study Of Protein Modification, Jing Zhao, Xiao-Li Zhu, Gen-Xi Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Protein post-translational modification is a key physiological procedure, which has received more and more research interests from the scientists not only in protein science but also in some other fields. The usually employed techniques for the study of protein modification include mass spectrum, affinity chromatography, etc. Considering the complexity of protein modification and the urgent demand of such kind of study, it is highly required to develop new techniques to perform more studies. Electrochemical methods, which have been widely used in chemical study and analysis, are playing an increasingly important role in many fields of biological studies. The modification of …

The Synthesis Of A Homologous Series Of Alkyl Lumazines And Their Application To The Dispersion Of Carbon Nanotubes, William P. Kopcha

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the synthesis of a series of alkyl lumazine surfactants (LC_n) is reported. Their application to the dispersion of both CoMoCAT and HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is examined in detail and the thermal stability and chirality selection properties of dispersions made with these surfactants were compared both between themselves and with an alkyl flavin surfactant (FC₁₂). Lumazine alkyl chain length exhibited some control over the quality and the quantity of SWNTs dispersed. LC₁₀ was deemed most appropriate for comparison with FC₁₂ based on considerations of solubility and nanotube individualization. …

Toxicity Of Tio₂ Nanoparticles In The Genomic Dna Of Cucurbita Pepo, Fabiola Moreno-Olivas^, Vincent Gant, Isaac Montes, Hiram Castillo-Michel, Kyle L. Johnson, Jose R. Peralta-Videa, Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

The nanomaterial industry is growing very fast and nanoparticles (NPs) are used in variety of instruments and goods. NPs can reach the plants through different manners; though, little is known about their impact on food crops and the possible effects in the food chain are unknown. In this research, the possible genotoxic effects of TiO₂ NPs on zucchinis (Cucurbita pepo) were studied. Seven-day old hydroponically grown zuchinnis plants were treated for 7 days with TiO₂ NPs suspended in the nutrient solution at concentrations varying from 0 to 50 mg/L. Random amplified polymorphic DNA assay was performed and showed the …

The Role Of Hsp70 In Cancer: A Study Of The Hsp70 / Akt Relationship, John Koren

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Hsp70 family of molecular chaperones is essential for

protein folding, re-folding misfolded client proteins, clearance

of aberrant client proteins, and can also inhibit programmed

cell death. There are two major cytosolic members of this

family: the constitutive Hsc70, and the inducible Hsp72. Under

stress conditions the Hsp70 family protects the cell from

protein related damage by the induction of Hsp72. Hsc70 and

Hsp72 are highly homologous with minor differences in

substrate binding. In cancers, Hsp72 is commonly induced and

this induction is thought to aid in cancer cell survival. In these

studies we demonstrate the differential regulation of the …

Interaction Of Pharmaceutical Compounds With Dissolved Organic Matter, Carlen Nigl Smith

Honors Theses

Highly prescribed pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites used to treat conditions ranging from infections to depression are of environmental concern as these excreted compounds are increasingly appearing in wastewater influent. As pharmaceuticals enter treatment plants they also can interact with dissolved organic matter (DOM) present. This potential interaction between pharmaceutical compounds and DOM may inhibit the advanced oxidation process (AOP) based removal of drugs during water treatment. The focus of this research was to utilize multinuclear magnetic resonance and hydroxyl radical kinetics to assess whether an interaction between influent pharmaceuticals and DOM does occur, the extent of the interaction, and …

Synthesis Of Some New Fluorinated Hexahydroquinoline And Acridinedione Derivatives In Trifluoroethanol, Cosmas O. Okoro, Mumiye A. Ogunwale, Tasneem Siddiquee

Chemistry Faculty Research

This article describes one-pot synthesis of new fluorinated hexahydroquinoline derivatives via unsymmetric Hantzsch reaction involving 5-trifluoromethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, aldehydes, acetoacetate ester, and ammonium acetate in trifluoroethanol (TFE). The reaction is simple and rapid with high yield.

2-Allylphenyl Glycosides As Complementary Building Blocks For Oligosaccharide And Glycoconjugate Synthesis, Hemali Premathilake, Alexei Demchenko

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

The O-allylphenyl (AP) anomeric moiety was investigated as a new leaving group that can be activated for chemical glycosylation under a variety of conditions, through both direct and remote pathways. Differentiation between the two activation pathways was achieved in a mechanistic study. The orthogonal-type activation of the AP moiety along with common thioglycosides allows for the execution of efficient oligosaccharide assembly.

Establishment Of An Efficient Method For The Synthesis Of Srh, An Important Molecule In Bacterial Quorum Sensing, Emily Showell-Rouse, Ruoyi Liu

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Quorum sensing (QS) is a process of bacterial communication that regulates the expression of virulence genes in many bacteria. The study of QS, could lead to new treatments for bacterial diseases. Interspecies bacterial communication utilizes the signaling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2). The LuxS enzyme converts S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine (SRH) into 4(S),5-dihydroxypentane-2,3-dione (DPD), the precursor of AI-2. LuxS inhibitors could prevent QS by halting conversion of SRH. We have developed an efficient synthesis of SRH from D-ribose and L-homocystine. This procedure provides us with both a supply of SRH for biochemical assays and a foundation for the synthesis of SRH analogs …

Solvation Of Organic Cations In The Gas Phase And Within Molecular Clusters, Ahmed Hamid

Theses and Dissertations

The role of the solvent in ionic and ion-molecule interactions is of fundamental importance in kinetics and thermodynamics of solution chemistry. However, the study of the ionic interactions in the presence of a large number of solvent molecules is very challenging. Therefore, the gas-phase is the appropriate medium to study such reactions on a molecular level where the ion-solvent interaction can be examined by studying ions surrounded with a cluster of solvent molecules in the complete absence of the any interference caused by the bulk of the solvent. In nature, organic ions can form hydrogen bonds with solvents. An insight …

Improved Synthesis Of The Longtailed Mealybug Pheromone, Johanna M. Bakonyi

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Hydrophilic Polymers Of Poly (2-Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate) With Tunable Properties For Drug Release, Sequestration Of Blistering Agent, Preparation Of Ultra-Strong Hydrogels & Thermal Stability Of Various Organic Azides, Ramakanth Ananthoji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The design and synthesis of new finely tunable porous materials has spurred interest in developing novel uses in a variety of systems. Zeolites, inorganic materials with high thermal and mechanical stability, in particular, have been widely examined for use in applications such as catalysis, ion exchange and separation. A relatively new class of inorganic-organic hybrid materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has recently surfaced, and many have exhibited their efficiency in potential applications such as ion exchange and drug delivery. A more recent development is the design and synthesis of a subclass of MOFs based on zeolite topologies (i.e. ZMOFs), …

Protein Profiling Of Adenine Nucleoside And Nucleotide Analogs Binding Proteins Using N6-Biotinylated-8-Azidoadenosine Analogs As Affinity Based Protein Profiling Probes, Shikha Mahajan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Identification of differential expressions of proteins in proteomic profiles of biological samples shows great potential as a valuable technique for the early diagnosis of various diseases. An important challenge in modern protein profiling approaches is to reduce the complexity of the samples by limiting the number of proteins that need to be evaluated for distinction in the expression between normal and deceased cells. In this research, an affinity based approach for the enrichment of nucleotide and nucleoside binding proteins from a complex cell proteome has been developed. To achieve this goal, new N6-biotinylated-8-azido-adenosine probes (AdoRs) have been designed and synthesized …

Crystal Engineering Of Multi-Component Crystal Forms: The Opportunities And Challenges In Design, Heather Dawn Marie Clarke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is heightened interest to diversify the range of crystal forms exhibited by active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the pharmaceutical industry. The crystal form can be regarded as the Achilles' heel in the development of an API as it directly impacts the physicochemical properties, performance and safety of the API. This is of critical importance since the crystal form is the preferred method of oral drug delivery by industry and regulatory bodies. The ability to rationally design materials is a lucrative avenue towards the synthesis of functional molecular solids with customized physicochemical properties such as solubility, bioavailability and stability. Pharmaceutical …

I, Synthesis Of Β-Sitosterol And Phytosterol Esters. Ii, New Methodology For Singlet Oxygen Generation From 1,1-Dihydroperoxides, Jiliang Hang

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Phytosterols are steroid compounds structurally similar with cholesterol and vary in the nature of carbon side chain. β-Sitosterol is commercially available in preparative amount only as mixtures with other phytosterols. New semipreparative synthesis of pure β-sitosterol and sidechain-modified phytosterols is discussed in this dissertation. This new synthesis is achieved via a temporary masking of the stigmasterol 5,6-alkene as an epoxide. Following performance of the desired modification, the alkene is regenerated through a mild deoxygenation. Preparation of phytosterol esters for cholesterol metabolism study is also discussed in this dissertation.

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) is the lowest excited state …

Chemoselective Oxidation Of 6,13-Bis(Decylthio) Pentacene, Claire Eunhye Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Organic semiconductors present much potential for industrial use because of their possible low cost production, Pentacene and pentacene derivatives are promising candidates for organic semiconductor research since their ^-conjugated electronic structures possess small HOMO- LUMO gaps and high field effect mobility. Whereas there is much potential in devices made from pentacenes they do however undergo short lifetimes and poor processability due to photodegradation and poor solubility of pentacene. Previous research has shown that the pentacene lifetime and solubility can be enhanced by arylthio and alkylthio substituents placed on the pentacene backbone. For example 6,13-i?/s(decylthio)pentacene was one of the longest lived …

Chemistry & Biochemistry Newsletter, Department Of Chemistry & Biochemistry, South Dakota State University

Chemistry & Biochemistry Newsletter: 2002-2015

Inside:

Page 2 NSF Grant Challenges Traditional Teaching Strategies

Page 3 Economic Development Important CBC Research Outcome

Page 4 High-Tech Equipment Helps Department Study Molecules

Page 5 Chemistry Education Joins Western Regional Graduate Student Exchange; Alum Jared L. Anderson Joins LCGC’s Editorial Advisory board; Adam Hoppe Wins Berg Award for Research Excellence

Page 6 CBC Doctoral Candidate is SDSU’s Grad Student of the Year; The Robert and Katherine Burris Distinguished Lecture Series

Page 7 Universities & K-12 Schools Partner Up to Improve Math and Science; Recent Graduates

Page 8 Alum Update; Recent Grants; Another CBC Student Featured on SDSU’s Web …