Digital Commons Network^™

Uv Irradiation On Bacteriophage Survival, Sherri Tomlinson

Honors Theses

Bacteriophage is of great interest because of its potential role in controlling bacterial populations in our environment. UV exposure has a damaging effect on the virus decreasing lytic ability. This study set out to test the effects of UV radiation, in amounts comparable to local environmental conditions, on bacteriophage T2. The virus was placed in a Petri dish in a PBS medium and exposed to UV radiation at 365nm. The irradiated virus was allowed to infect E. coli and plated. The plaques formed were counted to determine lytic activity of the virus with respect to UV irradiation. The results showed …

Effect Of Anions On The Iron Release Pathways Of Human Serum Transferrin, Rashmi Subhash Chander Sharma

Dissertations

Transferrin, the serum iron transport protein in humans, is used to transport 30-40 mg of iron per day through blood. The accessibility of transferrin makes it an attractive target for iron cheating therapeutic agents used in the treatment of iron overload. There is an ongoing search for ligands which can accelerate the rate of iron release, as the currently approved drug DFO has a very slow rate for iron removal. Previous studies have shown that anions can accelerate the rate of iron release. Studies on the effect of anions on the rates of iron release from C-terminal monoferric transferrin at …

Assessing Commercial Organic And Conventionally Grown Vegetables By Monitoring Selected Heavy Metals Found In Them., Charles Kafui Dotse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Commercially available organic and conventionally grown vegetables were studied by quantitative determination of selected metals in them and to determine if any differences found are statistically significant. These findings can help the consumers to determine if the vegetable products are within the recommended maximum limits as proposed by the joint FAO/WHO Expert committee on organic foods designation. Eight edible vegetables were purchased from local stores in both the organic and conventionally grown categories. Samples were digested with concentrated nitric acid and the metals monitored were zinc, copper, lead, iron, cadmium, and nickel using flame atomic absorption. The concentration range for …

A Preliminary Study In Probing Rapid Method Of Isotope 87sr/86sr Analysis By Electrospray Ionization -Quadrupole Ion Trap - Mass Spectrometry, Sheng Song

Student Theses and Dissertations

The isotope ratio 87Sr/86Sr, typically reported in geologic investigations, is obtained by direct electrospray ionization of aqueous sample containing Sr(II), Rb(I) and 18c6. At relatively high concentrations, we observed favorable formation of Sr2+(18c6)₂ and Rb+(18c6) over Sr2+(18c6) complexes. Physical separation of Sr2+(18c6)₂ and Rb+(18c6) as well as separation of Sr2+(18c6)₂ is observed by simply injecting the sample solution to ESI source using simple PEEK tubing in neutral pH. These phenomena are caused by the difference in mobility of the complexes and masked by the gas phase association reactions. ESI-QITMS successfully obtained the expected isotope distribution of Sr(II) …

Use Of A Robust Dehydrogenase From An Archael Hyperthermophile In Asymmetric Catalysis–Dynamic Reductive Kinetic Resolution Entry Into (S)-Profens, Jacob A. Friest, Yukari Maezato, Sylvain Broussy, Paul H. Blum, David B. Berkowitz

David Berkowitz Publications

Hyperthermophilic archaea are of great interest in evolutionary microbiology, owing to their ability to withstand high temperatures, and often extremes of pressure, pH and salinity. Enzymes from these organisms¹ may offer particular opportunities for asymmetric synthesis, complementary to approaches with mesophilic enzymes,² or those involving enzyme³ and pathway⁴ reengineering. However, perhaps due to a bias that hyperthermophilic enzymes have “narrow substrate specificities,”⁵ archaeal extremophiles remain a largely untapped resource in asymmetric synthesis.⁶

Herein, we disclose a remarkably general Dynamic Reductive Kinetic Resolution (DYRKR) entry into (S)-profens, including several important NSAIDs. The enzyme employed is …

Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase: The Story Of A Misguided Dna Polymerase, Edward A. Motea, Anthony J. Berdis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Nearly every DNA polymerase characterized to date exclusively catalyzes the incorporation of mononucleotides into a growing primer using a DNA or RNA template as a guide to direct each incorporation event. There is, however, one unique DNA polymerase designated terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase that performs DNA synthesis using only single-stranded DNA as the nucleic acid substrate. In this chapter, we review the biological role of this enigmatic DNA polymerase and the biochemical mechanism for its ability to perform DNA synthesis in the absence of a templating strand. We compare and contrast the molecular events for template-independent DNA synthesis catalyzed by terminal …

Degradation Of Chlorophenols In Swine Waste, Srilatha Gangula

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Naturally occurring plant derived phenols can be degraded through bacteria in swine waste. Chlorinated phenols, which are not naturally present in the environment, are toxic and generated from industrial activities as such petrochemical, pharmaceutical, plastic, rubber, pesticide, iron, steel, paper production, coal conversion, wood preserving, and cellulose bleaching. Large scale coal gasification and carbonization plants are another source of chlorinated phenols. Although not normally present in the environment, chlorinated phenols are structurally similar to many plant derived phenolics.

It is our hypothesis that bacteria located in swine wastes may also have the ability to degrade chlorinated phenols. Identifying situations (and …

Tuning Quantum Dots Optical Properties By Temperature And Concentration Modulation, Amber Sexton

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Quantum dots have recently been awarded attention due to their tunable optical and spectroscopic properties. The optical and spectroscopic behavior of quantum dots was investigated as a function of mean particle size. Manipulation of the reaction conditions and constituents impact the controllability of size and surface conditions. Therefore, synthesis of CdSe and CdS semiconductor nanoparticles with tunable particle size were created using temperature, time, and composition as variables. Analytical techniques used to characterize the nanoparticles included fluorescence and electronic absorption. The effect of temperature, aside from changing the size of the particle, also eliminated defects on the surface and caused …

Rational Design Of Self-Assembled Nanostructures Based On Polymers Synthesized Via Aqueous Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization, Stacey Kirkland York

Dissertations

Recent advances in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization have allowed the rational, bottom-up design of biorelevant assemblies. Utilizing foresight, polymers can be tailored to self-assemble into nano-, micro-, and macroscopic structures. Given the size scale on which rationally-designed polymers can be tailored, they hold significant promise in the biomedical field. For example, nanoscale materials can be designed to carry small-molecule and gene therapeutics while macroscopic structures can be tailored for cell growth scaffolds. The design process begins by selecting monomers, chain transfer agents, and reaction conditions which will yield the desired polymer architecture and composition.

The work herein builds …

Bunching Effect In Single-Molecule T4 Lysozyme Nonequilibrium Conformational Dynamics Under Enzymatic Reactions, Yuanmin Wang, H. Peter Lu

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The bunching effect, implying that conformational motion times tend to bunch in a finite and narrow time window, is observed and identified to be associated with substrate enzyme complex formation in T4 lysozyme conformational dynamics under enzymatic reactions. Using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, we have probed T4 lysozyme conformational motions under the hydrolysis reaction of polysaccharide of E. coli 13 cell walls by monitoring the fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) between a donor acceptor probe pair tethered to T4 lysozyme domains involving open close hinge-bending motions. On the basis of the single-molecule spectroscopic results, molecular dynamics simulation, and a random walk …

A Synthetic Approach Toward Novel Β-Lactams, Mohamed Hashim

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

β-lactam antibiotics which is a class by itself, covers a wide range of antibiotics that includes penicillin, penicillin derivatives, cephalosporins, carbapenems, and any antibiotic agent that contains a 2-azetidinone ring.[2] In recent past research it has been established that β-lactams show therapeutic and anticancer activity with low toxicity. [2] It has also been reported by our lab that N-chrysenyl and N-phenanthrenyl 3-acetoxy-4-aryl-2- azetidinone can exhibit potent selective anticancer activity towards prostate, colon, pancreatic cancer and leukemia at low concentrations, all of this was revealed by means of a structure activity study. [2] The goal of our research is the synthesis …

Production And In Vitro Investigation Of Vitamin B12-Based Bioprobes, Amy Rabideau

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Vitamin B₁₂ (B₁₂)-based bioprobes were produced and investigated in vitro for studying the B₁₂ uptake pathway in certain cancer cell lines and their target-specific capabilities as imaging and/or contrast agents in vivo. An intrinsic factor (IF)-bound B₁₂ conjugate (B₁₂-ReBQBA) was produced containing rhenium(I) for in vitro analysis of the cubilin-expressing placental choriocarcinoma cell line. B₁₂-ReBQBA has millimolar toxicity in vitro and excitation and emission wavelengths in the visible region, 488 nm and 560 nm, respectively. The rhenium metal in this bioprobe can be readily exchanged for the metastable radioactive metal technetium-99m …

Non-Natural Nucleotides As Probes For The Mechanism And Fidelity Of Dna Polymerases, Irene Lee, Anthony J. Berdis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

DNA is a remarkable macromolecule that functions primarily as the carrier of the genetic information of organisms ranging from viruses to bacteria to eukaryotes. The ability of DNA polymerases to efficiently and accurately replicate genetic material represents one of the most fundamental yet complex biological processes found in nature. The central dogma of DNA polymerization is that the efficiency and fidelity of this biological process is dependent upon proper hydrogen-bonding interactions between an incoming nucleotide and its templating partner. However, the foundation of this dogma has been recently challenged by the demonstration that DNA polymerases can effectively and, in some …

Conformational Motion Associated With Catalysis In Indole-3-Glycerol Phosphate Synthase From S. Solfataricus, Tomasz Kurcon

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase from Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsIGPS) belongs to a broad family of (βα)₈-barrel enzymes. It catalyzes the fifth step in tryptophan biosynthesis, converting l-(o-carboxylphenylamino)-l-deoxyribulose-5-phosphate (CdRP) to indole-3-glycerol phosphate (IGP). Site selective mutagenesis was used to introduce a single cysteine in two loops near the active site, generating two recombinant proteins, each containing a single cysteine handle. The two construct were labeled, each with two different thiol-reactive probes generating four labeled constructs that were used for this study. Steady-state kinetic parameters of the labeled mutants and the wild type SsIGPS were well characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy. Subsequent experiments …

Dna Polymerases: Perfect Enzymes For An Imperfect World, Anthony J. Berdis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

This Special Thematic Issue explores the molecular properties of DNA polymerases as extraordinary biological catalysts. In this short introductory chapter, I briefly highlight some of the most important concepts from the articles contained within this Special Issue. The contents of this Special Issue are arranged into distinct sub-categories corresponding to mechanistic studies of faithful DNA polymerization, studies of "specialized" DNA polymerases that function on damaged DNA, and DNA polymerases that are of therapeutic importance against various diseases. Emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamic cellular roles and biochemical functions of DNA polymerases, and how their structure and mechanism impact their …

Chromatographic Studies Of Drug-Protein Binding In Diabetes, Kathryn (Krina) S. Joseph

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drug-protein binding can have a dramatic impact on the distribution and metabolism of a drug. This manuscript describes the use of high-performance affinity chromatography to examine the binding of various compounds to human serum albumin (HSA) in normal and diabetic disease states. The first study examined the use of four coumarin compounds as possible alternatives to warfarin as a probe for Sudlow site I on HSA. High-performance affinity chromatography and immobilized HSA columns were used to compare and evaluate the binding properties of these probe candidates. It was found from this group that 4-hydroxycoumarin was the best alternative to warfarin …

A Synthetic Biological Engineering Approach To Secretion- Based Recovery Of Polyhydroxyalkanoates And Other Cellular Products, Elisabeth Linton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The costs associated with cellular product recovery commonly account for as much as 80% of the total production expense. As a specific example, significant recovery costs limit commercial use of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which comprise a class of microbially-accumulated polyesters. PHAs are biodegradable compounds that are of interest as a sustainable alternative to petrochemically-derived plastics. Secretion-based recovery of PHAs was studied to decrease PHA production costs. Type I and II secretory pathways are commonly used for the translocation of recombinant proteins out of the cytoplasm of E. coli. Proteins were targeted for translocation using four signal peptides (HlyA, TorA, GeneIII, …

Library Synthesis Of Anticancer And Antibacterial Agents Via Azide Chemistry, Jianjun Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Various anticancer and antibacterial agents have been synthesized via azide chemistry by taking advantage of carbohydrate. Starting from the synthesis of 14 glycosyl azides, a library of carbohydrate-oxazolidinone conjugates and a library of carbohydrate-cyclopamine conjugates with biological interests were synthesized based on a highly efficient "click reaction" assisted by sonication. Some of the conjugates have improved solubility and enhanced anticancer activity.

A library of neomycin B derivatives with various modifications at the 5" position has been synthesized. Two leads exhibit prominent activity against both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Antibacterial activities were measured when combined with other …

Characterization Of Plutonium Particles Originating From The Bomarc Accident -1960, Richard Charles Gostic

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Within the U.S. arsenal, 32 accidents with nuclear weapons were reported between 1950 and 1980. One of these accidents occurred at McGuire AFB in 1960. A BOMARC missile armed with a nuclear warhead caught on fire and as a result the warhead was destroyed. Sub-millimeter particles consisting of weapons grade plutonium (WGPu) produced by this accident were distributed around the site and remained in the environment for 47 years. Soil cores known to contain WGPu particles produced by this accident were obtained. The particles were localized and removed from the soil with the aid of high resolution computed tomography. The …

Antimicrobial Activity Of D-Lenolate®, Andy Phui

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Olive trees are one of the most important fruit trees in the Mediterranean. Although not validated by research, olive leaves are traditionally believed to fight off fever and infections. It has been shown that olive leaf extracts possess antimicrobial activity. Olive leaf extracts contain polyphenols. One of the major phenolic compounds is oleuropein. Oleuropein and other polyphenols have been shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity. East Park Research (EPR) developed an extraction process that they claim does not alter the chemical composition of the olive leaves. The extract is known by the commercial name d-lenolate®. Studies have provided evidence that d-lenolate®, …

Bacillus Cereus And Bacillus Anthracis Germination Kinetics: A Michaelis-Menten Approach, Helen Luu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bacillus species are rod-shaped, gram-positive bacteria that are capable of producing endospores. In this dormant stage, the endospores can persist in hostile physical and chemical environments. Once conditions become favorable, the spores germinate into actively dividing cells, vegetative cells. Germination is a crucial step for the pathogenicity of the Bacilli in affecting a host organism.

Our study applies mathematical approaches to spore germination to determine whether the binding of one germinant will affect the binding of another germinant. We pursued this approach with two different species, B. cereus and B. anthracis, both pathogenic organisms. B. cereus is a widely known …

The In-Situ Removal Of Menthofuran From Peppermint Oil And Subsequent Reactions Of The Solid-Supported Adduct, Robert Joseph Justice Ii

Dissertations

Menthofuran is an aromatic heterocyclic compound found naturally in the essential oil of Mentha piperita L. or peppermint. Natural peppermint oil may contain between approximately 2 to 8% menthofuran.

Peppermint oil is a complex mixture of over 350 identified chemical compounds; market demands dictate the extent of processing the oil undergoes prior to being introduced into consumer goods. Menthofuran has long been known to readily autoxidize, either alone or within the peppermint oil matrix, leading to a discolored oil with negative organoleptic consequences that adversely affects its commercial viability. Therefore, a facile method for selective removal of menthofuran was developed …

The Lipid Acyl-Chain Dynamics In Giant Liposomes And Characterization Of Domain 4 Of The Wilson Disease Protein, Wilson Okumu

Dissertations

Steady-state and nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence of the nitro-2, 1, 3- benzoxadiazol-4-yl (NBD) probe and line tension force were determined in phospholipids acyl-chain dynamics in giant liposomes made from a homologous series of phosphatidylcholines (PC). The fluorescence spectroscopy of a NBD probe attached to the headgroup (NBD PE) or the tail (NBD PC) of the phospholipid were used to determine the rate of dithionite quenching in a homologous series of phospholipids. Similar experiments were performed in the gel and the fluid phases of the l,2-dimyristoyl-s«-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC ). Nanosecond time scale lifetimes and anisotropy measurements were obtained by a 470 nm LED …

Analysis Of Ammonia And Volatile Organic Amine Emissions In A Confined Poultry Facility, Hanh Hong Thi Dinh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The National Air Emission Monitoring Study (NAEMS) project was funded by the Agricultural Air Research Council (AARC) to evaluate agricultural emissions nationwide. Utah State University (USU) is conducting a parallel study on agricultural emissions at a Cache Valley poultry facility. As part of this parallel study, samples of animal feed, eggs and animal waste were collected weekly from three manure barns (designated: manure barn, barn 4 - manure belt and barn 5 - high rise) from May 2008 to November 2009.

These samples were analyzed to determine ammonia content, total Kjeldahl nitrogen content and ammonia emission. The yearly average calculated …

Nanomaterials From Biologically Active Molecules: Self-Assembly And Molecular Recognition, Min Yu

Dissertations

This dissertation describes the development of molecular assemblies and molecular recognition of phospholipids (PLs) that exhibit potential applications in emerging nanotechnologies. It consists of two parts: (1) structural features of PLs responsible for recognition of synthetic copolymers, and (2) design, synthesis and analysis of magnetic nanotubes obtained from PLs with a common theme of colloidal synthesis served as a platform for film formation and nano-assemblies of nanotubes. Poly(methyl methacrylate/n-butyl acrylate) (p-MMA/nBA) colloidal particles that were stabilized by 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) PLs were synthesized, and upon the particle coalescence, PL stratification resulted in the formation of surface localized ionic clusters (SLICs). These …

A Proposal For The Mechanism Of The Iron-Ascorbate, Fenton, And Hydroxyl Radical-Quenching Series, Jonathan Velasco

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Fenton reaction between [Fe(II)] and [HOOH] is observed in the presence of ascorbic acid, [AscH-], during [Fe(III)] and HO• reduction; this is done as part of consecutive redox reactions between [Fe(III)] and [Fe(II)]. As a result, the rate orders with respect to [Fe(III)], ascorbic acid, and [HOOH] are of (approximately) 2nd, 1st, and 4 th order, respectively. However, the rate constants for each reaction in this study show patterns when measured against solution pH; empirically, reactions proceed faster at smaller pH and vice versa.

Identification Of Phosphatases Involved In E2f-Associated Apoptosis, Liza D. Morales Smith

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a tumor suppressor protein that controls a critical checkpoint between the G1 phase and the S phase of the cell cycle. Rb is able to suppress cell proliferation by binding to the E2F family of transcription factors, inhibiting its ability to activate transcription of genes necessary for cell cycle progression. Mutations in proteins involved with the Rb/E2F pathway can result in hyper-proliferative cells that overtime can acquire and accumulate additional mutations, which could lead to tumorigenesis. To prevent hyper-proliferation, aberrant cells can be eliminated through apoptosis. E2F can induce apoptosis through two pathways: through transactivation of the …

Genotyping Of Tgif Polymorphisms Associated With Schizophrenia And Psychosis, George Vera Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Polymorphisms in Transforming Growth β-Induced Factor (TGIF) have been found to contribute to the risk of development of psychosis and related disorders. Identifying the genes responsible for causing schizophrenia and psychosis will allow for treatment at an earlier stage of development, saving the patient problems, time, and money. The purpose of this experiment is to determine the haplotype of DNA samples obtained from earlier experiments. The DNA samples were collected from people with schizophrenia in Costa Rica, Southern Texas, and Northern Mexico. The samples were tested using 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Haplotypes …

Synthesis Of Functional Copolymers Via Aqueous Raft Polymerization For Bioconjugation And Targeted Delivery Of Small Interfering Rna, Adam Wesley York

Dissertations

The versatility of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has moved this controlled radical technique to the forefront of copolymer construction for bioapplications including polymeric drug/gene delivery vehicles. Strengths of the RAFT process include the capacity to control the polymerization of a wide variety of vinyl monomers under mild conditions, its tolerance to numerous chemical groups that allow the preparation of functional copolymers for facile modification, and the range of copolymer architectures with predetermined end group functionalities which may be synthesized. Given these strengths, RAFT polymerization was utilized in this research to synthesize functional/reactive copolymers for bioconjugation and targeted delivery …

Self-Assembly And Gold Nanoparticle Cross-Linking Of Stimuliresponsive Block Copolymers Synthesized Bt Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization, Adam Eugene Smith

Dissertations

The ability of amphiphilic block copolymers to self-assemble into various morphologies in aqueous solution in response to specific stimuli has attracted widespread interest for potential applications as targeted drug delivery and diagnostic vehicles. Stimuli-responsive block copolymers afford a facile method for tuning the hydrophilic mass fraction to provide access to various solution morphologies. Reversible additionfragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization provides the ability to prepare stimuli-responsive block copolymers while maintaining precise control over the macromolecular characteristics (molecular weight, copolymer composition, functionality, etc.) that dictate nanostructure morphology.

This work may be divided into four sections. In the first section the synthesis and …