Digital Commons Network^™

Steps Toward The Total Synthesis Of The Chrysosporazine Family, Katie Kaczynski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with 19.3 million new cancer cases and 10 million deaths in 2020 alone. In the United States, cancer was the second leading cause of death after heart disease. One of the reasons that cancer is so frequently terminal is that cancerous cells frequently develop multidrug resistance (MDR) to frontline chemotherapeutical treatments, resulting in cancers cannot be treated and are inevitably fatal. This makes the discovery of ways to combat MDR so important in the treatment of cancer. The chrysosporazines are a family of recently discovered (2019) natural products that have …

Soymeal Based Bio-Based Adhesive For Wood Application, Prashant Kote

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Introducing bio-based materials as an alternative to petroleum-based products has been the greatest challenge for the industry which may reduce environmental problems. Currently, most of the wood adhesive is prepared using formaldehyde which is a non-renewable source as well as toxic. In this research, soybean meal was used as a renewable bio-based source for wood adhesive which has a potential to replace formaldehyde-based adhesives. In this study, soymeal was chemically modified, characterized, and evaluated for its adhesion performance, flow behavior, service life, and thermal stability.

In the first, soymeal was modified using acid (HCl), alkali (NaOH), and salt (CaCl_{2 …}

Biomaterials: From Scaffold Design To Implant Optimization, Jennifer Marie Armen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work encompasses three individual projects concerning biomaterials and their modifications. Chemically-Induced Cross-Linking of Peptidic Fibrils for Scaffolding Polymeric Particles and Macrophages EAK16-II (EAK) is a self-assembling peptide (SAP) that forms β-sheets and βfibrils through ionic-complementary interactions at physiological ionic strengths. The soft materials can be injected in vivo, creating depots of drugs and cells for rendering pharmacological and biological actions. The scope of the applications of EAK is sought to extend to tissues through which the flow of extracellular fluid tends to be limited. In such anatomical locales the rate and extent of the fibrilization are limited insofar as …

Phosphorus Enriched Modified-Douglas Fir Biochar As A Soil Amendment, Beatrice Arwenyo

Theses and Dissertations

Biochar application as a soil additive is gaining global acceptance. In this era of climate change, biochar use for improved soil productivity is not just a sustainable eco-friendly substitute to synthetic fertilizer, but a noble contributor to the fight against climate change. Although biochar has been accredited with some environmental and agricultural benefits, most studies concentrated on agricultural and biowaste products as feedstocks. This research was designed to explore P-enriched modified-Douglas fir biochar potential as a soil additive. Using corn as a test crop, greenhouse studies were performed on acidic sandy soil, comparing phosphorus enriched modified-Douglas fir biochar efficacy to …

Insights Into Molecular Recognition And Reactivity From Molecular Simulations Of Protein-Ligand Interactions Using Md And Qm/Mm, Jerrano L. Bowleg

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we have employed two computational methods, molecular dynamics (MD) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) MD simulations with umbrella sampling (US), to gain insights into the molecular mechanism governing the molecular recognition and reactivity in several protein-ligand complexes. Three systems involving protein-ligand interactions are examined in this dissertation utilizing well-established computational methodologies and mathematical modeling. The three proteins studied here are acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1). These enzymes are known to interact with a variety of ligands. AChE dysfunction caused by organophosphorus (OP) chemicals is a severe hazard since AChE is …

The Identification And Quantification Of Organophosphate Flame Retardants In Raw Materials Utilized In Polyurethane Production, Lindsay Tudor

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Flame retardant additives are utilized in various polyurethane applications to comply with industry and flammability standards. Federal regulations and restrictive standards continue to tighten controls on certain impurities found in flame retardant blends. These restrictions include the limitation of organophosphates. Extensive research has been conducted to examine the effects of organophosphates in humans. To date, researchers have predominantly focused on the final product, mainly furniture and bedding products, rather than the raw materials utilized in production. Industrial chemists continue to grapple with the development of an effective method for detecting and quantifying organophosphate compounds in various flame retardant mixtures as …

Analyzing The Interactions Of Thermoresponsive Coacervate-Forming Biodegradable Polyester Encapsulation On Model Protein Structure And Activity, Conner Casterline

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Protein therapeutics hold high efficacy in treatment for various diseases including cancer and diabetes. However, the treatment cost is generally higher than other therapeutics mainly due to in vivo protein degradation. This drawback creates demand for more efficient delivery methods to preserve the function and integrity of protein therapeutics. Thermoresponsive coacervate-forming biodegradable polyesters (TR-PEs) are a thermoresponsive molecular packaging system used in protein therapeutic research. The term coacervate refers to a phase-separated solution in which a dense polymer phase separates from the aqueous phase to form nanodroplets within solution, capturing bioactive molecules. Limited research demonstrates if TR-PEs can encapsulate and …

Characterization Of Bimetallic Silver-Copper Nanoinks With Hydroxyethyl-Cellulose Additives, Daniel Brunick

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Coinage metal nanoparticles remain an intriguing subject for research due to their industrial versatility. Primary applications of coinage metal nanoparticles include printed electronics, solar panels, and sensors. Inks formulated with the nanoparticles are conductive and thus useful for fabricating sensors. Silver-copper nanoalloy inks are viable for the fabrication of flexible sensing devices for the detection of volatile organic compounds. One of the challenges is the ability to synthesize composition-controllable alloy nanoparticles at room temperature through wet chemical methods and achieve controllable sintering at room temperature. This work addresses the challenges by investigating the room-temperature synthesis of silver-copper alloy nanoparticles and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Hydrazine Derivatives Of Coumarin For Bioorthogonal Chemistry Inside Cells, Akiva J. Grimaldi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Protein carbonylation is one manifestation of oxidative stress, which is characteristic of many diseases. Our lab has developed several coumarin-hydrazine based fluorescent probes capable of detecting carbonylation in live cells via the formation of hydrazone conjugates. As an effort to expand and improve on these achievements, this work presents new data regarding the synthesis and characterization of three such probes. Two of the probes—julolidine coumarin hydrazide (JCH) and trifluoromethyl coumarin hydrazine (TFCH)—were previously synthesized by our lab. Here, JCH is studied in terms of its reaction speed and fluorescence enhancement in acylhydrazone formation with aldehydes under various conditions and catalytic …

Optimization Of Paper-Based Substrates For Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Biosensor Development, Kaylee M. Cappuccio

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Advancements in the field of analytical chemistry have greatly expanded the development of biosensors for the detection of a wide array of diseases. This study aims to optimize an affordable paper-based nanocomposite biosensor that utilizes surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Specifically, it investigates the preparation parameters for a paper-based SERS substrate, including nanoparticle administration and drying procedures. A particular focus of this work is to assess how the wax-defined paper channels can effectively enhance SERS intensity. The results revealed that while the wax-printed wells can define the nanoparticle administration for SERS detection, wax backing may reduce the sensitivity of SERS by …

Biophysical Insight Into The Sars-Cov2 Spike–Ace2 Interaction And Its Modulation By Hepcidin Through A Multifaceted Computational Approach, Hamid Hadi-Alijanvand, Luisa Di Paola, Guang Hu, David M. Leitner, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Peixin Sun, Humanath Poudel, Alessandro Giuliani

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

At the center of the SARS-CoV2 infection, the spike protein and its interaction with the human receptor ACE2 play a central role in the molecular machinery of SARS-CoV2 infection of human cells. Vaccine therapies are a valuable barrier to the worst effects of the virus and to its diffusion, but the need of purposed drugs is emerging as a core target of the fight against COVID19. In this respect, the repurposing of drugs has already led to discovery of drugs thought to reduce the effects of the cytokine storm, but still a drug targeting the spike protein, in the infection …

The Scientific Method As A Scaffold To Enhance Communication Skills In Chemistry, Thomas D. Montgomery, Joanne Rae Buchbinder, Ellen S. Gawalt, Robbie J. Iuliucci, Andrew S. Koch, Evangelia Kotsikorou, Patrick E. Lackey, Min Soo Lim, Jeffrey Joseph Rohde, Alexander J. Rupprecht

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Scientific success in the field of chemistry depends upon the mastery of a wide range of soft skills, most notably scientific writing and speaking. However, training for scientific communication is typically limited at the undergraduate level, where students struggle to express themselves in a clear and logical manner. The underlying issue is deeper than basic technical skills; rather, it is a problem of students’ unawareness of a fundamental and strategic framework for writing and speaking with a purpose. The methodology has been implemented for individual mentorship and in our regional summer research program to deliver a blueprint of thought and …

Synthetic Investigations In Chemical Probe Development Part 1: Design And Synthesis Of Novel Triton X-405 Adenosine Conjugates; Part 2: Synthesis Of 2,8-Dihydroxychrysene, Rachel Irene Hammond

Honors Theses

Although not drugs themselves, chemical probes are a necessary tool in biomedical research for the interrogation of biological systems. In the present synthetic investigation, two chemical probes were developed – a Triton X-405 adenosine conjugate (TX-405A) and 2,8-dihydroxychrysene. The designed TX-405A conjugate was generated in four steps through tosylation and amination of TX-405 such that EDC-coupling of TX-amine with 2’,3’-Isopropylidene adenosine-5’-carboxylic acid afforded TX-405A following acetonide deprotection. The development of TX-405A represents the first report of the synthesis and utilization of a detergent-linked dosimeter. The synthesis of 2,8-dihydroxychrysene provided an in-depth exploration on the unique reactivity of chrysene. The desired …

A Study Of Cannabigerolic Acid And Its Derivatives Via Raman Spectroscopy And Density Functional Theory, Trevor Wolfe

Honors Theses

The cannabinoids are a class of molecules endogenous to the cannabis plant. Their scientific relevance has increased in recent years due to the mercurial legal status of marijuana across the United States. Some of the most known are cannabidiol (CBD), δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (δ9-THC), and δ8-THC due in large part to their widespread use, especially in states where marijuana and related products are legal. However, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is arguably the most important cannabinoid; it is enzymatically converted into other acidic cannabinoids, which subsequently undergo non-enzymatic processes (isomerization, thermal decarboxylation, oxidation, etc.) to synthesize further cannabinoids. Although there is a wealth of …

Lc-Ms Identification Of Serum Proteins Adsorbed Onto Ionic Liquid-Coated Nanoparticles, Anh M. Hoang

Honors Theses

Nanocarriers are promising candidates for drug delivery due to their size and tunable surface characteristics. However, when they are intravenously injected, few particles make it to their designated location. This is because upon entering the bloodstream, the serum in the blood, which is rich with a diversity of proteins, adsorbs onto the particles’ surfaces forming a protein corona. Many of the attached proteins trigger the mobile immune system and are removed by macrophages, and many particles are then filtered out by the liver and kidneys. Ionic Liquids (ILs), which consist of asymmetric, bulky components that are liquid

Analysis Of The Light Responsive Azobenzene Peptide Nucleic Acid Duplexes, Kat Nguyen

Honors College Theses

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are oligonucleotide analogues in which the sugar-phosphate backbone has been replaced by a pseudopeptide skeleton. Since PNAs use the natural nucleobases (Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Uracil, and Guanine) found in either DNA and/or RNA, they are able to hybridize according to Watson-Crick base-pairing to form duplexes. PNA is a promising therapeutic agent because they can function as antigene or antisense chemical agents. To further enhance their utility, we aim to incorporate a photoswitchable moiety using azobenzene. Here, we report the results of the synthesis and purification of a photoswitchable 11 mer PNA along with initial characterization efforts.

Climatic Influences On Summer Use Of Winter Precipitation By Trees, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Scott T. Allen, Sabine Braun, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, James W. Kirchner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Trees in seasonal climates may use water originating from both winter and summer precipitation. However, the seasonal origins of water used by trees have not been systematically studied. We used stable isotopes of water to compare the seasonal origins of water found in three common tree species across 24 Swiss forest sites sampled in two different years. Water from winter precipitation was observed in trees at most sites, even at the peak of summer, although the relative representation of seasonal sources differed by species. However, the representation of winter precipitation in trees decreased with site mean annual precipitation in both …

Theoretical Aspects Of Calculation Of Photocurrent In Structures With Periodically Spaced Heterinclusions, R. Аyukhanov, A. Uteniyazov, S. Farmonov, N. Shernazarov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The processes of excitation of photoconductivity in structures with heteroinclusions with a band gap greater than the band gap of the base material of the matrix have been studied. Structures are studied when such macroinclusions are located periodically and are located at distances equal to the size of the inclusions. A technique has been developed and analytical expressions have been derived for calculating the photocurrent and specific photoconductivity in such structures.

Injection Depletion Effect In Semiconductors With Pair Impurity Complexes, A. Yu. Leyderman, A. Uteniyazov, R. Turmanova, M. Dauletbayev

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The possibility of realizing the effect of injection depletion in a ⁺ -structure made on the basis of a semiconductor with paired donor-acceptor complexes is considered. It is shown that the appearance of this effect is possible under conditions of almost complete compensation of the shallow dopant donor impurity by the charge of the acceptor component of the pair complex. A necessary condition is also a strong asymmetry of the coefficients of capture of holes at the acceptor level in comparison with the coefficient of capture of electrons at the donor level.

Nonlinear Photoelasticity Processes Near Resonances At The Frequency Of Electronic Transitions From Deep Levels To The Conduction Zone, R. Аyukhanov, A. Uteniyazov, S. Farmonov, N. Shernazarov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The phenomenon of nonlinear photoelasticity, which consists of the occurrence of nonlinear photoelasticity coefficients comparable in magnitude to linear ones near the electronic resonance between the deep impurity levels and the bottom of the conduction zone, is considered theoretically. Analytical expressions for the Fourier decomposition coefficients of the dielectric permittivity of the crystal in the phase of the sound wave, which are proportional to the photoelasticity coefficients, are obtained. A general criterion for the nonlinear photoelasticity effect in the investigated frequency region is found numerically. It is shown that high deformation potentials of deep levels stimulate the appearance of this …

Fluorinated Molecularly Imprinted Polymer - Monomer And Polymer Synthesis For Pfoa Sorption, Sean Durbin

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

A Machine Learning Based Approach To Detect The Ethereum Fraud Transactions With Limited Attributes, Rabia Musheer Aziz, Mohammed Farhan Baluch, Sarthak Patel, Pavan Kumar

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Ethereum smart contracts have recently received new commercial applications and a lot of attention from the scientific community. Ethereum eliminates the requirement for a trusted third party by allowing untrusted parties to expose contract details in computer code. Nonetheless, as online commerce grows, plenty of fraudulent activities, such as money laundering, bribery, and phishing, emerge as major threats to trade security. For correctly recognizing fraudulent transactions, this paper developed a Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM) technique-based model. The modified LGBM model optimized the parameters of Light GBM using the Euclidean distant structured estimation approach. This paper also examines the performance …

A Bi-Level Data Lowering Method To Minimize Transferring Big Data In The Sensors Of Iot Applications, Ali Kadhum M. Al-Qurabat, Ali Kadhum Idrees, Abdallah Makhoul, Chady Abou Jaoude

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In the IoT era, the number of devices connected to it continues to grow significantly. This can lead to an increase in the amount of reported data by these IoT devices. The reported data by the Sensor Nodes (SNs) to the Gateway (GW) drives these IoT sensors to consume their energy and storage. These problems can be solved by reducing the amount of data in the source nodes in order to reduce both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of storage required. Energy consumption represents one aspect of the Quality of Service (QoS) in the sensor nodes of …

An Economical Source For Peroxidase: Maize Cobs, Hathama Razooki Hasan, Ali Waleed Al- Ani

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

According to the current situation of peroxidase (POD), the relevant studies on this enzyme indicated its importance as a tool in clinical biochemistry and different industrial fields. Most of these studies used the fruits and vegetables as source of this enzyme. So that in order to couple the growing requirements for POD with the recent demands for reduc-ing disposal volume by recycling the plant waste, the aim of the present study was to extract POD through management of municipal bio-waste of Iraqi maize species. A simple, green and economical method was used to extract this enzyme. Our results revealed that …

Efficient Removal Of Common Organic Pollutants From Water By Zn-Doped Tio2 Nanoparticles With Different Applications, Khaled Elgendy, Ibrahim Elmehasseb, Saleh Kandil

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Water purification via adsorption without energy consumption was considered a green process. Zn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were fabricated by the Sol-gel method and characterized by different analysis techniques. Zinc doping of TiO2 increases the surface area to 26.7m2g-1 with adsorption results, 75.1%, 71.1%, and 68.2% for methylene blue, ofloxacin, and SLS, respectively. Variable affecting factors on adsorption have been studied. The adsorption behavior fitted with Langmuir and Freundlich equations than Temkin isotherm, indicating the preferred heterogeneous adsorption at equivalent adsorbent sites. The application of nanoparticles in many synthetic specimens of pollutants gave excellent removal results, which exceeded 75% of detoxification.

Synthesis Of Cuo/Zno And Mgo/Zno Core/Shell Nanoparticles With Plasma Jets And Study Of Their Structural And Optical Properties, Raghad S. Mohammed, Kadhim A. Aadim, Khalid A. Ahmed

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

This paper reports the synthesis of CuO/ZnO and MgO/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles using atmospheric plasma jets. The characterization of the synthesized CuO/ZnO and MgO/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles were confirmed by a series of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The XRD analysis confirmed no other peaks related to the secondary phases for CuO, MgO, or ZnO, indicating the purity of these nanoparticles. Additionally, EDX analysis confirmed the formation of high purity CuO/ZnO and MgO/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles. The surface morphology, which represented the high agglomeration rate, was investigated using …

Numerical Analysis Of A Silicon-Based Electro-Optic Modulator, Mario Alberto García-Ramírez, Orfil González-Reynoso, Everardo Vargas-Rodríguez, Miguel Angel Bello-Jiménez, Abel García-Barrientos

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

A phase shift electro-optic semiconductor structure that features a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) is numerically analyzed. The interferometer structure considers a highly-doped Si-based waveguide that can control the phase shift by varying the refractive index through the carrier concentration while applying a control voltage. To analyze the structure, Kramers-Kronig dispersion relations, the effective index method and the Drude model are implemented within a finite element software. As a result, for an optical waveguide structure with a 9 mm length and 10 V, it is possible to obtain a phase shift by that allows, at the output of the MZI, total interference …

Partial Pseudo-Random Hashing For Transactional Memory Read/Write Data Processing And Validation, G M Sridevi, Ashoka D V, B V Ajay Prakash

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Development of a bypass parallel processing block is one of the emerging and interesting research areas in memory read/write application domain. Many Random Number Generation (RNG) techniques have been introduced for processing the data in storage memory. But the limitations include reduced efficiency, increased computational complexity, high area consumption and higher cost. This paper presents a novel dynamic memory register with optimal XOR design based on partial pseudo-random hashing to process transactional memory read/write data. Transfer characteristics of the current are analysed based on the pseudo differential pair for proficient memory utilization. A memory window is then created and adjusted …

A Content-Based File Identification Dataset: Collection, Construction, And Evaluation, Saja Dheyaa Khudhur, Hassan Awheed Jeiad

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

File-Type Identification (FTI) is one of the essential functions that can be performed by examining the data blocks' magic numbers. However, this examination leads to a challenge when a file is corrupt, or these magic numbers are missing. Content-based analytics is the best way for file type identification when the magic numbers are not available. This paper prepares and presents a content-based dataset for eight common types of files based on twelve features. We designed our dataset to be used for supervised and unsupervised machine learning models. It provides the ability to classify and cluster these types into two levels, …

Nigella Sativa Methanol Extract Inhibits Pc-3 Cell Line Colonization, Induced Apoptosis, And Modulated Lc3-Based Autophagy, Yusuf Toy, Merve Kivrik, Marwa H. Alkhafaji, Aryan M. Faraj, Ibrahim H. Gecibesler, Can A. Ağca

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Nigella sativa has various pharmacological properties and has been used throughout history for a variety of reasons. However, there is limited data about the effects of Nigella sativa (NS) on human cancer cells. This study aimed at observing the roles of methanolic extract of N. sativa on apoptosis and autophagy pathway in the Human PC3 (prostate cancer) cell line. The cell viability was checked by MTT assay. Clonogenic assay was performed to demonstrate clonogenicity and Western blot was used to check caspase-3, TIGAR, p53, and LC3 protein expression. The results demonstrated that PC3 cell proliferation was inhibited, caspase-3 and p53 …