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Peptoids Advance Multidisciplinary Research And Undergraduate Education In Parallel: Sequence Effects On Conformation And Lipid Interactions, Christian J. Jimenez, Jiacheng Tan, Kalli M. Dowell, Gillian E. Gadbois, Cameron A. Read, Nicole Burgess, Jesus E. Cervantes, Shannon Chan, Anmol Jandaur, Tara Karanik, Jaenic J. Lee, Mikaela C. Ley, Molly Mcgeehan, Ann Mcmonigal, Kira L. Palazzo, Samantha A. Parker, Andre Payman, Maritza Soria, Lauren Verheyden, Vivian T. Vo, Jennifer Yin, Anna L. Calkins, Amelia A. Fuller, Grace Y. Stokes

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Peptoids are versatile peptidomimetic molecules with wide-ranging applications from drug discovery to materials science. An understanding of peptoid sequence features that contribute to both their three-dimensional structures and their interactions with lipids will expand functions of peptoids in varied fields. Furthermore, these topics capture the enthusiasm of undergraduate students who prepare and study diverse peptoids in laboratory coursework and/or in faculty led research. Here, we present the synthesis and study of 21 peptoids with varied functionality, including 19 tripeptoids and 2 longer oligomers. We observed differences in fluorescence spectral features for 10 of the tripeptoids that correlated with peptoid flexibility …

Effect Of Dissolved Salts On The Physiochemical Properties Of Deep Eutectic Solvents, Eleanor Haeska, Megan Radtke

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Green chemistry seeks to make chemical procedures safer, improve reaction efficiency, and utilize environmentally safe reagents. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have recently become of great interest due to their eco-friendly nature and functionality as solvent for various chemical processes. One key characteristic of DES is their conductive nature and depressed melting point. This project sought to determine the effect of the addition of aqueous solutions of halides on the conductivity of two selected types of DES. Also assessed were the polarity and viscosity of the DES. It can be concluded that aqueous halides had no measureable effect on the conductivity …

Dependence Physiological Activity Of The Nitraria Indol Alkaloids And Their Analogits On Chemical Structure, A. Ibragimov, A. Ibrohimov

Scientific journal of the Fergana State University

Relationship between chemical structure and physiological activity of Nitraria indol alkaloids and their synthesized analogists are studied. As a basis of analysis the data on toxicology as well as on hypotensiv and spasmolitic activity is taken.

Atomic Force Microscopy Tip-Enhanced Laser Ablation, Fan Cao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the present work, an apertureless atomic force microscope (AFM) tip-enhanced laser ablation (TELA) system was developed and investigated. An AFM was coupled to an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) wavelength tunable laser for sample ablation with a submicron sampling size. The AFM was used to image the surface and hold the AFM tip 10 nm above the sample surface. The AFM tip is coated with a layer of gold with a thickness of 35 nm. The incident laser wavelength was tuned in the visible and near-infrared (IR) region and focused on the AFM tip. With the tip-enhancement effect, ablation craters …

Fabrication Of Miniaturized Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices (Micropads), E. Brandon Strong, Spencer A. Schultz, Andres Martinez, Nathaniel W. Martinez

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (microPADs) are emerging as cost-effective and portable platforms for point-of-care assays. A fundamental limitation of microPAD fabrication is the imprecise nature of most methods for patterning paper. The present work demonstrates that paper patterned via wax printing can be miniaturized by treating it with periodate to produce higher-resolution, high-fidelity microPADs. The optimal miniaturization parameters were determined by immersing microPADs in various concentrations of aqueous sodium periodate (NaIO₄) for varying lengths of time. This treatment miniaturized microPADs by up to 80% in surface area, depending on the concentration of periodate and length of the reaction …

Differential Binding Of Tetrel-Bonding Bipodal Receptors To Monatomic And Polyatomic Anions, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Previous work has demonstrated that a bidentate receptor containing a pair of Sn atoms can engage in very strong interactions with halide ions via tetrel bonds. The question that is addressed here concerns the possibility that a receptor of this type might be designed that would preferentially bind a polyatomic over a monatomic anion since the former might better span the distance between the two Sn atoms. The binding of Cl⁻ was thus compared to that of HCOO⁻, HSO₄⁻, and H₂PO₄⁻ with a wide variety of bidentate receptors. A pair …

Toward The Impact Of Particulate Matter On Human Health: Evaluation Of Fluorescent Environmentally Persistent Free Radical (Epfr) Surrogates, Ansonia Badgett

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs)—a newly discovered pollutant associated with particulate matter (PM)—form during combustion and thermal processes, such as the incineration of hazardous waste. Various chlorine- and hydroxy-substituted benzenes chemisorb on the surface of metal oxides (e.g., NiO, CuO, and Fe₂O₃) and then form EPFRs, stabilized radical species, as the result of the transfer of electrons between the adsorbate and the metal ion of the metal oxide. Previous studies have shown direct correlations between ultra-fine (d < 0.1 mm) particulate matter (PM_0.1) exposure and adverse pulmonary health effects. PM_0.1 has the potential …

Computational Analysis Of The Structural Importance Of The Conserved Glycine Residues At Positions 31, 33, And 35 In The Chromophore Formation And Folding Of Green Fluorescent Protein, Franceine Welcome

Chemistry Honors Papers

Green fluorescent protein, initially cloned and expressed from the bioluminescent jellyfish, Aequorea victoria (avGFP), has a wide range of uses in cellular biology, one of which includes uses as a biological marker1. Variants of GFP exist, but some residues are highly conserved and necessary for appropriate chromophore formation. Some of these conserved residues are the glycine residues at positions 31, 33 and 35, though it they are not part of the tripeptide that forms the chromophore2 .

The objective of this honors study and 3 related independent studies was to use computational methods to find out why the glycines at …

An Overview Of Capillary Electrophoresis (Ce) In Clinical Analysis, David S. Hage

David Hage Publications

The development and general applications of capillary electrophoresis (CE) in the field of clinical chemistry are discussed. It is shown how the early development of electrophoresis was closely linked to clinical testing. The rise of gel electrophoresis in clinical chemistry is described, as well as the eventual developments that lead to the creation and the use of modern CE. The general principles of CE are reviewed and the potential advantages of this method in clinical testing are examined. Finally, an overview is presented of several areas in which CE has been developed and is currently being explored for use with …

Coordination Chemistry Of N,N’- Azodoxides, Lakshmi Balaraman

ETD Archive

The coordination chemistry of nitric oxide (NO) with transition metals has been extensively investigated, but that of organic NO derivatives as ligands less so. Some nitrosoalkanes RNO and nitrosoarenes ArNO are in equilibrium with dimeric species known as N,N'–azodioxides, R(O)NN(O)R or Ar(O)NN(O)Ar. The cis diastereomers of azodioxides have been proposed to act as bidentate chelating ligands for both main-group and transition metals, but only three azodioxide complexes, a dicationic iron (II) complex, a neutral scandium (III) complex, and a dicationic calcium (II) complex, have thus far been structurally characterized before our work in this area. The delocalized π system of …

The Relationship Between Rock Climbing And Total Body Strength And Endurance, Madison Gamma, Alexa Bruce, Madison Massey, Ashlee Cordero

The Corinthian

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to assess the relationship between muscular strength and endurance and time to complete a rock wall climb.

Methods: The researchers of this study tested 22 participants ranging from 19-25 years of age. An informed consent and a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ+) form were completed by each individual before being cleared to participate in this study. Data collection was completed on two separate days. On the first day, participants completed four fitness tests which consisted of a hand grip strength assessment, a 10-repetition maximum (RM) leg press, a flexed arm hang test, and …

Identifying C-Mannosylatedproteins In Raw264.7 Cells Via In Vitro Hsc70 Co-Immunoprecipitation Strategies, Nicholas Ryan Kegley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

C-mannosylation is a specific type of glycosylation in which α-mannose is covalently bound to the C2 atom of a tryptophan via a carbon-carbon bond. Presently, it is known to occur on proteins that contain the W-x-x-W-x-x-W/C motif found within the Thrombospondin Type-1 Repeat (TSR), with ‘x’ denoting any amino acid. C-mannosylation has been implicated in a number of cellular functions, including protein secretion and type I cytokine receptor function. Previous research has shown that exogenous C-mannosylated peptides derived from TSR-containing proteins upregulate the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. This upregulation is …

Characterizing The Effects Of Environmental Stressors On The Photosynthetic Capacity Of Chlorella Vulgaris, Amanda Louise Smythers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Chlorella vulgaris is a unicellular green algae grown throughout the world. Due to its multiple trophic modes as well as its ability to maintain high rates of growth under adverse conditions, it has been of global interest for use in ecological contamination studies, biofuel feedstock optimization, and studies of photosynthetic electron transfer. Using a wide-range of methods for physiological and photosynthetic characterization, the studies within seek to further extend the usefulness of C. vulgaris in a variety of environmentally important studies. Once the protocols were optimized specifically for this alga, they could be applied in both ecologically relevant and biodiesel …

Isolation And Identification Of Hsc70 Conjugates In Raw264.7 Murine Macrophage-Like Cells, Michael Arland Parsons

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

IL12R- β2 is a Type I cytokine receptor and contains the WXXW (WSNWS) sequence that often predicates the post-translational addition of mannose to a tryptophan residue via a carbon-carbon bond. This study will stimulate expression of IL12R- β2 in RAW 264.7 Macrophage-Like Cells by shutting down the extracellular signal kinase (ERK) pathway and introducing inflammatory agents lipopolysaccharide and CpG DNA in order to collect a concentrated sample of IL12R- β2. These samples will be analyzed for the presence of C-mannosyltryptophan residue

Novel Dna Origami Based Lateral Flow Assay Development, Adrienne Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Lateral flow assays (LFA) are used for point-of-care qualitative diagnostics of an analyte of interest, often in non-laboratory environments. Traditionally, the format of a lateral flow assay is to utilize immobilized antibodies on a membrane as the capture probe in conjunction with a reporting immunological recognition system for an analyte captured between them in a sandwich format. However, there are several shortcomings of antibodies which recommend their replacement with other recognition elements, if possible. The research described in this thesis was directed toward using several of the inherent properties of DNA based Origami nanostructures to enable the construction of DNA …

3d-Qsar, Molecular Docking, And Dynamics Simulation Of Quinazoline-Phosphoramidate Mustard Conjugates As Egfr Inhibitor, Ruslin Ruslin, Amelia Resky, Yamin Yamin, Sandra Megantara, Chun Wu, Muhammad Arba

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

To develop novel and more potent quinazoline–phosphoramidate mustard conjugates as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship [comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA)] combined with molecular docking were performed. A series of 13 compounds in the training set gave q2 values of 0.577 and 0.537, as well as r2 values of 0.926 and 0.921 for CoMFA and CoMSIA models, respectively. The contour maps that were produced by the CoMFA and CoMSIA models revealed that steric, electrostatic, and hydrophobic fields were crucial in the inhibitory activity of quinazoline–phosphoramidate derivatives. Based on the …

Homologous Recombination Under The Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscope, Dalton R. Gibbs, Soma Dhakal

Chemistry Publications

Homologous recombination (HR) is a complex biological process and is central to meiosis and for repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Although the HR process has been the subject of intensive study for more than three decades, the complex protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions during HR present a significant challenge for determining the molecular mechanism(s) of the process. This knowledge gap is largely because of the dynamic interactions between HR proteins and DNA which is difficult to capture by routine biochemical or structural biology methods. In recent years, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy has been a popular method in the field of HR to …

Conformations Of Tricyanofuran-Type Metastable-State Photoacids, Juan E. Arias

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Tricyanofuran-type metastable-state photoacids, relative newcomers to the field of photochromism, outperform traditional light-controlled molecular switches in regards to applicability in biological systems. In a preliminary attempt to understand the underlying processes that govern these compounds, this thesis project establishes the isomeric identity of an unsubstituted tricyanofuran-type metastable-state photoacid, referred to as TCF 1 in this work. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments are employed to experimentally determine the presence and identity of the open-form TCF 1 isomers. Electronic structure calculations are then used to provide quantitative insight into the experimental results. Experiment and theory show that four out of eight possible …

Assessing The Recyclability Of Stainless-Steel Powder Used In Selective Laser Melting-3d Printing, Alexis I. Keaton

Theses

Additive manufacturing (AM) is becoming one of the most distinctively growing versatile technologies. In most AM techniques that requires the use of powder, the powder that is not fused into the 3D print can be replenished and used for another build. Unfused powder is generally collected on the powder-bed after an AM build is complete. In most cases, the ability to replenish unfused powder with virgin powder aids in limiting any significant change in powder’s properties that may cause compromising the quality of the 3D prints. If no powder is added to the recycled powder it is likely to shift …

Attempted Synthesis Of 4’-Hydroxyacetophenone-1h-Benzotriazole By Benzyne-Azide Click Chemistry, Kevin Kee-Hoe Cheah

Theses

Ultraviolet light absorber or stabilizer (UVLS) is one of the many additives that is incorporated into a polymer formulation which functions by preferentially absorbing the UV light to prevent its photodegradation. UVLS such as 2-hydroxyphenylbenzotriazole (2H-BZT) and its derivatives are commercially used UV-light absorbers in different polymers. The synthesis of 2H-benzotriazoles solely relies on the two-step azo-coupling of the diazonium salt and reductive cyclization where the former reaction suffers from poor yield.1 The presence of a phenolic hydrogen in the ortho position to the phenyl ring attached to the nitrogen atom on the benzotriazole imparts excellent photochemical stability to the …

Single-Molecule Analysis Of I-Motif Within Self-Assembled Dna Duplexes And Nanocircles, Anoja Megalathan, Bobby D. Cox, Peter D. Wilkerson, Anisa Kaur, Kumar Sapkota, Joseph E. Reiner, Soma Dhakal

Chemistry Publications

The cytosine (C)-rich sequences that can fold into tetraplex structures known as i-motif are prevalent in genomic DNA. Recent studies of i-motif–forming sequences have shown increasing evidence of their roles in gene regulation. However, most of these studies have been performed in short single-stranded oligonucleotides, far from the intracellular environment. In cells, i-motif–forming sequences are flanked by DNA duplexes and packed in the genome. Therefore, exploring the conformational dynamics and kinetics of i-motif under such topologically constrained environments is highly relevant in predicting their biological roles. Using single-molecule fluorescence analysis of self-assembled DNA duplexes and nanocircles, we show that the …

Fluorogenic Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization In Aqueous Media As A Strategy For Detection, Zachary T. Allen, Jemima R. Sackey-Addo, Madeline P. Hopps, Danyal Tahseen, Joseph T. Anderson, Tyler A. Graf, Christina B. Cooley

Chemistry Faculty Research

The development of novel approaches to signal amplification in aqueous media could enable new diagnostic platforms for the detection of water-soluble analytes, including biomolecules. This paper describes a fluorogenic polymerization approach to amplify initiator signal by the detection of visible fluorescence upon polymerization in real-time. Fluorogenic monomers were synthesized and co-polymerized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in water to reveal increasing polymer fluorescence as a function of both reaction time and initiator concentration. Optimization of the fluorogenic ATRP reaction conditions allowed for the quantitative detection of a small-molecule initiator as a model analyte over a broad linear concentration range …

Development And Characterization Of An Inexpensive Single-Particle Fluorescence Spectrometer For Detection And Classification Of Pollen And Other Bioaerosols, Benjamin E. Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosols are ubiquitous throughout the Earth’s atmosphere and can be important with respect to environmental systems and human health. Pollen particles are a class of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) that cost the United States billions of dollars a year in loss of productivity and healthcare costs due to allergy and respiratory effects. Traditional methods of pollen detection rely on collection and subsequent identification by visual microscopy, yet few measurement stations exist in the United States. As such, current pollen forecasting models have relatively high prediction uncertainty, especially in regions without sampling stations. Recently, laser-induced fluorescence instrumentation has been …

Development Of A Hek293 Cell Line To Show Inhibition Of Tau Aggregation, Justin Ray Shady

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intracellular deposition of aggregated tau is the hallmark of several different tauopathies, the most widespread of these being Alzheimer's disease. Tau is a highly soluble, intrinsically disordered, microtubule associated protein. Tau's native function is to stabilize microtubule formation in the axons of neurons. Post translational modification such as hyperphosphorylation as well as several familial mutations allow tau to nucleate and form fibrils. These fibrils can recruit healthy monomers onto their ends in a fashion described as template-assisted growth. Tau has 6 isoforms that vary by the inclusion or exclusion of two N-terminal repeats and the inclusion or exclusion of the …

Influence Of Applied Potential And Metal Ion Concentraion On Metal Electrodeposition At Micron Gap Gold Electrodes, Krista Michel Riggins

Online Theses and Dissertations

Zamborini and Coworkers developed, a simple, low cost, and highly parallel electrochemical approach for fabricating nano-scale (metal/metal) or molecular (metal/polymer or self-assembled monolayer (SAM)/metal) junctions that should be useful in preparing working sensors and molecular electronic devices. The fabrication of metal/metal junctions involves metal deposition on one set of electrodes (E1), where the metal grows and becomes connected to a second set of electrodes (E2) of an Au interdigitated array of electrodes with a 5 µm separation. However, when different metals were deposited, they deposited in different fashions. Ag grew in the form of wires and Palladium deposited in the …

Anti-Hypochlorite And Catalytic Activity Of Commercially Available Moringa Oleifera Diet Supplement, Karolina Starzak, Bernadette Creaven, Arkadiusz Matwijczuk, Alicja Matwijczuk, Dariusz Karcz

Articles

Aiming at the assessment of the pro-health, and especially anti-hypochlorite properties of Moringa oleifera species a representative, commercially available Moringaoleifera dietary supplement was used as a substrate for the preparation of aqueous Moringa extract. The anti-hypochlorite activity of the extract was assessed using the hypochlorite-specific coumarin-based fluorescence turn-off sensor, namely 7-diethylamino-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (7-DCCA). This compound was synthesized via the Knoevenagel condensation of 4-diethylamino-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with Meldrum’sacidandtheMoringaextractwasemployedasamediumandcatalyst. Moreover,thetotal phenoliccontent(TPC)aswellasthereactiveoxygenspecies(ROS)–scavengingabilityoftheaqueous Moringa extract were determined. The results obtained demonstrated the applicability of Moringa extract as an anti-hypochlorite agent. Additionally, the satisfactory yield of the 7-DCCA obtained suggests the usefulness of the extract as a …

Ua66/1/4 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Dean's Office Student & Faculty Organizations, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about student and faculty organizations in the Ogden College of Science & Engineering.

Ua84 Sigma Chi, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the WKU chapter of Sigma Xi.

Photoassisted Synthesis Of Complex Polyheterocycles Via Esipt-Driven Dearomative Intramolecular Cycloadditions, Dmitry Kuznetsov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is focused on the development of novel photoassisted synthetic methodologies that provide straightforward access to complex and diverse libraries of polyheterocycles from modularly assembled precursors. All methods are based on the dearomative cycloadditions between two components: (i) o-azaxylylenes, generated by the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, and (ii) tethered arene groups.

We have demonstrated the synthetic utility of four new photoinduced processes that yield complex products amenable for post-photochemical modifications:

• [4+4] Cycloaddition of o-azaxylylenes to 1,3,4-oxadiazoles with subsequent dinitrogen extrusion. This reaction furnishes compounds outfitted with epoxide fragments, which undergo ring-openings with various nucleophiles; furthermore, the oxidized products …

Inhibition Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Formation With Surface Modified Polymeric Nanoparticles, Tyler R. Flockton, Logan Schnorbus, Agustin Araujo, Jill Adams, Maryjane Hammel, Lark Perez

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

The gram-negative bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents a prominent clinical concern. Due to the observed high levels of antibiotic resistance, copious biofilm formation, and wide array of virulence factors produced by these bacteria, new treatment technologies are required. Here, we present the development of a series of P. aeruginosa LecA-targeted polymeric nanoparticles and demonstrate the anti-adhesion and biofilm inhibitory properties of these constructs.