Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Chemistry

Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 121 - 150 of 33357

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Development Of Minimalist Trifunctional Building Blocks For Chemical Biology Probe Synthesis, Luke E. Bohrer Aug 2026

Development Of Minimalist Trifunctional Building Blocks For Chemical Biology Probe Synthesis, Luke E. Bohrer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 generated expectations that genomic information would accelerate the discovery of new protein drug targets and FDA-approved therapies. However, many small-molecule drug candidates continue to fail in clinical trials, and much of the human proteome remains undercharacterized in terms of structure, function, and disease relevance. Chemical tools are therefore essential for defining protein function, mapping protein interactions, and identifying disease-associated molecular mechanisms. Among these tools, small-molecule chemical probes provide a powerful strategy for connecting biological activity with target identification, functional analysis, and the development of effective therapies.

This dissertation describes the development …


65th Annual Rocky Mountain Conference On Magnetic Resonance Aug 2026

65th Annual Rocky Mountain Conference On Magnetic Resonance

Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance

Conference program, abstracts, and information about the 65th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance. Held in the Snowbird Resort and Conference Center, Snowbird, Utah, August 2-6, 2026.


Assessing The Impact Dynamics Of Less Lethal Ammunition, Steven Bermejo Aug 2026

Assessing The Impact Dynamics Of Less Lethal Ammunition, Steven Bermejo

Student Theses

Less-lethal ammunition is widely used by law enforcement as an alternative to lethal force during crowd control, on-street confrontations, and other situations requiring force. Although these projectiles are intended to reduce risk of fatal injury, serious injuries and fatalities have been reported, highlighting the need to better understand the factors that influence their impact behavior. This study evaluated the impact dynamics of four types of 12-gauge less-lethal ammunition, including rubber buckshot, single rubber ball, double rubber ball, and Byrna kinetic projectile, using kinetic energy calculations derived from projectile mass and velocity measurements. In addition, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared …


Real Bullets, Plastic Guns: Evaluating The Strength Of 3-D Printed Gun Parts, Maria Latenia Mayol Aug 2026

Real Bullets, Plastic Guns: Evaluating The Strength Of 3-D Printed Gun Parts, Maria Latenia Mayol

Student Theses

Privately made firearms (PMFs), often referred to as “ghost guns,” are firearms manufactured or assembled by individuals rather than federally licensed manufacturers. Although the terms are frequently used interchangeably, “ghost gun” more specifically describes an unserialized firearm, whereas PMFs include a broader range of firearms produced through nontraditional manufacturing methods. PMFs may be entirely 3-D printed, assembled from partially completed firearm kits, or constructed by integrating additively manufactured components with commercially manufactured firearm parts. The increasing accessibility of additive manufacturing and widespread dissemination of computer-aided design files have raised concerns about concealment, regulation, and forensic evasion, particularly when factory-manufactured components …


The Computed Microwave Spectrum Of The Protonated Fullerene C60H+, Laszlo Nemes, Jos Oomens, Vincent J. Esposito, Vincent Boudon, Alexander G. G. M. Tielens Aug 2026

The Computed Microwave Spectrum Of The Protonated Fullerene C60H+, Laszlo Nemes, Jos Oomens, Vincent J. Esposito, Vincent Boudon, Alexander G. G. M. Tielens

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The largest known molecule in the interstellar medium of galaxies, C60, has been detected in its neutral and cationic form through its vibrational, UV-driven fluorescence emission spectrum and its electronic absorption spectrum, respectively. The detection of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules through their pure rotation spectrum in cold, dense, molecular cloud cores suggests that C60 might be present in these environments as well. The low flux of UV pumping photons in molecular cloud cores and the absence of suitably bright background stars, make detection of C60 and its cation through the commonly used methods impractical. As …


Single Fluorogens And Orientation-Localization Microscopy For Quantifying Chemical And Biomolecular Dynamics At The Nanoscale, Yiyang Chen, Yuanxin Qiu, Matthew D. Lew Aug 2026

Single Fluorogens And Orientation-Localization Microscopy For Quantifying Chemical And Biomolecular Dynamics At The Nanoscale, Yiyang Chen, Yuanxin Qiu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Many chemical systems look uniform only because ensemble measurements average over their most interesting molecules. Electron-transfer rates vary across electrode surfaces; lipid membranes contain nanodomains with distinct packing and fluidity; peptide aggregates exhibit local polymorphism; and biomolecular condensates contain transient networks of interactions that are blurred in ensemble images. A central challenge in chemical imaging is not simply to see smaller structures, but to measure chemical variables such as polarity, redox potential, and molecular confinement at the single-molecule level. In this Account, we describe how fluorogens, molecules whose brightness, blinking, spectral shifts, orientation, rotational mobility, and motion are directly shaped …


Crystal Structure Of New Polar Rare Earth Borates Na2.62Ln2.12(Bo3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) Containing Isolated Bo3 Groups, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Hans Conrad Zur Loye Aug 2026

Crystal Structure Of New Polar Rare Earth Borates Na2.62Ln2.12(Bo3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) Containing Isolated Bo3 Groups, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Three new rare earth borates, Na2.62Ln2.12(BO3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm), were synthesized via a high-temperature solution reaction using a BaCO3–H3BO3–NaF flux and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Amm2 with lattice parameters a = 5.0985(10) Å, b = 11.180(2) Å, c = 7.1483(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.48(14) Å3 (Z = 2) for Na2.62Pr2.12(BO3)3, a = 5.0983(10) Å, b = 11.181(2) Å, c = 7.1491(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.51(14) Å3 (Z = 2) for Na2.62Nd2.12(BO3)3, and a = 5.08630(10) Å, b …


Single Crystal Growth Of The Orthoborate Nabalu(Bo3)2 And Optical Investigation Of Eu3+ And Tb3+ Doped Nabalu(Bo3)2, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Lakshani W. Masachchi, Hans Conrad Zur Loye Aug 2026

Single Crystal Growth Of The Orthoborate Nabalu(Bo3)2 And Optical Investigation Of Eu3+ And Tb3+ Doped Nabalu(Bo3)2, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Lakshani W. Masachchi, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Sodium barium lutetium borate NaBaLu(BO3)2 crystals were synthesized using a high-temperature solution method. The crystal structure of this layered orthoborate is described and corresponds to that of an extensive orthoborates family, NaBaR(BO3)2 (R = Sc, Y, Yb, Tb – Lu). NaBaLu(BO3)2 was doped by Eu3+ and Tb3+ to explore its performance as a host material and to investigate the luminescent properties of the Eu3+ and Tb3+ doped materials. The emission spectra of the NaBaLu(BO3)2:Ln (Ln = Eu, Tb) crystals are presented. The most …


Effects Of Bidisperse Gold Nanoparticles On Near-Infrared Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) In Quick-Freezing-Induced Gold Nanoparticle Aggregates (Qfiaas), Elissa M. Dojka Aug 2026

Effects Of Bidisperse Gold Nanoparticles On Near-Infrared Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) In Quick-Freezing-Induced Gold Nanoparticle Aggregates (Qfiaas), Elissa M. Dojka

Forensic Science Master's Projects

Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) aggregates formed via rapid freezing in liquid nitrogen exhibit strong near-infrared (NIR) plasmonic coupling. These quick-freezing-induced AuNP aggregates (QFIAAs) form moderately sized, colloidally stable structures that remain suspended for over three months, supporting a variety of analytical applications. Mechanistically, QFIAA formation arises from the confinement of nanoparticles and ions within advancing ice grain boundaries during freeze-concentration. This mechanical crowding promotes extreme physical proximity while simultaneously elevating local ionic strength, which screens electrostatic barriers to drive the assembly of dense, tightly coupled plasmonic networks.

This study investigates the plasmonic and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) behavior of bidisperse QFIAA …


Analysis Of Terpenes In Cannabis Flowers Using Gas Chromatography Via Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction (Hs-Spme), Hannah I. Bergner Aug 2026

Analysis Of Terpenes In Cannabis Flowers Using Gas Chromatography Via Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction (Hs-Spme), Hannah I. Bergner

Forensic Science Master's Projects

As cannabis commercialization grows, rigorous profiling of cannabinoids, terpenes, and chemical contaminants is legally required for industry standardization and consumer safety. Terpenes are highly volatile components that dictate the unique aromatic profiles and therapeutic properties of cannabis via receptor pathways. This project focused on a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector/mass selective detector (GC-FID/MSD) combined with headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) sampling to analyze terpenes present in four cannabis samples. Cannabis samples were tightly sealed in vials (10 mL) and heated to vaporize terpenes in the headspace above the samples, followed by the extraction of the vaporized terpenes using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated SPME …


Method Validation Of The Cdc Bottle Bioassay And A Historical Record Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Glacier National Park, Evah F. Peard Aug 2026

Method Validation Of The Cdc Bottle Bioassay And A Historical Record Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Glacier National Park, Evah F. Peard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Certain contaminants can persist in the environment for long periods of time, build up within living tissues, travel far from their origin, and harm both ecosystems and organisms. This thesis focuses on two types of contaminants: insecticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Insecticides are manufactured to control pests while PAHs are found in oil and gas products and can be produced by industry, vehicle engines, and wildfires. Understanding how harmful these contaminants are and where they end up in the environment is critical for protecting environmental health.

First, I evaluated a widely used test developed by the Centers for Disease …


Pesticide Dissipation In Agroecosystems – Exploring Pesticide Fate And Transport Mechanisms To Protect Alternative Pollinators, Calvin Luu Aug 2026

Pesticide Dissipation In Agroecosystems – Exploring Pesticide Fate And Transport Mechanisms To Protect Alternative Pollinators, Calvin Luu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Honey bees are the most well-known pollinators, but there exists thousands of other bee species that contribute to pollination; one such group of bees are the solitary bees. True to their namesake, solitary bees do not live in hives like honey bees. Some solitary bees, like alfalfa leafcutting bees (ALCB) and blue orchard bees, can pollinate crops more efficiently than honey bees. However, since they live solitary lives, pesticide exposure is much more harmful to their overall population. If one honey bee dies from pesticide exposure, the hive can still survive, and the queen bee will continue producing offspring. If …


Developing Solvent Tolerant Microbial Membranes: Lipid Extraction And Laurdan Fluorescence Approaches For Biofuel Optimization, Gladstone Anku Aug 2026

Developing Solvent Tolerant Microbial Membranes: Lipid Extraction And Laurdan Fluorescence Approaches For Biofuel Optimization, Gladstone Anku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high demand for sustainable energy has increased interest in advanced biofuels, though production is limited by solvent toxicity to microbial hosts. This study investigated the role of lipid composition in modulating membrane fluidity and solvent tolerance using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism. Five strains were cultured, and membrane lipids were extracted and analyzed using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; however, inconsistent results limited compositional characterization. To address this problem, reconstituted vesicles composed of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were used as model membranes. Membrane fluidity was assessed using Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy by measuring generalized polarization (GP) values …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Carbon Quantum Dots And Gold Nanoparticles For Norovirus Biosensing Applications In Water Systems, Breanne Evans Aug 2026

Synthesis And Characterization Of Carbon Quantum Dots And Gold Nanoparticles For Norovirus Biosensing Applications In Water Systems, Breanne Evans

Master's Theses

Rapid, reliable detection of viral pathogens remains a significant challenge across water-treatment and environmental monitoring systems, including drinking-water, wastewater, water reuse, and environmental surveillance applications. Waterborne viral contamination can pose substantial public-health risks, making early detection essential for protecting water quality and responding quickly to treatment failures or contamination events. Direct potable reuse (DPR) is one particularly demanding example because it requires continuous verification of treatment performance and the broader need for rapid virus monitoring extends across many water-treatment and environmental surveillance applications. Norovirus is a priority target because of its widespread occurrence in wastewater, environmental persistence, and exceptionally low …


Tellurium Selenide Quantum Wires Synthesized By Pulsed Laser Ablation In Liquids, Rajendra Subedi, Francisco Ruiz-Zepeda, Iono Hill, Geraldine Hallais, Etienne Herth, Gregory Guisbiers Aug 2026

Tellurium Selenide Quantum Wires Synthesized By Pulsed Laser Ablation In Liquids, Rajendra Subedi, Francisco Ruiz-Zepeda, Iono Hill, Geraldine Hallais, Etienne Herth, Gregory Guisbiers

Faculty Scholarship

Tellurium–selenide (TexSe1-x) binary alloys are promising chalcogenide systems with tunable optoelectronic properties, yet their synthesis in quantumly confined one-dimensional forms remains limited. Here, we report the synthesis of TexSe1-x quantum wires (QWs) via a two-step pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) approach, enabling surfactant-free formation of alloyed nanostructures under non-equilibrium conditions. A tellurium colloid is first generated and subsequently exposed to selenium ablation, promoting in-situ alloying through repeated plasma-bubble interactions at high repetition rate. The resulting QWs exhibit an average diameter of ~17 ± 4 nm and a length of ~475 ± 46 nm. Structural and chemical analyses (XRD, Raman, …


Imaging Oxygen Near Implanted Medical Devices Through Tissue With X-Ray And Ultrasound Modulated Luminescence Chemical Imaging, Vigjna Abbaraju Aug 2026

Imaging Oxygen Near Implanted Medical Devices Through Tissue With X-Ray And Ultrasound Modulated Luminescence Chemical Imaging, Vigjna Abbaraju

All Dissertations

Oxygen plays a crucial role in stem cell maintenance, tissue regeneration, disease progression, and treatment efficacy. For example, understanding oxygen dynamics within implanted medical devices, such as bone scaffolds, is essential for successful tissue regeneration and can serve as an early indicator of infection. The existing oxygen sensing and imaging techniques are often limited by narrow imaging depth, low spatial resolution in vivo resulting in poor understanding of oxygen dynamics in tissue microenvironments. This dissertation describes the development of implantable sensors using X-ray scintillators and thermochromic leuco dye paired with phosphorescent oxygen dye (PtTFPP) to image oxygen using X-ray luminescent …


Nanostructured Insulated Electrodes For Directed Nanoparticle Assembly: Development And Characterization, Thomas F. Burgess Aug 2026

Nanostructured Insulated Electrodes For Directed Nanoparticle Assembly: Development And Characterization, Thomas F. Burgess

All Dissertations

Nanoparticles exhibit unique properties dependent on their size, shape, and arrangement that are critical for sensing applications, such as the localized surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. Therefore, control over their assembly facilitates control over these properties. For this purpose, nanostructured insulated electrodes were developed and characterized for directed assembly of nanoparticle clusters. Electrode characterization required a new method for relative electric field quantification from electric force microscopy (EFM) measurements, implemented via an extended Hudlet model to estimate the field between the sample and the EFM probe apex. Restricting analysis to the apex – sample interaction improves spatial resolution and …


Structure And Dynamics Of Associative Polymers Under Quiescent State And Flow, Rosita Sivaraj Aug 2026

Structure And Dynamics Of Associative Polymers Under Quiescent State And Flow, Rosita Sivaraj

All Dissertations

Associative polymers, including ionizable polymers, are widely used in membranes, coatings, fuel cells, energy storage, and other advanced soft materials. Their properties are governed by ionic aggregation and associative interactions, which influence chain mobility, phase behavior, self-assembly, interdiffusion, and flow response. This dissertation employs large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the structure, dynamics, phase behavior, interdiffusion, and extensional flow response of ion-containing and associative polymer systems under quiescent and nonequilibrium conditions.

The influence of molecular architecture is first examined by comparing ring and linear associative polymers using the Kremer–Grest bead-spring model. In linear chains, their closed-loop architecture reduces interchain …


The Exploration Of One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Frustrated Magnetic Transition Metal Phosphates And Arsenates Via Hydrothermal Synthesis, Emily D. Williams Aug 2026

The Exploration Of One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Frustrated Magnetic Transition Metal Phosphates And Arsenates Via Hydrothermal Synthesis, Emily D. Williams

All Dissertations

Geometric magnetic frustration is a term that refers to magnetic spins that are “confused” or frustrated due to geometric arrangements of magnetic ions that prohibit the spins from magnetically ordering. This phenomenon has been subject to much research due to the ability to study exotic magnetic states and expand upon knowledge that would allow for materials to be implemented into quantum computing, memory storage and advanced sensor processing. One of the most exotic magnetic states, quantum spin liquids (QSL), has never been achieved but shows much promise. In the QSL state, magnetic spins do not order down to 0 K …


Attenuation Of Redox Interference In Ruo2 Ph Sensor Using A Ta2o5/Nafion Multilayer Architecture, Wade Lonsdale, Magdalena Wajrak, Md Mahamudul Hassan, James Jin Kang Aug 2026

Attenuation Of Redox Interference In Ruo2 Ph Sensor Using A Ta2o5/Nafion Multilayer Architecture, Wade Lonsdale, Magdalena Wajrak, Md Mahamudul Hassan, James Jin Kang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite the growing preference for solid-state pH sensors due to their advantages over glass pH electrodes, their practical application is still limited by challenges, particularly in metal-oxide based systems. The main issue is their susceptibility to redox-active species such as dissolved oxygen, ascorbic acid, sulfides, and transition-metal ions. In this work, the effects of representative redox interferents, with particular emphasis on ascorbic acid, together with dissolved oxygen and potassium permanganate, were investigated and mitigated through the application of Ta2O5/Nafion overlayers. The solid-state metal-oxide pH-sensitive electrodes were fabricated with laser micro-etching of radio-frequency (RF) sputtered RuO2 thin films deposited on ceramic …


On The Operation Of A Proteomics Core Facility: Selected Mass Spectrometric Studies And Methods, Rachel E. Muriph Aug 2026

On The Operation Of A Proteomics Core Facility: Selected Mass Spectrometric Studies And Methods, Rachel E. Muriph

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Mass spectrometry has become an indispensable analytical platform for investigating complex biological systems owing to its sensitivity, selectivity, and molecular specificity. This Dissertation demonstrates the versatility of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) through three studies focused on nanoparticle characterization, protein structural analysis, and plasma proteomics. In Chapter 2, LC-MS methods were developed to characterize novel lipidoid incorporated into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and to evaluate their in vivo biodistribution following systematic administration. Comparative proteomic analysis of the resulting protein coronas revealed distinct differences between liver and lung targeting LNP formulations, providing insight into the potential role of adsorbed blood proteins in …


Quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy For Antiretroviral Drug Monitoring: Novel Quality Index And Distributional Approaches In Aqueous And Plasma Matrices, Marguerite Rose Butler Aug 2026

Quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy For Antiretroviral Drug Monitoring: Novel Quality Index And Distributional Approaches In Aqueous And Plasma Matrices, Marguerite Rose Butler

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers high sensitivity for molecular detection but is limited for quantitative applications by spatial heterogeneity in signal enhancement on dried colloidal substrates. This Dissertation addresses these limitations through the development and evaluation of novel quantitative methods applied to the antiretroviral drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine.

A quality index (Qi) metric was developed to rank individual SERS spectra within each well based on analyte peak prominence relative to local baseline. SERS spectra were acquired from evaporated silver colloid deposits on aluminum well plates using a custom raster-scanning Raman system. Calibration curves were constructed using the top-ranked spectra (Top-Qi …


Phytochemical Analysis And Safety Assessment Of Watercress Nasturtium Officinale: Antioxidant Capacity, Heavy Metal Profiling, And Toxicity Using Brine Shrimp Model, Qurrota A’Yunin, Chamini Kasun Hemachandra, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, Maftuch Maftuch, Rizky Fadilla Agustin Rangkuti, Cucun Herlina, Zulfa Mahdiatur Rasyida, Moh Dliyauddin Jul 2026

Phytochemical Analysis And Safety Assessment Of Watercress Nasturtium Officinale: Antioxidant Capacity, Heavy Metal Profiling, And Toxicity Using Brine Shrimp Model, Qurrota A’Yunin, Chamini Kasun Hemachandra, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, Maftuch Maftuch, Rizky Fadilla Agustin Rangkuti, Cucun Herlina, Zulfa Mahdiatur Rasyida, Moh Dliyauddin

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Medicinal plants have attracted growing attention as sources of natural bioactive compounds for sustainable aquaculture and health. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, heavy metal profile, and acute toxicity of watercress (Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton) methanol extract using maceration, qualitative and quantitative (TPC, TFC, antioxidant DPPH) phytochemical assay, XRF, and BSLA. Phytochemical screening of plant extracts showed the existence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, triterpenoids, and saponins, but not steroidal. The TPC and TFC were 20.6 mg GAE/g and 10.8 mg QE/g, respectively. The extract displayed significant antioxidant activity (IC50 = 64.78 µg/mL in DPPH assay). …


Machine Learning Integrated Designing And Screening Of 8-Hydroxyquinoline Based Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors, Anthony M. Baudino, Kari Stone Jul 2026

Machine Learning Integrated Designing And Screening Of 8-Hydroxyquinoline Based Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors, Anthony M. Baudino, Kari Stone

Chemistry Department Faculty Articles

The rapid emergence of metallo-b-lactamase-mediated antibiotic resistance has created an urgent need for new inhibitor discovery strategies. In this work, a machine-learning-guided workflow was developed to generate and prioritize potential inhibitors targeting NDM-1. A SMILES-based variational autoencoder was first pretrained on a broad molecular dataset to learn general chemical syntax and latent molecular representations. The model was then fine-tuned on an 8-hydroxyquinoline-enriched dataset to bias molecular generation toward zinc-binding chemical space relevant to metallo-β-lactamase inhibition. Generated compounds were processed through structural filtering and docking-based evaluation to create training data for downstream predictive modeling. Molecular fingerprints and physicochemical descriptors were then …


Enhanced Transdermal Immunization Via Solid-In-Oil Nanodispersions Incorporating Dendritic Cell-Targeting Peptide, Md Samiul Islam, Md. Shahin Ekka Sarker, Yoshirou Kawaguchi, Rie Wakabayashi, Noriho Kamiya, Muhammad Moniruzzaman, Masahiro Goto Jul 2026

Enhanced Transdermal Immunization Via Solid-In-Oil Nanodispersions Incorporating Dendritic Cell-Targeting Peptide, Md Samiul Islam, Md. Shahin Ekka Sarker, Yoshirou Kawaguchi, Rie Wakabayashi, Noriho Kamiya, Muhammad Moniruzzaman, Masahiro Goto

Publications and Research

Transdermal immunization represents a promising needle-free alternative to conventional vaccination. However, efficient antigen delivery and robust immune activation remain major challenges. In this study, a solid-in-oil (S/O) nanodispersion system comprising a dendritic cell-targeting peptide (HR8), ovalbumin (OVA), and an adjuvant was developed for transdermal immunization. The HR8 peptide along with OVA was successfully incorporated into an S/O nanodispersion with an optimal hydrodynamic diameter of particles (< 200 nm) and exhibited stable physical properties for up to 90 days. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated enhanced antigen delivery with insignificant skin irritation in C57BL/6N mice. Moreover, in vivo transdermal immunization studies demonstrated that the addition of the HR8 peptide enhanced OVA-specific IgG responses (~1.5-fold). Notably, the HR8 peptide also promoted an approximately 2.5-fold increase in IgG2c levels, suggesting a shift toward a more T helper type 1-biased immune response, as reflected by an increased IgG2c/IgG1 ratio. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the incorporation of HR8 peptide into an S/O nanodispersion enables efficient transdermal antigen delivery and improved immunogenicity, highlighting its potential as a simple, non-invasive, and patient-friendly immunization strategy.


The Study Of Hydrophobic Biomolecules With Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry And Atomic Force Microscopy, Brandy L. Perkins Jul 2026

The Study Of Hydrophobic Biomolecules With Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry And Atomic Force Microscopy, Brandy L. Perkins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) can be used to obtain localization and chemical information of hydrophobic biomolecules on tissue samples.  A technique has been developed to modify a standard MALDI matrix that improves the selectivity for hydrophobic biomolecules on the tissue sample. The modification involves the use of a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS). GUMBOS are ionic liquids (IL) that are bulky organic ions with a counter ion that can be changed for tuning.  They are more stable than traditional matrices under vacuum.  Unlike traditional IL’s, the GUMBOS melting point ranges …


Effects Of O-Glcnacylation And Phosphorylation On Tau Aggregation By Cd And Tem, Andrew Whyte Jr. Jul 2026

Effects Of O-Glcnacylation And Phosphorylation On Tau Aggregation By Cd And Tem, Andrew Whyte Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of aggregated tau protein. Among the numerous post-translational modifications that regulate tau function, phosphorylation and O-GlcNAcylation have emerged as key modulators of tau aggregation and pathology. While phosphorylation is generally associated with tau misfolding and fibril formation, O-GlcNAcylation has been proposed to exert protective effects through its interplay with phosphorylation. However, the site-specific structural consequences of these modifications remain incompletely understood.

The objective of this work was to develop synthetic tools for the site-specific incorporation of O-GlcNAc and phosphate …


Ionophore-Based Plga Nanosensor For Selective Ion Detection And Imaging, Zhiyu Tang Jul 2026

Ionophore-Based Plga Nanosensor For Selective Ion Detection And Imaging, Zhiyu Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Accurate detection of electrolyte ions is essential for biological research, disease diagnosis, and the investigation of cellular function. In this study, we developed ionophore-based PLGA nanosensors for the optical detection of biologically important ions. The nanosensors were prepared by encapsulating ionophores, chromoionophore III, and ion exchangers within PLGA nanoparticles. The resulting nanosensors showed uniform morphology, good colloidal stability, and concentration-dependent optical responses toward Na⁺, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ over the range of 10⁻⁶ to 10⁻¹ M. Reversible fluorescence responses under repeated ion concentration changes confirmed the stability and robustness of the sensors. The nanosensors also demonstrated reliable analytical performance for K⁺ …


Elucidation Of Spin-Hamiltonian Parameters Via Spectroscopy, Magnetization, And Computation, Joshua C. Mengell Jul 2026

Elucidation Of Spin-Hamiltonian Parameters Via Spectroscopy, Magnetization, And Computation, Joshua C. Mengell

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Molecular Quantum Information Science (QIS) is fundamentally concerned with using spin-systems as quantum bits (qubits) or as sensors. Prerequisite to using molecular systems for QIS applications, it must be understood how one can design molecules with bespoke magnetic characteristics. Herein we study various paramagnetic molecular compounds, describing their complex magnetic characteristics using a spin-Hamiltonian formalism. We utilize various (sometimes novel) methods for determining these spin-Hamiltonian parameters. Many of these molecules possess magnetic characteristics, which make them attractive as qubits or for sensing applications. These characteristics include higher total spin-states (qudits—ST>1/2), forbidden interstate electronic transitions, systems of spatially distant …


Dynamic Reconstruction Engineering Of Anti-Corrosion Ni-Based Anodes For Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis, Yi-Gang Zhang, Wen-Wen Xu, Tian-Yu Zhang, Zhi-Yi Lu Jul 2026

Dynamic Reconstruction Engineering Of Anti-Corrosion Ni-Based Anodes For Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis, Yi-Gang Zhang, Wen-Wen Xu, Tian-Yu Zhang, Zhi-Yi Lu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Green hydrogen production via alkaline seawater electrolysis offers an environmentally sustainable and potentially cost-effective route to address both energy and climate challenges. Achieving long-term anode stability under complex ionic environments and industrial current densities remains a central bottleneck. Specifically, Ni-based anodes exhibit intense surface reconstruction during the oxygen evolution reaction, necessitating dynamic anti-corrosion strategies. This mini review systematically summarizes reconstruction engineering approaches to develop anti-corrosion Ni-based anodes of alkaline seawater electrolysis across increasingly complex ionic environments from simulated seawater to real seawater: (i) Cl– dominated; (ii) Cl– with co-existing oxyanions, and (iii) Cl–  with co-existing Br– …