Digital Commons Network^™

Bridging The Knowledge-Practice Gap In Breast Cancer Awareness: A Nationwide Online Cross-Sectional Kap Study Among Adult Females In Nigeria, Madinat Hassan, Taofeek Tope Adegboyega, Bilkisu Usman Farouk, Sunday Zeal Bala, Rachael Olufunmilayo Oduyemi, Kazeem Owolabi, Munir Sani, Miracle Uwa Livinus, Hannatu Usman Ayuba, Sadiq Hassan, Ifeyinwa Maureen Okeke, Abednego Shekari, Murtala Jibril

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background and Aims

Breast cancer (BCa) is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among women in Nigeria, with late presentation contributing to poor outcomes. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to perform breast self-examination (BSE) among adult females in Nigeria and examined associated factors.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional online survey between February 16 and April 30, 2024. A structured, pretested questionnaire was disseminated through digital platforms, yielding 711 consenting adult female respondents from all six geopolitical zones. Knowledge, attitude, and willingness-to-perform-BSE measures were analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear regression, and binary logistic regression. Associations were …

Global Characterization Of Stratospheric Sulfate Aerosols By The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (Ace), Peter Bernath, Manish Bhusal, Michael Lecours, Chris Boone

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Stratospheric sulfate aerosol (SSA) is an important part of the Earth's climate system. SSA climate impact is determined in part by particle composition, which has been measured from orbit. The weight percent of sulfuric acid in SSA has been determined from atmospheric infrared transmittance spectra recorded with the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) in limb geometry using the Sun as a light source (solar occultation). The global average SSA composition varies from about 50 to 80 percent with lowest values during the Antarctic winter. Atmospheric extinction at a wavelength of 1 μm was included in the analysis to …

An Updated Infrared Solar Spectrum From Ace-Fts And A Ch Rovibrational Line List, Manish Bhusal, Peter F. Bernath, Léo Lavy, Chris D. Boone, Frank Hase

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

An updated Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer infrared solar spectrum has been produced from low-Earth orbit covering 1829-4440 cm^-¹ (2.252-5.467 mu m). Spectroscopic constants for the v = 4 and v = 5 vibrational levels of the X²Π state of CH radical have been updated by incorporating additional vibration-rotation lines from the new solar spectrum and from an archival laboratory spectrum. New ab initio calculations of the permanent dipole moment function for the X²Π state were performed with the MOLPRO quantum chemistry package using the internally contracted multireference configuration interaction method. This dipole moment function, along with …

Reversible Fluorescence Quenching And Recovery In Pvp-Supported Copper Nanoparticles, Sara Rayan

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Copper nanoclusters stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) exhibit unique fluorescence properties that are highly sensitive to changes in their chemical environment, making them promising candidates for sensing applications. This study investigates the reversible fluorescence quenching and recovery behavior of PVP-supported copper nanoparticles in response to iron(III) ions and evaluates the selectivity of this response across different chemical conditions. Fluorescence quenching was examined using Fe³⁺ introduced as FeCl₃, followed by recovery experiments using ascorbic acid to assess reversibility through redox-driven interactions. To determine whether the observed response is specific to iron, potassium ferricyanide was used as an alternative Fe³⁺ source. Additional comparisons …

Investigating The Effects Of Atg3 On Autophagosome Size And Number, Keeran R. Senthil Kumar

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Macroautophagy, or autophagy, is a highly conserved catabolic process in all eukaryotes which allows for the degradation of large cytosolic contents. It occurs in two forms: bulk autophagy, which is induced by nutrient deprivation and targets nonspecific cargo, and selective autophagy, which is induced by cellular stress and sequesters specific substrates. The process of autophagosome formation is carried out by a group of Atg (autophagy-related) proteins, one of which is Atg3. Atg3 functions as an E2-like enzyme by conjugating Atg8 — a ubiquitin-like protein — to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a step required for autophagosome membrane formation. This lipidation process is catalyzed …

Nicotine, Bdnf, And Ꞵ-Adrenergic Ligand Receptors Regulate Soluble E-Cadherin Signaling In Non-Small Cell Long Cancer, Stuti Goel

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

E-cadherin is a protein that normally helps cells adhere to each other. Sometimes, part of this protein is cleaved off and released outside the cell as soluble E-cadherin (sE-cad). When this happens, there is less E-cadherin left on the cell surface. Enzymes called matrix metalloproteases, especially MMP9, are responsible for this cleavage. In this study, we investigated E-cadherin in two non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549 and H1299. We found that treating these cells with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nicotine, or epinephrine increased the amount of MMP9 released into the surrounding media. When the cells were treated with propranolol, …

A Geospatial Assessment Of Groundwater Salinization In A Multi-Aquifer System: Durango, Mexico, Juan Lopez-Sierra

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Groundwater salinization poses a critical environmental concern for water resource sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluates spatial and temporal patterns of groundwater salinity across the state of Durango, Mexico, using total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), as salinity indicators and nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃–N) as an anthropogenic indicator. Groundwater quality data were obtained from (CONAGUA), a Mexican water agency. To assess salinity variations with respect to time, while minimizing interannual sampling bias, two multi-year sampling periods were selected: 2012-2013, and 2020-2021. Final datasets consisted of 122 wells for 2012–2013 and 131 wells for 2020–2021. The wells were …

Synthesis And Characterization Of The New G3 Family Of Organoantimony(V) Cyanoximates, Thao Trang Phan

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Bacterial infections pose a serious threat to humans by developing resistance, rendering antibiotics ineffective. Of the 12 antibiotics recently approved since 2017, 10 belong to an already existing class. Various resistance mechanisms, such as reduced drug uptake, active efflux, drug inactivation, and target modification, can significantly reduce the efficacy of entire classes of antibiotics. Discovering novel strategies to overcome diverse mechanisms of resistance and improve therapeutic efficacy is in high demand. Inorganic compounds with organic ligands (both complexes and organometallics) represent a new class of compounds against which antimicrobial resistance has not yet been established. Recently, we discovered two series …

Assessing Dissolved Organic Matter Sources And Dynamics In Urban Stormwater: Implications For Greenhouse Gases, Harper W. Schmalz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) are important aspects of land-use planning and increasingly recognized as active sites of biogeochemical processing that influence carbon cycling; however, little research has investigated the controls on dissolved organic and dissolved inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC) within these systems. This thesis examined the processing and transformations of dissolved carbon between three compartments to support the development of a greenhouse gas (GHG) box-model for urban stormwater ponds, including SWMP sediment, surface water, and vegetation. The objective of this thesis was to assess the biogeochemical processes that govern the rate and transformation of DOC and DIC between these …

Theoretical Study Of Long-Range Molecular Interactions, Adrian Luis Batista-Planas

Doctoral Dissertations

Describing intermolecular forces is fundamental to modeling and predicting the behavior of molecular systems. In particular, long-range molecular interactions—with electrostatic, induction, and dispersion as main components—play a critical role, especially for low-temperature and low-density regimes. Long-range interactions are often described through perturbation theory, representing the electronic charge distribution via multipolar series of the moments and polarizability tensors corresponding to each molecule. However, while the theory is well-established, obtaining the resulting analytical expressions (and their practical implementation) constitutes a highly complex and system-dependent task. To address this challenge, we developed Long-Range-Fit (LRF), an interactive and user-friendly software package designed to automate …

Characterization Of Phytoplankton-Excreted Metabolites Mediating Carbon Flux Through The Surface Ocean, Yuting Zhu, Hanna S. Anderson, Eli Salcedo, Samuel E. Miller, Krista Longnecker, Melissa C. Kido Soule, Sheean T. Haley, Gretchen J. Swarr, Rogier Braakman, Sonya T. Dyhrman, Elizabeth B. Kujawinski

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The marine labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool is a dynamic reservoir of thousands of molecules that cycles approximately one-quarter of Earth’s primary production within days to weeks. After excretion by phytoplankton and other microbes, metabolites are rapidly consumed, resulting in low standing concentrations (picomolar to low nanomolar). Despite the decades-long search for labile DOC sources and molecular identities, marine phytoplankton exometabolomes are not well characterized, largely due to difficulties in measuring small polar molecules in saline water. Here, we profiled the exometabolomes of six axenic phytoplankton species representing key functional groups including a diatom (Thalassiosira pseudonana CCMP1335), a …

Expanded Scorpionate And Siderophore-Inspired Ligands: From Foundational Designs To Modern Applications, Austin Winfield Medley, Trandon Allen Bender

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Scorpionate ligands have been advanced significantly through systematic modifications of their apical atoms and heterocyclic arms, expanding their structural diversity and chemical reactivity. Recent biologically inspired variants now enable accurate modeling of complex bioinorganic motifs, such as the Fe₄S₄ clusters of nitrogenase, and support enzyme‐like reactivity under mild aqueous conditions. These developments have broadened the impact of scorpionate chemistry across bioinorganic modeling, homogeneous catalysis, and biorthogonal transformations. In particular, expanded tripodal scaffolds provide modular, tunable platforms for mimicking enzyme active sites and probing biological nitrogen fixation pathways. Beyond fundamental insight, these ligands present practical opportunities for sustainable catalysis by enabling …

M-Type Star Spectral Analysis: Sco Line List Including The B²Σ⁺-X²Σ⁺ Band System, Léo Lavy, Jacques Liévin, Peter F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

An analysis of the B²Σ⁺ − X²Σ⁺ band system of ⁴⁵Sc¹⁶O is presented. ScO was excited in a hollow cathode discharge, and its Doppler-limited resolution spectrum was measured with a Fourier transform spectrometer. The spectroscopic constants of the B²Σ⁺ state with v ≤ 3 are reported, and equilibrium constants are derived. Ab initio transition dipole moment functions are calculated for the A²Π − X²Σ⁺ and B²Σ⁺ − X²Σ⁺ transitions and scaled using lifetime measurements. We report new line lists of hyperfine-resolved transitions for ⁴⁵Sc¹⁶O with recalculated Einstein A coefficients and oscillator strengths of the …

The Hitran2024 Molecular Spectroscopic Database, I. E. Gordon, L. S. Rothman, R. J. Hargreaves, F. M. Gomez, T. Bertin, C. Hill, R. V. Kochanov, Y. Tan, P. Wcisło, V. Yu. Makhnev, P. F. Bernath, M. Birk, V. Boudon, A. Campargue, A. Coustenis, B. J. Drouin, R. R. Gamache, J. T. Hodges, D. Jacquemart, E. J. Mlawer, A. V. Nikitin, V. I. Perevalov, M. Rotger, S. Robert, J. Tennyson, G. C. Toon, H. Tran, V. G. Tyuterev, E. M. Adkins, A. Barbe, D. M. Bailey, K. Bielska, L. Bizzocchi, T. A. Blake, C. A. Bowesman, P. Cacciani, P. Čermák, A. G. Császár, L. Denis, S. C. Egbert, O. Egorov, A. Yu. Ermilov, A. J. Fleisher, H. Fleurbaey, A. Foltynowicz, T. Furtenbacher, M. Germann, E. R. Guest, J. J. Harrison, J. -M. Hartmann, A. Hjältén, S. -M. Hu, X. Huang, T. J. Johnson, H. Jóźwiak, S. Kassi, M. V. Khan, F. Kwabia-Tchana, T. J. Lee, D. Lisak, A. -W. Liu, O. M. Lyulin, N. A. Malarich, L. Manceron, A. A. Marinina, S. T. Massie, J. Mascio, E. S. Medvedev, V. V. Meshkov, G. Ch. Mellau, M. Melosso, S. N. Mikhailenko, D. Mondelain, H.S.P. Müller, M. O' Donnell, A. Owens, A. Perrin, O. L. Polyansky, P. L. Raston, Z. D. Reed, M. Rey, C. Richard, G. B. Rieker, C. Röske, S. W. Sharpe, E. Starikova, N. Stolarczyk, A. V. Stolyarov, K. Sung, F. Tamassia, J. Terragni, V. G. Ushakov, S. Vasilchenko, B. Vispoel, K. L. Vodopyanov, G. Wagner, S. Wójtewicz, S. N. Yurchenko, N. F. Zobov

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The HITRAN database is a curated compilation of validated molecular spectroscopic parameters, established in the early 1970s. It is used by various computer codes to predict and simulate the transmission and emission of light in gaseous media (with an emphasis on terrestrial and planetary atmospheres). The HITRAN compilation is composed of six major components. These components include the line-by-line spectroscopic parameters required for high-resolution radiative-transfer codes, experimentally derived absorption cross-sections (for molecules where it is not yet feasible for representation in a line-by-line form), collision-induced absorption data, aerosol indices of refraction, and general tables (including partition sums) that apply globally …

Investigating The In Vitro Antimicrobial Potential And Comprehensive Computational Studies Of New Schiff Base Derivatives, Abrar Hussain, Shahzaib Akhter, Hammad Nasir, Khurram Shahzad, Muhammad Arfan, Sand Hyun Park

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat driven by multidrug-resistant bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and fungi (Candida albicans, and C. parapsilosis). This study evaluated six novel Schiff base derivatives (HSB-1 to HSB-6) through integrated in vitro antimicrobial activity and comprehensive computational studies. In vitro disk diffusion assay demonstrated the largest zones of inhibition against S. aureus for HSB-6 and HSB-1 (15–17 mm), activity against P. aeruginosa for HSB-5 and HSB-6 (12 mm), and moderate antifungal activity for HSB-4 (8–11 mm). Molecular docking results correlated with the in vitro findings with the binding energy ΔG = −12.3 kcal/mol …

Sulfhydryl-Functionalized Diarylethenes: Synthesis, Photoswitching, And Fluorescent Properties, Pramod Aryal, Jonathan Bietsch, Gowri Sankar Grandhi, Josh Choi, Guijun Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Sulfhydryl group (SH) plays important roles in reactions with various functional groups, especially in biologically active systems. Photoswitchable diarylethene (DAE) derivatives have demonstrated applications in many research fields. Among the many classes of diarylethene derivatives, thiol derivatives have not been extensively explored. In this study, we systematically synthesized and characterized a series of bis-thiol functionalized dithienylethene derivatives. The thiol groups in this series are attached directly to the thiophene, or through a phenyl or methylene linker. Each series incorporated both dithienyl cyclopentene and hexafluorocyclopentene bridges and total six thiol substituted diarylethenes were synthesized. Among the six sulfhydryl DAE derivatives, four …

Nonpyrogenic "Black" Nitrogen Likely Plays A Major Yet Underrecognized Role In The Global Nitrogen Cycle, João Vitor Dos Santos, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Kyle M. Lambert, Theodoro Da Rosa Salles, Susan J. Carter, Ann Pearson, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Condensed aromatic nitrogen (ConAN) is commonly found in soil and aquatic environments. ConAN is broadly viewed by the biogeochemistry community as a combustion-derived product leading to its frequent designation as pyrogenic “black” nitrogen. Here, we provide evidence that ConAN can also form through nonpyrogenic pathways. In an experiment simulating biomass oxidation, pine wood boards assembled with iron nails were exposed to 12 years of natural environmental conditions. Nitrogen concentrations increased from 0.2 to 1.2 wt % with increasing proximity to the nail. Ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry showed enrichment of nitrogen-containing compounds within the lignin and condensed aromatic domains. X-ray spectroscopic …

Land Use Influences Dissolved Organic Matter Composition In The U.S. Coastal Critical Zone Network, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Elizabeth V. Whitney, Brian R. Moyer, Katherine L. Tully, Patrick G. Hatcher, Yu-Ping Chhin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Coastal watersheds are highly productive biogeochemical systems supporting robust coastal fisheries and contributing significantly to the marine gross primary production flux. These ecosystems are comprised of civil infrastructure, farms, forests, and marshes, and their diversity is reflected in the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Here, we assess the role of farming in influencing DOM from surface waters of six coastal tidal creeks adjacent to forest and farm sites in the US Critical Zone Network. Molecular fingerprinting using electrospray ionization - Fourier transform - ion cyclotron resonance - mass spectrometry revealed that farm-influenced DOM was enriched in nitrogen-, …

Multidentate Surfactant-Dependent Synthesis Of Giant Iridium Superstructures, Ramjee Balasubramanian, Maeren E. Hill

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Giant superstructures of iridium, comprised of smaller spherical and slightly larger anisotropic nanoparticles, were synthesized by reducing iridium chloride in the presence of resorcinarene, a class of tetrameric macrocyclic polyphenols, with sodium borohydride in ethanol in 30 min under mild conditions. These superstructures were characterized by a range of techniques including TEM, HRTEM, EDS and other spectroscopic methods. The impact of the macrocyclic surfactant, its features and reaction conditions in dictating the formation of giant iridium superstructures was evaluated. The packing density of nanoparticles in these giant iridium superstructures could be altered qualitatively by varying the duration of the reaction, …

Towards Novel Porphyrinoid Architectures: Synthesis Of Porphyrin Analogues With Two Six-Membered Exocyclic Rings, Amy L. Le, Timothy D. Lash

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Tripyrranes with terminal ester protective groups were prepared by reacting 7-acetoxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindoles with 3,4-diethylpyrrole in refluxing acetic acid-ethanol. Dibenzyl esters were deprotected by hydrogenolysis over 10% Pd/C and the resulting dicarboxylic acids were condensed with a series of dialdehydes in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid, followed by oxidation with FeCl₃ or DDQ, to give porphyrinoid products with two six-membered exocyclic rings. Reactions with a pyrrole dialdehyde gave porphyrins in 27-30% yield and good yields were also obtained using 2,5-furandicarbaldehyde and 4-hydroxy-2,6-pyridinedicarbaldehyde to prepare oxaporphyrins and oxypyriporphyrins. However, poorer results were noted for thiaporphyrins, benzocarbaporphyrins and oxybenziporphyrins due to their poor …

Exploring The Limitations Of Substrate Scope In Dimethylallyltryptophan Synthases, Evan T. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Natural products (NPs), are the largest source of bioactive compounds in Nature, and are essential to the treatment of human disease. Nearly 50% of drugs approved for use from 1981 to 2019 owe some aspect of their development to NPs, either in terms of their structure, pharmacophore, or mechanism of action. However, NPs are difficult to structurally optimize. Chemoenzymatic methods for NP derivatization have been increasingly seen as practical alternatives to traditional synthetic methods. Prenyltransferases (PTs) are involved in the primary and secondary metabolism of plants, bacteria, and fungi, and they are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of many clinically …

Analysis Of Δ¹¹B As A Seawater Ph Proxy: Comparing Ocean Circulation Inverse Model Output With Marine Calcifier Geochemistry, Jesse I. Dong

CMC Senior Theses

Increasing anthropogenic carbon flux into the oceans decreases seawater pH, alters dissolved inorganic carbon speciation, and reduces biogenic calcification. The marine calcifiers— specifically corals and coralline algae—incorporate elements from surrounding seawater into their carbonate structures, which preserve past records of ocean carbon chemistry. In particular, boron in biogenic carbonate is a potentially valuable proxy for historical ocean pH across human timescales. Within seawater, boron primarily exists as boric acid B(OH)3 and borate ions B(OH)4 - , where higher pH favors the formation of borate ions. Borate ions preferentially incorporate the heavier ¹¹B isotope over 10B. On the other hand, if …

Feasibility Of Upcycling Spent Lithium-Ion Battery To Carbon Dioxide Capture Adsorbent, Chimezie Frank Onwudinjo

Master’s Theses

This study investigates the feasibility of repurposing spent lithium-ion battery (SLIB) to lithium orthosilicate (Li₄SiO₄), a high temperature carbon dioxide sorbent. Two synthesis pathways including conventional acid-leaching method (Scenario 1) and a pyrolysis-based route (Scenario 2) were explored. Additionally, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and lifecycle assessment (LCA) of the two processes were also performed. Different analytical characterization techniques were performed to understand the material properties of Li₄SiO₄ including surface area, crystallinity, morphology and thermal stability. CO₂ capture performance of the synthesized Li₄SiO₄ was tested in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) using …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polymethylhydrosiloxane-Based Materials: Environmental Remediation, Unusual Oxidative Behavior, And Kinetic Analysis, Hannah M. Hayes

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations

Porous materials have a wide range of applications. One of which is environmental remediation as a sorbent. Synthetic materials are beneficial as they have more selectivity compared to natural sorbents however, they are more costly. Recently, a publication produced an ambiently dried gel using a copolymer of polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) after modification with vinylmethyldimethoxysilane (VMDMS). PMHS is a byproduct of the silicone industry which makes the synthesis cheaper and more environmentally friendly. The precursor ratio must be tailored to account for the change in polymer used. In this study, various ratios of PMHS and VMDMS as well as …

Comprehensive Analytical Investigation Of Tetrahydro-4h-Chromene And Dihydropyridine Derivatives, Ryan J. Burk

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations

Novel calcium channel blockers (CCBs) with dihydropyridine (DHP) or tetrahydro-4H-chromene moieties are often chiral, so effective enantiomer separation methods are needed for continued drug development. The purpose of this dissertation is to outline a comprehensive method development model for the chiral separations of DHPs and tetrahydro-4H-chromene derivatives. The scope of this dissertation is to address analytical challenges during initial synthesis, chiral separations, and data analysis during post-processing for this class of chiral compounds. The first section focuses on the method development strategies for separations of DHPs in the sub/supercritical fluid (SFC) and normal phase modes with the 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin stationary phase. …

Novel Methods For Environmental Fluoride Measurement, Cable Warren

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations

Fluoride analysis has been an important focus of analytical analysis for many years and will continue to be so going forward. Today, fluorinated compounds, specifically per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), better known as “forever chemicals” have captured the moment and are the subject of vast research and regulation. Under this context, I have researched new methods of fluoride separation and concentration in complex media as well as a novel method of PFAS destruction and total organic fluorine analysis for screening of PFAS in aqueous samples. Through research and work on micro-scale detection methods, an understanding of the state of the art and …

Pullulan Production From Lignocellulosic Plant Biomass Or Starch-Containing Processing Coproduct Hydrolysates, Thomas P. West

Faculty Publications

The complex polysaccharide pullulan is characterized as a glucose-containing biopolymer that is both water-soluble and neutral in polarity. A variety of commercial applications exist for pullulan, including its utilization as a flocculant, a blood plasma substitute, a food additive, a dielectric material, an adhesive, or a packaging film. The fungus Aureobasidium pullulans has used several hydrolysates derived from plant biomass or starch-containing processing coproducts to support polysaccharide production. These include various plant biomass or processing coproduct streams such as lignocellulosic-containing peat, prairie grass, stalks, hulls, straw, shells, and pods or starch-containing coproducts from the processing of corn, rice, jackfruit seeds, …

Marine Sentinels Of The Past: Holocene Trace Element Records From North Pacific Pinnipeds, Aidan M. Pflieger

Honors Theses

Since the Last Glacial Maximum (20,000 years ago), the North Pacific has remained geologically dynamic and biologically diverse. Natural fluctuations in island arc volcanism and climate likely continue to influence the inputs of trace elements (TEs) to the Aleutian Island Archipelago. Bioaccumulation of these TEs in the region’s marine food webs provides a proxy for long-term environmental variability. In this study, 95 tephra-preserved pinniped bone samples from temporally identified archeological Aleut midden sites on Unalaska Island (5500-200 BP; BP=years before present, c. 1950), were analyzed for 20 TEs using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Elemental concentrations were compared temporally …

The Deposition, Prevalence, And Persistence Of Gunshot Residue In Standard And Less Lethal Ammunition, Liliana Claire Barbosa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the discharge of a firearm, gunshot residue (GSR) is released and settles into nearby surfaces, leaving traces that can provide valuable information for forensic investigations. This study aims to improve understanding of the deposition, prevalence, and persistence of standard and less-lethal ammunition through an analytical framework that examines collection and analysis protocols, revealing connections among multiple traces for effective use in investigations and courtroom proceedings.

Research into the chemical residues of less lethal ammunition (LLA) is a critical frontier in shooting investigations. While standard leaded ammunition has over a century of established literature, the chemical fingerprints of LLA residues …

An Investigation Into The Potential Role Of Thioester Bonds In Prebiotic Atp Synthesis, Adam J. Ruf

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this project I will attempt to show a potential prebiotic pathway for the synthesis of ATP. This pathway involves the use of thioester bond containing molecules, as derivatives of these bonds have been shown to exhibit enzyme-like catalytic properties. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be utilized to characterize each step of the pathway to ensure it is successful.