Digital Commons Network^™

Photolysis And Sublimation Chemistry Of Ammonium Cyanide With Relevance To Cometary Environments, O. H. Wilkins, K. M. Yocum, Vincent J. Esposito, E. Harel, S. N. Milam, P. A. Gerakines

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Bulk nitrogen is depleted in solar system objects, including the terrestrial planets, chondritic meteorites, and comets. Recently, it was suggested that cometary nitrogen may be locked up in ammonium salts—ionic solids comprising ammonia (NH₃) and an acid such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN)—based on Rosetta/ROSINA data from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimanko. Among the proposed salts to have been found in 67P were ammonium cyanide (NH₄CN) and ammonium cyanate (NH₄OCN), which were inferred from identifying HCN, cyanamide (NH₂CN), and isocyanic acid (HNCO) in the mass spectrometry data collected in the coma of 67P. However, the relationship …

Local Dynamic Analysis Of The Covid-19 Mathematical Model Based On Discrete-Time Predator-Prey Population Model, Fi̇gen Kangalgi̇l, Ni̇lüfer Topsakal, Özge Kuzucu

Turkish Journal of Mathematics

In this article, the local dynamics of a discrete-time Covid-19 pandemic model based on the Lotka Volterra model with topological classifications, bifurcation analysis and chaos control are investigated. It is shown that under some parametric conditions, the discrete-time Covid-19 pandemic model has two equilibrium points. With linear stability theory, local dynamics are investigated with topological classifications about the equilibrium points of the discrete-time Covid-19 epidemic model. In addition, the existence of a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation at the internal equilibrium point is proved and this bifurcation is analysed using explicit criteria. Furthermore, the chaos in the discrete Covid-19 pandemic model is also …

Associations Between Social Determinants Of Health And Mental Health Disorders Among U.S. Population: A Cross-Sectional Study, S. Tanarsuwongkul

Faculty Publications

Aims

The impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on mental health is increasingly realized. A comprehensive study examining the associations of SDOH with mental health disorders has yet to be accomplished. This study evaluated the associations between five domains of SDOH and the SDOH summary score and mental health disorders in the United States.

Methods

We analyzed data from a diverse group of participants enrolled in the All of Us research programme, a research programme to gather data from one million people living in the United States, in a cross-sectional design. The primary exposure was SDOH based on Healthy …

Ferrate(Vi) Transformation Of Nitrogen In Secondary Wastewater Effluent: Implications For Water And Nutrient Management, Qiufeng Lin, Zepei Tang, Hussein I. Abdel Shafy, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Ferrate(VI) is a promising chemical agent for wastewater treatment. While targeting various contaminants, it can inevitably react with different water matrix constituents such as nitrogen (N) species. However, the reactions of ferrate(VI) with wastewater N compounds remain poorly understood. This study explores ferrate(VI)-mediated transformations of different N species in a secondary wastewater effluent. Ferrate(VI) oxidation minimally abated total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), while oxidizing dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) into dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), primarily nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), without noticeably altering ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) levels. Consequently, ferrate(VI) treatment increased the fraction of bioavailable, soil-leachable NO3--N while lowering the portion of less bioaccessible …

The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (Sw Casc), Michelle Baker

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Study For Providing Remedial Measures For Overburden Dump In New Majri Ug To Oc Mine, Wcl Majri Area, Warora, Chandrapur, Himanshu Kumar Jangir, Rahul Shende, Omkar Navagire, Srinivasan Venkatraman, Anirban Mandal, Anjan Patel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The central region of India is abundant in fertile black cotton soil, and the presence of such weak floors in open-cast mines poses significant slope stability concerns for overburden (OB) dumps. Addressing these issues is crucial for ensuring safe mining operations and cost-effectiveness. Several coal mines in this region have experienced overburden dump collapses due to the weak soil foundation. To enhance slope stability and mitigate the heaving effect near the toe of the dump, this study proposes parametric research that explores the flattening of the overall slope angle of the dump, bench angle optimization, and various feasible dimensions for …

Using Nanotechnology To Achieve Sustainability In Interior Residential Spaces, Neveen Youssef Azmy, Esraa Tarek Abu-El Azm, Ahmed Ahmed Rizk, Walaa Abou El-Haggag Mehanna

Journal of Engineering Research

Major scientific and technological developments characterize the present time. One notable achievement is the nano revolution, which has greatly influenced various areas of life Nanotechnology is characterized by using very small particles of materials, either alone or by processing them to create new materials with remarkable properties. Hence, nanotechnology offers promising economic solutions and products to achieve a reliable and sustainable environment. Architecture has great potential to benefit from this technology to achieve sustainability and improve indoor environment quality. Given the proliferation of residential buildings in urban areas, where people spend most of their time, it is necessary to integrate …

A Greening The Diesel: Vegetable Oil Biodiesel Blends For Cleaner Emissions And Improved Direct Injection Diesel Engine Performance, Medhat Elkelawy Prof. Dr, Eng., Hagar Alm-Eldin Bastawissi, E. A. El Shenawy Prof. Dr., Mustafa Mohamed Ouda

Journal of Engineering Research

In this study, we conducted comprehensive experiments to assess and compare the performance of pure diesel fuel against biodiesel produced from corn oil in various blend ratios (15/85, 30/70, 45/55, and 60/40) in a conventional four-stroke, direct-injection diesel engine, fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber at the end of the compression stroke, allowing for efficient combustion and power generation over four distinct phases: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. Each fuel blend was tested at an engine speed of 16,000 rpm across different load conditions (low, medium, and high). Key performance metrics, including volumetric fuel consumption, exhaust smoke, and …

"It's Definitely New And Different...It's Really Engaging": Understanding The Power Of Storytelling Towards Secure Password Creation, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

There is a dearth in existing literature to attain systematic understanding of leveraging digital storytelling in security designs. As we begin to address this gap, we focused on user authentication where the existing password composition policies and password meters often fail to help users around creating a strong and memorable password. To this end, we conducted a lab study with 19 participants, where we updated our initial designs in an iterative manner based on their feedback. We then conducted a between-subject online study with 104 participants over Amazon Mechanical Turk to evaluate our designs. We found that all of our …

Securing A Virtual Reality Classroom Using Unity, Okemute Samuel Idonor

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how security features might be incorporated into a Unity created virtual reality (VR) classroom, with a particular emphasis on important concerns including user privacy, data security, and illegal access. The increasing usage of virtual reality (VR) technology in educational settings has made it crucial to ensure the security of these immersive systems, especially when it comes to safeguarding sensitive user data. Designing and implementing a secure VR classroom prototype that could successfully protect against common security concerns, such as unauthorized access and data breaches, was the main goal of this project. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Role-Based Access Control …

Mathematics In Everyday Life: Exploring Practical Applications And Real-World Impact, Priyant Banerjee, Arshad Bhat

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Mathematics is an essential part of daily life and influences decisions and problem-solving in various aspects of life. This study explores how mathematical concepts are embedded in daily activities such as financial management, cooking, travel planning, and technological interactions. We will show how arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics are applied in real life to improve decision-making, efficiency, and productivity. Findings indicate that people with higher mathematical literacy solve problems more efficiently, especially in budgeting, as accurate calculations minimize financial mistakes and facilitate long-term financial planning. In cooking, proportional reasoning ensures the accuracy of recipes, thus providing consistent culinary results. Travel …

Developing Real-Time, Online Beam Control Of Uhdr Irradiators To Facilitate Flash Translational Investigations, Austin M. Sloop

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The field of radiation oncology seeks novel techniques to increase the therapeutic ratio to treat malignancies while minimizing damage and toxicities in healthy tissues. While it was observed that delivering therapeutic doses at high dose rate could elicit lower biological effects over a half-century ago, the field of ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiation therapy (colloquially known as FLASH RT) has seen a resurgence in recent years due to an alignment of accelerator capability, dosimetric advances, and improved biotechnological techniques. This has opened the door to studying potential underlying mechanisms such that we may leverage the effects of FLASH tissue sparing …

Global Estimates Of The Storage And Transit Time Of Water Through Vegetation, Andrew Felton, Joshua B. Fisher, Koen Hufkens, Adam J. Purdy, Seth A. Spawn-Lee, Lou F. Duloisy, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The time it takes for water to transit from the ground back to the atmosphere affects weather, climate, biogeochemistry and ecosystem function. The transit time of water through vegetation, defined as the age of water transpiring from vegetation since time of entry, is a particularly understudied aspect of the terrestrial hydrologic cycle. Here we use a synergy of satellite remote sensing measurements over a five-year period to estimate global aboveground vegetation water storage to be on average 484 km³, roughly half of which is stored in Earth’s water-limited savannah, grassland and shrubland ecosystems. We then combine these storage …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Bimetallic Plasmonic Nanoparticles Using Linear And Nonlinear Spectroscopy, Daniel Babayode

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent exploration in the field of nanomaterials has led to the investigation of noble metal nanoparticles for various nanomedical applications. The spectroscopy of these nanoparticles is studied using both linear and nonlinear optical processes such as second harmonic generation (SHG), two-photon fluorescence (TPF), and extinction spectroscopy. Details pertaining to the growth dynamics of silver-gold core-shell (Ag@Au CS) nanoparticles (NPs) and gold-silver-gold core-shell-shell (Au@Ag@Au CSS) nanoparticles (NPs) are currently being investigated in order to obtain better control and optimization of the nanoparticle size and surface morphology. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the nanoparticles have tunable core and shell sizes …

Targeting Streptococcus Mutans Diadenylate Cyclase For The Prevention Of Dental Caries, Edwin Miguel Rojas

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is the primary etiological agent involved in the initiation and progression of dental caries. S. mutans forms robust biofilms on the tooth surface, and current preventative treatments, such as oral rinses, eliminate both pathogenic and commensal oral species. Therefore, there is an urgent need for therapeutics which selectively inhibit S. mutans biofilms while keeping the oral microbiome intact. The diadenylate cyclase (DAC) enzyme in S. mutans plays a key role in biofilm formation. DAC converts adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP), a secondary messenger involved in several cellular pathways. Increased levels of c-di-AMP have shown …

Development Of Momordica Saponin-Based Vaccine Adjuvants, Hyunjung Kim

All ETDs from UAB

Vaccine adjuvants are indispensable substances that help induce a fast, potent, and durable immune response when administered with vaccine antigens. Among the FDA-approved vaccine adjuvants for human use, three of the most recently approved ones contain saponin adjuvant QS-21. To address QS-21’s inherent drawbacks, we investigated the adjuvant activity of a series of saponin-based semisynthetic vaccine adjuvants, including VSA-1 and VSA-2, prepared from natural Momordica saponins I and II in one-step. The natural saponins precursors are isolated from the widely available and inexpensive seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis SPRENG. In general, VSA adjuvants can enhance both humoral and cellular immune responses …

Evaluation Of Green Tea Yoghurt Enriched With Lacticaseibacillus Paracasei E1 Microcapsules On Macrophage M1 Profile In High Fat-Fructose Diet Mice, Esha Ardiansyah, Nur Alfi Maghfirotus Sa’Adah, Rahmi Izati, Belinda Nabiila Al Faizah, Dawama Nur Fadlilah, Septhyanti Aprilia Kavitarna, Mochammad Fitri Atho’Illah, Siti Nur Arifah, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, Muhaimin Rifa’I

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Obesity is caused by an energy imbalance that increases chronic low-grade inflammation, including macrophage cell infiltration. Adipose tissue macrophages are polarized into pro-inflammatory macrophage type 1 (M1), secrete large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and activate transcription factors. Yoghurt with probiotics is popular at all ages for its health benefits and must be protected by microencapsulation. Green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) fortification provides yoghurt nutrients while improving its functional qualities and bioactivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of microencapsulation of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei E1 in green tea yoghurt (GTY) on the profile of M1 macrophages in mice fed a …

Restoring The AhupuaʻA: Community-Based Resource Management And Resilience In KauaʻI, Jeffrey W. Walbridge Jr.

Environmental Studies Senior Theses

This thesis analyzes Kauaʻi’s evolving resource management practices, examining the intersections of historical governance frameworks, modern legal systems, and indigenous knowledge. Utilizing the traditional ahupuaʻa system, Kauaʻi’s approach once promoted holistic stewardship across water, land, and energy resources. However, colonial policies, corporate influence, and economic pressures have gradually shifted this framework toward a market-driven model, often prioritizing tourism and development over ecological resilience. Key policy shifts as they fight to return to an ahupua'a based model – from the Great Mahele’s introduction of private land ownership to water diversions for plantation agriculture – help examine how these changes continue to …

Scproatlas: An Atlas Of Multiplexed Single-Cell Spatial Proteomics Imaging In Human Tissues, Tiangang Wang, Xuanmin Chen, Yujuan Han, Jiahao Yi, Xi Liu, Pora Kim, Liyu Huang, Kexin Huang, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spatial proteomics can visualize and quantify protein expression profiles within tissues at single-cell resolution. Although spatial proteomics can only detect a limited number of proteins compared to spatial transcriptomics, it provides comprehensive spatial information with single-cell resolution. By studying the spatial distribution of cells, we can clearly obtain the spatial context within tissues at multiple scales. Spatial context includes the spatial composition of cell types, the distribution of functional structures, and the spatial communication between functional regions, all of which are crucial for the patterns of cellular distribution. Here, we constructed a comprehensive spatial proteomics functional annotation knowledgebase, scProAtlas (https://relab.xidian.edu.cn/scProAtlas/#/), …

Aspdb: An Integrative Knowledgebase Of Human Protein Isoforms From Experimental And Ai-Predicted Structures, Yuntao Yang, Himansu Kumar, Yuhan Xie, Zhao Li, Rongbin Li, Wenbo Chen, Chiamaka S Diala, Meer A Ali, Yi Xu, Albon Wu, Sayed-Rzgar Hosseini, Erfei Bi, Hongyu Zhao, Pora Kim, W Jim Zheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alternative splicing is a crucial cellular process in eukaryotes, enabling the generation of multiple protein isoforms with diverse functions from a single gene. To better understand the impact of alternative splicing on protein structures, protein-protein interaction and human diseases, we developed ASpdb (https://biodataai.uth.edu/ASpdb/), a comprehensive database integrating experimentally determined structures and AlphaFold 2-predicted models for human protein isoforms. ASpdb includes over 3400 canonical isoforms, each represented by both experimentally resolved and predicted structures, and >7200 alternative isoforms with AlphaFold 2 predictions. In addition to detailed splicing events, 3D structures, sequence variations and functional annotations, ASpdb uniquely offers comparative analyses and …

Metsdb: A Knowledgebase Of Cancer Metastasis At Bulk, Single-Cell And Spatial Levels, Sijia Wu, Jiajin Zhang, Yanfei Wang, Xinyu Qin, Zhaocan Zhang, Zhennan Lu, Pora Kim, Xiaobo Zhou, Liyu Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer metastasis, the process by which tumour cells migrate and colonize distant organs from a primary site, is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this complex process is essential for developing effective metastasis prevention and therapy strategies. To this end, we systematically analysed 1786 bulk tissue samples from 13 cancer types, 988 463 single cells from 17 cancer types, and 40 252 spots from 45 spatial slides across 10 cancer types. The results of these analyses are compiled in the metsDB database, accessible at https://relab.xidian.edu.cn/metsDB/. This database provides insights into alterations in …

Crisprofft: Comprehensive Database Of Crispr/Cas Off-Targets, Grant Wang, Xiaona Liu, Aoqi Wang, Jianguo Wen, Pora Kim, Qianqian Song, Xiaona Liu, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated protein) programmable nuclease system continues to evolve, with in vivo therapeutic gene editing increasingly applied in clinical settings. However, off-target effects remain a significant challenge, hindering its broader clinical application. To enhance the development of gene-editing therapies and the accuracy of prediction algorithms, we developed CRISPRoffT (https://ccsm.uth.edu/CRISPRoffT/). Users can access a comprehensive repository of off-target regions predicted and validated by a diverse range of technologies across various cell lines, Cas enzyme variants, engineered sgRNAs (single guide RNAs) and CRISPR editing systems. CRISPRoffT integrates results of off-target analysis from 74 studies, encompassing …

Can Trichoderma Spp. Contribute To The Bioremediation And Biostimulation Of Plants In Soil Contaminated With Herbicides?, Elaine Damiani Conte, Elton José Da Rosa, Gabriel Rieth Silvestrini, Daiane Da Silva Motta, Christiane Fernandes De Oliveira, Carine Cocco, Gabriel Fernandes Pauletti, Taísa Dal Magro, Joséli Schwambach

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

This work aimed to evaluate the potential of Trichoderma spp. in the bioremediation of herbicides and biostimulation of plants in herbicide-contaminated soils. In the first phase, the experiment followed a completely randomized design in a 4 × 3 × 4 factorial scheme with five replications, four strains of Trichoderma spp., three herbicides, and four herbicide doses. The mycelial growth speed index (MGSI) of Trichoderma spp. was obtained by growing it in a Petri dish with PDA associated with different doses of herbicides and evaluated every 24 h for 10 days. Results indicated the selection ofTrichoderma harzianumT1A to continue …

Production And Radiochemistry Of Theranostic Radioscandium Nuclides, Shelbie Jaylene Cingoranelli

All ETDs from UAB

In nuclear medicine, theranostics utilizes radionuclide pairs for diagnosis and therapy. Radioscandium isotopes (43Sc, 44Sc, and 47Sc) offer a promising alternative to the 68Ga/177Lu theranostic pair due to their identical radiolabeling conditions, complexes and in vivo pharmacokinetics. 43Sc (t1/2=3.89h, β+=88%) and 44Sc (t1/2 =3.97h. β+=94.3%) are suitable for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging whereas 47Sc (t1/2=3.3d. Eβ-ave=162keV) is suitable for targeted radiotherapy and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). These isotopes require production routes that lead to high radionuclidic purity and radiochemistry development for incorporation into radiopharmaceuticals. This study explores the production, purification, and application of these isotopes. The proton …

Elucidating The Role Of The Secondary Coordination Sphere In Tuning Reactivity Of Synthetic Heme Superoxide Complexes And Other Biologically Relevant Intermediates, Garrett B. Tolbert

All ETDs from UAB

Tryptophan catabolizing human heme-dioxyganase enzymes have been linked to a multitude of disease conditions; therefore, understanding the mechanistic details of their function is of great interest to facilitate the design of effective inhibitors for therapeutic applications. Synthetic model systems have demonstrated dioxygenation of indole moieties, elucidating key mechanistic details of the overall reaction. However, the contrastingly low reactivity of the synthetic heme-superoxide intermediates compared to those of dioxygenase enzymes necessitates the revaluation of these models with direct relevance to their biological mode of action. Herein, we report detailed mechanistic studies on the reactivity of model porphyrin systems with installed non-covalent …

Elastomeric Nanocomposite With Solvent-Free, One Step, In Situ Shear Exfoliation Of Graphite To Graphene, Ashiqur Rahman, Md Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam, Matthew G. Boebinger, Ahmed Touhami, Jennifer Lynch, Ali Ashraf

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

A graphene nanoflake (GNF)-enhanced elastomeric nanocomposite (G-EMC) is fabricated following an innovative, cost-effective, single-step, in situ shear exfoliation (ISE) method from low-cost bulk material, graphite, where uniform mixing happens simultaneously within the elastomer matrix. Electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and photo-induced force microscopy results show good dispersion of GNFs with exfoliation to a few layers and uniform distribution in the elastomer matrix. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows less than 1% oxygen-containing functional groups/impurity, enhanced bonding through the formation of edge sites as fracture occurs across the GNF basal plane, and pi-pi interactions with newly exfoliated planar basal plane surfaces of …

Development Of Interface-Specific Two-Dimensional Vibrational-Electronic (I2d-Ve) Spectroscopy For Vibronic Couplings At Interfaces, Yuqin Qian, Zhi-Chao Huang-Fu, Jesse B. Brown, Yi Rao

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Bulk 2D electronic–vibrational (2D-EV) and 2D vibrational–electronic spectroscopies (2D-VE) were previously developed to correlate the electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom simultaneously, which allow for the study of couplings between electronic and vibrational transitions in photo-chemical systems. Such bulk-dominated methods have been used to extensively study molecular systems, providing unique information such as coherence sensitivity, molecular configurations, enhanced resolution, and correlated states and their dynamics. However, the analogy of interfacial 2D spectroscopy has fallen behind. Our recent work presented interface-specific 2D-EV spectroscopy (i2D-EV). In this work, we develop interface-specific two-dimensional vibrational–electronic spectroscopy (i2D-VE). The fourth-order spectroscopy is based on a …

The Compass - Volume 94 Issue 1 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Sigma Gamma Epsilon Student Research Poster Session, Geological Society Of America Connects 2024, Anaheim, California, Usa, Scott R. Beason, Lee S. Potter

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon sponsors a poster session at every annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. The 36th Sigma Gamma Epsilon undergraduate research poster session took place during the 2024 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting (GSA Connects) in Anaheim, California, USA, on Monday, September 23, 2024. Twenty-eight (28) posters were presented in Exhibit Hall D at the Anaheim Convention Center between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM at the poster session. Titles, authors (italics for the presenting author), affiliations, and abstracts for each poster are listed in this report. Additionally, winners of the Austin A. Sartin …

Development And Characterization Of Sodium Alginate-Based Active Edible Films Functionalized With Olive Mill Wastewater Extract, Nassima Hadri, Mohamed Didi Ould El-Hadj, Zineb Mahcene, Fatih Bozkurt, Rusen Metin Yildirim, Youcef Rahmani, Aicha Tedjani, Muhammet Arici

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Phenolic compounds from olive mill wastewater (PCO) of Algerian origin were used to produce sodium alginate-based active films using the casting method. The effects of adding various concentrations of PCO (0%, 0.1%, and 0.2% w/v) were evaluated regarding the molecular, morphological, thermal, physicochemical, optical, barrier, biodegradability, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of the alginate films. The FTIR and SEM results elucidated the development of a coherent cross-linked structure attributed to hydrogen bonding interactions between PCO and alginate chains. Consequently, the films exhibited enhanced crystallinity and thermal stability, as revealed by DSC analysis. Moreover, PCO addition positively influenced several film properties, including …