Digital Commons Network^™

Kinetic Characterization And Identification Of Key Active Site Residues Of The L-Aspartate N-Hydroxylase, Cree, Sydney B. Johnson, Hannah Valentino, Pablo Sobrado

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

CreE is a flavin-dependent monooxygenase (FMO) that catalyzes three sequential nitrogen oxidation reactions of L-aspartate to produce nitrosuccinate, contributing to the biosynthesis of the antimicrobial and antiproliferative nautral product, cremeomycin. This compound contains a highly reactive diazo functional group for which the reaction of CreE is essential to its formation. Nitro and diazo functional groups can serve as potent electrophiles, important in some challenging nucleophilic addition reactions. Formation of these reactive groups positions CreE as a promising candidate for biomedical and synthetic applications. Here, we present the catalytic mechanism of CreE and the identification of active site residues critical to …

Kinetic Characterization And Identification Of Key Active Site Residues Of The L-Aspartate N-Hydroxylase, Cree, Sydney B. Johnson, Hannah Valentino, Pablo Sobrado

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

CreE is a flavin-dependent monooxygenase (FMO) that catalyzes three sequential nitrogen oxidation reactions of L-aspartate to produce nitrosuccinate, contributing to the biosynthesis of the antimicrobial and antiproliferative natural product, cremeomycin. This compound contains a highly reactive diazo functional group for which the reaction of CreE is essential to its formation. Nitro and diazo functional groups can serve as potent electrophiles, important in some challenging nucleophilic addition reactions. Formation of these reactive groups positions CreE as a promising candidate for biomedical and synthetic applications. Here, we present the catalytic mechanism of CreE and the identification of active site residues critical to …

An Investigation Of The Sub-Lethal Impacts To Pollinators From Pesticides, Emily Beahm

Theses

In order to feed a growing global population, agricultural practices must utilize pesticides to maintain high yields. Responsible use of pesticides should be based on literature confirming their efficacy and safety. When pesticides are not adequately investigated prior to their release, there can be severe consequences. Many highly effective pesticides, such as the class neonicotinoids, were allowed to be used commercially prior to thorough assessment of their environmental risks, resulting in consequences that largely have fallen to the exposed pollinator populations. To avoid similar outcomes, I tested the popular biopesticide Botanigard which contains Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus previously exposed …

The Effect Of Lighting In Color In The Interior Space Of The Residential Unit, Abd Elbary Eldininy Abd Elbary Eldininy

Journal of Engineering Research

ABSTRACT: Humanity is spending more and more time indoors, both at work and at home - with studies showing that we now spend 87% of our lives indoors. Residential environ ments both positively affect the mood and well-being of its occupants, just as places with poor and uncomfortable lighting and colors can make life miserable. This is why we are interested in this issue. The importance of knowing the issues of lighting and colors in order to obtain a well thought-out interior design. The interior designer has the ability to control in the quality of lighting of various types, artificial …

Enhancing Daylight Using Sustainable Natural Lighting Techniques In Modern Architecture, سارة حسني شعلان أ.م.د/ لبني عبد الفتاح أغا

Journal of Engineering Research

Natural lighting is one of the basic criteria for the architectural design process. It is one of the most important data that contributes to the design of architectural spaces and the manifestation of aesthetic values. In light of the global technological development and the scientific and information revolution, the role of the architect comes in highlighting the importance of natural lighting and its positive role in human biology, and reducing effort and psychological pressure in the event of Its use is an alternative to artificial lighting, as it increases human efficiency and achievement at work, in addition to giving a …

The Impact Of Green Infrastructure On Urban Heat Island Phenomenon In Existing Cities, Neveen Youssef Azmy Basant Elsayed Abu-Farrag, Walaa Abou El-Haggag Mehanna

Journal of Engineering Research

Rapid urbanization and overpopulation, along with a lack of green space, led to an increase in air temperature, lowering the rate of thermal comfort in dense urban areas, decreasing air quality, and increasing the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, particularly in existing cities. As a result, the research aims to reduce the UHI effect and improve the thermal performance of existing Egyptian cities by adopting green infrastructure (GI) principles and demonstrating their effectiveness on the UHI phenomenon. This research concentrates on the UHI phenomenon as one of the environmental issues facing urbanization and includes a review of green infrastructure (GI) …

Using Recycled Materials Towards Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Building In Hot Regions – A Review, Mai W. Madkour Hosny A. Dewer, And Shaimaa M. Refaat

Journal of Engineering Research

Due to population growth and increased urban activity, there is a rise in waste production, which poses health and environmental risks. Additionally, the extraction and transportation of natural resources to places of employment require significant energy consumption, and the world has therefore moved to seek new alternatives away from traditional construction methods by recycling building materials such as concrete, brick, glass, wood, etc., or using new building materials such as rice straw, plastics, corks, etc., taking into account architectural design. The research is aimed at demonstrating that recycled materials have the potential to perform a better environmental performance by preserving …

Heritage Preservation In Egyptian Villages And Centers, Azza Elsakka Ahmed Abdalwahaab , Ebtehal Fady Shareef

Journal of Engineering Research

Heritage holds deep significance as a collective memory and a source of pride for any society. However, in today's world, it has evolved beyond its symbolic status and emerged as a crucial factor in human development across various dimensions. Preserving and restoring heritage has thus become an urgent issue that demands extensive cooperation between governments, international society, and community associations.

Eco-Urbanism: Integrating The Transformation Of Sustainability Into City Design, Mira Ibrahim Helmi

Journal of Engineering Research

Eco-Urbanism, as a contemporary approach to city design, strives to seamlessly embed sustainability into the very fabric of urban environments. This abstract delves into the fundamental principles & aspirations of Eco-Urbanism, illustrating its commitment to catalysing a paradigm shift that harmonizes ecological, economic, social dimensions within cities. In a world increasingly defined by urbanization and ecological challenges, Eco-Urbanism emerges as an imperative response to the imperative for sustainable urban planning. It envisions cities that are not merely centres of growth but are purposefully designed to coexist with and protect their natural surroundings, nurture economic vitality, and champion social inclusivity. Key …

Public Realm For Enhanced Quality Of Life :Interactive Spaces Combating Climate Change, Amal M . El- Ellithy , Mohamed M. Yossef , And Mai W. Madkour

Journal of Engineering Research

Currently, facing climate change stands as a crucial focus within architecture, urban planning and design .Urban design is constructive endeavor aimed at benefiting the public. The public realm that creates the environment for individuals and communities to effectively, safely, meaningfully and permanently lead their lives .For a prolonged duration the public realm have been formulated to accommodate severe climatic conditions .the reality persists that the essence of a signification public realm continue to be widely disregarded . The aim is to clarify how exceptional quality, effectively designed, and well-managed approaches can be beneficial to implement as a strategy for climate …

Food Waste And Composting In Georgetown County, Kendal Mackison

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

No abstract provided.

Formation And Development Of The Center For Grassland Studies At The University Of Nebraska, M A. Massengale

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Center for Grassland Studies was formed at the University of Nebraska in 1994 to implement focused interdisciplinary research, educational, and service programs and activities that emphasize the role of grasslands as a natural resource and conservation measure and that enhance the efficiency, profitability, sustainability, and aesthetic value of grasslands, wetlands, and turf. Although the Center is still in a developmental stage, it appears to be accomplishing those objectives.

The Transformation Of Greek Grasslands Under The Impact Of Socio-Economic Factors, R Thanopoulos

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The impact of socio-economic factors on the transformation of Greek grasslands is examined. Factors like urbanisation, migration, collapse of traditional way of life, social pressure for land distribution, intensification of agriculture shaped the evolution of grasslands. Thus, these factors should be taken into consideration for the planning of grasslands management.

Carbonate And Organic Proxies And The Impacts Of Climate On Lake Systems: Paleoclimate Interpretations From Lake Chalco, Mexico, Aria Holmes

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This project incorporates several lines of evidence to better understand the climate at Lake Chalco. Chapter 1 utilizes oxygen isotopes from carbonates and show that the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone varies on primarily glacial and millennial timescales; precession is not observed. These data indicate glacials periods were shallower and interglacials were wetter periods at Lake Chalco. Chapter 2 studies carbon, nitrogen, C/N, and TOC proxies and finds that the lake conditions during the glacials and interglacials are primarily a mixed algal-macrophyte-terrestrial organic matter. Deviations show that the lake during the interglacials had more algal organic matter- reflecting influxes of nutrients …

Sand, Ice, And X-Rays: Developing Xct Methods For Frozen Samples And Refining Siliciclastic Facies Models For Perennially Ice-Covered Lakes, Utilizing Cores From Lake Fryxell, Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Holly M. Levett

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Sedimentation in perennially ice-covered lakes (PICLs) is proposed to be bi-modal, with mud deposited by stream inflow and sand deposited on the ice cover by aeolian processes and then melting through by absorption of solar radiation. Here, we consider Lake Fryxell, a PICL in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and several lake bed cores about 30 cm in length, to better understand PICL facies through time, using micro X-ray CT (XCT). Using XCT images along with sieve and laser granulometry data, we constrained the grain-size of PICL deposits to dominantly medium / fine sand with a coarse component. The presence of …

Functional And Structural Analysis Of The Neimann-Pick Disease Type C Pathway To Include Caveolin-1, Anthony Michael Seat

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Human disease is often thought of as an all or nothing prospect, either one has the disease or one does not. This does not bear out in clinical or personal experiences, instead demonstrating that disease occurs within a spectrum ranging from presumed unaffected to demonstrably and detrimentally affected.Neimann-Pick disease is one example of this spectrum look into diseased states, with multiple named versions of a phenotypically similar disease. We focus on Neimann-Picktype C (NPC), which is the result of a disruption in the efflux of cholesterol and sphingolipids from the endocytic pathway. NPC demonstrates this concept of a spectrum of …

Chemical And Physical Properties Of Fine Fractions From A Village Proximate To A Uranium Mine: Insights About Soil Health, Mary P. Haley

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Thousands of abandoned uranium mines (AUM) in Native American tribal lands have not been fully remediated, leaving uranium mine wastes exposed and accessible for potential erosion and transport by wind. Analyzing the metal and organic content of the fine-grained fractions in soils could uncover the impact of mine legacy on the soil health in communities that live in proximity to AUM. This study investigates the physical and chemical properties of the fine-grained fraction (μm) of soils to quantify the effect of heavy metal-bearing particulates on the soil health in the village of Paguate and within the Jackpile-Paguate AUM located on …

Development Of Peptidomimetics Based On Γ-Aapeptide Molecular Scaffolds To Modulate Amyloid Peptide Aggregation, Heng Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many proteins contain fragments that become structured upon binding to specific targets or through self-association. Notable examples of such disorder-to-order transitions include amyloidogenic proteins like amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and tau peptide in Alzheimer's disease, α-Synuclein in Parkinson's disease, and hIAPP in type 2 diabetes, and so on. These regions can aggregate into amyloid fibrils through β -sheet stacking, contributing to amyloidosis and related diseases. Although direct link between amyloid formation and neurodegenerative disease development is not fully understood, developing effective inhibitors of these amyloid peptides remains promising both for fundamental research and therapeutical advance.

We have developed a new class …

Regioselective Hydroamination Of Unactivated Olefins With Diazirine And Total Synthesis Of Nostodione A And Scytonemin, Qingyu Xing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As an atom-economic way of carbon-nitrogen bond formation, hydroaminations are great tool for make amines, hydrazines, and other nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Specifically, radical hydroamination is a useful approach for functionalization of unactivated olefins, especially in sterically hindered environments. Diversification remains a challenge for radical hydroaminated products, since the nitrogen sources are carefully designed. In the first chapter of this dissertation, we report a highly diversifiable radical hydroamination reaction with diazirine as a nitrogen source and its potential applications in synthesis of several pharmaceutical interested compounds. Cobalt catalyzed regioselective hydroamination with diazirine shows wide function group tolerance, like phenyl thioether, ketones, esters, …

The Newgeneratortm Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System For Non-Sewered Sanitation: Technology Advancement Through Field Evaluation And Modeling, Hsiang-Yang Shyu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS) offer innovative solutions to sanitation challenges in areas lacking basic facilities, utilizing advanced treatment technologies for on-site water reuse. The NEWgenerator (NG), an advanced NSSS developed at the University of South Florida under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Reinventing the Toilet Challenge, integrates an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), an ion exchange-based nutrient capture system (NCS), and an electrochlorinator for final disinfection. This study builds on previous field trials of the NG system, focusing on developing, evaluating, and optimizing its water reuse capabilities through field trials, system dynamics modeling, and advanced monitoring techniques.

In the first …

Microplastic Accumulation In The Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria Irrorata), Sarah Keaton, Hannah Lukhard, Eli Windy, Manar Hasan

DePaul Discoveries

Contamination of oceans by microplastics (mm) currently poses a major threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Recent attention towards this issue has raised questions about the extent to which microplastics have accumulated in the environment, and has led to an increase in studies on the effects of microplastics in various organisms. However, levels of contamination in protected natural areas are still largely unexplored, yet can offer an important empirical perspective on the issue. In addition, little is known about the potential effects of microplastics on behavior in the field. This research was conducted within the protected ACE Basin National …

Detection And Quantification Of Acetaminophen In Aquatic Samples From Cádiz, Spain, Hannah R. Desmarais, Michelle N. Mikos

DePaul Discoveries

Pharmaceutical contaminants in water are becoming increasingly prevalent. This could have potentially harmful effects on human health and aquatic environments, even at low concentrations. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient of Tylenol ®, was the target compound for this study, and the aim was to determine is presence and concentration in various aquatic samples in and around the city of Cádiz, Spain. It was predicted that acetaminophen would be detected in low concentrations in river water, drain outflow, University of Cádiz saltwater flow, and lagoon water, but undetectable in the University of Cádiz sink water and fountain water. The presence and concentration …

A Seasonal Decomposition Comparison Between Forest And Turf Habitats: Implications For Climate Change, Amanda Shirmer

DePaul Discoveries

Decomposition is an essential ecosystem service in which microorganisms breakdown organic matter. This process improves soil health and acts as a vital step in global carbon cycles. In this study, we examined decomposition rates and associated soil properties in turf and forest habitats across summer and fall seasons in order to determine how land management practices and climate change may be altering local decomposition regimes. Our study determined that there was a statistically significant difference between decomposition rates in turf and forest ecosystems (P=0.003) and a significant difference in decomposition rate across season (P

Postweaning Skull Growth In Living Didelphid Marsupials: The Case Of Gracilinanus Agilis And Cryptonanus Chacoensis, Iveth A. Villalobos Guerrero, Noé U. De La Sancha

DePaul Discoveries

Ontogeny is described as the history of an organism through its lifetime including development, growth, and allometry. The ontogenetic approach in cranial dimensions has proved useful in interpreting evolutionary patterns. Among the largest Didelphidae family of Neotropical marsupials, the species of Gracilinanus agilis and Cryptonanus chacoensis are poorly known. In this study, we address three questions; Is there sexual dimorphism in these species? What is the pattern of allometry? Which allometric patterns best describe the patterns in the skull and mandible? We applied geometric morphometrics to describe and test these differences using MorphoJ. A discriminant function analysis was performed to …

The Impacts Of Urbanization On Soil: The Effect On Decomposition Rates And Microbial Communities, Maximus C. Halekakis

DePaul Discoveries

The anthropogenic impacts of industrialization have left many ecosystems polluted. Soil, being an imperative actor for ecosystem functions, is important to observe under anthropogenic change. My study examined soil organic matter decomposition, microbial biomass carbon(MBC) and the fungal to bacteria ratio(F:B) across an urban-suburban-exurban landuse gradient in San Luis Obispo, California. A cotton strip assay as well as microBIOMETER® testing was performed on three geographic locations in and outside of the city. The cotton strip decomposition acts as an indicator for organic matter breakdown as microorganisms break down the cellulose in the strips causing them to lose mass and tensile …

Disentangling Drivers Of Metacommunity Structure For Small Mammals Throughout Paraguay, William T. Szromba

DePaul Discoveries

Paraguay is home to a unique precipitation gradient, receiving progressively more precipitation from east to west. It has previously been suggested that metacommunity structures for order Chiroptera assemble along precipitation gradients such as this one. Metacommunities have also been shown to assemble along other bioclimatic gradients such as temperature. This study seeks to expand upon other findings by using a larger dataset, partitioned bioclimatic variables, and more mammalian orders. It also seeks to determine how metacommunities assemble along this gradient in Paraguay, investigate the differences between different ecological metacommunity assemblages, and to further understand which bioclimatic variables have the greatest …

Human Second Metacarpal Nanocrystal Analysis, William Abramovich

DePaul Discoveries

Female human bones dated to the 6^th - 8^th century CE were uncovered in Greding Germany after archaeologists discovered a medieval cemetery. Age-at-death estimates have been determined, and data from several techniques are currently being analyzed to learn more about these samples. The purpose of this project is to study the diaphyses of the second metacarpal (mc2) bones excavated using wide-angle x-ray scattering data collected at beamline 1-ID of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. The diffraction data were refined using the Rietveld method to obtain lattice (‘a’ and ‘c’) parameter values …

Controlling Adversarial Pheromone-Based Infections Via Quarantine Strategies In Foraging Robot Swarms, Ryan Luna, Qi Lu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Virtual pheromone trails that facilitate efficient and adaptable coordination among foraging robot swarms are vulnerable to threats that exploit stigmergic communication. This study investigates the impact of a fake resource attack on the performance of a pheromone-based foraging algorithm and demonstrates the effectiveness of a “quarantine strategy” in mitigating the attack. The study simulates the fake resources and examines the swarm's behavior as robots are attracted to these fake resource locations. To prevent access to fake resources, circular quarantine regions are deployed, and a distance-based merging algorithm is implemented to reduce storage require-ments. The experiments are conducted with varying numbers …

Synoptic Drivers Of Extreme Precipitation In The Upper Yuba Watershed Of California, Emma Nichole Russell

Dissertations and Theses

The United States state of California is vulnerable to both droughts and extreme precipitation events due to the timing and processes of precipitation in the region. California's annual precipitation is dependent on a few strong storms and in addition to its Mediterranean climate, leads to great variability in precipitation both within and across years. While efforts to reduce the impacts of extreme precipitation events have been implemented, forecasting for these events remains a challenge in regions with complex terrain and dynamic meteorological drivers. In order to improve forecasting and preparedness for such events, it is important to understand the range …

Data Requirements For Whole-Farm Economic Analysis Of Grazing Alternatives, R O. Burton Jr

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to better communications among the agronomists, animal scientists, and agricultural economists on interdisciplinary teams, that wish to provide useful information to forage producers. This is accomplished by discussing major issues and data requirements for whole-farm economic analysis.