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Design, Synthesis, And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Indenoisoquinolines As Potential Anticancer Agents, Daniel Edward Beck Jan 2015

Design, Synthesis, And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Indenoisoquinolines As Potential Anticancer Agents, Daniel Edward Beck

Open Access Dissertations

The research in this thesis is focused on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of indenoisoquinolines that inhibit the human topoisomerase IB enzyme (Top1). At present, there are only two FDA-approved cancer chemotherapeutic drugs that target this enzyme. These agents bind to a covalent Top1-DNA cleavage complex intermediate that is formed when Top1 relaxes supercoiled DNA. The effect of this stabilization is that a DNA replication fork can “collide” with the cleavage complex, which produces cytotoxic DNA damage products. Although the present arsenal of Top1 inhibitors is effective in the treatment of solid tumors, their common camptothecin-based structure is plagued …


Miniature Mass Spectrometer System With A Sampling Probe, Chien-Hsun Chen Jan 2015

Miniature Mass Spectrometer System With A Sampling Probe, Chien-Hsun Chen

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the development of miniature mass spectrometry systems and the sampling probes. Mass spectrometers are usually installed and used in the analytical laboratory. It requires complex sample preparation before the analysis. Use of miniature mass spectrometer enables the chemical analysis outside the lab and a sampling probe provides convenience for real-time analysis. Two miniature mass spectrometer systems have been developed in this work.


High Pressure Micro-Scale Studies Of Fast-Hydropyrolysis And Catalytic Hydrogenation Of Biomass And Related Model Compounds, Harshavardhan Choudhari Jan 2015

High Pressure Micro-Scale Studies Of Fast-Hydropyrolysis And Catalytic Hydrogenation Of Biomass And Related Model Compounds, Harshavardhan Choudhari

Open Access Dissertations

Biomass is a major source of renewable carbon which can be converted to hydrocarbon fuel with the aim of reducing the dependence on fossil based sources. Fast pyrolysis of biomass followed by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil is considered a promising biomass conversion route to produce drop in hydrocarbon fuels. The H2Bioil process was proposed as an integrated high pressure fast hydropyrolysis and catalytic vapor phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) pathway for utilizing biomass to produce high energy density fuel. During fast hydropyrolysis biomass is rapidly heated to generate a complex mixture of compounds with high oxygen content (35-40 wt %). In the …


Influence Of Social Cognitive Variables On The Career Exploratory Behaviors Of African American Undergraduate Stem-Intensive Agricultural Sciences Majors At Historically Black Land-Grant Institutions, Qi Ding Jan 2015

Influence Of Social Cognitive Variables On The Career Exploratory Behaviors Of African American Undergraduate Stem-Intensive Agricultural Sciences Majors At Historically Black Land-Grant Institutions, Qi Ding

Open Access Dissertations

Without question, racial and ethnic minority groups are playing more significant roles in American society. However, there still remains a lack of diversity within the STEM workforce, especially within agricultural sciences disciplines. More problematic is the fact that low numbers of African Americans are employed in the agricultural sciences workforce. This study extends the use of Social Cognitive Career Theory by exploring how person, contextual and cognitive factors interplay to influence the career goals and career exploratory behaviors of African American college students pursuing STEM-intensive agricultural sciences majors. Instruments were selected to measure various components of the SCCT framework, focusing …


Physical Chemistry Of Colloidal-Nanoparticle Interactions, Necla Mine Eren Jan 2015

Physical Chemistry Of Colloidal-Nanoparticle Interactions, Necla Mine Eren

Open Access Dissertations

Following the advances in the design and characterization of engineered nanoparticles, biomaterials came into contact with the nano-world. Among many implementations of bio-nanotechnology, there is an increasing scientific and industrial interest in designing complex/hybrid structures (micro/macro) by merging the advantageous of inorganic colloidal particles (fixed shape, hard matter) with organic biopolymers (flexible shape, soft matter).In the current dissertation, nanostructured silica suspensions with tunable rheological characteristics were designed via steric and electrostatic interactions. Perturbation of short range interactions, protein bridging and silica re-dispersion were reported to play key roles in the macro-structure formation as determined by light scattering, steady state shear …


Functional Study Of Mammary Epithelial Cell Architecture, Yunfeng Bai Jan 2015

Functional Study Of Mammary Epithelial Cell Architecture, Yunfeng Bai

Open Access Dissertations

Cell organization confers cellular identity and guides cellular functions. Here, the


A Comparison Of Functionally Divergent Forms Of The Purine Biosynthesis Enzyme Pure., Kelly L. Sullivan Jan 2015

A Comparison Of Functionally Divergent Forms Of The Purine Biosynthesis Enzyme Pure., Kelly L. Sullivan

Open Access Dissertations

Purines are the basic building block for essential biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, NADH, CoA, and several essential vitamin cofactors. Most organisms have the ability to synthesize purines through the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway.


Genetic Regulation Of Maize And Sorghum Under Abiotic Stress, Alexandar Lewis Renaud Jan 2015

Genetic Regulation Of Maize And Sorghum Under Abiotic Stress, Alexandar Lewis Renaud

Open Access Dissertations

Climate extremes of temperature, drought and flooding continue to challenge global agricultural production and food security. If modeling studies are accurate, climate variability and drought will be a more prevalent occurrence in the future, not only inhibiting grain yield but also stressing water resources. Thus, it is critical to breed for improved climate resilience in agronomic crops and understand the genetic mechanisms conferring adaptation to water-limited environments.


Immunotherapy Of Folate Receptor Expressing Cancers, Nimalka Achini Bandara Jan 2015

Immunotherapy Of Folate Receptor Expressing Cancers, Nimalka Achini Bandara

Open Access Dissertations

The folate receptor (FR) is a GPI anchored cell surface glycoprotein that functions to facilitate folic acid uptake and mediate signal transduction. With the introduction of multiple folate-targeted drugs into the clinic, the question has arisen regarding how frequently a patient can be dosed with a FR-targeted drug or antibody, and whether dosing frequency exerts any impact on the availability of FR for subsequent rounds of FR-mediated drug uptake. Although the rate of FR recycling has been examined in murine tumor models, little or no information exists on the impact of FR occupancy on its rate of endocytosis. The studies …


Notch Signaling Regulates Adipogenesis And Energy Metabolism, Pengpeng Bi Jan 2015

Notch Signaling Regulates Adipogenesis And Energy Metabolism, Pengpeng Bi

Open Access Dissertations

Evolutionarily unprepared for high caloric diets and sedentary lifestyles, humans are now unprecedentedly susceptible to obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Obesity is resulted from malfunction of the overloaded white adipocytes, which are the primary default storage sites of energy surplus. Another two types of adipocytes can also be found in human: beige and brown adipocytes. In opposite to white adipocytes, beige and brown adipocytes ameliorate obesity by burning lipids for thermogenesis. Thus, an increase in beige/brown adipocyte content in adipose tissue, termed browning would raise energy expenditure and reduce adiposity.


Enabling New Functionally Embedded Mechanical Systems Via Cutting, Folding, And 3d Printing, Wei Gao Jan 2015

Enabling New Functionally Embedded Mechanical Systems Via Cutting, Folding, And 3d Printing, Wei Gao

Open Access Dissertations

Traditional design tools and fabrication methods implicitly prevent mechanical engineers from encapsulating full functionalities such as mobility, transformation, sensing and actuation in the early design concept prototyping stage. Therefore, designers are forced to design, fabricate and assemble individual parts similar to conventional manufacturing, and iteratively create additional functionalities. This results in relatively high design iteration times and complex assembly strategies.


A Bio-Inspired Self-Healing Polymer System For Sustainable Plastics, Michael Laird Johnston Jan 2015

A Bio-Inspired Self-Healing Polymer System For Sustainable Plastics, Michael Laird Johnston

Open Access Dissertations

Studying how marine organisms make tough biologic materials that autonomously heal allows us to integrate this biological self-healing motif into synthetic biomimetic polymers. These types of polymers will be used to develop components with greater fatigue life and toughness, promoting greater resource sustainability by reducing plastic consumption. The amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) grants marine mussels the ability to strongly affix themselves to the rocks under water by forming strong reversible bonds with their environment. Poly[(3,4-dihydroxystyrene)-co-styrene)] (P[3,4-DHS-S]) is a synthetic polymer mimic of DOPA with chemical structure similar to polystyrene (PS) with a potential self-healing mechanism. This intrinsic self-healing mechanism works …


Smart Cities: Inverse Design Of 3d Urban Procedural Models With Traffic And Weather Simulation, Ignacio Garcia Dorado Jan 2015

Smart Cities: Inverse Design Of 3d Urban Procedural Models With Traffic And Weather Simulation, Ignacio Garcia Dorado

Open Access Dissertations

Urbanization, the demographic transition from rural to urban, has changed how we envision and share the world. From just one-fourth of the population living in cities one hundred years ago, now more than half of the population does, and this ratio is expected to grow in the near future. Creating more sustainable, accessible, safe, and enjoyable cities has become an imperative.


Finite Element Analysis Of The Equine Distal Limb Transfixation Cast, Timothy B. Lescun Jan 2015

Finite Element Analysis Of The Equine Distal Limb Transfixation Cast, Timothy B. Lescun

Open Access Dissertations

Lescun, Timothy B. Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2015. Finite Element Analysis of the Equine Distal Limb Transfixation Cast. Major Professors: Gert Breur and Eric Nauman.


Analysis Of Models For Curvature Driven Motion Of Interfaces, Drew Swartz Jan 2015

Analysis Of Models For Curvature Driven Motion Of Interfaces, Drew Swartz

Open Access Dissertations

Interfacial energies frequently appear in models arising in materials science and engineering.


Influence Of Architecture Design On The Performance And Fuel Efficiency Of Hydraulic Hybrid Transmissions, Michael Wayne Sprengel Jan 2015

Influence Of Architecture Design On The Performance And Fuel Efficiency Of Hydraulic Hybrid Transmissions, Michael Wayne Sprengel

Open Access Dissertations

Hydraulic hybrids are a proven and effective alternative to electric hybrids for increasing the fuel efficiency of on-road vehicles. To further the state-of-the-art this work investigates how architecture design influences the performance, fuel efficiency, and controllability of hydraulic hybrid transmissions. To that end a novel neural network based power management controller was proposed and investigated for conventional hydraulic hybrids. This control scheme trained a neural network to generalize the globally optimal, though non-implementable, state trajectories generated by dynamic programming. Once trained the neural network was used for online prediction of a transmission’s optimal state trajectory during untrained cycles forming the …


On Computational Synthesis And Dynamic Analysis Of Nonlinear Resonant Systems With Internal Resonances, Astitva Tripathi Jan 2015

On Computational Synthesis And Dynamic Analysis Of Nonlinear Resonant Systems With Internal Resonances, Astitva Tripathi

Open Access Dissertations

This work is concerned with synthesis methods for nonlinear structures and the


Indices And Ecoinformatics Tools For The Study Of Soundscape Dynamics, Luis Javier Villanueva-Rivera Jan 2015

Indices And Ecoinformatics Tools For The Study Of Soundscape Dynamics, Luis Javier Villanueva-Rivera

Open Access Dissertations

The study of the new field of soundscape ecology presents several research avenues to explore. In the chapters in this dissertation, I have followed several of the technical and methodological areas of the study of soundscapes. In Chapter 1, I presented the current status of the study of soundscapes as well as an overview of the contributions made in this dissertation to the field. These contributions were framed in the definition of ecological informatics (Michener and Jones 2012). In Chapter 2, I developed a web-based system to manage audio archives. This system organizes thousands of audio files while collecting the …


Design And Control Of A Hummingbird-Size Flapping Wing Micro Aerial Vehicle, Jian Zhang Jan 2015

Design And Control Of A Hummingbird-Size Flapping Wing Micro Aerial Vehicle, Jian Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

Flying animals with flapping wings may best exemplify the astonishing ability of natural selection on design optimization. They evince extraordinary prowess to control their flight, while demonstrating rich repertoire of agile maneuvers. They remain surprisingly stable during hover and can make sharp turns in a split second. Characterized by high-frequency flapping wing motion, unsteady aerodynamics, and the ability to hover and perform fast maneuvers, insect-like flapping flight presents an extraordinary aerial locomotion strategy perfected at small size scales. Flapping Wing Micro Aerial Vehicles (FWMAVs) hold great promise in bridging the performance gap between engineered flying vehicles and their natural counterparts. …


Understanding The Determinants For Substrate Recognition, Regulation Of Enzymatic Activity And The Development Of Broad-Spectrum Inhibitors Of Coronavirus 3-Chymotrypsin-Like Proteases, Sakshi Tomar Jan 2015

Understanding The Determinants For Substrate Recognition, Regulation Of Enzymatic Activity And The Development Of Broad-Spectrum Inhibitors Of Coronavirus 3-Chymotrypsin-Like Proteases, Sakshi Tomar

Open Access Dissertations

Coronaviruses include lethal human pathogens like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the recently emerged Middle-east respiratory coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Coronavirus also impact global economy by infecting farm animals like pigs (porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, PEDV), cows (bovine coronavirus, BCoV) and poultry (avian infectious bronchitis virus, IBV). Moreover, the global distribution of bats that naturally harbor one or more coronavirus strains heightens the likelihood of emergence of a novel highly pathogenic coronavirus in the near future. To combat infections of existing and emerging coronaviruses, it is important to identify coronavirus drug targets that can be utilized for the development of …


Native Chromatin Extraction And Its Structure Analysis, Zhongwu Zhou Jan 2015

Native Chromatin Extraction And Its Structure Analysis, Zhongwu Zhou

Open Access Dissertations

Structure determines function. Properly ordered chromatin organization is fundamental for accurate regulation of gene expression inside eukaryotes. A native chromatin extraction method is developed based on solid phase reversible immobilization (SPRI) using magnetic nanoparticles as carriers. This method provides a quick, simple, inexpensive and an environmental-friendly means of chromatin extraction, and preserves the native structure of chromatin. The purified chromatin consists of DNA, histones, chromatin associated RNAs (CARs) and other non-histone proteins. Using the purified chromatin as a source, we developed a biotin-streptavidin mediated enzyme-based immunosorbent assay for simultaneous detection of epigenetic modifications on DNA and histone proteins. In order …


Characterization Of Mitotic Regulators Acm1 And Cdc14, Michael Melesse Jan 2015

Characterization Of Mitotic Regulators Acm1 And Cdc14, Michael Melesse

Open Access Dissertations

Mitotic exit and cytokinesis are driven by a complex set of processes that serve to


Effects Of High-Protein And High-Fiber Breakfasts On Preschoolers' Feelings Of Fullness, Diet Quality And Memory, Mary Catherine Brauchla Jan 2015

Effects Of High-Protein And High-Fiber Breakfasts On Preschoolers' Feelings Of Fullness, Diet Quality And Memory, Mary Catherine Brauchla

Open Access Dissertations

ABSTRACT


Advancement Of 31p Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Using Grappa Reconstruction On A 3d Volume, Tony Clevenger Jan 2015

Advancement Of 31p Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Using Grappa Reconstruction On A 3d Volume, Tony Clevenger

Open Access Dissertations

The overall objective of this research is to improve currently available metabolic imaging techniques for clinical use in monitoring and predicting treatment response to radiation therapy in liver cancer. Liver metabolism correlates with inflammatory and neoplastic liver diseases, which alter the intracellular concentration of phosphorus- 31 (31P) metabolites [1]. It is assumed that such metabolic changes occur prior to physical changes of the tissue. Therefore, information on regional changes of 31P metabolites in the liver, obtained by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) [1,2], can help in diagnosis and follow-up of various liver diseases. Specifically, there appears to be an immediate …


Design And Characterization Of Biomimetic Adhesive Materials, Mary Jane Brennan Jan 2015

Design And Characterization Of Biomimetic Adhesive Materials, Mary Jane Brennan

Open Access Dissertations

When we engineer new materials, nature provides us with a wealth of inspiration, often in the form of proteins. The blue mussel Mytilus edulis and sandcastle worm Phragmatopoma californica produce adhesive proteins that help them to adhere in wet, turbulent environments. The frog Notaden bennetti secretes a sticky, proteinaceous emulsion that helps it defend against predators; the velvet worm bombards a similar protein onto its prey to prevent its escape. Mammals and insects produce remarkably elastic proteins to support highly repetitive motions. This work describes the design, production, and characterization of several biomimetic materials inspired by natural adhesive proteins.


Synthesis, Characterization, And Kinetic Evaluation Of Planar And Supported Heterogeneous Catalysts, Michael D. Detwiler Jan 2015

Synthesis, Characterization, And Kinetic Evaluation Of Planar And Supported Heterogeneous Catalysts, Michael D. Detwiler

Open Access Dissertations

An integrated approach for biomass upgrading to fuels requires catalyst synthesis, characterization, and kinetic evaluation. The work was divided in three areas, 1-preparation and characterization of model catalysts containing metal oxide overcoats and metal nanoparticles synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD), a gas-phase material deposition technique, 2-the study of structure sensitivity for formic acid decomposition on planar Pt catalysts, and 3-characterization of bimetallic Pt-M (M = Re, Mo) catalysts using surface sensitive techniques and theory.


Modelling And Measurement Of The Response Of A Beam Interacting With A Polyurethane Foam Foundation, Udbhau I. Bhattiprolu Jan 2015

Modelling And Measurement Of The Response Of A Beam Interacting With A Polyurethane Foam Foundation, Udbhau I. Bhattiprolu

Open Access Dissertations

Buildings, railway tracks, drill strings and off-shore pipelines are all modeled as structures on elastic foundations in order to study their response behavior under different conditions. Flexible polyurethane foams used for cushioning in the furniture and automotive industries also serve as foundations, but they exhibit even more complex nonlinear and viscoelastic behavior. It is challenging to develop models that can be used to predict the behavior of these material-structural systems over a wide range of loading conditions. The solution techniques are also computationally expensive, making it difficult to use the models to do iterative design of these types of systems. …


Homecoming Festivals: The Re-Accentuated Image Of Don Quixote In Western Novel, Tatevik Gyulamiryan Jan 2015

Homecoming Festivals: The Re-Accentuated Image Of Don Quixote In Western Novel, Tatevik Gyulamiryan

Open Access Dissertations

The publication of Don Quixote (1605, 1615) impacted significantly the dynamics of Western literature. The renowned novel, which builds upon a considerable number of characters and episodes, is considered one of the most read and most analyzed pieces of literature in the world. This novel opens a wide platform for socio-political criticism, religious and cultural discussions, and literary analyses. For these reasons, critics read and study, and writers mention and imitate Cervantes’ novel up until today. A multitude of significant novels written by a variety of eminent authors share characteristics with Don Quixote, and thus become “quixotic.”


Stress Granules Modulate Syk To Cause Microglial Dysfunction In Alzheimer’S Disease, Soumitra Ghosh Jan 2015

Stress Granules Modulate Syk To Cause Microglial Dysfunction In Alzheimer’S Disease, Soumitra Ghosh

Open Access Dissertations

Microglial cells in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients are recruited to amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and exhibit an activated phenotype, but are defective for plaque removal by phagocytosis. To explore the molecular basis for these phenomena, I hypothesized that defects in the functions of the protein-tyrosine kinase SYK, which is important both for macrophage activation and phagocytosis, might underlie much of this pathology. Recent evidence from our lab indicates that SYK can associate with stress granules, ribonucleoprotein particles that form in stressed cells and contain inactive translation initiation complexes. I found that microglial cell lines and primary mouse brain microglia, …


The Determination Of The Half-Life Of Si-32 And Time Varying Nuclear Decay, Jordan Heim Jan 2015

The Determination Of The Half-Life Of Si-32 And Time Varying Nuclear Decay, Jordan Heim

Open Access Dissertations

The aim of this work is to make an accurate determination of the half-life of $^{32}$Si as well as to investigate reported variations in nuclear decay rates. Primarily, we focus on a previous experiment at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL) \cite{BNL}, which measured the ratio of interwoven $^{32}$Si and $^{36}$Cl decays over a 4 yr period and reported unexplained annual periodicities. Utilizing the very same sources and shuffling apparatus, we have observed the decay of $^{32}$Si and $^{36}$Cl for more than 6,000 hours each, over the last $\sim 2$ yr, while recording $\sim 5\times 10^6$ individual environmental readings. The half-life of …