Digital Commons Network^™

Lung-Delivered Il-10 Mitigates Lung Inflammation Induced By Repeated Endotoxin Exposures In Male Mice, Aaron Schwab, Todd A. Wyatt, Oliver Schanze, Amy J. Nelson, Angela Gleason, Michael J. Duryee, Deanna Mosley, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Ted R. Mikuls, Jill A. Poole

Journal Articles: Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health

Therapies capable of resolving inflammatory lung disease resulting from high-consequence occupational/environmental hazards are lacking. This study seeks to determine the therapeutic potential of direct lung-delivered interleukin (IL)-10 following repeated lipopolysaccharide exposures. C57BL/6 mice were intratracheally instilled with LPS (10 μg) and treated with IL-10 (1 μg) or vehicle control for 3 days. Lung cell infiltrates were enumerated by flow cytometry. Lung sections were stained for myeloperoxidase (MPO), CCR2, vimentin, and post-translational protein citrullination (CIT) and malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (MAA) modifications. Lung function testing and longitudinal in vivo micro-CT imaging were performed. Whole lungs were profiled using bulk RNA sequencing. IL-10 treatment reduced …

Computational Study Of Redox-Active Protein Residues And Biological Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer, Qiwen Zhu

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions are essential processes in biological systems, fundamental to various enzymatic functions and redox biology. Key to these reactions are redox-active residues, such as tyrosine and tryptophan, which enhance the efficiency and specificity of electron transfer events. This thesis investigates the thermodynamics, kinetics, and conformational influences of PCET in proteins involving these residues through three projects, each offering significant insights into the mechanisms and broader implications for biological function. The studies have focused on two protein systems: a simple de novo protein system, α3X, and ribonucleotide reductase, an enzyme critical to DNA synthesis. Combining a wide …

Selective Surface Activation And Flotation Of Pyrite For The Recovery Of Tellurium From Sulfide Tailings, Mulenga Mutema Chibesa

Masters Theses

Copper sulfide tailings from past and present mining operations are important secondary sources of critical elements such as tellurium (Te), a key component in cadmium–telluride photovoltaic solar cells. Characterization of tailing streams from copper porphyry (CP) ore flotation revealed that Te-bearing minerals are predominantly hosted in pyrite, which is usually depressed and discarded. Enhancing pyrite recovery is therefore a critical first step toward concentrating Te minerals for downstream extraction. However, pyrite flotation is often hindered by hydrophilic surface complexes formed during prior processing. This research investigated selective flotation of Te-bearing pyrite from CP tailings using micro flotation and bench-scale flotation, …

A Systematic Review Of Environmentally Persistent Free Radical (Epfr) Formation, Characteristics, And Health Effects: Are There Sufficient Data For Risk Assessment?, Avinash Kumar, Divine Nde, Chuqi Guo, Rashmi Pathak, Fox Foley, Syed Ahmad, Prakash Dangal, Farhana Hasan, Myron Lard, Ankit Aryal, Martine E. Mathieu-Campbell, Jennifer Irving, Oluwafeyikemi Ogunmusi, Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, Slawomir Lomnicki, Lavrent Khachatryan, Stephania A. Cormier, Tammy R. Dugas

Faculty Publications

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are stable free radicals formed on particulate matter (PM) through processes such as combustion and pyrolysis. These free radicals are generated on transition metal oxide surfaces in the presence of aromatic precursors. Exposure to EPFRs occurs primarily via inhalation of PM deriving from combustion, traffic, industrial activities, and both indoor and outdoor burning. Other environmental factors that might generate EPFRs are radon, electronic and tobacco cigarettes. EPFRs exhibit unexpectedly long half-lives, ranging from several weeks to, in some cases, several years. EPFRs may be carbon-centered, oxygen-centered or mixed, identified by g-values exhibited in electron paramagnetic …

Stephen J. Lippard: Chemistry Meets Medicine, Radwa Elrouby

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

Key Study

In "DNA Sequence Context Modulates the Impact of a Cisplatin 1,2-GpG Intrastrand Cross-Link", Pilch, Todd, and Lippard found that the DNA sequence around the binding site influences how tightly cisplatin binds (Pilch, Todd, and Lippard).

Biophysical techniques like melting temperature and circular dichroism showed that some sequences stabilize DNA more strongly after drug binding (Pilch, Todd, and Lippard).

This explains why cisplatin is more effective in some tumor genomes (Todd and Lippard).

Demystifying Misconceptions In Introductory Undergraduate Chemistry Education With 3d Printed Molecular Orbitals, Hiwot Endeshaw, Daniel J. O'Leary

Pomona Senior Theses

Spatial abilities are invaluable skills for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, women, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnic minorities are more likely to have less developed spatial abilities, which is one of the many contributing factors for the lack of diversity in STEM subjects like chemistry. Teaching spatial skills to undergraduate chemistry students may address this issue and help increase the diversity of students who go on to continue their education in the subject. 3D printing technology in higher education has exploded in recent years, presenting a unique opportunity to teach “hard to grasp” concepts …

Cellular And Behavioral Consequences Of Psychedelic Drug Action In The Claustrum, Tanner L. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Psychedelics are rapidly garnering research attention for their ability to successfully treat a variety of psychiatric diseases after one or a handful of treatments in recent clinical research. Among the conditions treated is substance use disorder (SUD), which afflicted 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans aged 12 and older in 2023 (NSDUH). As clinical trial results continue to show lasting positive effects of psychedelic psychotherapy, there remains an enormous gap in knowledge regarding how these drugs cause lasting changes in the brain to achieve these therapeutic effects. It has been suggested that psychedelics must induce rapid and long-lasting neuronal plasticity in order …

Design And Development Of Fluorescent Probes For Sensing And Bioimaging Of Nad(P)H, Intracellular Viscosity, And So2, Dilka Liyana Arachchige

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Understanding the dynamic biochemical and biophysical changes within living systems is vital for advancing disease diagnosis and therapeutic development. This work presents the design and development of innovative fluorescent probes, based on cyanine and coumarin scaffolds, for the highly sensitive and selective detection of key metabolic and biophysical markers, NAD(P)H, mitochondrial viscosity, and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) in live cells and fruit fly larvae. A series of cyanine-based probes were engineered to undergo strong fluorescence enhancement upon reduction by NAD(P)H, enabling real-time visualization of metabolic fluctuations in cancer cells and Drosophila larvae. These probes exhibit excellent sensitivity, mitochondrial targeting capability, and …

Multiscale Computational Chemistry Studies Of The Catalytic Mechanisms Of Non-Heme Fe(Ii)/2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Oxygenases, Simahudeen Bathir Jaber Sathik Rifayee

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Enzymes catalyze complex biological transformations. Non-heme Fe(II)/2-oxoglutarate (2OG)–dependent enzymes are highly versatile catalysts capable of selective C–H oxidation, enabling transformations such as hydroxylation, halogenation, desaturation, demethylation, ring rearrangements, epoxidation, and electrophilic aromatic substitution. These enzymes are involved in various biological processes, including fatty acid metabolism, hypoxic signaling, collagen maturation, and transcriptional regulation. Computational Modeling provides detailed knowledge of the enzymes including atomistic details of the important catalytic species, conformational and electronic effects, which are crucial to enzyme engineering and drug design efforts. This dissertation implements advanced multi-scale molecular modelling techniques including Molecular dynamics and Quantum Mechanic / Molecular Mechanics calculations …

The Roots Of Empire And Industry: The Transnational History Of The Soviet Rubber Industry, Alexander Hinnov Craver

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Global rubber shortages and market instability in the early 20th century drove the United States, Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany to collaborate in an overwhelming drive to secure domestically producible sources of rubber, either from plants that could grow outside the tropics, or from synthetic rubber processes. The Soviet Union was an indispensable part of this converging, transnational “quest for rubber.” Russian scientists created the first factories to produce synthetic rubber, and Russian agronomists had discovered a dandelion in Central Asia that yielded latex suitable for manufacture. Consequently, both discoveries were disseminated across the world. Sometimes they were shared: the …

Increasing Access Through Graduate Teaching Assistant Training: A Udl-Informed, Video-Based Professional Development Approach For Inclusive Chemistry Instruction, Kathleen Lugo Charriez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

STEM courses pose concealed barriers to learning for students with disabilities, a demographic that constitutes a significant portion of postsecondary science and engineering undergraduate student populations. While extensive research has examined access and inclusiveness in K–12 education and, to a more limited extent, in higher education, there remains a critical gap in understanding how to proactively design undergraduate chemistry curricula that are both accessible and inclusive for a diverse range of learners. In particular, limited attention has been given to supporting Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in adopting inclusive instructional practices in higher education chemistry courses.

In large academic institutions, GTAs …

Investigating The Photophysical Dynamics Of Anthracene And Acridine Derivatives Using Time-Resolved Spectroscopy, Sophia Tiano

Open Access Dissertations

Anthracenes and acridines are among the simplest visible light absorbing heterocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and as such are extensively used in a variety of applications including photosensitizers and fluorescent sensors. Although the photophysics of some derivatives have been studied in the past, there is still a lot of unknown fundamental information that is vital in order to optimize these molecules for particular applications. Transient absorption spectroscopy was used to study the photophysics of the 9-substituted methyl, hydroxymethyl and formyl derivatives of acridine and anthracene. The growth and decay of the triplet-triplet absorption peak were quantified for each dye in …

Explosions Are Always Entertaining But…: Investigating The Impacts Of Science Shows On High School Students, Shanii Phillips, Miriam Sullivan, Ann Grand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Science shows are often posited as a route to encourage young people to engage with science. Using a mixed methods approach, our research investigated the impact of attending a science show on high school students’ intentions to study science or pursue a career in science. We found that while a single visit to a science show has little impact on students’ aspirations, it can reinforce students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in science. In terms of design and performance, the best-received shows included ‘real-world’ content that students could identify as relevant to their lives.

Game-Based Learning With Augmented Reality, Kantida Nanon

Dissertations

Augmented Reality (AR) technology provides an effective and controllable learning environment, especially for complicated, potentially dangerous, or critical content. Effective implementation of interaction and platforms for educational tools can maximize learner engagement and optimize the learning experience. This dissertation explores the potential of AR technology to enhance learning experiences across multiple platforms and subject areas, particularly within chemistry and mathematics. The dissertation is grounded in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and explores the potential of AR to increase learner engagement, improve learning outcomes, and transform traditional pedagogical practices.

The dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part examines …

Intrinsic Gas-Phase Behavior Of Uranium Species: A Comprehensive Reactivity Study Of [O=U≡Ch]+ And [Uh]+, Justin Terhorst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intrinsic chemistry of actinide elements, particularly uranium, remains a key challenge in understanding f-block reactivity due to the complexity introduced by solvent interactions, counter-ions, and complex equilibria in the condensed phase. In this dissertation, a systematic gas-phase study utilizing preparative tandem ion-trap mass spectrometry (PTMSⁿ) is presented, focusing on the reactivity of uranium-centered species, specifically [OUCH]⁺, an oxy uranium methylidyne species, and [UH]⁺ ions. By stripping away solvent effects and isolating the ions, PTMSⁿ provides a powerful platform to probe the fundamental chemical behavior of uranium species in their intrinsic state.

The …

Surface Chemistry And Adsorption Mechanism Of Orfom® D8 For Cu Depression In Cu-Mo Flotation, Patrick Jeff Mensah

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

In traditional chalcopyrite-molybdenite (Cu-Mo) flotation separation systems, inorganic depressants such as NaSH and NaCN are used to selectively depress chalcopyrite making it more hydrophilic so molybdenite can be floated and recovered. NaSH and NaCN are highly toxic, have high explosion potential, strong odor, and readily oxidize in air resulting in a high consumption rates. To control oxidation, nitrogen gas, and Nokes reagent are both necessary, making the process even more expensive. In addressing these challenges, attention is fast shifting to disodium carboxymethyl trithiocarbonate (Orfom® D8), a novel organic depressant designed to replace conventional inorganic depressants because it does not easily …

Investigating Student Expectations, Buy-In, And Engagement In Lower Division Undergraduate Chemistry Labs, Elizabeth Blanche Vaughan

Dissertations and Theses

Laboratory courses constitute an integral aspect of chemistry education at the undergraduate level. Despite their prominence, a growing number of researchers have begun to think more critically about the value of laboratory learning experiences. As pedagogical decisions should be based on evidence, it is necessary for chemistry education researchers and practitioners to investigate the claim that teaching laboratories are a valuable part of science education. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was to address one small section of this gap in the literature by obtaining a more robust understanding of students' expectations, buy-in, and engagement in lower division, undergraduate, chemistry …

Recruitment Sources Of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idella) In The Great Lakes, Nicholas Steven Etter

Theses

Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a species of concern in areas they have invaded, such the Laurentian Great Lakes, due to their potential to substantially reduce aquatic macrophyte coverage. Efforts to control Grass Carp in the Great Lakes have primarily been focused on two tributaries to the western basin of Lake Erie (i.e., Sandusky and Maumee rivers, Ohio) where reproduction has been documented, although other Great Lakes tributaries are known to have thermal and hydrological regimes suitable for Grass Carp spawning. Knowledge of sources contributing to the expanding population of invasive Grass Carp in the Great Lakes is key to …

On The Nature Of Transverse Waves In Marginal Hydrogen Detonation Simulations Using Boundary Layer Loss Modeling And Detailed Chemistry, Joshua Smith, Curran Schmitt, Brian Maxwell

Student Scholarship

Historically, it has been a challenge to simulate the experimentally observed cellular structures and marginal behavior of multi-dimensional, thin-channel hydrogen detonations in the presence of losses, even with detailed chemistry models. Very recently, a quasi-two-dimensional inviscid approach with a calorically perfect gas and two-step chemistry was pursued, where losses due to viscous boundary layers were modeled by the inclusion of an equivalent mass divergence in the lateral direction using Fay's source term formulation with Mirels’ compressible laminar boundary layer solutions. A similar approach was adopted for this study, but with the inclusion of thermally-perfect detailed chemistry in order to capture …

Chem 360-001:Environmental Chemistry, Alexei Khalizov

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Removal Of Some Heavy Metals From Polluted Water Using New Schiff Base For Polyacrylamide With Zeolite Nanocomposites, Zainab Sabeer Abdulsada, Sahar S. Hassan, Sanaa Hitur Awad

Baghdad Science Journal

This work involved the preparation of a new Schiff base ligand derived from poly acrylamide and glutaraldehyde [(2S, 2'S) – N, N' - (pentane-1, 5-diylidene) bis (2- methylbutan amide)] (PAAG) with some heavy metals (Cr +3, Mn + 3, Fe + 3, Co + 2, Ni + 2, Cu + 2, Zn + 2, Cd + 2) to produce corresponding complexes. Schiff bases and their metal complexes are characterized using FTIR spectral, Uv-Vis spectroscopy, conductivity, magnetic moments, Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The prepared polymer was used with zeolite to …

Effect Of Inulin From Dahlia Tubers (Dahlia Variabilis) Extract On Insulitis Severity And Insulin Expression In Diabetic Rats, Ismawati Ismawati, Saryono Saryono, Mukhyarjon Mukhyarjon, Ilhami Romus, Veni Dayu Putri, Sri Yanti, Fitri Dyna, Nada Idzdihari Adesti

BioMedicine

Background: Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis), a widely cultivated ornamental plant in Indonesia, is known to contain 84.08% inulin in its tubers. Numerous studies have demonstrated the antidiabetic potential of inulin from various plant sources. However, most of the research is in the form of a mixture of inulin with other active substances, and no one has analyzed the effects of inulin derived from dahlia tubers. This study examines the effect of inulin from dahlia tuber extract on blood glucose levels, serum insulin expression, pancreatic tissue insulin expression, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and the extent of …

Synthesis Of Addressable Libraries: New Lessons And The Need For Proper Characterization For Microelectrode Array-Based Reactions, Albert Huang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The Moeller group has been developing synthetic tools for building molecular libraries on microelectrode arrays since 2004. Such a library is intriguing because one can take advantage of the library for biological signaling studies. Microelectrode arrays can serve as a powerful platform for those experiments since every electrode in the array can be addressed individually. Unique members of the library targeting biological receptors that one is interested in can be restricted only above unique electrodes in an array. Thus, high-affinity ligands for those receptors can be identified with this strategy. To make this method work, one has to make sure …

Using Manipulatives As Learning Interventions To Teach Introductory Chemistry Content In The Secondary Classroom And Beyond, John Kenneth Kennon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Use of manipulatives to explore concepts qualitatively and quantitatively was investigated in this study. Particle diagrams, enthalpy, VSEPR, and stoichiometry; four classes of students were divided into two groups constituting test group and control group. Control groups received traditional pedagogy (Lewis diagrams) while test groups used manipulatives. Shapiro-Wilks, class means, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U tests, and item-by-item analyses were employed to quantify performance. Particle diagram results suggested that using modeling improves student learning outcomes based on means and Mann-Whitney U-test p-value. Enthalpy results indicated a larger mean for the test group than the control group, but no statistical difference between score …

Pengaruh Perlit Sebagai Adsorben Pada Adsorpsi Zat Warna Metilen Biru, Mardiana Rimba Utami, Kapti Riyani, Tien Setyaningtyas

Chimica et Natura Acta

Aktivitas industri di zaman modern yang berkembang pesat dapat menyebabkan permasalahan lingkungan. Hal ini dikarenakan bertambahnya jumlah limbah yang dihasilkan akibat peningkatan produksi. Limbah zat warna tanpa pengolahan dapat menghambat penetrasi cahaya matahari, aktivitas fotosintesis, dan pertumbuhan biota air. Salah satu limbah zat warna yang sering ditemukan adalah metilen biru. Pengolahan zat warna metilen biru dapat menggunakan metode adsorpsi yang praktis, mudah dilakukan dengan biaya rendah. Penelitian ini menunjukkan aktivitas adsorpsi terbaik metilen biru oleh adsorben perlit terhadap parameter pH, waktu kontak, serta penentuan kinetika dan isoterm adsorpsi. Aktivitas terbaik perlit dalam mengadsorpsi metilen biru adalah pada pH 9 dengan …

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, …

Enhanced Ctla-4 Blockade Anti-Tumor Immunity With Apg-157 Combination In A Murine Head And Neck Cancer, Daniel Sanghoon Shin, Saroj Basak, Mysore S Veena, Begoña Comin-Anduix, Arjun Bhattacharya, Tien S Dong, Albert Ko, Philip Han, Jonathan Jacobs, Neda A Moatamed, Luis Avila, Matteo Pellegrini, Marilene Wang, Eri S Srivatsan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: A phase I clinical study for patients with locally advanced H&N cancer with a new class of botanical drug APG-157 provided hints of potential synergy with immunotherapy. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of APG-157 and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

METHODS: CCL23, UM-SCC1 (human), and SCCVII (HPV-), MEER (HPV+) (murine) H&N cancer cell lines were utilized for in vitro and in vivo studies. We measured tumor growth by treating the mice with APG-157, anti-PD-1, and anti-CTLA-4 antibody combinations (8 groups). The tumor microenvironments were assessed by multi-color flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and RNA-seq analysis. Fecal microbiome was analyzed …

Protein Residue Analysis In Archaeology: A Geological Contamination Experiment, Theresa Popp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Protein residue analysis has been used by archaeologists for decades to explore ancient diets and hunting behaviors based on proteins deposited on tools and artifacts, however, protein contamination of buried artifacts has been assumed but lacked formal study. Through a contamination experiment testing different geological contexts (e.g. water movement and freeze-thaw), possible routes of protein contamination within soil were identified, adversely impacting protein residue analysis conducted on buried artifacts. Protein was found to move through soil in large enough concentrations to elicit positive protein residue results on sterile artifacts that never made direct contact with the protein source used in …

Valorization Of Date Palm Waste For The Isolation, Characterization, And Surface Chemistry Modification Of Nanocellulose, Mohsin Raza

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the utilization of date palm waste, a lignocellulosic material, as a source for the extraction of nanocellulose (NC), a versatile biopolymer with applications in biodegradable composites, bioplastics, and food packaging. Conventional methods of NC production using mineral acids such as sulphuric and hydrochloric acid are reaching their limits of toxicity, so more environmentally friendly alternatives such as ionic liquids (ILs) are being explored. The research focuses on the characterization of different date palm wastes to evaluate their α−cellulose content, lignocellulosic character, and thermal stability. By comparing extraction methods with mineral acids and ILs, the study evaluates …

Discovery Of Strong 3-Nitro-2-Phenyl-2h-Chromene Analogues As Antitrypanosomal Agents And Inhibitors Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Glucokinase, Shane M. Carey, Destiny M. O’Neill, Garrett B. Conner, Julian Sherman, Ana Rodriguez, Edward L. D'Antonio

Natural Sciences Faculty Publications

Chagas disease is one of the world’s neglected tropical diseases, caused by the human pathogenic protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. There is currently a lack of effective and tolerable clinically available therapeutics to treat this life-threatening illness and the discovery of modern alternative options is an urgent matter. T. cruzi glucokinase (TcGlcK) is a potential drug target because its product, D-glucose-6-phosphate, serves as a key metabolite in the pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis. In 2019, we identified a novel cluster of TcGlcK inhibitors that also exhibited anti-T. cruzi efficacy called the 3-nitro-2-phenyl-2H-chromene analogues. This was achieved by performing a target-based …