Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Framework For The Statistical Analysis Of Mass Spectrometry Imaging Experiments, Kyle Bemis

Open Access Dissertations

Mass spectrometry (MS) imaging is a powerful investigation technique for a wide range of biological applications such as molecular histology of tissue, whole body sections, and bacterial films , and biomedical applications such as cancer diagnosis. MS imaging visualizes the spatial distribution of molecular ions in a sample by repeatedly collecting mass spectra across its surface, resulting in complex, high-dimensional imaging datasets. Two of the primary goals of statistical analysis of MS imaging experiments are classification (for supervised experiments), i.e. assigning pixels to pre-defined classes based on their spectral profiles, and segmentation (for unsupervised experiments), i.e. assigning pixels to newly …

Synthesis And Performance Of Novel Supramolecular Tools For Single-Particle Cryogenic Electron Microscopy And Drug And Gene Delivery, Kyle J. Wright

Open Access Dissertations

High-resolution biomacromolecular structure elucidation is fundamentally important to structure-based drug design and basic research into complex biochemical processes. Cryo-EM is an emerging alternative to XRD and NMR that is complementary in many ways relative to XRD and NMR. Materials approaches to cryo-EM are anticipated to greatly facilitate the cryo-EM process, allowing progress toward a more high-throughput application of cryo-EM to address challenges in structural biology. ^ Various affinity-based approaches inspired by approaches previously introduced for 2D crystallization were developed for facilitation of cryo-EM. A library of affinity lipopolymer constructs were synthesized consisting of lipopolymers of various PEG molecular weights conjugated …

Intestinal Adaptation To Repeated Exposure Of Flavonoid-Rich Foods: In Vitro And Clinical Data, Bejamin W. Redan

Open Access Dissertations

Interest in application of flavonoids for chronic disease prevention has grown significantly, but the low oral bioavailability of these compounds from acute doses is commonly highlighted as a limitation when considering their biological significance. Still, the impact of broad dietary patterns such as repeated exposure on flavonoid’s absorption, metabolism, and eventual efficacy is critical to consider since evidence suggests that their bioavailability may be enhanced with repeated exposure. To fill this gap in knowledge, this dissertation will focus on three major areas including characterization of flavonoid metabolites, in addition to use of in vitro models and clinical work to test …

Investigation Of Cellular Microenvironments And Heterogeneity With Biodynamic Imaging, Daniel Alexander Merrill

Open Access Dissertations

Imaging of biological tissue in a relevant environment is critical to accurately assessing the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents in combatting cancer. Though many three-dimensional (3D) culture models exist, conventional in vitro assays continue to use two-dimensional (2D) cultures because of the difficulty in imaging through deep tissue. 3D tomographic imaging techniques exist and are being used in the development of 3D efficacy assays. However, most of these assays look at therapy endpoint (dead or living cancer cell count) and do not capture the dynamics of tissue response.

Biodynamic imaging (BDI) is a 3D tomographic imaging and assay technique that uses …

Enhancing Silymarin Fractionation Via Molecular Modeling Using The Conductor-Like Screening Model For Real Solvents, Emma C. Brace

Open Access Theses

The market for bio-based products from plant sources is on the rise. There is a global challenge to implement environmentally clean practices for the production of fuels and pharmaceuticals from sustainable resources. A significant hurdle for discovery of comparable plant-derived products is the extensive volume of trial-and-error experimentation required. To alleviate the experimental burden, a quantum mechanics based molecular modeling approach known as the COnductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS) was used to predict the best biphasic solvent system to purify silymarins from an aqueous mixture. Silymarins are a class of flavonolignans present in milk thistle ( Silybum marianum …

Advances In Solid Phase Microextraction For The Analysis Of Volatile Compounds In Explosives, Tire Treatments, And Entomological Specimens, William D. Kranz

Open Access Dissertations

Solid phase microextraction is a powerful and versatile technique, well-suited to the analysis of numerous samples of forensic interest. The exceptional sensitivity of the SPME platform, combined with its adaptability to traditional GC-MS systems and its ability to extract samples with minimal work-up, make it appropriate to applications in forensic laboratories.

In a series of research projects, solid phase microextraction was employed for the analysis of explosives, commercial tire treatments, and entomological specimens. In the first project, the volatile organic compounds emanating from two brands of pseudo-explosive training aids for use in detector dog imprinting were determined by SPME-GC-MS, and …