Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Do Paraben Derivatives Alter T Cell Immunity?, Hailey Kintz

Spring Presentation of Undergraduate Research

T cells immunity is linked to a complex system of cytokines that determine differentiation of naïve T cells into Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells. Estrogen production or periods of elevated production have been correlated with an anti-inflammatory state in which Th2 and Treg cells are up-regulated. Such responses in the immune system are capable of supporting pre-cancerous activity. We are investigating the tie between the xenoestrogen compounds found in cosmetics, parabens, and their ability to regulate T cell immunity. Testing parabens and paraben derivatives with weaker estrogen receptor association will allow for a better understanding of the interplay between …

Synthesis Of Gd-Deta-Mam For The Capture And Release Of Phosphate In Water, Austin Macrae

Honors Capstones

Excess phosphorus in lakes from fertilizer runoff causes eutrophication, which in turn promotes algal blooms. These algal blooms can produce toxins that pollute drinking water for entire cities. A catch and release system for phosphate is proposed that features Gd-DETA- MAM, which is a derivative of Gd-TREN-MAM. Gd-TREN-MAM has been shown to selectively and reversibly bind phosphate in a pH dependent manner. The derivation aims to increase the binding affinity of phosphate by reducing steric hinderance around the gadolinium atom. The rational for this hypothesis is that the linear DETA backbone will have increased accessibility compared to a TREN backbone. …

Acetylenic Poly(Aryl Ether)S: Preparation Of The Snar Monomer Bis(4-Fluorophenyl)Acetylene, Wail Aljuhani, Thomas W. Nalli

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Ergosta-5,22,24(28)-Trienol From Stigmasterol, Caitlin M. Hilger, Thomas W. Nalli

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

No abstract provided.

Diels-Alder Reaction Of Α-Phellandrene And P-Benzoquinone As An Experiment For The Organic Chemistry Teaching Lab, Jacob Wittenberg, Thomas W. Nalli

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

No abstract provided.

Determination Of Rate Constants For H-Abstraction By 4-Fluorophenyl Radicals From Fatty Acid Methyl Esters By F-19 Nmr, Kevin Plaisance, Thomas W. Nalli

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

No abstract provided.

Determination Of Phytosterols In Dried Shaggy Mane And Morel Mushrooms By Gc-Ms, Natalie Walker, Thomas W. Nalli

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

No abstract provided.

Selectivity Of Wohl-Ziegler Brominations Of Cyclohexene And Trans-2-Hexene, Rick W. Dorn, Eden Willcox, Joseph K. West, Thomas W. Nalli

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

No abstract provided.

Principles Of Chemistry I & Ii (Ghc), Sarah Tesar, Allen Easton, Erin Kingston, Joseph Collins, Charles Garrison, Greg Ford, Christin Collins

Chemistry Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Principles of Chemistry I & II was created under a Round Eight ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Organocatalyzed Synthesis Of Epoxides From Chalcones Utilizing Amino Acids, Sabrina N. Kegeler

Masters Theses

The epoxide functional group is important throughout the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in nature. In the chemical industry, epoxides are present in resins and fragrances. In the pharmaceutical industry, epoxide-containing compounds are used as intermediates in the manufacturing of drugs. In nature, many natural products contain epoxide groups and are used for medicinal purposes, and for models to create synthetic molecules.

One approach to epoxide synthesis involves the use of an alkene precursor, a base, and an oxidizing agent. This is where my investigations began. The first step was to optimize the epoxidation reaction, examining substrate scope, …

Greer Studies, Teaches How To Improve Medicines, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

“As a child, I was interested in asking questions. Like why different substances work the way they do and why they have some effect on our bodies. I was fascinated by hydrogen-peroxide and how it decomposes when you pour it on the wound. I would ask why it happens, what is the reason?” That’s how Dr. Edyta Greer explains how she became interested in science. A native of Poland, Greer received her master’s from Warsaw University and her doctorate from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Today she is an associate professor in the Department of …

Comparison Of Processed And Non-Processed Biomass Digestion, Richard Bruce Clark Iii

Graduate Theses - Chemistry and Biochemistry

Lignocellulosic ethanol is the main focus of second-generation biofuels [1]. Because cellulose is the most abundant organic material on earth, second-generation biofuels are a more sustainable option than the classical first-generation biofuels that use foodstuffs as the main feedstock in ethanol production [1]. Furthermore, biofuel can be produced not only from unprocessed biomass such as corn husks but also from processed material like paper [1]. Ionic liquids have shown to be quite effective in dissolving naturally occurring, and traditionally insoluble, polymers such as cellulose into solution, and cellulase enzymes have been shown to effectively digest cellulose into simple sugars [2]. …

Phytoforensics: Trees As Bioindicators Of Potential Indoor Exposure Via Vapor Intrusion, Jordan L. Wilson, V. A. Samaranayake, Matt A. Limmer, Joel Gerard Burken

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Human exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via vapor intrusion (VI) is an emerging public health concern with notable detrimental impacts on public health. Phytoforensics, plant sampling to semi-quantitatively delineate subsurface contamination, provides a potential non-invasive screening approach to detect VI potential, and plant sampling is effective and also time- and cost-efficient. Existing VI assessment methods are time- and resource-intensive, invasive, and require access into residential and commercial buildings to drill holes through basement slabs to install sampling ports or require substantial equipment to install groundwater or soil vapor sampling outside the home. Tree-core samples collected in 2 days at …

Biomimetic Macromolecules For Macrophage Targeting And Modulation, Joshua Whited

ETD Archive

Carbohydrate recognition has come to the forefront of biological aiming to uncover the mechanisms of physiological and pathological processes. Cell surface glycans are involved in processes including cellular adhesion, cell signaling, and immune response. A new approach for profiling cell surface glycans has great potential for a wide range of biomedical applications. Lectins have been conventionally used to determine the structure and function of glycoproteins, however, their numbers are still restricted compared to the number of glycan structures. Boronic acid has proven a remarkable small molecule capable of binding diols in aqueous solution. This interaction indicates boronic acid derived molecules …

Oxidation Of Ferrocene Derivatives With Dibenzoyl Peroxide And Meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic Acid, Jos M. Halstead

ETD Archive

The chemical oxidation of ferrocene and related derivatives (RFc) via organic peroxides solvated in acetonitrile was studied spectrophotometrically by varying concentration and temperature to determine kinetics and activation parameters. The reaction rate of ferrocene with dibenzoyl peroxide depends strongly on whether electron withdrawing or donating substituents are present. Products were analyzed and the effect of different solvents on reactivity were studied. The rate law was first order in both oxidant and reductant, and steric and solvent effects are consistent with outer sphere electron transfer (ET) as the rate-controlling step. B3YLP calculations were conducted to determine reorganization energies using Marcus theory …

Audiobook Of A World From Dust, Ben Mcfarland

Faculty Open Access Books

A World From Dust is a popular science book about the chemical sequence behind the evolution of creation.

It’s about how geology, biology, and chemistry worked together over billions of years, providing a hidden order under the random flow of genes and lava and water.

It’s about the chemical job that each element takes up in life, and how that job is predictable from its place on the periodic table.

It can be told as the story of many elements: how iron and sulfur gave a spark of life; how manganese was a key for oxygen; and how copper and …

Chemical Applications Of Transition Metal Nanomaterials: Nanoscale Toughening Mechanism Of Molybdenum Disulfide-Epoxy Nanocomposites And Mammalian Toxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles, John David Ryan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The emerging world of nanotechnology has been of great interest within the last few decades. In this regard, nanomaterials have since been implemented in a number of commercial applications including: aerospace technology, coatings, sensors, and biomedical technology. This work aimed to elucidate upon the applications of transition metal nanomaterials in two separate experimental studies. The first of these studies involved the investigation of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles, and their role in the toughening mechanism of epoxy composites. Two separate exfoliation techniques were implanted to target the influence surface chemistry of the nanomaterial and solvent quality had on the bulk …

Experiential Learning Activity: Biodiesel Inquiry Project, Ji Kim

Open Educational Resources

The activity described herein can be implemented in introductory chemistry and high school chemistry courses. The main goal of the project is to integrate a ubiquitous biodiesel production with experiential learning by providing a community-based project. The students work in groups, research the benefits of using biodiesel over petroleum-based diesel, collect waste cooking oil from home or restaurants, develop simple and cost-effective methods to produce biodiesel.

The Periodical Winter 2018, Southern Adventist University

the Periodical – Chemistry Department Newsletter

Volume 5, issue 2 of the Periodical includes articles about new faculty member Matthew Duffy, diversity within the department, a student missionary feature, and a listing of May 2018 graduates.

Quantitative Analysis Of Bleomycin In Rat Plasma By Lc-Ms/Ms, Huawen Li

ETD Archive

Bleomycin is the most commonly used compound in its group of antineoplastic drugs. It works on tumor cells by single and double stranded DNA cleavage after its activation, in which it blocks tumor cells’ DNA replication or transcription activities to inhibit tumor cells’ growth. Bleomycin sulfate (Blenoxane) is the most popular preparation used in clinical research, and contains Bleomycin fractions of A2 and B2, which causes difficulties in quantitative analysis. This work uses the metal chelating property of Bleomycin as an advantage to simplify and improve sensitivity of existing quantitative methods. Copper was spiked in excess to plasma samples, followed …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Small Molecular Drug Candidates For The Treatment Of Her2 Overexpressed Breast Cancer, Anran Zhao

ETD Archive

In the US breast cancer is the most common cancer after skin cancer. Currently in the US the average risk of a woman to develop breast cancer in her life is roughly 12%. About 25-30% of breast cancer patients have HER2 overexpressed tumor, and the growth of tumor cell is depend on HER2 pathway. It has been well-documented that patients with over-expressed HER2 are associated with increased disease recurrence, worse prognosis and lower survival. Currently there are two type of HER2 targeting drug. The first group is HER2 monoclonal antibody drugs such as trastuzumab approved by FDA in 1998; the …

Development Of Bioanalytical Methods For Quantitative Measurement Of Anticancer Agents, Sandeep R. Kunati

ETD Archive

The ever-growing need to develop new anticancer agents due to increased incidence of cancer and its recurrence has led to a broad range of investigational efforts in anticancer research. Drug discovery and development processes involve evaluations of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of potential drug candidates in order to assess their safety, toxicity, and efficacy profiles. By providing sensitivity, assay precision, reliability, and high-throughput, mass spectrometry has become an indispensable tool in quantitative and qualitative analysis, from early-stage drug discovery and development processes to routine laboratory analysis. Development of bioanalytical methods requires knowledge of separation science with instrumentation, data interpretation and …

Computational Investigation Of Protein Assemblies, Sm Bargeen Alam Turzo

ETD Archive

Selective nitrosylation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) at Cys-247 affects gene regulation through the interferon-gamma (IFN- γ) activated inhibitor of translation (GAIT) complex. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL_ox) and INF-γ induce assembly of the nitrosylase complex composed of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), S100A8, and S100A9 proteins. Crystal structure of the complex of GAPDH and S100A8A9 is not known, structural prediction method were employed by protein-protein docking and binding energy calculation with PatchDock and FIREDock respectively. Candidate models were selected, based on a weight factor calculated, from the computational method developed from the "artificial protease" cleavage mapping Fe(III) (s)-1-(p- …

Model Chemistry Study Of Choline And Urea Based Deep Eutectic Solvents, Libby Nicole Kellat

ETD Archive

Gaussian and GaussView software were utilized to characterize interactions between choline salts and urea, which form a deep eutectic solvent (DES). The initial system studied was choline chloride and urea, at a 1:2 molar ratio, which is also known as reline. Subsequent systems, substituting the chloride anion with other anions (fluoride, bromide, and hydroxide), were studied to show that the system with greater calculated strength of interaction will have more non-ideal physical properties, such as melting point (found in literature). Observations regarding structure related to counterion electron density and hydrogen bonding were made throughout the studies.

Il-17 Drives Copper Uptake And Activation Of Growth Pathways In Colorectal Cancer Cells In A Steap4-Dependent Manner, Evan Martin

ETD Archive

Colorectal cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal, invasive cell growth beginning in the colon or rectum. The third most common type of cancer worldwide, approximately one million new cases of the disease are diagnosed across the globe annually, resulting in an estimated 700,000+ deaths. One major risk factor associated with development of colorectal cancer is the presence of chronic inflammation in the large intestine, also known as colitis. Inflammation is a complex immune response against harmful stimuli, characterized by symptoms including heat, redness, swelling and pain. One important molecular mediator of this process is interleukin 17 (IL-17), a pro-inflammatory …

Il-17 Drives Copper Uptake And Activation Of Growth Pathways In Colorectal Cancer Cells In A Steap4-Dependent Manner, Evan Martin

ETD Archive

Colorectal cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal, invasive cell growth beginning in the colon or rectum. The third most common type of cancer worldwide, approximately one million new cases of the disease are diagnosed across the globe annually, resulting in an estimated 700,000+ deaths. One major risk factor associated with development of colorectal cancer is the presence of chronic inflammation in the large intestine, also known as colitis. Inflammation is a complex immune response against harmful stimuli, characterized by symptoms including heat, redness, swelling and pain. One important molecular mediator of this process is interleukin 17 (IL-17), a pro-inflammatory …

Oil Dries: A New Absorbent Material For Collection Of Ignitable Liquids From Semi-Porous Material, Jessica Sosa

Online Theses and Dissertations

Extraction of an ignitable liquid sample from a semi-porous surface such as concrete is especially difficult. For this purpose, two different solid oil dry absorbent materials, Instazorb and MAXXAbsorb, were researched for use of collection of ignitable liquid samples at a fire scene. These oil dries were spiked with different ignitable liquids (Coleman fuel, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel). Isolation of the ignitable liquid from the oil dry absorbent was accomplished by passive headspace isolation. Data was obtained by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Chromatograms obtained from both oil dries …

Analysis Of Oxidation Of Carbon Monoxide On Rh (110), Razan Tanbour

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

81% of all rhodium (Rh) is used in automobile catalytic converters. Consequently, researchers have dedicated a lot of effort into understanding the behavior of nonmetal oxides on a Rh surface. Using a computer simulation program, we have studied the absorption and oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) on a terraced Rh surface (lattice) with a width of three and a height of 10000 using a mechanism that describes the behavior at low temperatures. Varying the reaction activation energies (rate constants), and the mobility of the CO, led to changes in the surface coverages of oxygen and CO. Specifically, increasing the activation …

Differentiation Of Potential False Positives From Human Saliva Using Raman Spectroscopy For Forensic Purposes, Selina Casadei

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Traces of body fluids can be found at a crime scene. Being able to identify and differentiate the body fluids while preserving DNA is fundamentally important for forensic applications. Saliva is an important body fluid that can be found on bite marks, cigarette butts, and more, being an excellent source for DNA extraction. Current tests for saliva and other body fluids are destructive and body fluid specific, and are prone to false positives. Our laboratory has developed a universal method for identification of all main body fluids; saliva, semen, sweat, peripheral blood, and vaginal fluid, using Raman spectroscopy combined with …

Synthesis Of 5-Methyl-3-Phenyl-1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2(3h)-One Derivatives By Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution, Amanda Solis Conde

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

An important research element in the Turnbull laboratory has been the one-pot synthesis of 5-methyl-3-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one from sydnone. The present study reexamined the reaction of 5-methyl-3-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one with electrophiles and optimized methods for synthesis of oxadiazolinone derivatives. Further the oxadiazolinone derivatives were reacted with electrophiles to better comprehend the donating ability of the oxadiazolinone ring system in general with the expectation that the oxadiazolinone ring system is a slightly donating system. Additionally, when the structure assignment of the oxadiazolinone derivative was ambiguous, the corresponding oxadiazolinone or it’s isomer was synthesized from the appropriate sydnone to validate or refute the suggested structure. The …