Chemistry Commons^™

Identification Of Coliphages In The Aviary At Brookgreen Gardens And The Factors That Might Influence Coliphage Population Dynamics In This Cypress Swamp Environment, Olivia Shirley, Lisa Pieterse, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

It has been understood that the presence of coliphages (bacteriophages specific for E. coli) in water is an indirect measurement of fecal contamination. Bacteriophages have been suggested to hold an important role in regulating the bacterial population. This pilot study analyzes the relationship between the presence of coliphages in the water in the aviary at Brookgreen Gardens and how environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and turbidity affect the presence of these viruses over the time period of three months (June 2017 through August 2017). Coliphages found in volary water sources were speculated to be deposited directly by birds that …

Conjugation Of Nanomaterials And Nematic Liquid Crystals For Futuristic Applications And Biosensors, Thomas George, Amit Choudhary, Guoqiang Li

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

The established role of nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) in the recent rapid development of displays has motivated researchers to modulate the electro-optical properties of LCs. Furthermore, adding nanomaterials into NLCs has led to enhancements of the properties of NLCs, like reduced threshold of the operating voltage, variation in pretilt angle, reduced switching time, etc. These enhanced properties, due to interfacial dynamics, are enabling wider applications of NLCs and nanomaterials. The recent literature of nanomaterial-doped NLCs is rich with various kinds of nanomaterials in a variety of NLCs. The light has been focused on the most widely used and studied gold …

An Investigation Of The Order Of Applying An Emollient With A Topical Steroid In The Treatment Of Atopic Dermatitis, Andrea Conner, Ashlee Tietje

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

In 2007, the prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis had increased two to three-fold within the last three decades and affected 15-20% of young children (Buys, 2007). Current treatment includes the use of both steroid and emollient creams. Current suggestions for the order of application are contradictory. This study aims to examine the role of the order of application of treatments for Atopic Dermatitis (AD). Hairless mice (SKH-1) were induced to a mild AD flare-up using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and treated with either 1% hydrocortisone (Maximum Strength Cortizone 10 cream) alone, 1% hydrocortisone followed by Cetaphil (emollient), or Cetaphil followed by 1% hydrocortisone. …

Investigating The Lytic Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophage Reservoir Amongst A South Carolina University Population: Discovery, Characterization, And Identification Of A Potential Bacteriophage Treatment For Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Lisa Pieterse, Amy Powers, Derek Pride, Lisha Van Onselen, Giovanna E. Leone, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are viruses that only infect bacterial cells and can be used to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. This study focused on the isolation and characterization of bacteriophages lytic to Staphylococcus aureus at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in Conway, South Carolina, as a means to isolate bacteriophages that can potentially be used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant S. aureus variant. From 2014 to 2018, collection of ear and nose samples from 225 randomly selected CCU volunteers was conducted. Filter sterilization, amplification, microbial tests, and PCR analyses were performed in order to identify and characterize bacteriophages. Coliphage populations …

Doxorubicin-Induced Elevated Oxidative Stress And Neurochemical Alterations In Brain And Cognitive Decline: Protection By Mesna And Insights Into Mechanisms Of Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment ("Chemobrain"), Jeriel T. R. Keeney, Xiaojia Ren, Govind Warrier, Teresa Noel, David K. Powell, Jennifer M. Brelsfoard, Rukhsana Sultana, Kathryn E. Saatman, Daret K. St. Clair, D. Allan Butterfield

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is now widely recognized as a real and too common complication of cancer chemotherapy experienced by an ever-growing number of cancer survivors. Previously, we reported that doxorubicin (Dox), a prototypical reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing anti-cancer drug, results in oxidation of plasma proteins, including apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) leading to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-mediated oxidative stress in plasma and brain. We also reported that co-administration of the antioxidant drug, 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate sodium (MESNA), prevents Dox-induced protein oxidation and subsequent TNF-α elevation in plasma. In this study, we measured oxidative stress in both brain and plasma of Dox-treated mice …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Cross Photoreaction Of Glyoxylic And Pyruvic Acids In Model Aqueous Aerosol, Sha-Sha Xia, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Aerosols of variable composition, size, and shape are associated with public health concerns as well as with light-particle interactions that play a role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Photochemical reactions of 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the aqueous phase are now known to contribute to the total secondary organic aerosol (SOA) budget. This work explores the cross reaction of glyoxylic acid (GA) and pyruvic acid (PA) in water, the two most abundant 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, under solar irradiation and dark thermal aging steps. During irradiation, PA and GA are excited and initiate proton-coupled electron transfer or hydrogen abstraction …

Building Soft Nanomachines From Polydiacetylene Liposomes, Timothy W. Hanks

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

High-And Low-Temperature Pyrolysis Profiles Describe Volatile Organic Compound Emissions From Western Us Wildfire Fuels, Kanako Sekimoto, Abigail R. Koss, Jessica B. Gilman, Vanessa Selimovic, Matthew M. Coggon, Kyle J. Zarzana, Bin Yuan, Brian M. Lerner, Steven S. Brown, Carsten Warneke, Robert J. Yokelson, James M. Roberts, Joost De Gouw

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Biomass burning is a large source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and many other trace species to the atmosphere, which can act as precursors to secondary pollutants such as ozone and fine particles. Measurements performed with a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer during the FIREX 2016 laboratory intensive were analyzed with positive matrix factorization (PMF), in order to understand the instantaneous variability in VOC emissions from biomass burning, and to simplify the description of these types of emissions. Despite the complexity and variability of emissions, we found that a solution including just two emission profiles, which are mass spectral representations of …

A Series Of 4- And 5-Coordinate Ni(Ii) Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, Spectroscopic, And Dft Studies, Jack Ghannam, Talal Al Assil, Trey C. Pankratz, Richard L. Lord, Matthias Zeller, Wei-Tsung Lee

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A series of four- and five-coordinate Ni(II) complexes Cz^tBu(Pyr^iPr)₂NiX (1–3 and 1·THF–3·THF), where X = Cl, Br, and I, were synthesized and fully characterized by NMR and UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, and density functional theory calculations. The solid-state structures of 1–3 reveal rare examples of seesaw Ni(II) complexes. In solution, 1–3 bind reversibly to a THF molecule to form five-coordinate adducts. The electronic transitions in the visible region (630–680 nm), attributed to LMCT bands, for 1 → 3 exhibit a …

Interrogation Of Protein Function With Peptidomimetics, Olapeju Bolarinwa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proteins can be described as the “machineries” responsible for almost all tasks in the levels of organizational complexity in multi-cellular organisms namely: the cells, tissues, organs and systems. Any disorder in the function of a protein at any of these levels could result in disease, and a study of protein function is critical to understanding the pathological features of the disease at the molecular level. A quick glance at these abundantly present proteins reveals two striking features: large diversity of biological function, and the variations in structural complexity, which varies from simple random coils, to turns and helices, and on …

Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Detection Via Multivariate Optical Computing, Bin Dai, Christopher Michael Jones, Megan Pearl, Mickey Pelletier, Michael L. Myrick

Faculty Publications

Hydrogen-sulfide gas is a toxic, colorless gas with a pungent odor that occurs naturally as a decomposition by-product. It is critical to monitor the concentration of hydrogen sulfide. Multivariate optical computing (MOC) is a method that can monitor analytes while minimizing responses to interferences. MOC is a technique by which an analogue calculation is performed entirely in the optical domain, which simplifies instrument design, prevents the drift of a calibration, and increases the strength and durability of spectroscopic instrumentation against physical perturbation when used for chemical detection and identification. This paper discusses the detection of hydrogen-sulfide gas in the ultraviolet …

Characterizing The Activity Of Antimicrobial Peptides Against The Pathogenic Bacterium Clostridium Difficile In An Anaerobic Environment, Adenrele Mojeed Oludiran

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic Gram-positive pathogen with high treatment costs and mortality and very high antibiotic tolerance. Antimicrobial host-defense peptides (HDPs) produced naturally by animal immune systems are promising candidates to develop novel therapies for bacterial infection because they cause oxidative stress that damages multiple targets in bacterial cells, so it is difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance to these attacks.

Piscidins, fish-derived HDPs that can also form complexes with copper (Cu) to enhance their activities, are very active against multiple bacterial species in an aerobic environment. We examined their activity against C. difficile and other species in an …

Advances In Amino Acid Analysis For Marine Related Matrices And Its Application To Coastal Shelf Settings In The Canadian Arctic, Rachel M. Mcmahon

OES Theses and Dissertations

Amino acids comprise up to 50% of organic matter in cellular material and are a major fraction of oceanic organic carbon. Amino acids are also considered highly labile during organic matter recycling, making them useful proxies for organic carbon cycling. Nevertheless, analysis of individual amino acids has been burdened by lengthy derivatization and complex analysis since the 1950s. In this thesis, I describe the modification of advanced analytical techniques, developed in the biomedical field, for analysis of marine matrices which allow the determination of at least 40 amino acids without the need for lengthy sample preparation and derivatization, twice the …

Study Of The Visual Adaptation Mechanism In Marine Species With The Change Of Habitation Depth., Demid Osipov, Daniil Moshnikov

The International Student Science Fair 2018

The goal of our work was to determine the principal mechanisms that provide the difference in visual perception of two marine species that live on different depths: T. Pacificus and O. Vulgaris. In nature, visual perception of species that live deeper is shifted towards the blue region. This is related to the fact that red, orange and yellow light is absorbed more strongly by water than the blue light. On the other hand, the visual perception spectrum of an animal is determined by the absorption spectrum of the "light sensor" located in rods and cones of its eye retina. These …

Glucosamine From Hydrolysis Of 3d Printing Chitosan For Osteoarthritis Treatment, Ruj Dansriboon, Laphon Premcharoen

The International Student Science Fair 2018

This project aims to introduce a new way for osteoarthritis treatment which is expected to increase in the future. Glucosamine is the main subject for a treatment, which can be derived by hydrolyzing chitosan. This project also includes extraction of chitosan from shrimp waste to make a worthy use of food waste from industry. In this project, 3D printer is applied to print chitosan gel since 3D printing is adjustable to form various shapes of the gel.

The research process begins with the extraction of chitosan from shrimp shells. For the next step, the percent of deacetylation of chitosan was …

Quantitative Proteomics To Support Translational Cancer Research, Melissa Hoffman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Altered signaling pathways, which are mediated by post-translational modifications and changes in protein expression levels, are key regulators of cancer initiation, progression, and therapeutic escape. Many aspects of cancer progression, including early carcinogenesis and immediate response to drug treatment, are beyond the scope of genetic profiling and non-invasive monitoring techniques. Global protein profiling of cancer cell line models, tumor tissues, and biofluids (e.g. serum or urine) using mass spectrometry-based proteomics produces novel biological insights, which support improved patient outcomes. Recent technological advances resulting in next-generation mass spectrometry instrumentation and improved bioinformatics workflows have led to unprecedented measurement reproducibility as well …

N-Glycosylation In The Protease Domain Of Trypsin-Like Serine Proteases Mediates Calnexin-Assisted Protein Folding, Hao Wang, Shuo Li, Juejin Wang, Shenghan Chen, Xue-Long Sun, Qingyu Wu

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Trypsin-like serine proteases are essential in physiological processes. Studies have shown that N-glycans are important for serine protease expression and secretion, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we report a common mechanism of N-glycosylation in the protease domains of corin, enteropeptidase and prothrombin in calnexin-mediated glycoprotein folding and extracellular expression. This mechanism, which is independent of calreticulin and operates in a domain-autonomous manner, involves two steps: direct calnexin binding to target proteins and subsequent calnexin binding to monoglucosylated N-glycans. Elimination of N-glycosylation sites in the protease domains of corin, enteropeptidase and prothrombin inhibits corin and enteropeptidase cell surface …

Comparison Between Tetrel Bonded Complexes Stabilized By Σ And Π Hole Interactions, Wiktor Zierkiewicz, Mariusz Michalczyk, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The σ-hole tetrel bonds formed by a tetravalent molecule are compared with those involving a π-hole above the tetrel atom in a trivalent bonding situation. The former are modeled by TH4, TH3F, and TH2F2 (T = Si, Ge, Sn) and the latter by TH2=CH2, THF=CH2, and TF2=CH2, all paired with NH3 as Lewis base. The latter π-bonded complexes are considerably more strongly bound, despite the near equivalence of the σ and π-hole intensities. The larger binding energies of the π-dimers are attributed to greater electrostatic attraction and orbital interaction. Each progressive replacement of H by F increases the strength of …

Heavy Metal Accumulation In Seagrasses In Southeastern Florida, Erin Smith

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass beds are among the most ecologically important systems in the marine environment. They provide the primary production to nearby coral reef and mangrove communities, and seagrasses comprise a large component of the diets of many marine organisms including fishes, small invertebrate species, and many protected species such as manatees and sea turtles. This consumption provides a pathway for many contaminants to enter the marine food web via the seagrasses. The coastal location of seagrass beds causes them to be especially susceptible to anthropogenic pollution, including accumulation of heavy metals, which has been shown to have many adverse health effects …

Facially Amphiphilic Polyionene Biocidal Polymers Derived From Lithocholic Acid, Mitra S. Ganewatta, Md Anisur Rahman, Louis Mercado, Tinom Shokfai, Alan W. Decho, Theresa M. Reineke, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Bacterial infections have become a global issue that requires urgent attention, particularly regarding to emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria. We developed quaternary amine-containing antimicrobial poly(bile acid)s that contain a hydrophobic core of lithocholic acid in the main-chain. Interestingly, by choosing appropriate monomers, these cationic polymers can form core-shell micelles. These polymers exhibited biocidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species. It is demonstrated that the micelles can deliver hydrophobic antibiotics that functionally have dual antimicrobial activities. Cytotoxicity assays against HeLa cells showed dosage-dependent toxicity for polymers with longer linkers.

Deconvoluting The Effects Of Surface Chemistry And Nanoscale Topography: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Nucleation On Si-Based Substrates, Jing Zhang, Jingling Huang, Carmen Say, Robert L. Dorit, Kate Queeney

Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Hypothesis

The nucleation of biofilms is known to be affected by both the chemistry and topography of the underlying substrate, particularly when topography includes nanoscale (nm) features. However, determining the role of topography vs. chemistry is complicated by concomitant variation in both as a result of typical surface modification techniques. Analyzing the behavior of biofilm-forming bacteria exposed to surfaces with systematic, independent variation of both topography and surface chemistry should allow differentiation of the two effects.

Experiments

Silicon surfaces with reproducible nanotopography were created by anisotropic etching in deoxygenated water. Surface chemistry was varied independently to create hydrophilic (OH- terminated) …

Fluorescent Probes And Functionalized Nanoparticles For Bioimaging: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties And Applications, Xinglei Liu

Dissertations

The development of new organic molecular probes with excellent photophysical properties and high fluorescence quantum yields is of considerable interest to many research areas including one- and two-photon fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence-based sensing methodologies, and cancer therapy. Series of organic linear-/non-linear optical molecules including squaraine derivatives, and fluorene derivatives as well as other bioconjugates are designed and synthesized during the doctoral study for the aim of ion detection (Chapter 5), photo dynamic therapy, and deep-tissue imaging (Chapter 4). These optical probes are capable of absorbing light in the near infrared (NIR) window and thus have deeper penetration and cause less photodamage …

Design And Assessment Of Small Molecules As Free Radical Scavengers And Potential Multi-Target Therapeutic Agents Against Alzheimer’S Disease, Diabetes And Cancer, William Horton

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), diabetes and cancer are difficult to manage with single target treatment approaches and unfortunately, they are wide-spread. For example, over 16 million people are expected to have AD in the US by 2050, thus new therapeutic approaches have to be developed. Multi-functional drug candidates have gained increasing popularity in treating complex diseases. The impact of oxidative stress in almost every disease progression makes them essential components in therapies for complex diseases. Endogenous systems typically maintain redox homeostasis within the cell, but in the diseased state these systems fail to alleviate oxidative stress. Supplementation …

Comparative Biochemical Analysis Of Uhrf Proteins Reveals Molecular Mechanisms That Uncouple Uhrf2 From Dna Methylation Maintenance, Robert M. Vaughan, Bradley M. Dickson, Evan M. Cornett, Joseph S. Harrison, Brian Kuhlman, Scott B. Rothbart

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

UHRF1 is a histone- and DNA-binding E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions with DNMT1 to maintain mammalian DNA methylation. UHRF1 facilitates DNMT1 recruitment to replicating chromatin through a coordinated mechanism involving histone and DNA recognition and histone ubiquitination. UHRF2 shares structural homology with UHRF1, but surprisingly lacks functional redundancy to facilitate DNA methylation maintenance. Molecular mechanisms uncoupling UHRF2 from DNA methylation maintenance are poorly defined. Through comprehensive and comparative biochemical analysis of recombinant human UHRF1 and UHRF2 reader and writer activities, we reveal conserved modes of histone PTM recognition but divergent DNA binding properties. While UHRF1 and UHRF2 diverge in their …

Treatment Of Mci And Alzheimer's Disease, Mark A. Lovell, Bert C. Lynn

Chemistry Faculty Patents

The present invention provides, among other things, therapeutic compositions and methods that can effectively treat, slow or prevent a neurological disease (e.g., a neurodegenerative disease, e.g., mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD)), in particular, based on therapeutically effective amount of nifedipine, oxidized or nitroso nifedipine derivatives, lactam (e.g., a compound of formula (Ic) or (Ic-i), e.g., NFD-L1), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and combinations thereof.

Characterization Of A Catalyst-Based Conversion Technique To Measure Total Particulate Nitrogen And Organic Carbon And Comparison To A Particle Mass Measurement Instrument, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Agnieszka Kupc, Bartlomiej Witkowski, Ranajit K. Talukdar, Yong Liu, Vanessa Selimovic, Kyle J. Zarzana, Kanako Sekimoto, Carsten Warneke, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Robert J. Yokelson, Ann M. Middlebrook, James M. Roberts

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The chemical composition of aerosol particles is a key aspect in determining their impact on the environment. For example, nitrogen-containing particles impact atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and ecological N deposition. Instruments that measure total reactive nitrogen (Nr Combining double low line all nitrogen compounds except for N2 and N2O) focus on gas-phase nitrogen and very few studies directly discuss the instrument capacity to measure the mass of Nr-containing particles. Here, we investigate the mass quantification of particle-bound nitrogen using a custom Nr system that involves total conversion to nitric oxide (NO) across platinum and molybdenum catalysts followed by NOĝ'O3 chemiluminescence …

Biochar From Waste Banana Peels As Growth Promoter For Holy Basil (Ocimum Tenuiflorum) And Chili Pepper (Capsicum Annuum), Regina C. So, N Tan

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Biochars are porous materials prepared by combustion of biomass under the presence of low oxygen levels. Its application as soil fertilizer has been shown to have positive effects on the plants by increasing the fertility and raising the soil pH, increasing nutrient cycling and moisture holding capacity, improving cation exchange capacity, and reducing the amount of pesticides and nutrients leaching to the surface and ground water (Laird 2008, Speratti 2017). In this study, waste banana peels of the Lakatan variety (Musa x paradisiaca) were pyrolized at temperatures 300, 400, 500 and 700 °C, the resulting basic char were obtained at …

Organic Compound Emissions From A Landfarm Used For Oil And Gas Solid Waste Disposal, Seth N. Lyman, Marc L. Mansfield

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Solid or sludgy hydrocarbon waste is a byproduct of oil and gas exploration and production. One commonly-used method of disposing of this waste is landfarming. Landfarming involves spreading hydrocarbon waste on soils, tilling it into the soil, and allowing it to biodegrade. We used a dynamic flux chamber to measure fluxes of methane, a suite of 54 non-methane hydrocarbons, and light alcohols from an active and a remediated landfarm in eastern Utah, U.S.A. Fluxes from the remediated landfarm were not different from a PTFE sheet or from undisturbed soils in the region. Fluxes of methane, total non-methane hydrocarbons, and alcohols …

Mammalian Cell-Derived Vesicles For The Isolation Of Organelle Specific Transmembrane Proteins To Conduct Single Molecule Studies, Faruk H. Moonschi, Ashley M. Fox-Loe, Xu Fu, Christopher I. Richards

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Cell-derived vesicles facilitate the isolation of transmembrane proteins in their physiological membrane maintaining their structural and functional integrity. These vesicles can be generated from different cellular organelles producing, housing, or transporting the proteins. Combined with single molecule imaging, isolated organelle specific vesicles can be employed to study the trafficking and assembly of the embedded proteins. Here we present a method for organelle specific single molecule imaging via isolation of ER and plasma membrane vesicles from HEK293T cells by employing OptiPrep gradients and nitrogen cavitation. The isolation was validated through Western blotting, and the isolated vesicles were used to perform single …