Chemistry Commons^™

Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Method Development For The Determination Of Β–Defensins In Bovine Milk, Elisha Ogbebor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Bovine mastitis is caused by a wide range of pathogens which results in a substantial economic loss for the dairy cattle livestock industry. β-defensins are a part of the innate immune system and act as the first line of defense against mastitis in bovine. β-defensins (~6- 10kDa) are antimicrobial peptides that contain about 28 to 67 amino acids, the presence of six cysteine residues results in their three disulfide bonds and a β-sheet structure. A few β- defensins have been identified in cows based on the site of occurrence and time of expression in tissue, but not in milk. A …

Towards The Quantification Of Estrone And 17Β-Estradiol Conjugates In Dairy Cattle Urine Sorptive Stir Bar Extraction And Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectometry, S.M. Istiak Ahmed

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The global concern regarding the presence of compounds with estrogenic properties in the environment has grown significantly. Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are environmental pollutants that disrupt the endocrine systems of both wildlife and humans. Estrogens, with their potent estrogenic effects, are particularly noteworthy among the various substances with endocrine-disrupting properties. They are of concern due to their prevalence in the environment, especially due to dairy waste contamination. These lipophilic compounds can accumulate in livestock fat tissues, potentially entering the human food chain. Sulfated forms of estrone and β- estriol, which exhibit a higher degree of saturation than their non-conjugated counterparts, have …

Deficiency Of Acute-Phase Serum Amyloid A Exacerbates Sepsis-Induced Mortality And Lung Injury In Mice, Ailing Ji, Andrea C. Trumbauer, Victoria P. Noffsinger, Luke W. Meredith, Brittany Dong, Qian Wang, Ling Guo, Xiangan Li, Frederick C. De Beer, Nancy R. Webb, Lisa R. Tannock, Marlene E. Starr, Christopher M. Waters, Preetha Shridas

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a family of proteins, the plasma levels of which may increase >1000-fold in acute inflammatory states. We investigated the role of SAA in sepsis using mice deficient in all three acute-phase SAA isoforms (SAA-TKO). SAA deficiency significantly increased mortality rates in the three experimental sepsis mouse models: cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), cecal slurry (CS) injection, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatments. SAA-TKO mice had exacerbated lung pathology compared to wild-type (WT) mice after CLP. A bulk RNA sequencing performed on lung tissues excised 24 h after CLP indicated significant enrichment in the expression of genes associated …

Enhancing Urban Water Quality Through Biological-Chemical Treatment: Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community And Temporal Chlorophyll-A Response, Matthew Chaffee

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With a growing human population, urbanization is impeding a plethora of natural waterways. Of these, urban ponds play a vital role in nutrient sequestration, flood prevention, and habitat sanctuaries. However, nutrient loading can reduce habitat effectiveness and promote harmful algae blooms. To reduce internal nutrient loads, a biological-chemical treatment strategy consisting of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) and lanthanum were applied to two urban retention ponds, Densmore and Wilderness Ridge Ponds. To measure effectiveness, chlorophyll-a samples were collected and correlated with Sentinel-2. A novel band algorithm termed 3BR1 produced a strong correlation (R² = 0.72) to physical chlorophyll-a …

Synthesis Of Bacterial Glycerophospholipids For Biomembrane Model Studies: A Means To Advanced Biofuels, Felix Adulley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To reduce reliance on fossil fuels, sustainable biofuels are being pursued, especially advanced biofuels like 1-butanol that have higher energy content and greater compatibility with existing infrastructure than ethanol. A persistent challenge is the yield-limiting toxicity of biofuels and process solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran, to the microbes that ferment biomass into biofuel. The cell membrane is a focal point of toxicity, and understanding how it interacts with fuels and solvents is key to improving yield. Phospholipid bilayers are the core of biomembranes, and model biomembranes of defined composition provide the ideal platform for biophysical studies. To this end, glycerophospholipids characteristic …

Analysis Of Triton Cg 110 Foaming Characteristics For Use As A Potential Fire Suppressant, Addison Cobb, Jeremy Cho

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Background: Per-FluoroAlkyls (PFAs) are incredibly stable molecules which do not biodegrade. These chemicals have been linked with a series of health issues and environmental problems.

Problem: PFAs have been identified in most drinking water supplies in the United States. Large Amounts of this is due to Aqueous Fire-Fighting Foams (AFFF’s), which contain PFAs, seeping into the groundwater supply.

Solution: While little can be done about PFAs currently in groundwater supplies, replacing PFA-based AFFFs with newer Eco-AFFFs can halt AFFF contamination, and maintain firefighting suppression.

Mechanical Properties Of Natural Osmia Lignaria Silk And Recombinant Expression Of The Silk Proteins, Jackson Morley

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The use of petroleum-based plastic and the subsequent waste has led researchers to explore alternatives in the form of biopolymers. Spider silk and hagfish intermediate filaments show the potential to be advantageously utilized in textile and biomedical industries. Bee silk is a sparsely studied biopolymer that has shown potential to be added to these other impressive biopolymers. Osmia lignaria, is a solitary bee native to the western United States. Silk from these bees can be isolated while the larvae are spinning their silk. The silk from these bees has been mechanically tested for strength, stress, strain, and elasticity. Cocoon …

Chemical Investigation Of Dichloromethane Extract Of Aloe Vera Peels: An Agricultural Waste, Nazmul Huda

Theses and Dissertations

Aloe barbadensis Miller, commonly called Aloe Vera, is a widely popular succulent plant species cultivated across subtropical regions worldwide from India to the Tex-Mex border. Besides its historical uses, Aloe juice has garnered attention as a potential remedy for various ailments, particularly in treating various skin conditions and facilitating wound recovery, including obesity, diabetes, hepatitis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. Regrettably, the agricultural practice following sap extraction involves discarding Aloe vera peels, constituting agricultural waste. As part of our continuous research on extraction, isolation, separation, and spectral characterization of value-added chemicals present in waste botanicals herein, …

Quantifying The Role Of Water Quality On Nitrogen Cycling In A Trophic Estuary, Kayla Gonzalez-Boy

Symposium of Student Scholars

Jobos Bay Estuary is an intertidal, tropical estuary located in southern Puerto Rico. The estuary covers about 12 km² and has a variety of habitats, such as seagrass beds, mangroves, mud flats, and coral reefs, which play important roles in sediment trapping and water quality maintenance. Seagrasses also serve as nursery and feeding grounds and provide shelter for macrofauna. Currently, the role of seagrasses and water quality on nitrogen (N) cycling in trophic estuaries is not well constrained. Understanding variations in sediment-based effects on N cycling rates and transformations, and how they are associated with water quality, is an …

Fluorescent Molecular Rotors As Versatile In Situ Sensors For Protein Quantitation, Kevin Daus, Sorachat Tharamak, Wanchai Pluempanupat, Peter Galie, Maria A Theodoraki, Emmanuel A Theodorakis, Mary Alpaugh

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Accurate protein quantitation is essential for many cellular mechanistic studies. Existing technology relies on extrinsic sample evaluation that requires significant volumes of sample as well as addition of assay-specific reagents and importantly, is a terminal analysis. This study exploits the unique chemical features of a fluorescent molecular rotor that fluctuates between twisted-to-untwisted states, with a subsequent intensity increase in fluorescence depending on environmental conditions (e.g., viscosity). Here we report the development of a rapid, sensitive in situ protein quantitation method using ARCAM-1, a representative fluorescent molecular rotor that can be employed in both non-terminal and terminal assays.

Binding Interactions Of Biologically Relevant Molecules Studied Using Surface-Modified And Nanostructured Surfaces, Palak Sondhi

Dissertations

This research focuses on the field of surface nanobioscience, wherein different nanosurfaces that will be used as working electrodes in the electrochemical cell are manufactured and surface modified to understand the critical binding interactions between biologically significant molecules like proteins, carbohydrates, small drug molecules, and glycoproteins. This research is essential if we are to determine whether a synthetic molecule can serve as a therapeutic candidate or diagnose a disease in its early stages. In order to fully understand the binding interactions, the study begins with defining some of the fundamental concepts, principles, and analytical tools for biosensing.

Afterwards, we addressed …

Relation Between Halogen Bond Strength And Ir And Nmr Spectroscopic Markers, Akhtam Amonov, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The relationship between the strength of a halogen bond (XB) and various IR and NMR spectroscopic quantities is assessed through DFT calculations. Three different Lewis acids place a Br or I atom on a phenyl ring; each is paired with a collection of N and O bases of varying electron donor power. The weakest of the XBs display a C–X bond contraction coupled with a blue shift in the associated frequency, whereas the reverse trends occur for the stronger bonds. The best correlations with the XB interaction energy are observed with the NMR shielding of the C atom directly bonded …

Utilizing Binding-Based Proteomic Profiling And Mass Spectrometry Imaging As Innovative Tools For Lipid Research, Suzeeta Bhandari

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mass spectrometry-based omics research involves global identification and quantification of molecules in the biological system, which can form the basis of the multi-omics approach integrating multiple layers of information to provide a comprehensive overview of systems biology. The investigation of fatty acid amides (FAA) is one such research avenue that benefits significantly from the high-throughput, multi-level, and interdisciplinary approach of integrative omics. Currently, FAA research is dominated by lipidomic-based studies that have successfully identified and quantified >100 different FAAs in different model systems. Few studies are credited with exploring the biological function and evolution of FAA-dependent signaling pathways. Previous literature …

Dynamic Regulation Of Store-Operated Calcium Entry By Protein S-Acylation, Goutham Kodakandla

Theses and Dissertations

Calcium plays a pivotal role in many physiological functions in cells. Cytosolic calcium levels are finely tuned by calcium ion channels, pumps, and intracellular organelles. Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is when depletion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium stores activates a calcium sensor known as stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1). Activation of STIM1 leads to a conformational change from a compact state to an extended state. This extended state of STIM1 allows it to bind to a calcium channel in the plasma membrane (PM) known as Orai1. The binding of Orai1 and STIM1 leads to opening of Orai1 channels and calcium …

An Insight Into The Physicochemical, Drug-Likeness, Pharmacokinetics And Toxicity Profile Of Kigelia Africana (Lam) Bioactive Compounds, Sulyman Olalekan Ibrahim, Halimat Yusuf Lukman, Marili Funmilayo Zubair, Oluwagbemiga Tayo Amusan, Fatimah Ronke Abdulkadri, Bashir Lawal, Lateefat Bello Abdulfatah, Olubunmi Atolani

Al-Bahir

Kigelia africana plant is multipurpose plant whose therapeutic potential has been thoroughly investigated. The physicochemical, solubilities, ADMET, pharmacological, and drug-like properties of this plant have not been reported in details. This study makes use of the information that is currently known on the chemical make-up of the plant to forecast its overall toxicity as well as the potential for the phytochemicals it contains to be employed in medication discovery. The study also employed free web servers for the lipophilicity, water solubility, drug-likness, bioavailability score, medicinal chemistry and toxicological profiling of the compounds of K. africana. Artemether, a known antimalaria …

Coupling Chemical And Genomic Data Of Marine Sediment-Associated Bacteria For Metabolite Profiling, Stephanie P. Suarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine sediment-associated bacteria house many new and exciting novel secondary metabolites. These metabolites can be tested for bioactivity against various types of cancer and fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. In this thesis, we investigated the combination of biosynthetic gene cluster information with mass spectra to perform a chemical profiling of sediment- associated bacteria. Furthermore, we utilized a scoring technique to provide an identification and confidence score to each annotated compound. The sediment was collected from east Arthur Harbor, Palmer Station, Antarctica, at depths of 20 ft and 60 ft. After plating on agar, 52 unique bacterial strains were isolated, with …

Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles-Based Sensing For Monitoring Water Pollution: An Updated Review, Muhamad Allan Serunting, Muhammad Ali Zulfikar, Henry Setiyanto, Dian Ayu Setyorini, Vienna Saraswaty

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Water is a basic human need and has been heavily contaminated. Therefore, it becomes a concern to remove the pollutant and monitor its quality. The removal methods include precipitation, filtration, adsorption, and photodegradation. Meanwhile, the monitoring can be done by measuring and analyzing the contaminant using spectrophotometry and chromatography. Nevertheless, those methods usually need a complicated preparation, and are expensive. Thus, a simple method is necessary to overcome these drawbacks by developing a sensor. In recent years, the sensor performance has been enhanced by using nanomaterials, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs can be synthesized using plant extracts through a …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Zirconium Oxide Nanoparticles Using Z. Officinale And S. Aromaticum Plant Extracts For Antibacterial Application, M. J. Tuama, M. F. A. Alias

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Abstract The dramatic rise in bacterial infections and increased resistance to conventional antibiotics has led to the exploration of biologically derived nanomaterials to counteract bacterial activity. Nanotechnology, which deals with materials at the atomic or molecular level, is a promising way to achieve this goal. Zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2NPs) have shown strong antibacterial effects due to the increased surface-to-volume ratio at the nanoscale. This study focused on the production of ZrO2NPs in an environmentally friendly manner, which included extracts from Zingiber officinale (ginger), where G-ZrO2NPs were produced, and Syzygium aromaticum (clove), which produced S-ZrO2NPs. Various techniques were used, such as …

Volcanic Diffuse Volatile Emissions Tracked By Plant Responses Detectable From Space, Robert R. Bogue, Peter M. J. Douglas, Joshua B. Fisher, John Stix

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Volcanic volatile emissions provide information about volcanic unrest but are difficult to detect with satellites. Volcanic degassing affects plants by elevating local CO2 and H2O concentrations, which may increase photosynthesis. Satellites can detect plant health, or a reaction to photosynthesis, through a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This can act as a potential proxy for detecting changes in volcanic volatile emissions from space. We tested this method by analyzing 185 Landsat 5 and 8 images of the Tern Lake thermal area (TLTA) in northeast Yellowstone caldera from 1984 to 2022. We compared the NDVI values of the thermal area with …

University Of Arkansas, Chemistry And Biochemistry Department Research Publications, 2014- November 2023. 107p., Jeremy Smith, Lutishoor Salisbury

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report provides a compilation of the research publications by the Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty for the period: 2014 - November 2023. The information was gathered from major databases in science and technology including Web of Science, SciFinder, Reaxys, PubMed, IEEE Explore and Engineering Index. At least one author in each of the publications has the CHBC department as its affiliation. It includes a table summarizing the research. The listing is organized according to type of publications within specific years.

University Of Arkansas, Chemistry And Biochemistry Department Graduate Student Publications, 2018- November 2023. 39p., Jeremy Smith, Lutishoor Salisbury

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report provides a compilation of the research publications by the Chemistry and Biochemistry (CHBC) Graduate students for the period: 2018-November 2023. It includes publications by the CHBC graduates and those where a CHBC faculty was the main advisor. It includes a summary of the research. The listing is organized according to type of publications within specific years.

Phytochemical Constituents Of Cissus Oliveri Growing In Pwani Region, Tanzania, Fadhili S. Estomini, Stephen I. Nnungu, Amelia S. Buriyo

Tanzania Journal of Science

Cissus oliveri (Engl.) Gilg ex Engl. is among the plant species of the family Vitaceae widely used in traditional medicine for management of different ailments. This study aimed at assessing the phytochemicals of C. oliveri parts in order to provide scientific validation for its use as a therapeutic agent. Qualitative analysis of water and ethanolic extracts was conducted by using standard methods and the results revealed that all the parts possess alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and tannins. Similarly, glycosides and saponins were only present in leaf and root. Quantitative analysis performed by gravimetric and spectrophotometric methods showed that all parts contain …

A Computational Study On The Impact Of Anchoring Groups On The Optical And Electronic Properties Of Triphenylamine-Based Dyes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Applications, Geradius Deogratias, Grace Kinunda

Tanzania Journal of Science

Anchoring groups are crucial for enhancing the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For instance, cyanoacrylic acid serves as the primary anchoring group in DSSC due to its crucial elements required for effective electron transport. However, it suffers from degradation. To address this limitation, this study proposes alternative cyano-based anchoring groups for sensitizers. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT were used to investigate the optical and electronic properties of the dyes. The studied dyes (excluding the dye containing OH group) displayed three absorption bands within the visible and NIR regions. Low-energy peaks ranged from 498 to 576 nm, corresponding …

Modification Of Chitosan Using Glycidyl Methacrylate-Grafted Cellulose (Gmagcell/ Chi) For Methylene Blue Adsorption, Haya Fathana, Rahmi Rahmi, Muhammad Adlim, Surya Lubis

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In this study, a glycidyl methacrylate-grafted cellulose/chitosan (GMA-g-Cell/Chi) film was successfully prepared and characterized. GMA-g-Cell was obtained from the grafting process of cellulose derived from sugarcane bagasse using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The cellulose grafting process was obtained using 20% GMA for 4 hours at 60oC. The percentage of grafting (PG) and grafting efficiency (GE) values for these parameters were 516 and 60.28%, respectively. Chitosan was modified with GMA-g-Cell and has higher adsorption capacity and tensile strength than chitosan. The adsorption kinetics tend to follow the pseudo-first-order adsorption kinetics model, with Qe and k1 being 7 mg/g and 0.067 g/mg. minute. …

Substrate Specificity In Abc Transporters Using The E. Coli Methionine Import System, John H. Guardado

Featured Student Work

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters use the energy of ATP to move substrates across membranes against a concentration gradient. The role of ABC transporters is crucial in several essential cellular functions and mutations in ABC transporters in humans have been linked to several conditions, including cystic fibrosis, liver disease, and diabetes. Despite their central roles in homeostasis, the mechanism of ABC transporters remains poorly understood. Our research is focused on studying an ABC importer in E. coli, as a model system, to examine the mechanism of substrate specificity and transport. The bacterial methionine import system consists of a membrane-embedded transporter, MetNI, …

Determining The Ideal Concentrations Of Ethanol And Propylene Glycol In Ethosomes For Transdermal Delivery Of Vitamin D3, Rebecca Conner

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Vitamin D₃ is an important chemical in the human body, however, many Americans have low levels of this vitamin. There are plenty of oral supplementations for Vitamin D₃ deficiency, but those of older age and busy schedules may struggle to meet the minimum requirement. A recently developed ethosomal transmembrane delivery system (Touitou, 2000), similar to liposomes but also containing ethanol, allows users to apply a gel dermally and have the desired drug or active ingredient reach the bloodstream faster. However, there is considerable variation in the concentration of ethanol and permeation enhancers used. Using an affordable method to …

Fortifying Iot Against Crimpling Cyber-Attacks: A Systematic Review, Usman Tariq, Irfan Ahmed, Muhammad Attique Khan, Ali Kashif Bashir

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The rapid growth and increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in our everyday lives create exciting opportunities for human involvement, data integration, and seamless automation. This fully interconnected ecosystem considerably impacts crucial aspects of our lives, such as transportation, healthcare, energy management, and urban infrastructure. However, alongside the immense benefits, the widespread adoption of IoT also brings a complex web of security threats that can influence society, policy, and infrastructure conditions. IoT devices are particularly vulnerable to security violations, and industrial routines face potentially damaging vulnerabilities. To ensure a trustworthy and robust security framework, it is crucial to …

New Quantum Genetic Algorithm Based On Constrained Quantum Optimization, Mohammed R. Almasaoodi, Abdulbasit M. A. Sabaawi, Sara El Gaily, Sándor Imre

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In the past decades, many quantum algorithms have been developed. The main obstacle that prevents the widespread implementation of these algorithms is the small size of the available quantum computer in terms of qubits. Blind Quantum Computation (BQC) holds the promise of handling this issue by delegating computation to quantum remote devices. Here, we introduce a novel Constrained Quantum Genetic Algorithm (CQGA) that selects the optimum extreme (minimum or maximum) value of a constrained goal function (or a vast unsorted database) with very low computational complexity. Since the convergence speed to the optimal solution for the Constrained Classical Genetic Algorithm …

Recent Advances In Crispr/Cas9-Assisted Gene Therapy, Apeksha Srivastava, Shikha Chauhan, Vishal Ahuja

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is an exponentially growing tool with wide-spread applications in therapeutics like gene modifications that focus on altering the hereditary material to repair or eliminate any defective gene-causing diseases like cancer, AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), etc. It also includes the identification of the target sequence with the help of sgRNA followed by the substitution of a malfunction-ing gene with a normal version. It offers high efficiency, specificity, and post-gene-editing efficacy, but have also some off-target impressions, and immunogenic effects. The contribution of CRISPR/Cas9 has already been proved primarily in in-vitro studies using animal germ …

Optical, Structural, And Electrochemical Properties Of P3ht:Y6 Photoactive Layer For Organic Photovoltaics, Hassan Tarikhum B., Furqan Almyahi, Basil Ali

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Recently, organic photovoltaics (OPV) have emerged as a promising technology for environmentally friendly energy production. Achieving high performance in OPV requires the discovery of novel compounds. This article aims to study the optical, structural, electrochemical, and electrical properties of a P3HT:Y6 blend. The UV-visible spectra of the blend provided insight into how composition affects the optoelectronic properties of OPV devices. The optimised P3HT:Y6 ratio (0.6:1) resulted in the largest redshift and the highest absorption intensity. Raman and X-ray diffraction tests showed low aggregation and low crystallinity of the polymer P3HT as Y6 content increased. In the OPV devices, the best …