Chemistry Commons^™

Modifications Of Cellulose-Based Biomaterials For Biomedical Applications, Nour Fatema, Ruben Michael Ceballos, Chenguang Fan

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cellulose is one of the most abundant organic compounds in nature and is available from diverse sources. Cellulose features tunable properties, making it a promising substrate for biomaterial development. In this review, we highlight advances in the physical processes and chemical modifications of cellulose that enhance its properties for use as a biomaterial. Three cellulosic products are discussed, including nanofibrillated, nanocrystalline, and bacterial cellulose, with a focus on how each may serve as a platform for the development of advanced cellulose-based biomaterials for Biomedical applications. In addition to associating mechanical and chemical properties of cellulosic materials to specific applications, a …

Concentration Of Heavy Metals In Three Distinct Algae Families From Humboldt County, California, Kodiak E. Miller, Caleb J. Strait, Jacob I. Begorre, Brittney L. Mitchell, Claire P. Till

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

Anthropogenic impacts on marine environments can impact metal fluxes and concentrations available to marine species. Monitoring these impacts is necessary to better understand the interactions between the biotic and abiotic components of these ecosystems and mitigate the risk posed by harmful toxins introduced by human activities. Biomoniters, like macroscopic algae, are useful indicators that illuminate the bioaccumulation of toxins commonly introduced from anthropogenic activity. With this in mind, the concentrations of heavy metals zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu) were analyzed via the assessment of algae (Representatives from Ulva, Mastocarpus, Fucus) in two sites in Humboldt County: …

2022 Scas Annual Meeting Program And Bulletin

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Environmental Bacteriophage Detection On Coastal Carolina University Campus, Madison Gentilo, Hailey Oldfield, Gavin Ockert, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. These viruses are found ubiquitously in the environment and are more abundant than any living organism on Earth, including bacteria. Eleven sites are designated for weekly sample collection on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. Water samples are filtered and amplified using strains of E. coli B and E. coli K12 to allow potential coliphages in the sample to proliferate to detectable levels. Plaque assays are used as a microbial screen for the presence of bacteriophage. Samples that test positively using the microbial test are analyzed through a molecular test using PCR to identify …

3,6-Dimethoxyxanthone From 2,2’,4,4’- Tetrahydroxy-Benzophenone Via Microwave-Assisted Annulation, Sarah E. Knisely, Faith R. Rosario, Salem F. Gebeyehu, Paige E. Heiple, Robert E. Lee Sr

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Xanthones are tricyclic aromatic compounds that have multiple pharmacological uses due to their anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and potentially chemopreventive properties. The target of this research was to optimize a two-step synthesis of 3,6-dimethoxyxanthone (3) from 2,2’,4,4’-tetrahydroxy-benzophenone (1) via microwave-assisted (200 °C, 30-40 min., 150 W) sodium acetate-catalyzed annulation. The product, 3,6-dihydroxyxanthone (2), was then methylated to (3) using dimethyl sulfate (DMS) and sodium carbonate in acetone at reflux. The product yields were 93% (>99% purity) for (2) and 94% (>99% purity) for (3). Characterization was accomplished using ¹H NMR, FTIR, melting point, TLC, HPLC, and GCMS. …

The Effects Of Human Behavioral Changes Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Reservoir Of Lytic Escherichia Coli And Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophage On Humans At A South Carolina University, Korinne M. Swanson, Owen R. Smith, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are viruses, whose unique ability to infect and lyse bacterial cells may provide valuable insight for evading the repercussions of a post-antibiotic era in medicine. This study isolated and characterized Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage on students and faculty at Coastal Carolina University as a means to understand the viability of human bacteriophage reservoirs for bacteriophage therapy. From September 2021 to March 2022, nasal and postauricular swab samples and a behavioral survey were collected from ninety-three randomly selected participants. Additionally, sixteen participants contributed nasal and postauricular swab samples and a behavioral survey on a monthly basis in a …

Direct Measurement Of Stokes–Einstein Diffusion Of Cowpea Mosaic Virus With 19 Μs-Resolved Xpcs, Kacper Switalski, Jingyu Fang, Luxi Li, Miaoqi Chu, Erik Sarnello, Pete Jemian, Tao Li, Qian Wang, Qingteng Zhang

Faculty Publications

Brownian motion of Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) in water was measured using small-angle X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (SA-XPCS) at 19.2 mu s time resolution. It was found that the decorrelation time tau(Q) = 1/DQ(2) up to Q = 0.091 nm(-1). The hydrodynamic radius R-H determined from XPCS using Stokes-Einstein diffusion D = kT/(6 pi eta R-H) is 43% larger than the geometric radius R-0 determined from SAXS in the 0.007 M K3PO4 buffer solution, whereas it is 80% larger for CPMV in 0.5 M NaCl and 104% larger in 0.5 M (NH4)(2)SO4, a possible effect of aggregation as well as …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 9 No. 5, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

There are a multitude of lessons learned from the last 3 years of the Covid-19 pandemic. But one truly stands out ...the total lack of understanding of the basic chemistry associated with the nitrogen cycle, which in Suffolk County, NY, continues to be declared as the “evil-nitrogen”. The major source of nitrogen into the water body comes from the atmosphere which is the predominate constituent of the air we breathe79% nitrogen. Nitrogen compounds contribution to eutrophication in freshwater (ponds & lakes) systems is legendary and, the concentration of nitrogen in marine waters has always been known as a limiting agent …

Stemficohort1preinterviewdata, Rebecca L. Sansom, Bryn Stclair, Jamie Jensen, Richard West

ScholarsArchive Data

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty institute (STEMFI) is a National Science Foundation funded project designed to provide support, measurement, and training to BYU faculty developing their own student-centered curriculum.

This PDF file contains pre-institute participation interview data from the first cohort of faculty involved in the STEM faculty institute (2018).

Estimation Of The Bubble Point Pressure Of Multicomponent Reservoir Hydrocarbon Fluids, Benjamin Sunday Usen, Chidi Obi

Makara Journal of Science

This study developed a novel C-sharp (C#) programming language for the estimation of bubble point pressure (BPP) of various hydrocarbon mixtures at equilibrium state. The methodology was based on vapor–liquid equilibrium calculation using Peng Robinson equation of state implementation, thermodynamic equilibrium calculation and Newton-Raphson’s method for the successive substitution of the unknown variables. The equal fugacity constraint can be satisfied by obtaining the equilibrium which serves as a criterion for two or more phases to exist at equilibrium. The problem was resolved by searching for a pressure that will satisfy the two constraints. Complex calculation was performed by successively substituting …

Structural And Functional Studies Of Mtr4 And The Tramp Rna Surveillance Complex, Sean Johnson

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Generation Of Geochemical Exploration Targets From Regional Stream Sediment Data Using Principal Component And Factor Analysis: A Case Study Of Kibaya-Kiteto, Manyara-Tanzania, Yusto J. Shine, Charles D. Moye, Godfrey J. Mallya, Ambaliche L. Tamambele

Tanzania Journal of Science

A regional-scale stream sediment geochemical sampling was carried out with an average sampling density of one sample per nine square-kilometre in Kiteto District, Manyara Region. A total of 358 stream sediment samples were collected and analysed for major and trace elements by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and fire assay with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) finish methods. In this study, Factor and Principal Component Multivariate (FPCM) analyses have been used to the stream geochemical data to delineate potential mineralization zones by plotting correlated factors as geochemical anomaly maps. Four factors that account for 73.7% of the total variance of the stream sediment …

Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of The Asanje Iron Ore Deposit Within The Mayamaya-Hombolo Belt, Dodoma Region, Central Tanzania, Yusto J. Shine, Michael M. Msabi, Jagarlamudi Seetharamaiah

Tanzania Journal of Science

This paper presents the mineralogy and chemical composition including iron ore impurities to ascertain its suitability for industrial applications. The Asanje iron ore deposit is hosted in Precambrian volcano-sedimentary rocks in the Mayamaya-Hombolo Belt in Dodoma region, within the Lake Nyanza Superterrane. Iron ores are found in two parallel ridges trending NW-SE. Ridge I occurs as vein and banded hematite-type ore and Ridge II as massive-type ore. A total of 24 ore samples were analysed for major and trace elements by XRF and petrographic studies by optical microscopy and XRD. The XRD results revealed that hematite and goethite are the …

Evaluation Of Natural Antifungal Compounds From Artemisia Afra And Its Effectiveness On Prevention Of Aflatoxins, Noela G. Kilenga, Daniel Maeda, Oscar Kibazohi, Lilian D. Kaale

Tanzania Journal of Science

Artemisia afra is a medicinal plant with antimicrobial activities, known to treat tuberculosis, measles, cough, and influenza. In consequence, its applications have increasingly become pivotal to control various microbes which cause different diseases. This study therefore, evaluated the chemical composition and the antifungal activity of A. afra essential oil. The extraction of essential oil was done using steam distillation. The essential oil chemical composition was analysed by GC-MS. The analysis revealed 19 compounds from A. afra. The main compounds were borneol (71.529%), terpinen-4-ol (8.582%), β-thujone (3.283%), β-terpineol (2.590%), α-terpineol (1.791%), chrysanthenone (1.507%), myrtenal (1.393%), eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) (1.263%), cis-sabinene hydrate (1.172%) …

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …

In Silico Evaluation Of The Antimalarial Potential Of The Phytoconstituents Of The Azadirachta Indica Plant, Areh E.T., Atolani O., Kambizi L

Al-Bahir

Background and Objectives: Malaria, a parasitic protozoan disease caused primarily by Plasmodium falciparum, has killed millions of people in Africa, particularly those with meager or no access to orthodox medical facilities and therapies. Extracts from the Azadirachta indica (neem) plant is believed to possess antimalaria properties among the locals that rely on herbs. Numerous in - vivo studies have suggested the antimalarial properties of neem extract and phytochemicals. This study employs an in - silico method through molecular docking techniques to provide insight while adding credence to the antimalarial potential of phytochemicals of neem plants as claimed …

Conformation Of The U12-U6atac Snrna Complex Of The Minor Spliceosome And Binding By Ntc-Related Protein Rbm22, Joanna Ciavarella

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Splicing of precursor messenger (pre-m)RNA is a critical process in eukaryotes in which the non-coding regions, called introns, are removed and coding regions, or exons, are ligated to form a mature mRNA. This process is catalyzed by the spliceosome, a multi-mega Dalton ribonucleoprotein complex assembled from five small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNP) in the form of small nuclear (sn)RNA-protein complexes (U1, U2, U4, U5 and U6) and >100 proteins. snRNA components catalyze the two transesterification reactions while proteins perform critical roles in assembly and rearrangement. U2 and U6 snRNAs are the only snRNAs directly implicated in catalyzing the splicing of pre-mRNA. …

Design Of Novel Metalloenzymes And Investigation Of Protein-Metal Interactions, Alona Kulesha

Dissertations - ALL

Metalloproteins are the proteins that utilize metals or metal complexes as cofactors and exhibit a wide range of functions from oxygen transport and regulation of transcription to hydroxylation of alkanes and water splitting, even though they employ a limited set of metals and metal-binding ligands. The investigation of metalloprotein amino acid sequence, structure and function relationships can uncover the principles behind natural metalloprotein design and opens the possibility of their implication as scaffolds for the design of novel catalysts and biomaterials. Protein engineering is a set of techniques that allows to install new functionalities into existing proteins or to design …

Compositionally And Density Stratified Igneous Terrain In Jezero Crater, Mars, Roger C. Wiens, Arya Udry, Olivier Beyssac, Cathy Quantin-Nataf, Nicolas Mangold, Agnès Cousin, Lucia Mandon, Tanja Bosak, Olivier Forni, Scott M. Mclennan, Violaine Sautter, Adrian Cousin, Karim Benzerara, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Lisa Mayhew, Sylvestre Maurice, Ryan B. Maurice, Ryan B. Anderson, Samuel M. Clegg, Larry Crumpler, Stanley M. Angel

Faculty Publications

Before Perseverance, Jezero crater's floor was variably hypothesized to have a lacustrine, lava, volcanic airfall, or aeolian origin. SuperCam observations in the first 286 Mars days on Mars revealed a volcanic and intrusive terrain with compositional and density stratification.The dominant lithology along the traverse is basaltic, with plagioclase enrichment in stratigraphically higher locations. Stratigraphically lower, layered rocks are richer in normative pyroxene. The lowest observed unit has the highest inferred density and is olivine-rich with coarse (1.5 millimeters) euhedral, relatively unweathered grains, suggesting a cumulate origin. This is the first martian cumulate and shows similarities to martian meteorites, which also …

Roundup And Glyphosate’S Impact On Gaba To Elicit Extended Proconvulsant Behavior In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Akshay Naraine, Rebecca Aker, Isis Sweeney, Meghan Kalvey, Alexis Surtel, Venkatesh Shanbhag, Ken Dawson-Scully

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Articles

As 3 billion pounds of herbicides are sprayed over farmlands every year, it is essential to advance our understanding how pesticides may influence neurological health and physiology of both humans and other animals. Studies are often one-dimensional as the majority examine glyphosate by itself. Farmers and the public use commercial products, like Roundup, containing a myriad of chemicals in addition to glyphosate. Currently, there are no neurological targets proposed for glyphosate and little comparison to Roundup. To investigate this, we compared how glyphosate and Roundup affect convulsant behavior in C. elegans and found that glyphosate and Roundup increased seizure-like behavior. …

A Study Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) Ecology In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico And The Effect Of Variable River Outflow Using Stable Isotope Analysis Of The Food Web And Eye Lenses, Caitlin C. Slife

Dissertations

In the Mississippi Bight and surrounding waters, river outflow impacts the basal resources of the Red Snapper food web, altering carbon sources and impacting prey and predator isotopes. In this study, the impact of riverine outflow on nutrients, particulate organic matter (POM), and physical water parameters on Red Snapper and their food web was analyzed using stable isotope and stomach content analysis over 5 years. The Mississippi, Pearl, Pascagoula, and Mobile rivers were included in the analysis of river impact. The Mississippi and Mobile rivers were found to significantly impact nutrients and POM in the region. River outflow was also …

Computational Study On The Effectiveness Of Flavonoids From Marsilea Crenata C. Presl As Potent Sirt1 Activators And Nfκb Inhibitors, Sri Rahayu, Sasangka Prasetyawan, Sri Widyarti, Mochammad Fitri Atho’Illah, Gatot Ciptadi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Ovarian aging is a natural process in females, and it occurs due to an elevated ROS-induced inflammation caused by oxidative stress. SIRT-1 is a metabolic sensor that tightly regulates oxidative and inflammatory responses. However, this regulative function is antagonized by NFκB. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the pathways involved in aging and identify the flavonoid compounds from Marsilea crenata that might be useful as SIRT1 activators and NFκB inhibitors. The screening began with exploring the protein-protein interaction in the experimental process using BioGrid, and the role of the flavonoid was evaluated using STITCH. The interaction between …

Molecular Characterization Of Esbls And Ampc Β-Lactamases In Bacteria Isolated From Currency Notes Circulating In Mosul City, Iraq, Mahmood Zeki Al-Hasso, Shakir Ghazi Gergees, Zahraa Khairialdeen Mohialdeen

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The Iraqi currency notes circulating in Mosul city were evaluated for the occurrence of ESBLs and AmpC b-lactamaseproducing bacteria. Four hundred and twenty-two Gram-positive and negative bacterial isolates with different antimicrobial resistance profiles were recovered from 250 samples collected during the period from April to July 2021, among which 150 isolates (35.5%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR). The study found that 16.4% and 14.8% of Gram negative isolates were positive for ESBLs and AmpC phenotypic detection tests, respectively. Interestingly, 6.6% of the isolates were simultaneously positive for both tests. Molecular characterization was carried out using PCR technique to determine the prevalent …

Molecular Docking And Dynamics Simulation Studies To Predict Multiple Medicinal Plants’ Bioactive Compounds Interaction And Its Behavior On The Surface Of Denv-2 E Protein, Arief Hidayatullah, Wira Eka Putra, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Sustiprijatno Sustiprijatno, Diana Widiastuti, Muhammad Fikri Heikal, Hendra Susanto, Wa Ode Salma, Hilal Mulyadi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The envelope protein (E) is a fusion class II protein that is essential for DENV fusion. We use two active compounds derived from commonly used plants in Indonesia: galangin and kaempferide. We ran a docking and 1000 ps molecular dynamic analysis with normal physiological parameters. During the simulation, galangin and kaempferide binding sites fluctuated. But chloroquine has lesser ligand mobility, hence keeping contact with fusion loops, whereas both drugs lose contact with hydrophobic pockets. However, the two active compounds have a more stable ligand configuration. Less than 2 Å alterations were seen in the RMSF simulation of the protein E …

Collaborative Research: Developing Advanced Magnesium Electrolytes Toward Low Cost, High Energy Density Mg Batteries, Tianbiao Liu

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Quantification Of Spent Coffee Ground Extracts By Roast And Brew Method, And Their Utility In A Green Synthesis Of Gold And Silver Nanoparticles, Brian G Yust, Niny Z Rao, Evan T Schwarzmann, Madisyn H Peoples

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

Nanotechnology has become increasingly important in modern society, and nanoparticles are routinely used in many areas of technology, industry, and commercial products. Many species of nanoparticle (NP) are typically synthesized using toxic or hazardous chemicals, making these methods less environmentally friendly. Consequently, there has been growing interest in green synthesis methods, which avoid unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals and reduce harmful waste. Synthesis methods which utilize food waste products are particularly attractive because they add value and a secondary use for material which would otherwise be disposed of. Here, we show that spent coffee grounds (SCGs) that have already been …

Subtype-Selective Positive Modulation Of KCa2.3 Channels Increases Cilia Length, Young-Woo Nam, Rajasekharreddy Pala, Naglaa Salem El-Sayed, Denisse Laren-Henriquez, Farideh Amirrad, Grace Yang, Mohammad Asikur Rahman, Razan Orfali, Myles Downey, Keykavous Parang, Surya M. Nauli, Miao Zhang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Small-conductance Ca²⁺-activated potassium (K_Ca2.x) channels are gated exclusively by intracellular Ca²⁺. The activation of K_Ca2.3 channels induces hyperpolarization, which augments Ca²⁺ signaling in endothelial cells. Cilia are specialized Ca²⁺ signaling compartments. Here, we identified compound 4 that potentiates human K_Ca2.3 channels selectively. The subtype selectivity of compound 4 for human K_Ca2.3 over rat K_Ca2.2a channels relies on an isoleucine residue in the HA/HB helices. Positive modulation of K_Ca2.3 channels by compound 4 increased flow-induced Ca²⁺ signaling and cilia length, while negative …

Purifications Of Iraqi Petroleum Using Ceramic Ball Nano Cobalt Nickel Ferrite Filter, Huda Jabbar, Enas Muhi, Tahseen Hussien

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Iraqi petroleum, especially from the Al-Ahdab, has a big problem resulting from its high percentage of heavy metals. In this paper, heavy metals were reduced or removed from Iraqi petroleum using a Ceramic Ball Nano Cobalt Nickel Ferrite Filter (BCNF), synthesized by combining kaolin and palm frond in a 30% ratio with Co0.8Ni0.2Fe2O4 nanoparticles in a various ratios (5, 10, 15, and 20%). The sol-gel technique prepared Co0.8Ni0.2Fe2O4 nanoparticles. The structure and magnetic properties of the material are described using X-RD, FT-IR, and VSM techniques. In addition, the water ab-sorption ratio and apparent porosity were assessed. The results show that …

Studying The Physical And Biological Characteristics Of Denture Base Resin Pmma Reinforced With Zro2 And Tio2 Nanoparticles, Fatin A. Asim, Entessar H.A. Al-Mosaweb, Wafaa A. Hussain

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) suffers from poor mechanical properties that limit its application in the bio-medical field. In this study, PMMA was reinforced with zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopar-ticles; subsequently, the hardness, porosity, biocompatibility, bacterial adhesion, and colonization of the reinforced PMMA with various oxide nanoparticles were characterized. The results of this study indicated that reinforced material inhibits bacterial growth and decreases bacterial adhesion by decreasing porosity and increasing PMMA hardness. Based on the findings, 3 wt% PMMA-ZrO2 and 3 wt% PMMA-ZrO2 -TiO2 composites significantly inhibited bacterial growth and adherence while maintaining hemolysis PT and INR and enhancing …