Chemistry Commons^™

High Yield Synthesis Of Positron Emission Tomography Ligands For Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Imaging, Saraanne E. Hitchcock

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a powerful and non-invasive imaging technique used for human and animal organ imaging. Currently, the market for PET is project to reach $5.4 billion per year by 2015.5 This research focuses on the direct incorporation of [18F]-fluoride into PET ligands. The widespread use of PET imaging is currently frustrated, in part, by the lack of efficient fluorination chemistry.

Glutamate, one of the 20 most abundant naturally occurring amino acids, serves as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Glutamate functions in this capacity by binding to ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. Metabotropic receptors are Gcoupled proteins …

Application Of Raman Spectroscopy To Lubricants, Lubricated Surfaces And Lubrication Phenomena, David W. Johnson

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Recent advances in lasers and detector technologies and the development of low-cost instruments and fiber-optic probes have brought about an explosion in the lubrication systems being studied by Raman spectroscopy. This article provides examples of the use of Raman spectroscopy in the study of lubrication phenomena, including the characterization of liquid lubricants, lubricant additives, and solid lubricants; the study of vapor-phase lubrication; and the use of coated nanoparticles as lubricants.

Electrochemistry Of Technetium Analogues Rhenium And Molybdenum In Room Temperature Ionic Liquid, Pauline Nancy Serrano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rhenium was used as an analog for Technetium to study the electrochemical redox properties because the two elements share the same stable oxidation states in aqueous solutions. However, Tc-99 is radioactive and is not readily available for experimentation purposes. Molybdenum is also of interest because when Mo-99 is irradiated, the decay products are Tc-99m and Tc-99. Approximately 30% Tc-99m is eluted from the Mo columns for radiopharmaceutical use with the remaining Mo-99 source decaying to Tc-99 which is discarded as radioactive hospital waste. Currently there are no viable procedures for the reclamation of the radioactive Tc-99 from either fission streams …

Thermochemistry And Bond Energies Of Acetohydrazide, Amides And Cyclic Alkyl Ethers, Sumit Charaya

Theses

Structure, thermochemical properties, bond energies and internal rotation potentials of Acetic Acid Hydrazide (CH₃CONHNH₂), Acetamide (CH₃CONH₂) and N-methyl Acetamide (CH3CONHCH3) and their radicals corresponding to loss of hydrogen atom have been studied. Gas phase standard enthalpies of formation and bond energies were calculated using the DFT methods B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31G(2d,2p) and the composite CBS-QB3 methods employing a series of work reactions to further improve accuracy of the ΔH_f°(298K). Molecular structures, vibration frequencies and internal rotor potentials were calculated at DFT level. The enthalpies of the parent molecules CH₃-C=ONHNH_{2 …}

Synthesis Towards Synthetic Adenosine Receptor, Rajni Gupta

Theses

Adenosine is a biologically important molecule as it acts as local modulator with cytoprotective function in the body. Adenosine accumulates in the extracellular space in response to metabolic stress and cell damage, and elevations in extracellular adenosine level are found in conditions like myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, inflammation and trauma. Its abnormal concentration therefore could be a marker of many diseases. Therefore determining its concentration can help understand the physiological state of the body. However its selective detection by synthetic receptors is not possible till date.

Efforts have been made here to design molecular tweezer for adenosine. Multistep synthesis was done …

Synthesis Of A Resveratrol Glycinate Derivative., Shelley Marie Van Cleve

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the compound resveratrol has had media attention as an anti carcinogen. However, the bioavailability of resveratrol is low in the human system due to its hydrophobic nature. Therefore, it must be administered in high dosages to be effective. A plethora of derivatives have been synthesized that have the potential of resveratrol but sadly share low bioavailability. The first effort of this research was an attempt to produce a more hydrophilic ester of resveratrol. Failing this, the final product was synthesized using a glycine derivative to produce 4-[(1E)-2-(3,5-diacetyloxyphenyl)ethenyl]phenyl N-[(1,1-dimethylethoxy)carbonyl]-glycinate.

Mechanistic Study Of The Small Molecule Inhibitor Dx-52-1, Junru Cui

Master's Theses

Cell migration is a basic biological process that is fundamental to several normal and disease processes such as embryonic development, tissue repair, immune function, angiogenesis and cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Small organic molecules inhibiting cell migration can be used as both research probes and therapeutic agents. DX-52-1, a semisynthetic derivative of the natural product quinocarmycin (also known as quinocarcin), inhibits the migration of Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells with nanomolar concentration. We have identified galectin-3, a multifunctional protein whose best-known function is its sugar binding ability, as a secondary target of DX-52-1 with functions in cell motility. In addition, …

A Sodium Salt Of The Dimer Of Boronoterephthalic Acid Anhydride, Scott Simmons, Albert Fratini, Vladimir Benin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The title compound, sodium bis­(6-carb­oxy-1-hy­droxy-3-oxo-1,3-dihydro-2,1-benzoxaborol-1-yl)oxidanium, Na+·C16H15B2O13-, was prepared in two steps from 2-bromo-p-xylene. Its crystal structure was determined at 140 K and has triclinic (P) symmetry. The compound presents a unique structural motif, including two units of the cyclic anhydride of boronoterephthalic acid, joined by a protonated, and thereby trivalent, oxonium center. Association in the crystal is realized by complementary hydrogen bonding of the carboxyl groups, as well as by coordination of the sodium cations to the oxygen centers on the five-membered rings.

Theoretical Investigation Of A Reported Antibiotic From The 'Miracle Tree' Moringa Oleifera, Michael Horwath, Vladimir Benin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Moringa oleifera, sometimes called the “Miracle Tree,” has received international attention for its potential to improve health in impoverished tropical areas. In addition to high vitamin content in the leaves and pods, the tree contains compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial properties. This study focused on the theoretical investigation of the suggested structure of one antibacterial compound, “pterygospermin,” whose existence was proposed after some studies of the roots of M. oleifera. The structure of pterygospermin was first proposed by a research group working in the 1950s, but later studies have not found evidence of this compound and have instead …

Detection Of Protein By Microdrop Analysis, Yogeshkumar Radadiya

All Capstone Projects

Analysis of protein depends particularly on protein concentration. Protein concentration measurement is the most important part in the research work to conduct protein-related studies. Although there are many methods available for this purpose, each method has certain limitations. The aim of the experiment is to develop either new or modified analytical method for the analysis and detection of protein using newly introduced micro-plate reader equipped with Take-3 microplate with the help of Gen-5 software. An ideal assay should be simple and easy to carry out. Another aspect to be taken into consideration are low inference, stability of measured components and …

Organometallic Iron(Iii)-Salophene Exerts Cytotoxic Properties In Neuroblastoma Cells Via Mapk Activation And Ros Generation, Kyu Kwang Kim, Rakesh K. Singh, Robert M. Strongin, Richard G. Moore, Laurent Brard, Thilo S. Lange

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of the present study was to investigate the specific effects of Iron(III)-salophene (Fe-SP) on viability, morphology, proliferation, cell cycle progression, ROS generation and pro-apoptotic MAPK activation in neuroblastoma (NB) cells. A NCI-DTP cancer screen revealed that Fe-SP displayed high toxicity against cell lines of different tumor origin but not tumor type-specificity. In a viability screen Fe-SP exhibited high cytotoxicity against all three NB cell lines tested. The compound caused cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, suppression of cells progressing through S phase, morphological changes, disruption of the mitochondrial membrane depolarization potential, induction of apoptotic markers as well as …

Structure Function Analysis Of An Adp-Ribosyltransferase Type Iii Effector And Its Rna-Binding Target In Plant Immunity, Byeong-Ryool Jeong, Yan Lin, Anna Joe, Ming Guo, Christin Korneli, Huirong Yang, Ping Wang, Min Yu, Ronald Cerny, Dorothee Staiger, James R. Alfano, Yanhui Xu

Ronald Cerny Publications

Background: HopU1 ADP-ribosylates GRP7, suppressing plant immunity.

Results: The HopU1 structure has two novel loops required for GRP7 recognition, and HopU1 ribosylates GRP7 at an arginine in position 49 disrupting its function.

Conclusion: HopU1 targets a conserved arginine in GRP7, disabling its ability to bind immunity-related RNA.

Significance: The mechanistic details of how HopU1 recognizes its substrate reveal how HopU1 contributes to pathogenesis.

Leaf Essential Oil Composition Of Citrus Japonica From Biratnagar, Nepal, Prajwal Paudel

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Human Fatty Acid Transport Protein 2a/Very Long Chain Acyl-Coa Synthetase 1 (Fatp2a/Acsvl1) Has A Preference In Mediating The Channeling Of Exogenous N-3 Fatty Acids Into Phosphatidylinositol, Elaina M. Melton, Ronald Cerny, Paul A. Watkins, Concetta C. Dirusso, Paul N. Black

Ronald Cerny Publications

The trafficking of fatty acids across the membrane and into downstream metabolic pathways requires their activation to CoA thioesters. Members of the fatty acid transport protein/ very long chain acyl-CoA synthetase (FATP/Acsvl) family are emerging as key players in the trafficking of exogenous fatty acids into the cell and in intracellular fatty acid homeostasis.We have expressed two naturally occurring splice variants of human FATP2 (Acsvl1) in yeast and 293T-REx cells and addressed their roles in fatty acid transport, activation, and intracellular trafficking. Although both forms (FATP2a (Mr 70,000) and FATP2b (Mr 65,000 and lacking exon3, which encodes part of the …

Overexpression Of Galnac-Transferase Galnac-T3 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth, Keisuke Taniuchi, Ronald Cerny, Aki Tanouchi, Kimitoshi Kohno, Norihiro Kotani, Koichi Honke, Toshiji Saibara, Michael A. Hollingsworth

Ronald Cerny Publications

O-linked glycans of secreted and membrane bound proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer by modulating immune responses, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. A critical aspect of O-glycosylation, the position at which proteins are glycosylated with N-acetyl-galactosamine on serine and threonine residues, is regulated by the substrate specificity of UDP-GalNAc: polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferases (GalNAc-Ts). Thus, GalNAc-Ts regulate the first committed step in O-glycosylated protein biosynthesis, determine sites of O-glycosylation on proteins, and are important for understanding normal and carcinoma-associated O-glycosylation. We have found that one of these enzymes, GalNAc-T3, is overexpressed in …

Identification And Characterization Of The Anti-Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Wap-8294a2 Biosynthetic Gene Cluster From Lysobacter Enzymogenes Oh11, Wei Zhang, Yaoyao Li, Guoliang Qian, Yan Wang, Haotong Chen, Yue-Zhong Li, Fengquan Liu, Yuemao Shen, Liangcheng Du

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Lysobactor enzymogenes strain OH11 is an emerging biological control agent of fungal and bacterial diseases. We recently completed its genome sequence and found it contains a large number of gene clusters putatively responsible for the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides and polyketides, including the previously identified antifungal dihydromaltophilin (HSAF). One of the gene clusters contains two huge open reading frames, together encoding 12 modules of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS). Gene disruption of one of the NRPS led to the disappearance of a metabolite produced in the wild type and the elimination of its antibacterial activity. The metabolite and antibacterial activity were …

Characterizing Rna Dynamics At Atomic Resolution Using Solution-State Nmr Spectroscopy, Jameson R. Bothe, Evgenia N. Nikolova, Catherine D. Eichhorn, Jeetender Chugh, Alexandar L. Hansen, Hashim M. Al-Hashimi

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Many recently discovered non-coding RNAs do not fold into a single native conformation, but rather, sample many different conformations along their free energy landscape to carry out their biological function. Unprecedented insights into the RNA dynamic structure landscape are provided by solution-state NMR techniques that measure the structural, kinetic, and thermodynamic characteristics of motions spanning picosecond to second timescales at atomic resolution. From these studies a basic description of the RNA dynamic structure landscape is emerging, bringing new insights into how RNA structures change to carry out their function as well as applications in RNA-targeted drug discovery and RNA bioengineering.

Corrosion Rate Trajectories Of Concreted Iron And Steel Shipwrecks And Structures In Seawater— The Weins Number, Donald L. Johnson, D. J. Medlin, L. E. Murphy, J. D. Carr, D. L. Conlin

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The Weins number (Wn) concept is proposed to predict the long-term corrosion rate of wrought iron and steel in seawater for variable marine environments. Plotted as a function of reciprocal absolute temperature, Weins numbers generate a linear plot from which the corrosion rates are calculated when temperature, oxygen concentration, and concretion thickness are known. Application of the theory of absolute reaction rates is described.

Synthesis Of Novel Aromatic Quinols For Colon And Renal Cancers, Bradley J. Davey, Tae Soo Jo, Pradip K. Bhowmik

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Colon Cancer: The third most common cancer in USA. More than 1 million Americans currently living with colon cancer. 148,810 new cases expected in 2010. 50,000 deaths annually.

Renal Cancer: Approximately 58,000 people diagnosed in USA annually. Seventh most common cancer and tenth most common cause of cancer related death in men.

Aromatic quinols have demonstrated in vitro antitumor activity. Three heteroaromatic quinols show antitumor activity.

Synthesis Of Bis-Styrylbenzene Derivatives Via Wittig-Horner Reaction, Joseph K. Wray, Tae Soo Jo, Pradip K. Browmik

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Alzheimer’s Disease is now one of the most common diseases affecting the elderly population. Recently, bis-styrylbenzene derivatives have been shown to reduce the formation of Beta-amyloid plaques in the brain which are profoundly correlated with this disease. Finding new biologically active compounds which can reduce or prevent Alzheimer’s Disease has drawn much attention over the past few decades. Georg Wittig, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, 1979.

Developing A Biosensor For The Detection Of Bacteria: A Comparison Of Methods For Isolating Bacteria-Specific Antibodies, Scott Allen Walper

Dissertations

The antigen-antibody interaction is known to be a high affinity and highly specific interaction that can readily be used for the detection and identification of biological and chemical agents. These studies were conducted to develop an efficient and cost-effective method of obtaining bacteria-specific antibody molecules for integration into a fielddeployable biosensor. Antigen-binding molecules were obtained both as full-length IgG molecules from a hybridoma cell line and as recombinant single-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies isolated from naïve and immunize libraries. Monoclonal and recombinant antibody systems were compared on the effectiveness of producing new, target-specific molecules; the efficiency of production and purification of …

Antimicrobial Activity Of D-Lenolate®, Andy Phui

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Olive trees are one of the most important fruit trees in the Mediterranean. Although not validated by research, olive leaves are traditionally believed to fight off fever and infections. It has been shown that olive leaf extracts possess antimicrobial activity. Olive leaf extracts contain polyphenols. One of the major phenolic compounds is oleuropein. Oleuropein and other polyphenols have been shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity. East Park Research (EPR) developed an extraction process that they claim does not alter the chemical composition of the olive leaves. The extract is known by the commercial name d-lenolate®. Studies have provided evidence that d-lenolate®, …

The Reaction Of A Water Soluble Platinum Compound With Methionine And Derivatives, Yueh Ying Liao

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Water soluble platinum complexes are a recent area of emphasis of cisplatin chemistry. The water soluble complexes could have a reduced toxicity compared with cisplatin. Oxaliplatin, which has an oxalate leaving group, has previously been shown to have less nephro-toxicity and higher water solubility than cisplatin. [Pt(en)(oxalate)] (en = ethylenediamine) has been prepared from Pt(en)Cl2 and silver oxalate. This complex has been reacted with methionine and N-acetylmethionine at different molar ratios. At high Pt: methionine ratios, chelates with the sulfur and nitrogen atoms of the methionine are dominant; at lower Pt: methionine ratios, a bis-methionine product is formed. The en …

Transition States In Ei Reactions, Charles A. Kingsbury

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The pyrolysis of amine oxides, sulfoxides, selenoxides, and esters to form alkenes is believed to be a concerted reaction with a cyclic transition state. Phosphine oxides, sulfones, and nitro compounds are unreactive. This study seeks to identify reasons for the lack of reactivity of the latter. Transition states were located for all substrates progressing from RHF/3-21G* to the MP2/6-31+G(d,p) level (in certain cases). For sulfones and nitro compounds, two possible reasons for lack of reactivity were considered: (1) Atoms approaching one another in the transition state may be considered to participate in a local n_O→σ*_{CH …}

Process For Preparation Of Conducting Polymers, Reuben D. Rieke

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Methods of preparing conducting polymers and the conductive polymers prepared therefrom are provided. The method includes a) combining a monomer-metal complex together with a manganese (II) halide to provide a monomer-manga nese complex, and b) combining the monomer-manganese complex together with a metal catalyst to provide the conductive polymer. Electronic devices can be made using the polymers prepared as described herein.

Characterization Of Phytochemicals Isolated From Plants Of The Pacific Northwest And Western United States For Combating Fungal Multidrug Resistance, John David Schreiber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fungal multidrug resistance is an emerging problem for those suffering from fungal infections, and for those seeking to discover or produce novel fungicidal drugs. Plants native to the Pacific Northwest as well as in the Olympic national rainforest were collected and screened for phytochemicals which exhibit direct antifungal activity toward Candida and Saccharomyces spp. as well as those that inhibit fungal ABC transporters that are, in large part, responsible for the development of multidrug resistance. Dalea formosa (Fabaceae), a plant native to the American Southwest, was also screened for phytochemicals of medicinal interest. The methanolic extract of aerial portions of …

Targeting Base Excision Repair Suggests A New Therapeutic Strategy Of Fludarabine For The Treatment Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, A. D. Bulgar, M. Snell, J. R. Donze, E. B. Kirkland, Lan Li, Shuming Yang, Yan Xu, S. L. Gerson, Lili Liu

Chemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Solid Supported Synthesis Of Secondary Amines Via Staudinger And Microwave Aza-Wittig Reactions, Kyle Thomas Holsinger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Amine bond formation is a major topic in organic chemistry and is widely applied to the formation of medicinal compounds. Current studies have analyzed the benefits of microwave irradiation and solid supported reagents in order to improve reaction conditions and both synthetic and environmental costs. In the synthesis of amines, we investigate the combined use of microwave irradiation and solid supported reagents in the aza-Wittig and reductive amination reaction.

Self-Assembled Heteroleptic Chiral Ligands, Asymmetric Catalyst Systems And Methods, James M. Takacs

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

A method of synthesizing a heteroleptic, multiple metal containing metallocyclic catalyst, particularly Suited for asymmetric catalysis, comprising combining a plurality of plural functional group-containing, monodentate ligands of complementary chirality, said plural functional groups being tethered to each other by tethers in the presence of a scaffold structural metal Ms or derivative thereof, wherein at least one functional group on each ligand combines to ligate M to form a bidentate, M_s centered ligand scaffold containing the remaining functional groups and combining said bidentate ligand scaffold with a catalytic metal M_c or derivative thereof whereby the remaining functional groups combine …

Corrosion Of Steel Shipwreck In The Marine Environment: Uss Arizona—Part 1, Donald L. Johnson, Brent M. Wilson, James D. Carr, Matthew A. Russell, Larry E. Murphy, David L. Conlin

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The USS Arizona has remained submerged in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, since the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The ship presents a potential hazard from fuel oil still present in the ship’s hull. As an important factor in management decisions, the effect of corrosion after nearly 65 years is being studied to determine the integrity of the ship’s structure. Coupon samples from the hull revealed decreasing corrosion rates from ~1 to 3 mpy (0.03 to 0.08 mm/y) from just below the water surface to the mudline. This is about one-third of that expected in the absence of biofouling or concretion. …