Chemistry Commons^™

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (Icp-Oes) Analysis Of Trace Metals In Cigarette Litter Collected At Mcneese State University In Lake Charles, La, United States, Liliya Snaychuk, Trey Vaughan, Zachary Ullery, Chris Douvris, Derek Bussan

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Cigarette smoking is the most commonly used form of tobacco in the world. It is practiced by a large portion of the population, especially young people. These people often ignore or disregard the harmful toxic impacts that cigarettes have on both themselves and the environment. The United States Center for Disease Control estimates that nearly 40 million U.S. adults still smoke cigarettes, with nearly 1600 U.S. youth starting cigarette smoking every day. Although it is well-known that smoking cigarettes is addictive and leads to a numerous health conditions including cancer, chronic pulmonary and heart disease, the effect of disposing the …

Statistical Potentials For Rna-Protein Interactions Optimized By Cma-Es, Takayuki Kimura, Nobuaki Yasuo, Masakazu Sekijima, Brooke Lustig

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Characterizing RNA-protein interactions remains an important endeavor, complicated by the difficulty in obtaining the relevant structures. Evaluating model structures via statistical potentials is in principle straight-forward and effective. However, given the relatively small size of the existing learning set of RNA-protein complexes optimization of such potentials continues to be problematic. Notably, interaction-based statistical potentials have problems in addressing large RNA-protein complexes. In this study, we adopted a novel strategy with covariance matrix adaptation (CMA-ES) to calculate statistical potentials, successfully identifying native docking poses.

Editorial: Discovery And Development Of Drugs For Neglected Diseases: Chagas Disease, Human African Trypanosomiasis, And Leishmaniasis, Gildardo Rivera, Navin B. Patel, Debasish Bandyopadhyay

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Twenty tropical diseases have been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). These tropical diseases are called “neglected” for three primary reasons: 1) These diseases are widespread worldwide among the economically weaker (neglected?) section of the society; 2) Although the total number of mortality, morbidity, disability, and health disparity caused annually by the NTDs is more than that attributed by the so-called elite diseases like cancer, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), cardio- or neurological diseases but NTD patients do not receive comparable attention or treatment opportunities either from the governments or healthcare professionals …

Effects Of Redwood Bark And Leaf Leachate On Different Lichen Populations Found Within The Redwood Forest Of Arcata, Ca, Courtney Michelle Harris, Phoebe Hughes

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

No abstract provided.

3d-Printable And Open-Source Modular Smartphone Visible Spectrophotometer, Brandon Winters, Nick Banfield, Cassandra Dixon, Anna Swensen, Dakota Holman, Braxton Fillbrown

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The past four decades have brought significant and increasingly rapid changes to the world of instrument design, fabrication, and availability due to the emergence of 3D printing, open-source code and equipment, and low-cost electronics. These, along with other technological advances represent a nexus in time ripe for the wide-spread production and availability of low-cost sophisticated scientific equipment. To that end, the design of a 3D printable and open-source, modular spectrometer is described. This specific instrument is distinctly different from others that have been reported in recent years in that it was designed outside of the “black box” paradigm of …

Are Rural And Small Community Aerated Wastewater Stabilization Ponds A Neglected Source Of Microplastic Pollution?, Zhiqiang Gao, James V. Cizdziel, Kendall Wontor, Haitao Lu

Faculty and Student Publications

Wastewater treatment systems collect and treat sewage that includes microplastics (MPs). However, we are not aware of any studies on the occurrence and distribution of MPs in wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs), which serve small communities worldwide. Here, we characterized MPs (~45 µm–5 mm) in an aerated WSP serving ~500 houses and an adjacent lake. Putative MPs were most abundant in duckweed (Lemna minor) and sludge (75 ± 22 and 12.8 ± 3.1 particles/g, respectively: ±1 standard deviation (SD), n = 6, dry weight). In the water, average concentrations (particles/L ± 1 SD, n = 6) were highest in the pond …

Thin Safety Margin: The Sefor Super-Prompt-Critical Transient Experiments, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas 1970–1971, Jerry Havens, Collis Geren

Arkansas Scholarly Editions

Thin Safety Margin charts the history of SEFOR, a twenty-megawatt reactor that operated for three years in the rural Ozark Mountains of Arkansas as part of an internationally sponsored program designed to demonstrate the Doppler effect in plutonium-oxide-fueled fast reactors. Authors Jerry Havens and Collis Geren draw upon this history to assess the accidental explosion risk inherent in using fast reactors to reduce the energy industry’s carbon dioxide emissions.

If a sufficiently powerful fast-neutron explosion were to cause the containment of a reactor such as SEFOR’s to fail, the reactor’s radiotoxic plutonium fuel could vaporize and escape into the surrounding …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 7 No. 3, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

Where has all the pollution gone? No hazardous toxic algal blooms? Incredible summer estuarine water quality! No fish kills. Banner years in recreational fisheries for Stripers and Blues and incredible numbers of Humpback whales! No going to restaurants, so greater at home use of water and septic systems! Since March 2020, drier years than most, thus reducing runoff with fertilizers and organic pesticides, resulting in reduced water contamination. So maybe, just maybe, this COVID- 19 period which has altered our collective lives forever, has also resulted in a grand experiment on what has been hiding in plain sight? That is, …

Analysis Of Oxycontin Addiction And Recovery From Both A Physical And Psychological Lens, Meagan Munley, Carrie Flickinger

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

We will investigate the physical impacts both short and long term effects of of substance use. In doing so we will frame an argument for the substance's addictive properties as it relates to both its physically addictive and sociological addictive properties. In doing, so a stronger understanding of how an individual can move through the stages of substance use, to abuse, and finally addiction will be reviewed. We will then address current treatment strategies for the substance and how they address or fail to address both the physical and sociological impacts of its use.

Analysis Of Fluoxetine (Prozac) Addiction And Recovery From Both A Physical And Psychological Lens, Kristen Dobek, Hannah Couch

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

We will investigate the physical impacts both short and long term effects of of substance use. In doing so we will frame an argument for the substance's addictive properties as it relates to both its physically addictive and sociological addictive properties. In doing, so a stronger understanding of how an individual can move through the stages of substance use, to abuse, and finally addiction will be reviewed. We will then address current treatment strategies for the substance and how they address or fail to address both the physical and sociological impacts of its use.

So, You Want To Take Zoloft (Sertraline)?: A Biological & Psychological Analysis, Hailey Lux, Mackenzie Harry

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

A lot of individuals around the world suffer with panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). One drug that has been found to significantly decrease these feelings of stress is Sertraline. Sertraline has been proven to increase quality of life among individuals with certain mental health disorders. In addition, it is commonly known as Zoloft and is prescribed to individuals by doctors and psychiatrist. However, we will be talking about how in extreme causes sertraline could become addictive and have withdrawal side effects. Furthermore, during this poster presentation we will be discussing how sertraline is not an …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, October 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 10

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Awards and Recognition; Introducing Natural Sciences Student Ambassadors
Page 3 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 4 Spooky Science Outreach
Page 5 The BIG Event Outreach
Page 6 Geography Club Road Trip
Page 7 Aamlid Family Anatomy Lab
Page 8 Hobo Day Recap
Page 10 Open PRAIRIE Data; Grants Awarded in CNS

Calibration Of Gas Flow Meters Using Choked Flow And An Evacuated Vessel, Max B. Trueblood, Otmar Schmid, Nicholas Altese, Christian J. Hurst, Wenyan Liu, Teresa Gelles, Steven C. Achterberg, Philip D. Whitefield, Donald E. Hagen

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The measurement of gas flow rates is of great importance in a wide range of modern technologies. This paper introduces a simple, yet accurate technique for in-house calibration of gas FMs (mass and volumetric) even under harsh environmental conditions such as encountered during field measurement campaigns. The method requires only readily available, low cost components: a vessel of known volume, an air pump, a pressure sensor and a metal plate orifice or a needle valve to act as a CO. The unique property of choked flow in the CO is used here for flow calibration. In the method presented here …

Preparation And Pharmacokinetic Characterization Of An Anti-Virulence Compound Nanosuspensions, Nan Wang, Feng Qi, Xiaolong He, Honglan Shi, David W. Anderson, Hao Li, Hongmin Sun

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide public health threat due to the rapid evolu-tion and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. CCG-211790 is a novel anti-virulence compound that does not kill bacteria but could ameliorate human diseases by inhibiting expression of virulence factors, thereby applying less selection pressure for antibiotic resistance. However, its potential clinical use is restricted because of its poor aqueous solubility, resulting in formulation challenges. Nanosuspension technology is an effective way to circumvent this problem. Nanosuspensions of CCG-211790 with two different particle sizes, NanoA (315 ± 6 nm) and NanoB (915 ± 24 nm), were prepared using an antisolvent …

Review: Veratrum Californicum Alkaloids, Madison L. Dirks, Jared T. Seale, Joseph M. Collins, Owen M. Mcdougal

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Veratrum spp. grow throughout the world and are especially prevalent in high mountain meadows of North America. All parts of Veratrum plants have been used for the treatment of ailments including injuries, hypertension, and rheumatic pain since as far back as the 1600s. Of the 17–45 Veratrum spp., Veratrum californicum alkaloids have been proven to possess favorable medicinal properties associated with inhibition of hedgehog (Hh) pathway signaling. Aberrant Hh signaling leads to proliferation of over 20 cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, prostate and colon among others. Six of the most well-studied V. californicum alkaloids are cyclopamine (1), veratramine (2) …

Physical Chemistry, Ruth E. Stark

Open Educational Resources

This is a provisional syllabus for Physical Chemistry I (Thermodynamics), to be taught using an OER Textmap in Fall, 2021.

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks: Synthesis And Applications Of Novel Polybenzimidazole (Pbi) Membranes, Laura Ann Murdock

Theses and Dissertations

Polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) represent a class of performance polymers that display exceptional thermal and oxidative stability. For almost thirty years, PBI membranes have been investigated as promising candidates for next-generation alternative energy devices, including high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) and vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs). Issues with the production of PBI membranes arise from their inherent low solubility in organic solvents. Thus, conventional approaches typically yield membranes that have limited molecular weight and generate significant waste in preparation, due to the large quantity of solvent required to dissolve PBIs for membrane casting.

Presented herein is the development of …

Enhancing Charge Carrier Mobility In Colloidal Quantum Dots For Technological Applications, Fiaz Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Colloidal quantum dots (QD) are promising semiconducting materials to engineer photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices due to tunable size-dependent absorption and emission properties. These materials are important as they don’t need complicated equipment and huge setup investment for industrial applications. If formulated into a kind of stable nano-ink, these QDs can be incorporated into devices using the most economical processing technologies, spray or roll to roll printing. More importantly, these are compatible with thin-film stacked devices and circuitry that can be formed on heat-sensitive and flexible substrates to make flexible wearable devices and sensors that are difficult to achieve with crystalline-based …

Experimental Data On Water Soluble Polymers Thermal And Hydrolytic Stability, Reactivity Ratios Of Monomers And Frr Calculation For Thermally Stable Preformed Particle Gels Therefrom, Buddhabhushan Salunkhe, Thomas P. Schuman, Ali Al Brahim, Baojun Bai

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Experimental data on water soluble polymer thermal and hydrolytic stability in acidic, neutral and basic pH conditions in aqueous solution is presented. Thermal and hydrolytic stability of polymer aqueous solutions were monitored in variable pH medium by aging at 130 °C temperature for different aging time. Polymer viscosity measurements were performed periodically for 3 months. Furthermore, this data can serve as a basis of monomer selection for thermally stable hydrogels for applications like oil recovery, hydrogel coatings for steam sterilized medical devices and other applications. Reactivity ratios were determined for monomers associated to the most stable polymers using ¹H …

Synthesis And Pharmacological Studies Of Ph-Sensitive, Allosteric, And Bivalent Ligands As Modulators Of Gpcrs, Ricardo Rosas Jr.

Dissertations (1934 -)

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface receptors that transduce extracellular signals into intracellular effector pathways via heterotrimeric G protein dependent and independent pathways. GPCRs are involved in numerous physiological processes and are implicated in pathological signaling for numerous diseases. Described herein are novel approaches towards the modulation of two specific Class A GPCRs: protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) and the mu opioid receptor (MOR). Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to GPCRs, which includes structures, signaling, and putative heteromer formation. Chapters 2 and 5 provide background information on PARs and the MOR, respectively. Diverse approaches towards the modulation of …

Reinvigorating A Technical Countering Weapons Of Mass Destruction Distance Learning Graduate Certificate Program, James C. Petrosky, Gaiven Varshney, Jeremy Slagley, Sara Shaghaghi

Faculty Publications

Current Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) demands can be divided broadly into policy and science. The science of chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear weapons informs the limits of development, production, employment, operation, detection, risk characterization, human and material protection, and medical intervention. In short, the science of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should precede and inform the development of policy. It is to this end that the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) CWMD program was re-established, providing a technical educational option for practitioners to understand the science behind a very technically challenging subject.

Settingsorder Article Reprints Open Accessarticle Generation And Characterization Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells, Srikanth Sivaraman, Jackson Hedrick, Samia Ismail, Chris Slavin, Raj R. Rao

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. A completely autologous treatment can be achieved by using elastogenic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived smooth muscle cells (SMC) at the affected tissue site of vascular diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Thus, our work focused on evaluating the efficacy of (a) the combination of various growth factors, (b) different time periods and (c) different MSC lines to determine the treatment combination that generated SMCs that exhibited the greatest elastogenicity among the tested groups using Western blotting and flow cytometry. Additionally, total RNA sequencing was used to confirm that post-differentiation cells …

From Persistent Radicals To Conductivity: A Structure Property Investigation In A Series Of Urea-Tethered Halogenated Triphenylamines, Muhammad Saddam Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Triphenylamines (TPAs) are known to form persistent organic radicals either by chemical, electrochemical or photoinduced oxidation. Typically, fully para-substituted TPAs form stable radical cations while the radical cations in partially substituted systems quickly degrade. Herein, we study the effects of solid-state organization on a series of urea tethered halogenated TPAs 1 (X = H, Cl, Br, I) and compare their radical cation formation and persistence after UV-irradiation. These halogenated urea tethered TPAs were examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction where their assembly was guided by threecentered urea hydrogen bonding interaction. As expected, all compounds form photogenerated radical cations in solution, but …

Investigations On The Surface Chemistry Of Colloidal Quantum Dots Towards Fluorescent Biological Probes, John Hardin Dunlap

Theses and Dissertations

Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have garnered significant interest as promising materials for biological applications due to their improved photostability and narrow, tunable photoluminescence properties compared to organic fluorophores. To facilitate their utility as fluorescent bioimaging probes, QDs must undergo post-synthetic modifications to exchange their native hydrophobic ligands from synthesis with hydrophilic ones that enable colloidal dispersions in aqueous environments. Many examples exist that demonstrate surface modifications for water-soluble QDs and their efficacy in biological systems, however, there is a need to develop a more thorough understanding of how hydrophilic ligands coordinate to QD surfaces in order to develop more …

Developing Covalent-Organic Frameworks For Protecting Against Radiation, Megan J. Francis

Senior Theses

This research focuses on the development of lightweight, thermostable dual-function materials for secondary radiation protection and sensing by the integration of hydrogen-rich aliphatic chains inside the porous matrix of covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). The main aims of this project are the synthesis of organic linkers for forming a robust porous COF, synthesizing the porous COF through a condensation reaction, the development of hydrogen-rich aliphatic chains, and integration of aliphatic chains into COFs through click chemistry. This manuscript outlines the methodology and development of a novel self-assembled crystalline, porous material engineered to combine the functions of a shield and sensitive dosimeter. The …

Oxygen-Induced Surface Reconstructions On Curved Ag(111), Marie Turano, Ludo B. F. Juurlink, Maxwell Z. Gillum, Elizabeth A. Jamka, George Hildebrandt, Faith J. Lewis, Daniel Killelea

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The adsorption of oxygen and the resultant O-induced surface reconstructions are key components in heterogeneously catalyzed reactions on silver metal surfaces. O uptake and reconstructions on planar Ag(111) are well-characterized, and in this paper, we show that curved Ag(111) features similar O adsorption and reconstructions. Through a systematic scanning tunneling microscope study of a curved Ag(111) single crystal exposed to gas-phase atomic oxygen at a temperature of 525 K, we observed Oad and, upon higher coverages, saw p(4 4) and p(4 5 p3) reconstructions form on both the A-type and B-type steps. Exposures at low temperatures (< 500 K) resulted in the formation of subsurface oxygen and the appearance of a stripe pattern and amorphous phase on the surface. Upon heating, stable surface reconstructions were formed. Although the geometric arrangement of atoms along the steps were different, A-type and B-type steps formed the same reconstructions. In addition, the B-type steps also saw the formation of several different features atop the oxygen reconstructions.

Investigating The Chemistry Of Harmful Algal Blooms And Microbial Communities In The Natural Environment, Samuel Patrick Putnam

Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria has existed on the planet for over 3 billion years, and as technology, science, and industry have allowed us to shape our world, these changes have caused a proliferation of biomass. Higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, warmer temperatures, and rapid increases in the nutrient cycle have created excellent growing conditions for cyanobacteria, making them endemic in fresh waters throughout the world. The work in this dissertation was directed towards the secondary metabolites produced by cyanobacteria and other surrounding microbes and understanding their concentrations and release in natural systems. Analytical methods were developed for the extraction and quantification …

Characterization Of A Novel Fe-S Cluster Transfer Pathway Between Grx4 And Sufa In Escherichia Coli, Enis Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Biogenesis of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters is an essential process in living organisms due to the critical role of Fe-S cluster proteins in a myriad of cellular functions. During the assembly of Fe-S clusters, multi-protein complexes are used to drive the mobilization and protection of reactive sulfur and iron intermediates, regulate assembly of various Fe-S clusters on an ATPase-dependent, multi-protein scaffold, and target nascent clusters to their downstream protein targets. In each of the Fe-S cluster biogenesis steps, specific protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are required for proper function of the assembly pathway. The target pathway is the sulfur formation (Suf) pathway for …

Polymeric Sorbents For Solid-Phase Extraction (Spe) Of Polar Analytes And Carbon Dioxide Capture, Ishwor Karki

Theses and Dissertations

The main topics of this dissertation are: 1) the study of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) polymer monoliths for solid-phase extraction (SPE) applications, 2) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for capturing the CO2 gas and 3) the application of symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) calculations to examine the origins of non-covalent interactions.

HLB polymers are popular sorbent materials in separation science. The Divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone (DVB-co-NVP) polymer is one of the most widely used general-purpose HLB polymers. Despite the popularity of HLB polymer stationary phases, the studies of the adsorption properties of DVB-co-NVP have only been reported over a narrow …

Optimization And Application Of Electrochemical Probes For Neurotransmitter Detection, Colby E. Witt

Theses and Dissertations

The brain is a complex matrix that is difficult to study. Signaling molecules, neurotransmitters, are constantly being released and sequestered back into neurons within milliseconds to facilitate communication and normal function, a process called neurotransmission. There are few analytical techniques available to selectively probe such a dynamic system, and even fewer can detect these discrete changes in real-time. In order to make robust measurements in the brain you need speed, sensitivity, selectivity and small probe size, which are encompassed by fast-voltammetry with microelectrodes. Traditional fast-voltammetry at carbon fiber microelectrodes (fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV)) requires background subtraction to overcome the large …