Other Chemistry Commons^™

Biological Evaluation Of Fda-Approved Drugs As Mirna-31 Inhibitors Using Real Time Qrt-Pcr And A Luciferase Assay, Nicholas Sienkiewicz

Honors Theses

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of post-transcriptional, negative regulators of gene expression, consisting of ~19-24 nucleotides. Since their discovery in 1993, miRNAs have been found to be involved in a diverse amount of cellular and disease pathways, including certain types of cancer. Overexpression of certain oncogenic miRNAs, including miRNA-31, have been shown to play a role in cancer cell development. Recent findings have suggested that miRNAs play a significant role in every stage of colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation, progression, and development, as well as induce resistance to chemotherapy drugs like 5-FU. In particular, research has shown that increased levels of …

Quantification Of Vitamin B12 In Two Cricket Species, Haley Smeltz

Student Scholar Showcase

Entomophagy, or the eating of insects, has been practiced in the eastern world for centuries, however it is currently overlooked in the western nations. Studies have shown that insects, such as crickets, contain high levels of protein and minerals, however vitamin content is rarely studied. This study aims to quantify the vitamin B₁₂ content in two cricket species, the common house cricket (Acheta domesticus) and the banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus). The vitamin B₁₂ content of both cricket species will be quantified using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Prior to RP-HPLC analysis, all the …

Chemistry 104 Laboratory Manual, Boris Kalmatsky

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Of Gold Nanostars For Encoding Molecular Information, Samantha E. Curry

Honors Thesis

Increases in the selling of illicit goods warrant a subsequent need for even more sophisticated methods to prevent counterfeit products from being sold. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has the potential to be a powerful tool to thwart counterfeiters because the unique security tags fabricated with this method are difficult to reproduce without knowing the “secret” recipes used in their preparation. In this work, gold nanostars are used as SERS active substrates since their branched structure allows for strong coupling between the light and plasmonic nanoparticles. As a result, Raman signals of trace amount of chemicals can be easily detected. The …

Quantum Chemical Lipophilicities Of Antimalarial Drugs In Relation To Terminal Half-Life, Joseph D. Alia, Sheila Karl, Tyler D. Kelly

Chemistry Publications

According to the WHO, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been integral to the recent reduction in deaths due to Plasmodium falciparum malaria. ACT-resistant strains are an emerging problem and have evolved altered developmental stages, reducing exposure of the most susceptible stages to artemisinin drugs in popular ACTs. Lipophilicity, log K_ow, is a guide in understanding and predicting pharmacokinetic properties such as terminal half-life which alters drug exposure. Consistent log K_ow values are not necessarily available for artemisinin derivatives designed to extend terminal half-life, increase bioavailability, and reduce neurotoxicity. For other drugs used in ACTs, an assortment of …

Understanding The Oxidative Chemistry Of Particulate Methane Monooxygenase Models., Thomas Jones

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Dimerization Domains On The Mannose-6-Phosphate/Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 Receptor, Tyler Degener

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor 2 (M6P/IGF2) receptor is a transmembrane protein with the ability to sequester growth factors from the extracellular matrix. This behavior links the receptor to tumor suppression. On a structural level, the extracellular portion of the protein is segmented into 15 homologous repeats, which can be divided further into 5 triplet domains, labelled 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 13-15. Each triplet receptor displays its own unique ligand binding affinity, including the ability to form dimers with triplets on a second M6P/IGF2 receptor. In fact, previous studies indicate that this protein functions optimally when dimerized. Thus, the purpose …

Hydrogen Peroxide Triggers An Increase In Cell Surface Expression Of System XC− In Cultured Human Glioma Cells, Leah A. Chase, Mary Verheulen Kleyn, Natasha Schiller, Abby Goltz King, Guillermo Flores, Sasha Balcazar Engelsman, Christina Bowles, Sara Lang Smith, Anne E. Robinson, Jeffrey Rothstein

Faculty Publications

System x_c⁻ exchanges extracellular cystine for intracellular glutamate across the plasma membrane of many cell types. One of the physiological roles of System x_c⁻ is to provide cystine for synthesis of the antioxidant glutathione. Here we report that hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) triggers the translocation of System x_c⁻ to the plasma membrane within 10 min of the initial exposure. Specifically, we observed a three-fold increase in ³⁵S-L-cystine uptake following a 10 min exposure to 0.3 mM H₂O₂. This effect was dose-dependent with an EC₅₀ for …

Quantitative Trait Loci (Qtl) Underlying Phenotypic Variation In Bioethanol-Related Processes In Neurospora Crassa, Joshua C. Waters, Deval Jhaveri, Justin C. Biffinger, Kwangwon Lee

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass has received increasing attention over the past decade. Many attempts have been made to reduce the cost of bioethanol produc- tion by combining the separate steps of the process into a single-step process known as consolidated bioprocessing. This requires identification of organisms that can efficiently decompose lignocellulose to simple sugars and ferment the pentose and hexose sugars lib- erated to ethanol. There have been many attempts in engineering laboratory strains by add- ing new genes or modifying genes to expand the capacity of an industrial microorganism. There has been less attention in improving bioethanol-related processes …

The Use Of A Modified Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix To Assess Students’ Depth Of Knowledge In Key Concepts Of Gas Stoichiometry And Chemical Equilibrium, Maria Greene

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The research presented as part of this dissertation is a combination of two separate studies conducted to assess and evaluate undergraduate general chemistry students’ understanding and depth of knowledge (DOK) of concepts in gas stoichiometry and chemical equilibrium. The two separate studies were conducted using a modified Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix (CRM) to analyze students’ responses to multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and their written rationales to their answer choices. The Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix, which is an incorporation and coordination of both Bloom’s and Webb’s DOK taxonomies, allowed the facilitation of the opportunity to code students’ written responses across the four …

Resolving The Puzzle Of Single-Atom Silver Dispersion On Nanosized Γ-Al2o3 Surface For High Catalytic Performance, Fei Wang, Jinzhu Ma, Shaohui Xin, Qiang Wang, Jun Xu, Changbin Zhang, Hong He, Xiao Cheng Zeng

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Ag/γ-Al2O3 is widely used for catalyzing various reactions, and its performance depends on the valence state, morphology and dispersion of Ag species. However, detailed anchoring mechanism of Ag species on γ-Al2O3 remains largely unknown. Herein, we reveal that the terminal hydroxyls on γ-Al2O3 are responsible for anchoring Ag species. The abundant terminal hydroxyls existed on nanosized γ-Al2O3 can lead to single-atom silver dispersion, thereby resulting in markedly enhanced performance than the Ag cluster on microsized γ-Al2O3. Density-functional-theory calculations confirm that Ag atom is mainly anchored by the terminal hydroxyls on (100) surface, forming a staple-like local structure with each Ag …

Methods Of Making And Using Lignin Derivatives, Mark Alan Helle, Chin Li Cheung

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Materials and methods for preparing reactive lignin and for preparing a bio-based adhesive are described herein.

This disclosure generally relates to methods of making and using reactive lignin. This disclosure also generally relates to methods of making and using bio-based adhesives. Lignin is the second most abundant natural polymer behind cellulose, yet lignin has very little commercial value despite years of research. Lignin is one of the major components of the cell wall in wood and other plant based materials such as hemp or crop wastes. It is produced in enormous quantities each year, primarily as a by-product in the …

Automated Process Of Quantifying Scientific Images Using Fiji, Olivia Casimir

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

No abstract provided.

Using Batman Software To Analyze Metabolic Changes In Type 1 Diabetes-Susceptible Rats, Connor Hall

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

No abstract provided.

Kidney Tissue Preparation For 1h-Nmr Analysis And Colorimetric Activity Assay Of Mitochondria, Savannah Knight, James Wolfsberger

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

No abstract provided.

Surface Modification Of Silicon Nanowire Based Field Effect Transistors With Stimuli Responsive Polymer Brushes For Biosensing Applications, Stephanie Klinghammer, Sebastian Rauch, Sebastian Pregl, Petra Uhlmann, Larysa Baraban, Gianaurelio Cuniberti

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

We demonstrate the functionalization of silicon nanowire based field effect transistors (SiNW FETs) FETs with stimuli-responsive polymer brushes of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Surface functionalization was confirmed by atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, and verified electrically using a silicon nanowire based field effect transistor sensor device. For thermo-responsive PNIPAAM, the physicochemical properties (i.e., a reversible phase transition, wettability) were induced by crossing the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of about 32 ◦C. Taking advantage of this property, osteosarcomic SaoS-2 cells were cultured on PNIPAAM-modified sensors at temperatures above the LCST, and completely detached by simply cooling. Next, …

Metabolic Changes Associated With Adaptive Resistance To Daptomycin In Streptococcus Mitis-Oralis, Allison Parrett, Joseph M. Reed, Stewart G. Gardner, Nagendra N. Mishra, Arnold S. Bayer, Robert Powers, Greg A. Somerville

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Background: Viridans group streptococci of the Streptococcus mitis-oralis subgroup are important endovascular pathogens. They can rapidly develop high-level and durable non-susceptibility to daptomycin both in vitro and in vivo upon exposure to daptomycin. Two consistent genetic adaptations associated with this phenotype (i.e., mutations in cdsA and pgsA) lead to the depletion of the phospholipids, phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin, from the bacterial membrane. Such alterations in phospholipid biosynthesis will modify carbon flow and change the bacterial metabolic status. To determine the metabolic differences between daptomycin-susceptible and non- susceptible bacteria, the physiology and metabolomes of S. mitis-oralis strains 351 (daptomycin-susceptible) and 351-D10 (daptomycin …

Quantitative Nmr-Based Biomedical Metabolomics: Current Status And Applications, Alexandra A. Crook, Robert Powers

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a quantitative analytical tool commonly utilized for metabolomics analysis. Quantitative NMR (qNMR) is a field of NMR spectroscopy dedicated to the measurement of analytes through signal intensity and its linear relationship with analyte concentration. Metabolomics-based NMR exploits this quantitative relationship to identify and measure biomarkers within complex biological samples such as serum, plasma, and urine. In this review of quantitative NMR-based metabolomics, the advancements and limitations of current techniques for metabolite quantification will be evaluated as well as the applications of qNMR in biomedical metabolomics. While qNMR is limited by sensitivity and dynamic range, …

Domain Wall Conduction In Calcium-Modified Lead Titanate For Polarization Tunable Photovoltaic Devices, Chong-Xin Qian, Hong-Jian Hong-Jian, Qiang Zhang, Jiawei He, Zi-Xuan Chen, Ming-Zi Wang, Xiao Cheng Zeng

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Ferroelectric domain wall (DW) conduction, confirmed in recent experiments, has attracted intense attention due to its promising applications in optoelec- tronic devices. Herein, we provide theoretical evidence of electric conduction in Pb0.8Ca0.2TiO3 (PCT) DWs. The separation of charge accumulation in DWs, corresponding to the electronic conduction-band minimum (CBM) and valence-band maximum (VBM), weakens the tendency for the electron-hole recombination, thereby providing more efficient channels for charge transfer. We fabricate PCT-based functional photovoltaic devices with polarization tunable charge transfer to exploit the combined conduction and ferroelectric properties of the DW. The photovoltaic performance of the devices can be regu- lated by …

Mechanistic Insights Into The Acetate-Accelerated Synthesis Of Crystalline Ceria Nanoparticles, Tamra J Fisher, Deepa Choudhry, Kaitlynn Derr, Soodabeh Azadehranjbar, Dan Stasko, Chin Li Cheung

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Recent increasing uses of ceria in research and industrial applications have fostered continuing developments of efficient routes to synthesize the material. Here we report our investigation of the effects and the mechanistic roles of lithium acetate to accelerate the growth of crystalline ceria nanoparticles in ozone-mediated synthesis. By increasing the mole ratio of the acetate to cerium nitrate in the reactions, the reaction yields of ceria nanoparticles were observed to increase from ca. 10% to up to over 90% by cerium content in 30 min reactions. Microscopy images and Raman spectra of the assynthesized nanoparticles revealed that increasing the acetate …