The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), organic contaminants first synthesized in the 1940s, has been reported worldwide in a variety of environmental matrices and ultimately in biological systems including humans. Ongoing research into PFAS has included identifying novel PFAS, assessing their fate and transport in the environment, and...
A simple Janus-type membrane-based wicking microfluidic device fabricated on a polycaprolactone-filled glass microfiber membrane enables separation and collection of blood plasma or serum from whole blood. This device bridges the wicking and cut-capillary-based solution transport mechanisms in a single membrane. The initial portion of the device is fabricated using selective...
Lithium serves an unparalleled role for high energy-density storage applications and is vital for the continued advancement of the world economy. However, global supply is heavily reliant on lithium deposits situated in select locations, creating unpredictability in the price and concerns for the sustained production of the resource. Additionally, future...
This study aimed to explore the relationship between urinary cortisol levels and proximity-seeking behavior in shelter cats and the impact of socialization programs on these two factors. A Spearman’s correlation test found no correlation between cortisol levels and proximity-seeking behavior in shelter cats. Fisher’s 2x2 tests confirmed that the changes...
Nanostars have many potential applications, particularly in biomedicine, such as drug delivery, detection assays, and even cancer treatment. Seeing how their plasmon changes in response to changes to the environment of the nanostars can give us an insight to the stability of the nanostars. Our current studies involve the effect...
Polyoxometalates are discrete anionic oxo clusters of the Group V and VI transition metals that can be conceptualized as molecular metal oxides. Because they are pairable with any alkali cation, a great deal of fundamental chemistry can be gleaned from their study, including solubility trends and insight into cation binding...
Pactamycin, first reported in 1962, is a potent antitumor antibiotic produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces pactum. Structurally, it contains a cyclopentitol core unit, a 3-aminoacetophenone (3AAP), a 6-methylsalicylic acid (6-MSA), and a N,N-dimethyl urea. The aminocyclopentitol ring is derived from glucose, possibly via N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc), the 3-aminoacetophenone (3AAP)...
Automation of computational chemistry, while only an engineering feat, has the potential to accelerating computational research be removing all by the science. The work in this thesis mainly discusses fundamental understanding of complex chemical systems. What is not obvious are the numerous tasks necessary for this fundamental understanding. Under the...