10368 research outputs found
Sort by
From the Vault: Ties That Bind
Get PDFFurman\u27s place in The Duke Endowment started with a friendshi
The Synthesis and Crystallographic Characterization of Emissive Pt(II) and Au(I) Compounds Exploiting the 2-Ethynylpyrmidine Ligand
No full textThe luminescent properties of Au(I) and Pt(II) compounds are commonly tuned by exploiting the alkynyl ligand with varying electron density. Herein, we describe the synthesis of three new emissive transition metal compounds, tbpyPt(C2pym)2, Ph3PAuC2pym, and Cy3PAuC2pym (where HC2pym = 2-ethynylpyrimidine), verified by 1H-NMR, EA, and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The tbpyPt(C2pym)2 complex crystallized as an Et2O solvate in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with Z = 24 with three unique Pt(II) species within the unit cell. The Cy3PAuC2pym species crystallizes in a monoclinic space group with one unique complex in the asymmetric unit. Changing the identity of the phosphine from Cy3P to Ph3P influences interactions within the unit cell. Ph3PAuC2pym, which also crystalizes in a monoclinic space group, has an aurophilic bonding interaction Au–Au distance of 3.0722(2) Å, which is not present in crystalline Cy3PAuC2pym. Regarding optical properties, the use of an electron-deficient heterocycle provides an alternate approach to blue-shifting the emission of Pt(II) transition metals’ compounds, where the aryl moiety is made more electron-deficient by exploiting nitrogen within this moiety instead of the typical strategy of decorating the aryl ring with electron withdrawing substituents (e.g., fluorines). This is indicated by the blue-shift in emission that occurs in tbpyPt(C2pym)2 (λmax, emission = 512 nm) compared to the previously reported tbpyPt(C22-py)2 (where HC22-py = 2-ethynylpyridine) complex (λmax, emission = 520 nm)
The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Locomotion in Systemic Sclerosis Model by Strain VC1927 Caenorhabditis elegans
No full textThe purpose of this research was to compare the results of different omega-3 fatty acids in trying to improve impaired locomotion of strain VC1927 Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for systemic sclerosis. It was hypothesized that the DHA omega-3 fatty acids would improve the locomotion of mutated C. elegans the most when compared to the EPA and ALA omega-3 fatty acids experimental groups. Procedures include the mutated C. elegans were left in the Petri dishes for one week to ensure that the nematodes were able to move through the entire agar. The VC1927 C. elegans were transferred to the different quadrant-divided Petri dishes using a scoring method. The four compartments were for the different omega-3 fatty acid and K12 E. coli solutions groups that were fed to the nematodes. The groups include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and, what served as the control group, a plain K12 E. coli solution. The K12 E. coli solutions were made using 20 mL of K12 E. coli and 2 μg of the omega-3 fatty acids. The data acquirement began after the different 100 μL K12 E. coli solutions were fed to the corresponding mutated C. elegans using micropipettes the movement of mutated C. elegans was video recorded for 30 seconds using an iPhone held up to the lens of the stereoscope. This data was then put into the Tracker Video Analysis and Modeling Tool software. Statistical results from the one-way ANOVA test showed that F(3, 116) = 5.3482, p \u3c 0.0017. A post-hoc Tukey test showed no significant difference between the means of the control group and the treatment groups. The results of the study indicate that omega-3 fatty acids cannot be used to treat the motility of systemic sclerosis
The Effect of Varying Concentrations of Embelia ribes on the Growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus as Found in the Gastrointestinal Tract
No full textThe gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in digestion and nutrient absorption, but is susceptible to diseases. Lactobacillus acidophilus, a key bacteria in the GI tract, is associated with gut health and disease prevention. Embelia ribes (Vidanga), a plant found in South Asian countries, is known for its medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether Embelia ribes influences growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus, potentially enhancing gut health. Methods involved MRS broth with Lactobacillus acidophilus serving as the control, while concentrations of 15%, 30%, and 40% (w/v) Vidanga solutions were introduced in experimental setups. It was hypothesized that as the concentration of Vidanga increases in the Lactobacillus acidophilus culture, the amount of bacteria grown would increase because Embelia ribes can aid gut health, and Lactobacillus acidophilus is a beneficial bacteria found in the GI tract. Optical density measurements at 600 nm, obtained using a spectrophotometer, quantified bacterial growth after seven days of incubation. Results of the ANOVA suggested there was a difference in growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus when exposed to the control compared to concentrations of Embelia ribes solutions (15%, 30%, 40% (w/v)). The Tukey post-hoc test suggested that while there was a significant difference between 15% and 30% concentrations, this was not the case between 30% and 40% concentrations (F (3,116)=119, p=\u3c0.01). It was concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest the addition of varying concentrations of Embelia ribes in Lactobacillus acidophilus to benefit its growth
Analyzing the Economic Effects of the Main Street Program on Participating South Carolina Towns
No full textAmerica’s small towns are struggling. In the modern day, many historic downtown areas throughout South Carolina and across the country are being outcompeted by large retail chains, strip malls, and shopping centers. In an effort to resist this change, many small towns have made efforts to keep themselves viable. The most prolific of these efforts is membership in a program known as the Main Street Program, which is described as “arguably the most widely used and heralded method of downtown revitalization” by a professional in the field (Robertson, 2004). To participate in this program, towns pay membership fees to the Main Street America corporation and receive in return services and resources aimed at revitalizing their downtown district. As prolific as this program is, there is minimal research regarding its effectiveness. Thus, I developed my research question: To what extent are active Main Street Programs having an effect on the economic success of small South Carolina Downtowns? - To answer this question, I will be conducting a longitudinal comparison study on 14 Main Street Program participant towns. I will examine the economic robustness of each town before they joined the program, and again 12 years after. I will compare this change to the change in economic robustness for a non-Main Street Program comparison town over the same time period. I hypothesize that Main Street Program towns will see a larger change in economic robustness than their comparison towns
The Affect of Different Fertilizer on Dwarf Green Sugar Pea Plants
No full textMary Keena, a professor at North Dakota State University who received a bachelors from UW-Madison and is an environmental management specialist recently found new information that “Fertilizers have caused high concentrations of nitrates in water and low levels of oxygen” (Keena, 2022). There has also been a decrease in amount of fertilizer available. Due to the lack of fertilzier avialable and the harm it is causing to the environment other viable options are being considered. This begs the question: To what extent do different types of fertilizer, including fish fertilizer from Lake Murray, affect the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris (Green Beans)? Throughout this experiment four different testing groups were utilized: fresh fish fertilizer, store bought fish fertilizer, normal store bought fertilizer, and no fertilizer. Once the plants had become sufficient seedling height they were transplanted to plant boxes and two tablespoons of fertilizer were added to each plant, varying depending on the group they were in. The plants received two cups of water weekly in addition to rain water. Multiple measurements were taken throughout the couse of a month and half and the results were analyzed through the use of an ANOVA test. Through analyzing the data it was seen that the fresh fish group was able to grow the most sufficiently. This may have been due to the large amount of fresh nutrients in the fresh fish fertililzer. Having such a large amount of nutrients could have jumpstarted the plants growth and gave them the best and most nutrients
The Effect of Chemical Treatments on the Separation of Calcium Stearate for The Restoration and Prevention of Metal Soap Formation in Oil Paintings
No full textSaponification, the formation of metal soap in oil paintings, results from incomplete drying of oils and pigments binding in a chain reaction. Metal soap, a compound of metallic salt and fatty acid, forms when metal ions bind with free fatty acid chains from drying and glazing medium. Saponification leads to dark spots, color loss, and degradation in paintings, causing unintended differences from the artist\u27s original vision. Techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM-BSE, FTIR, and others have been employed to study saponification, revealing common metals like zinc, copper, lead, aluminum, and iron binding with fatty acids to create compounds in oil paint, but even then, scientists have not yet been able to assemble a technique to remove metal soap from oil paintings. Thus, the purpose of this experiment was to find a compound to separate the metal Ca and the fatty acid in linseed oil in calcium stearate (C36H70CaO4). It was hypothesized that if hydrochloric acid (HCl), acetone (C3H6O), and citric acid HOC(CH2CO2H)2 were used to separate C36H70CaO4 in linseed oil, then C3H6O would extract the most parts per million (ppm) of calcium, therefore purifying the greatest amount of free fatty acid during the reaction due to its polar structure allowing for metal-acetone interactions, ability to act like a ligand, and the likeliness for C3H6O to form a complex with metals with an empty d orbital. C36H70CaO4 was dissolved in H2O and water-miscible linseed oil, then an attempt was made to extract Ca from the solution using H2O, HCl, C3H6O, and HOC(CH2CO2H)2. A one-way ANOVA test was conducted to determine statistical significance resulting in a p-value \u3c 0.00001 meaning the null hypothesis was able to be rejected, however, a post-hoc Tukey test revealed significance was not present between the HCl added and HOC(CH2CO2H)2 added groups. The results of this experiment signify that C3H6O could be used as a chemical treatment for saponification
Creating Mxene Hydrogels
No full textHydrogels are ionic conductors composed of three-dimensional polymers that can be chemically or physically cross-linked. Hydrogels are in a category of viscoelastic material that can bridge natural sciences to electronics. Hydrogels can be made with MXenes, a two-dimensional metal with a hydrophilic surface that can conduct high electricity. MXenes are extremely compatible with hydrogels due to their ability to withstand pressure and mechanical properties, which share similarities to hydrogels. If a hydrogel is made with MXenes, these gels can be placed into sensors to get data from any experiment conducted. While many applications are being discovered each day, gels are being made to be conducive to each one