17 research outputs found
Student and Faculty Perceptions of the Impact of Masks on Student Learning and Communication in the Classroom
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, facemask requirements while indoors were implemented in colleges and universities, both in the United States and beyond. Empirical evidence has shown that such mandates improved the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and administrators. However, the impacts of such precautions on student learning and communication have to date gone largely unexplored. The current study surveyed students and faculty at one regional midwestern institution to assess their perceptions on the impact of masks on student learning and communication in the classroom. Findings are included, followed by a discussion of their implications
A Review on Mechanics and Mechanical Properties of 2D Materials - Graphene and Beyond
Since the first successful synthesis of graphene just over a decade ago, a
variety of two-dimensional (2D) materials (e.g., transition
metal-dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron-nitride, etc.) have been discovered.
Among the many unique and attractive properties of 2D materials, mechanical
properties play important roles in manufacturing, integration and performance
for their potential applications. Mechanics is indispensable in the study of
mechanical properties, both experimentally and theoretically. The coupling
between the mechanical and other physical properties (thermal, electronic,
optical) is also of great interest in exploring novel applications, where
mechanics has to be combined with condensed matter physics to establish a
scalable theoretical framework. Moreover, mechanical interactions between 2D
materials and various substrate materials are essential for integrated device
applications of 2D materials, for which the mechanics of interfaces (adhesion
and friction) has to be developed for the 2D materials. Here we review recent
theoretical and experimental works related to mechanics and mechanical
properties of 2D materials. While graphene is the most studied 2D material to
date, we expect continual growth of interest in the mechanics of other 2D
materials beyond graphene
Social Centrality, Deviance, and Well-Being: Understanding the Immediate and Long-Term Relationships
Thirteen different girls, excerpt from a novel and two stories
Please note: creative writing theses are permanently embargoed in OpenBU. No public access is forecasted for these. To request private access, please click on the lock icon and fill out the request web form.N/A2031-01-0
Sulindac Derivatives That Activate the Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ but Lack Cyclooxygenase Inhibition
A series of novel derivatives of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) sulindac sulfide were synthesized as potential agonists of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Nonpolar and aromatic substitutions on the benzylidene ring as well as retention of the carboxylic acid side chain were required for optimal activity. Compound <b>24</b> was as potent a compound as any other in the series with an EC<sub>50</sub> of 0.1 μM for the induction of peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE)-luciferase activity. Direct binding of compound <b>24</b> to PPARγ was demonstrated by the displacement of [<sup>3</sup>H]troglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, in a scintillation proximity assay. Compound <b>24</b> also stimulated the binding of PPARγ to a PPRE-containing oligonucleotide and induced expression of liver fatty-acid binding protein (L-FABP) and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2), two established PPARγ target genes. Taken together, these compounds represent potential leads in the development of novel PPARγ agonists
Synchrotron-based macromolecular crystallography module for an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course
This paper describes the introduction of synchrotron-based macromolecular crystallography (MX) into an undergraduate laboratory class. An introductory 2 week experimental module on MX, consisting of four laboratory sessions and two classroom lectures, was incorporated into a senior-level biochemistry class focused on a survey of biochemical techniques, including the experimental characterization of proteins. Students purified recombinant protein samples, set up crystallization plates and flash-cooled crystals for shipping to a synchrotron. Students then collected X-ray diffraction data sets from their crystals via the remote interface of the Molecular Biology Consortium beamline (4.2.2) at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley, CA, USA. Processed diffraction data sets were transferred back to the laboratory and used in conjunction with partial protein models provided to the students for refinement and model building. The laboratory component was supplemented by up to 2 h of lectures by faculty with expertise in MX. This module can be easily adapted for implementation into other similar undergraduate classes, assuming the availability of local crystallographic expertise and access to remote data collection at a synchrotron source
Design and Synthesis of mGlu<sub>2</sub> NAMs with Improved Potency and CNS Penetration Based on a Truncated Picolinamide Core
Herein,
we detail the optimization of the mGlu<sub>2</sub> negative
allosteric modulator (NAM), VU6001192, by a reductionist approach
to afford a novel, simplified mGlu<sub>2</sub> NAM scaffold. This
new chemotype not only affords potent and selective mGlu<sub>2</sub> inhibition, as exemplified by VU6001966 (mGlu<sub>2</sub> IC<sub>50</sub> = 78 nM, mGlu<sub>3</sub> IC<sub>50</sub> > 30 μM),
but also excellent central nervous system (CNS) penetration (<i>K</i><sub>p</sub> = 1.9, <i>K</i><sub>p,uu</sub> =
0.78), a feature devoid in all previously disclosed mGlu<sub>2</sub> NAMs (<i>K</i><sub>p</sub>s ≈ 0.3, <i>K</i><sub>p,uu</sub>s ≈ 0.1). Moreover, this series, based on overall
properties, represents an exciting lead series for potential mGlu<sub>2</sub> PET tracer development