Regioselective routes to orthogonally-substituted aromatic MIDA boronates

A series of tetrasubstituted aromatics has been synthesized, many of which are based on elaborated N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA)-boronates. A sequence employing nitration, bromination, stepwise Suzuki-Miyaura (SM) coupling with a boronic acid, then base-mediated unmasking of the boronic acid from the MIDA-boronate and a second SM-coupling has led to our desired, mainly 1,2,4,5-substituted tetrasubstituted aromatic targets

Constructing a digital land record system

Land records represent the legal bindings of a person to their property and assist in the execution of property ownership. Protecting these documents and adopting a clear system to manage them should be a priority to every private citizen with interest in real property in the United States. Unfortunately, existing land record systems have become dated and fail to protect land records and offer little-to-no transparency or accessibility. Fortunately, more modern digital land record systems are being developed to combat these issues. When constructing a digital land record system, it is necessary to (1) identify the economic and functional value of using digital land record systems for a government entity, (2) establish procedures for the digitization of physical land record systems, and (3) provide digital land record system examples that meet the base needs of a land administration system with public access that follows both geospatial data and digital library standards. This thesis evaluates the needs of a successful digital land record system and outlines the development and capabilities of BandoCat, a modern digital land record system project at the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (CBI) at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. This thesis will assess the current state of land record systems in the United States and highlight the current inefficiencies and issues existing in these systems, thereby necessitating the development of BandoCat as a modern solution. The design of modern land record systems is founded in the standards of digital libraries. These digital libraries serve as long-term data stewards and provide well-developed standards which land record systems can leverage. This thesis details the parameters of BandoCat, how it leverages digital library standards, its modern features (such as georectification and adherence to metadata standards), and how modern land record systems (such as BandoCat) address current digital land record systems’ shortcomings, facilitate easier access for stakeholders, easier system interoperability, and visualization of land records information. It is the hopes of the author that this thesis will serve as a guide to improving the state of land record systems in the United States. Through the combination of the modern digital land record systems, such as BandoCat, with a consistent and interoperable design, the state of land administration can be vastly improved. The procedures and methodology created by the author provide a baseline for improving land record systems, and the BandoCat system developed by the Spatial {Query} Lab provides a software to begin the transition from physical to digital land record systems.Computing SciencesCollege of Science and Engineerin

Genetic diversity across the mitochondrial genome of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is divided into four populations along the western North Atlantic, however, the only published mitochondrial genome sequence was assembled using one individual in Delaware. This study aimed to 1) assemble C. virginica mitochondrial genomes from Texas with pooled restriction-site-associated DNA sequence (ezRAD), 2) evaluate the validity of the mitochondrial genome assemblies including comparison with Sanger sequencing data, and 3) evaluate genetic differentiation both between the Delaware and Texas genomes, as well as among three bays in Texas. The pooled-genome-assembled-genomes (PAGs) from Texas exhibited several characteristics indicating that they were valid, including elevated nucleotide diversity in non-coding and the third position of codons, placement as the sister haplotype of the genome from Delaware in a phylogenetic reconstruction of Crassostrea mitochondrial genomes, and a lack of genetic structure in the ND4 gene among the three Texas bays as was found with Sanger amplicons in samples from the same bays several years prior. In the comparison between the Delaware and Texas genome, 27 of 38 coding regions exhibited variability between the two populations, which were differentiated by 273 mutations, versus 1-13 mutations among the Texas samples. Using the full PAGs, there was no additional evidence for population structure among the three Texas bays. While population genetics is rapidly moving towards larger high-density datasets, studies of mitochondrial DNA (and genomes) can be particularly useful for comparing historic data prior to the modern era of genomics. As such, being able to reliably compile mitochondrial genomes from genomic data can improve the ability to compare results across studies

A Multi-Omic Systems-Based Approach Reveals Metabolic Markers of Bacterial Vaginosis and Insight into the Disease

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal disorder of reproductive-age women. Yet the cause of BV has not been established. To uncover key determinants of BV, we employed a multi-omic, systems-biology approach, including both deep 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing and metabolomics of lavage samples from 36 women. These women varied demographically, behaviorally, and in terms of health status and symptoms.</p> <h3>Principal Findings</h3><p>16S rRNA gene-based community composition profiles reflected Nugent scores, but not Amsel criteria. In contrast, metabolomic profiles were markedly more concordant with Amsel criteria. Metabolomic profiles revealed two distinct symptomatic BV types (SBVI and SBVII) with similar characteristics that indicated disruption of epithelial integrity, but each type was correlated to the presence of different microbial taxa and metabolites, as well as to different host behaviors. The characteristic odor associated with BV was linked to increases in putrescine and cadaverine, which were both linked to <em>Dialister</em> spp. Additional correlations were seen with the presence of discharge, 2-methyl-2-hydroxybutanoic acid, and <em>Mobiluncus</em> spp., and with pain, diethylene glycol and <em>Gardnerella</em> spp.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results not only provide useful diagnostic biomarkers, but also may ultimately provide much needed insight into the determinants of BV.</p> </div

Characterization of guinea pig T cell responses elicited after EP-assisted delivery of DNA vaccines to the skin

The skin is an ideal target tissue for vaccine delivery for a number of reasons. It is highly accessible, and most importantly, enriched in professional antigen presenting cells. Possessing strong similarities to human skin physiology and displaying a defined epidermis, the guinea pig is an appropriate model to study epidermal delivery of vaccine. However, whilst we have characterized the humoral responses in the guinea pig associated with skin vaccine protocols we have yet to investigate the T cell responses. In response to this inadequacy, we developed an IFN-γ ELISpot assay to characterize the cellular immune response in the peripheral blood of guinea pigs. Using a nucleoprotein (NP) influenza pDNA vaccination regimen, we characterized host T cell responses. After delivery of the DNA vaccine to the guinea pig epidermis we detected robust and rapid T cell responses. The levels of IFN-γ spot-forming units averaged approximately 5000 per million cells after two immunizations. These responses were broad in that multiple regions across the NP antigen elicited a T cell response. Interestingly, we identified a number of NP immunodominant T cell epitopes to be conserved across an outbred guinea pig population, a phenomenon which was also observed after immunization with a RSV DNA vaccine. We believe this data enhances our understanding of the cellular immune response elicited to a vaccine in guinea pigs, and globally, will advance the use of this model for vaccine development, especially those targeting skin as a delivery site