Synthesis of Biologically Active Cytoprotective and Anticancer Small Molecules

270 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006.Cancer is the most common cause of disease-related fatalities in the United States of America. It is estimated that more then half a million people per year will die from various forms of cancer. One of the defining characteristics of cancer is an uncontrollable growth of cells. Regardless of its type, cancers evade the various mechanisms by which cells die naturally, apoptosis. In these studies my efforts have been focused on identification, design and synthesis of small molecules that effectively induce death in various cancers by activating the apoptotic cascade. Described herein is discovery of anticancer small molecules that selectively induce cell death in white blood cancers and non-toxic to other cell types. This discovery was further elaborated to the design and synthesis of compounds, which potently and effectively kill melanoma cells. Thus, compounds displaying such selectivity have strong potential for identification of cancer-type specific biological pathways, and optimized versions of these small molecules have potential in targeted anti-cancer therapy.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

Synthesis of Biologically Active Cytoprotective and Anticancer Small Molecules

270 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006.Cancer is the most common cause of disease-related fatalities in the United States of America. It is estimated that more then half a million people per year will die from various forms of cancer. One of the defining characteristics of cancer is an uncontrollable growth of cells. Regardless of its type, cancers evade the various mechanisms by which cells die naturally, apoptosis. In these studies my efforts have been focused on identification, design and synthesis of small molecules that effectively induce death in various cancers by activating the apoptotic cascade. Described herein is discovery of anticancer small molecules that selectively induce cell death in white blood cancers and non-toxic to other cell types. This discovery was further elaborated to the design and synthesis of compounds, which potently and effectively kill melanoma cells. Thus, compounds displaying such selectivity have strong potential for identification of cancer-type specific biological pathways, and optimized versions of these small molecules have potential in targeted anti-cancer therapy.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

The Effect of Long-Term Agricultural Use on the Bacterial Microbiota of Chernozems of the Forest-Steppe Zone

The structure of soil microbial communities and the factors that control it are still poorly understood and cause ongoing interest. The diversity of soil bacteria reflects the diversity of existing ecological niches and trophic connections between them and with other components of the ecosystem. The presence of certain taxa with their own characteristic properties depends on the specific environmental conditions. Analysis of the composition of soil microbiota in various physicochemical conditions allows identify landmarks for understanding the principles by which it is formed. Of particular interest in this regard are the features of cultivated fertile soils that assist agricultural production. In this paper, we have assessed the occurrence of representatives of different families of bacteria in arable and nonarable chernozems of three subtypes. The methodology of 16S microbial profiling was used. The general features of the taxonomic structure of bacterial communities of chernozem remain similar, with a high occurrence of the families Sphingomonadaceae, Xanthobacteraceae, Rubrobacteraceae and Chitinophagaceae. Notably, Gemmatimonadaceae, one of the most commonly occurring families, is approximately twice as represented in arable soils as in nonarable ones. Differences between subtypes of chernozem and between arable and nonarable areas concerned different sets of bacterial families. Among others, the occurrence of representatives of families characterized by nitrogen fixation, nitrite oxidation and reduction, ethanol oxidation, biodegradation and microbial predation is touched upon. The obtained results raise the question of the factors limiting the number of certain groups of bacteria in various soil conditions and so limiting their contribution to the properties of the ecosystem