Sagittarius (Sgr), a dwarf galaxy and satellite to the Milky Way, is currently being tidally torn apart. To study the chemistry of
Sgr, we have taken thousands of stellar spectra across the galaxy. We have analyzed the stellar component of Sgr member
stars by using The Cannon, a machine learning algorithm for determining stellar parameters (temperature, surface gravity, chemical
abundances) from stellar spectra. A subset of our stars have previously been observed as part of SDSS/APOGEE survey, at higher
quality, which allows us to use these spectra to train The Cannon so that we can obtain accurate abundances for the ~1,100 Sgr
member stars. This will allow us to confidently study the formation history and stellar evolution of Sgr, and place it within the
context of other dwarf galaxies.

In order to determine correct dosage of chemotherapy drugs, the effect of the drug must be properly quantified. There are two important values that characterize the effect of the drug: Emax is the maximum possible effect from a drug, and IC50 is the drug concentration where the effect diminishes by half. Currently, the technique used to measure these quantities gives estimates of the values that depend on the time at which the measurement is made. We use mathematical modeling to test a new method for measuring Emax and IC50 that gives estimates independent of measurement time. We fit treatment data from the literature to determine values for Emax and IC50 using mathematical models under two assumptions: that the drug reduces growth rate, or maximum number of cells. Our method produced IC50 estimates similar to estimates derived using current techniques. This work is intended to characterize the efficacy of anticancer drug treatments and determine the correct doses before trying those in patients to get the most effective therapeutic treatment.

Since the invention of on optical microscope various biological structures have been observed. Today we have a need to study subcellular structures and their dynamics. Here we encounter diffraction limit – two objects located closer than the half of the wavelength cannot be resolved as two distinct objects. Superresolution techniques have been developed to overcome this limit. They can be divided into two types: stochastic and deterministic. Stochastic ones (STORM, PALM) utilize natural ability of fluorescent molecules to blink. These methods require sparse labeling and significant amount of some time to acquire image. Deterministic ones (STED) utilize an additional pulsed light source to de-excite populated state. These methods require advanced technology. Our method is similar to deterministic superresolution techniques. We utilize long-living fluorescent dyes whose excited state population can be significantly enhanced by bursts of pulses. Enhancement occurs only when time delay between pulses within burst is shorter than the lifetime of the dye. By varying bursts and single pulses one may observe varying intensity of a dye, hence, achieve superresolution. Regular labeling methods become an advantage in this case, and such an experimental setup is not very different from conventional microscopy methods.

Respiratory coinfections are commonly found in patients hospitalized with influenza-like illness, but it is not clear whether these infections are more severe than single infections. Mathematical models can be used to help understand the dynamics of respiratory viral coinfections and their impact on the severity of the illness. Most models of viral infections use ordinary differential equations (ODEs) which reproduce the average behavior of the infection, however, they might not be accurate in predicting certain events because of the stochastic nature of the viral replication cycle. Stochastic simulations of single virus infections have shown that there is an extinction probability that depends on the size of the initial viral inoculum and parameters that describe virus-cell interactions. Thus the coexistence of viruses predicted by the ODEs might be difficult to observe in reality. In this work we develop a stochastic numerical implementation of the deterministic coinfection model using the Gillespie algorithm. Stochastic extinction probabilities for each viruses are calculated analytically and will be verified by stochastic simulations. Preliminary analyses of the model have showed that even if the two viruses are given the same initial growth rates, one virus can have higher probability of extinction than the other, namely competitive exclusion, opposing the coexistence cases predicted by the deterministic model.

Star clusters are key chemical and age tracers of Milky Way evolution. The use of star clusters to provide significant constraints on galaxy evolution, however, has been limited due to discrepancies between different studies. This work seeks to add additional open clusters into an existing large, uniform chemical abundance system. We analyze spectra of giant stars in 31 open clusters and, using a machine learning method called The Cannon, determine iron abundances. This uniform analysis is compared with previous results, and we present new chemical abundances of 12 star clusters.

Nanoscale zinc oxide (ZnO) is an inexpensive, widely accessible material used in numerous well-established and emerging applications due to the unique optoelectronic, structural and chemical properties as well as the variety of synthesis methods. One of these emerging applications of ZnO nanostructures is in the field of antibacterial tools. The antibacterial nature of this material is being actively investigated, yet the mechanisms behind remain largely unknown. Some studies indicate that there is an influence of the polarity of exposed ZnO surfaces on their antibacterial action. Crystalline ZnO forms hexagonal prisms due to an anisotropic hexagonal lattice, which in turn produces three primary surface types: Zn-polar, O-polar and nonpolar. The hexagonal faces of these prism-shaped crystals are polar while the rectangular surfaces are nonpolar. In this study we employ a hydrothermal chemical method for growing ZnO nanocrystals having tunable morphology with the aim of obtaining a reliable control of the predominant polarity of the exposed nanocrystalline surfaces. This in turn can serve as a platform to investigate mechanisms of antibacterial action. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy as a probe of the microcystal morphology we demonstrate that the predominant ZnO surface polarity can be affected through the variations in the chemical precursors of the hydrothermal process. The ability to control the morphology and prominent surface polarity of ZnO nanocrystals would allow us to investigate fundamental phenomena governing antibacterial characteristics of nanoscale ZnO.

In vitro experiments are necessary to understand the processes driving viral infections and to develop antivirals and vaccines. However, experiments do not completely replicate the in vivo environment, and not all cell lines used in these experiments have the components necessary to support viral replication. In these cases, the missing elements are added to the medium to facilitate viral infections. Trypsin is an enzyme usually added to facilitate influenza infections in cell cultures. We use data from infections of influenza in different cell lines in the presence and absence of trypsin to parameterize a within-host mathematical model of influenza infection, and in this way understand the impact of trypsin in the dynamics of the infection.

Interaction between galaxies is of critical importance to the formation and evolution of galaxies. We are conducting a study on both isolated and interacting low-mass galaxies to determine how their environment impacts their star-formation ability. We compare the features of gas and stars in isolated and interacting galaxies to examine the differences and similarities. The interaction-triggered star-formation activity will be further discussed to analyse how the internal properties of galaxies are influenced by the outer environment. This investigation is based on data from the fourth-generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) / Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA), and is part of the project No.0285 in SDSS-IV.

Restitution describes a functional relationship between the action potential duration (APD) and the preceding diastolic interval (DI). It plays an important role in the function of the heart and is believed to determine the stability of heart rhythms. We investigate the effects of various antiarrhythmic drugs on dynamic and standard (S1-S2) restitution properties of APD of ventricular cells by using a canine ventricular cell model. The restitution hypothesis suggests that the slope of the restitution curve governs the transition to alternans, believed to be a precursor to the development of ventricular arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation (VF). Our study examines the slope of these restitution curves for three classes of drug to determine whether they are proarrhythmic or antiarrhythmic and to test the hypothesis for the prediction of alternans.

Terror Management Theory suggests that individuals rely on worldview defenses to contend with mortality concerns. Similarly, religious individuals bolster their specific beliefs in order to defend against the awareness of death. Five studies examined the intersection between quest religiosity (e.g., individuals whose religious worldviews are to doubt and question), worldview defense, and existential anxieties. We hypothesized that quest individuals have weakened religious beliefs causing greater death thought accessibility. Additionally, quest individuals should display heightened secular worldview striving following mortality salience and less certainty in their own religiosity.

Introduction: When faced with a potential stressor, such as having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), individuals use coping strategies to adjust to the situation. Certain coping strategies are more adaptive, such as positive reframing, which is related to lower levels of depression for parents of children with ASD (Hastings et al., 2005). However, there are differences in coping between mothers and fathers, and possibly between non-Hispanic White and Hispanic parents as a result of cultural differences (Hastings et al., 2005; Willis et al., 2016). Therefore, the goal of the current study was to investigate which adaptive coping strategies moderated the relationship between child symptom severity and parent mental health for both non-Hispanic White and Hispanic fathers of children with ASD.

Method: Participants were 75 fathers of children (M = 6.64 years, SD = 2.29 years) with ASD, and were either Hispanic (n = 43; M = 41.77 years, SD = 6.75) or non-Hispanic White (n = 31; M = 44.35 years, SD = 6.25). All fathers completed the current version of the Social Communication Questionnaire regarding their child’s symptom profile. They also completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, a measure of adult depressive symptoms, and the Brief COPE, a measure of frequency of coping strategy use. Separate moderated regression models were entered in the PROCESS macro for SPSS for fathers of each ethnicity with each of the following coping strategies: positive reframing, active coping, planning, instrumental use of social support, and religious coping.

Results: For non-Hispanic White fathers, there was a significant interaction (i.e., moderation) between the effects of child symptom severity and use of positive reframing on the parent’s depressive symptoms, b = -.43 (SE = .17), p = .02. The interaction accounted for an additional 15.6% percent of variance in depressive symptoms. For fathers who infrequently used positive reframing, there was a significant positive relationship between child symptoms and parent depression, b = 1.01 (SE = .36), p = .01, but the relationship was non-significant for those who used high levels of positive reframing, p > .05. Moderation was also found with instrumental support coping, b = -.38 (SE = .11), p = .003, R2 = .26, and religious coping, b = -.46 (SE = .14), p = .004, R2 = .26. However, neither active coping nor planning coping were significant moderators for non-Hispanic White fathers, ps > .05. For Hispanic fathers, none of the aforementioned coping strategies served as a moderator of the relationship between child symptoms and parent depression, ps > .05.
Discussion: Results suggest that using adaptive coping strategies frequently serves as a protective factor for non-Hispanic White fathers’ mental health. Therefore, teaching those fathers adaptive coping strategies may improve their functioning. Previous interventions increased use of adaptive coping strategies in parents of children with ASD and may be applicable in the case of fathers, as well (Samadi, McConkey, & Kelly, 2013). However, it may be that there is some other factor besides coping strategy use, which serves as the best protective factor for Hispanic fathers. For instance, future research may investigate the importance of family functioning, given the importance of familism in Hispanic culture.

References:
Hastings, R. P., Kovshoff, H., Brown, T., Ward, N. J., Degli Espinosa, F., & Remington, B.
(2005). Coping strategies in mothers and fathers of preschool and school-age children
with autism. Autism, 9, 377-391. doi: 10.1177/1362361305056078

Samadi, S. A., McConkey, R., & Kelly, G. (2013). Enhancing parental well-being and coping
through a family-centred short course for Iranian parents of children with an autism
spectrum disorder. Autism, 17, 27-43. doi: 10.1177/1362361311435156

Willis, K., Timmons, L., Pruitt, M., Schneider, H. L., Alessandri, M., & Ekas, N. V. (2016). The
relationship between optimism, coping, and depressive symptoms in Hispanic mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 2427-2440. doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2776-7

For several years, Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) in Kenedy and Karnes City (TX) have been the subject of ongoing studies at TCU. In the past decade lizards have disappeared from multiple locations in these towns, suggesting these populations are declining. To determine whether these populations have been stable or are declining in recent years, I used ArcGIS software to map GPS coordinates and calculate spatial statistics of horned lizards, their fecal pellets, and harvester ant mounds from 2013-2016. Stable spatial statistics across this time period should correlate with population stability at these sites.

Over the past century, millions of hectares of tropical rain forest have been cleared due to logging and agricultural endeavors. In addition to direct effects to terrestrial systems, conversion of land for agricultural use alters inputs to watersheds and has indirect effects on surrounding aquatic communities. Stream macroinvertebrates, which are often used as indicators of ecosystem health, can experience substantial changes in species composition as a result of these watershed alterations. We sampled macroinvertebrates from riffles and pools in a small stream with agricultural headwaters near the TCU El Jamaical Field Station in Costa Rica. We identified invertebrates to the lowest taxonomic level, and compared species abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness between riffles and pools. The high water quality and presence of bioindicator species suggest that this stream has been relatively unaffected by anthropogenic ecosystem alterations

Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), compounds that disrupt the normal hormone signaling pathways, can lead to a wide variety of negative outcomes in organisms. Although it has been shown that endocrine signaling systems interact with each other, research into the effects of EDCs has typically focused on a single endocrine axis independent of all others. This means that alterations in processes associated with nontargeted endocrine systems may be ignored. The interaction may also make it difficult to identify mechanisms of newly discovered EDCs. Because of these potential issues, it is important to understand the outcomes of endocrine axis interaction in organisms used as models for EDC testing. This experiment examined the effects of exposure to model thyroid disruptors, thyroxine (T4) and propylthiouracil (PTU), on reproductive function in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). This species is a commonly used model organism but the outcomes of thyroid-reproductive system interaction are unknown. In addition to endpoints traditionally associated with the thyroid (e.g., thyroid related gene expression), this study included endpoints associated with overall reproductive function (e.g., number of eggs laid) and those more specific to the reproductive endocrine system (e.g., sex steroid related gene expression). It was found that model thyroid disruption lead to alterations in several thyroid and reproductive endpoints. Information on how thyroid disruption affects reproductive function in the fathead minnow will aid future experiments on EDC exposure in this species.

Carnivorous plants inhabit nutrient-poor environments, and they supplement nutrient uptake by capturing and absorbing nutrients from prey, such as insects. Like other plants, carnivorous plants are subject to loss of nutrient-containing tissues to herbivores. Because they occur in low-nutrient environments, tissue loss to herbivory can be expected to have a particularly strong negative effect on carnivorous plants. However, herbivory in carnivorous plants has not been well studied. In this study, we quantified tissue and nutrient losses sustained from herbivory by larvae of the specialist moth, Exyra semicrocea, in a population of pitcher plants, Sarracenia alata. We conducted field surveys, analyses of areal foliar damage, nutrient analyses, and feeding trials. In the study population, 83% (0.83 ± 0.033; mean ± SE) of pitchers were damaged by E. semicrocea. On average, approximately 15% of each affected pitcher was consumed before the larvae began feeding on another pitcher. Mean foliar nitrogen concentration was 1.19%, resulting in a mean nitrogen loss to consumption of 0.24 ± 0.041 mg per pitcher (N = 40). Mean foliar phosphorus concentration was 0.044%, resulting in a mean phosphorus loss per pitcher of 0.0086 ± 0.0015 mg (N = 37). In preliminary feeding trials, 4th and 5th instar larvae consumed 32 ± 3.8 mg /day and 33 ± 4.3 mg /day, respectively. Based on these consumption rates, estimated mean time spent feeding on a single pitcher was 2.5 ± 0.18 days (N = 95). Current studies are evaluating the impact of herbivory on reproductive output of these plants.

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy metal that contaminates aquatic food webs. Methylated Hg can accumulate in fish, posing health hazards to fish-eating birds. All water bodies in the south central U.S. are contaminated with Hg but the level of contamination varies with ecoregion. Spatial patterns in the risk that Hg-contaminated fish pose to fish-eating birds is not understood. The objective of this study was to quantify Hg levels in a common fish species (bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus) and determine if the Hg contamination of bluegill poses a risk to a native fish-eating bird (the double-crested cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus) in 14 USEPA level III ecoregions in six states in the south central U.S. We used the National Descriptive Model for Mercury in Fish to estimate the concentration of Hg in 8-cm total length bluegill in 835 sites. We then compared those Hg concentrations to the cormorant wildlife value (WV), an estimate of the minimum concentration of Hg in the diet of the consumer to cause physiologically significant doses. The concentration of Hg in bluegill exceeded the WV in 38% of sampling sites across the region. Within the 14 ecoregions the proportion of sampling sites that exceeded the wildlife value ranged from 7% to 77%. Ecoregions with highest Hg deposition from the atmosphere adjusted for conifer coverage had the highest proportion of sampling sites exceeding the WV.

The United States requires that whole effluent and chemicals be tested for aquatic toxicity using the fathead minnow larval growth and survival (LGS) test. While the LGS test has been effective for determining acute and chronic aquatic toxicity, a fathead minnow fish embryo toxicity (FET) test has been proposed as a refinement to the LGS as younger organisms are thought to experience less stress during toxicant exposure. Presently, the FET test protocol does not include endpoints that allow for the prediction of non-lethal adverse outcomes or chronic toxicity. This limits its utility relative to other test types. This study investigated the utility of sublethal endpoints related to cardiovascular function and development (e.g., heart rate, pericardial area, and cardiovascular related genes) as additional FET test metrics. FET tests were run with four model toxicants: 3,4 –dichloroaniline, sodium chloride, cadmium, and triclosan. Heart rate was evaluated at 76 hpf, while pericardial area was assessed at 120 hpf. Hatched larvae were sampled at the conclusion of the tests (120hpf) for gene expression analysis. Pericardial area was identified as the most sensitive sub-lethal endpoint, although alterations were also seen in the other metrics investigated. These alterations suggest that sublethal endpoints related to cardiovascular function and morphology may be useful for estimating non-lethal adverse effects and chronic toxicity. Future studies aimed at linking alterations in these endpoints to longer term adverse impacts are needed to fully describe the predictive power of these metrics in whole effluent and chemical toxicity testing.

Wind energy is a renewable resource with many environmental benefits. However, one environmental impact from wind energy is on bats, because bats can be killed when they fly into the path of spinning turbine blades. Estimates of bat fatalities at wind facilities across the U.S. exceed 500,000 per year. One potential way to reduce bat fatalities at wind facilities is with acoustic deterrents. These devices, including the newly designed acoustic deterrent tested during this study, produce sound which is intended to disrupt bat echolocation. We used video cameras to evaluate bat activity and behavioral responses to the acoustic deterrent at a wind facility in north-central Texas. The acoustic deterrent reduced the level of bat activity by up to 90%, and also altered the flight behavior of bats. Our data indicate that this acoustic deterrent could significantly reduce bat fatalities at wind facilities once the devices are installed on turbines.

Mercury (Hg) is a hazardous contaminant that can be transferred from aquatic to terrestrial environments by emerging aquatic insects. Terrestrial predators, such as spiders, that live along shorelines of water bodies may consume emerging aquatic insects and become contaminated with Hg. Mercury-contaminated spiders may pose a risk to arachnivorous songbirds. The degree to which most families of spiders are contaminated with Hg and the risk they pose to songbirds is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) Hg concentrations in seven families of shoreline spiders, 2) if each family was connected to the aquatic food web via the consumption of emergent insects and 3) determine the risk these spiders pose to arachnivorous birds. We collected representatives from seven families of spiders along with a variety of aquatic and terrestrial plant, invertebrate, and fish samples from 10 ponds located in north Texas, USA. We used methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in combination with stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) to determine if each family of shoreline spider was connected to the aquatic food web. All spider taxa in the present study were contaminated with Hg and connected to the aquatic food chain. We calculated wildlife values for various songbirds to determine health risks that Hg-contaminated spiders may pose to songbirds. Spider based wildlife values revealed that six of the seven families of shoreline spiders examined had concentrations of MeHg high enough that they may pose a risk to arachnivorous songbirds that forage for spiders along shorelines of ponds.

Globally, there is demand for increased meat production. Texas, a leader in cattle production in the United States, has met this demand utilizing confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) containing hundreds to thousands of cattle. To increase production efficiency, cattle receive growth-promoting hormone treatments to enhance growth and increase cattle mass. These hormonally-active compounds (HACs) have been found in cattle waste, feedlot runoff, and surface waters. The ultimate goal of this project was to identify watershed characteristics that promote the transport of cattle-associated HACs to surface waters. Therefore, the objectives of this pilot study were to: 1) identify and define a study area for evaluating HACs in Texas watersheds and 2) begin preliminary assessments of HAC activity in watersheds downstream of cattle feedlots. A suitable study site was identified using satellite imagery, elevation data and the ArcGIS hydrology tool pack. Sample sites were selected within this area based on geographical features and position to CAFOs. Caged fish studies, followed by analysis of estrogen-responsive gene expression, were utilized to assess the presence and activity of HACs. Though no statistically significant alterations in estrogen-responsive gene expression metrics were observed, females from three of the four sites downstream of CAFOs experienced 2.9 to 3.7-fold and 1.9 to 5.3-fold decreases in the expression of estrogen receptor alpha and vitellogenin, respectively. This could have larger implications as previous research by Miller et al. 2007 forecasted that a 50% reduction in vitellogenin plasma concentration could result in a 41.8% decrease in average population size after one year.

The combination of inorganic porous silicon (pSi) and flexible biocompatible polymers has been shown to yield more beneficial hybrid scaffolds for tissue engineering (i.e. use of synthetic materials to facilitate healing). PSi has a variety of tunable properties, including pore size, pore volume and non-toxic degradation; the addition of a flexible polymer component provides the benefit that such a construct can easily conform to any shape of the actual site of an injury/disease, suggesting that pSi/polymer composites can be suitable candidates for localized drug delivery.
In this work, composite materials consisting of oxidized porous silicon (ox-pSi) with particle size of ~ 30 μm and pore size of 40-100 nm and thin polycaprolactone (PCL) films. PCL solid films were fabricated from an initial fibrous structure that was exposed to a temperature of 65-80 oC causing fusion of these fibers into a solid film. Ox-pSi particles were then physically embedded into PCL films, resulting in ~30-40% loading of ox-pSi (ox-pSi/PCL film). Ox-pSi particles of the composite were loaded with a model cytotoxic (anticancer) drug-camptothecin (CPT). Drug release from the ox-pSi particles alone and ox-pSi/PCL film composites was monitored fluorometrically, showing distinct release profiles for each material.
Ox-pSi/PCL film composites release a CPT payload in accordance with the Higuchi release model and showed a significant decrease in burst effect compared to ox-pSi particles only. In addition, composite evolution after 5 weeks in a given solution was examined by determining weight loss and surface morphology/composition (FESEM). Overall weight loss of the composites was less then 10% mainly attributed to pSi particles detachment and dissolution.

Iron plays a pivotal role in metabolism and transport processes in nature but can also be used to accomplish important chemical transformations on the bench top; recently, iron(II) salts have been shown to catalyze direct Suzuki – Miyaura coupling of N-heterocyclic compounds and arylboronic acid derivatives in the presence of oxygen. Presented herein are three tetra-aza macrocyclic iron(III) complexes [L1Fe(III)(Cl)2]+ (L1Fe), [L2Fe(III)(Cl)2]+ (L2Fe), and [L3Fe(III)(Cl)2]+ (L3Fe) [L1 (Pyclen)=1,4,7,10-tetra-aza-2,6-pyridinophane; L2 =3,6,9,15-tetraazabicyclo[9.3.1]penta-deca-1(15),11,13-trien-13-ol; L3 =3,6,9,15-tetra-azabicyclo[9.3.1]penta-deca-1(15),11,13-trien-12-ol] that catalyze the coupling of pyrrole and phenylboronic acid. Following the synthesis and reactivity studies, investigation into the oxidation state of the iron center throughout the catalytic cycle was explored. The results of this work to date will be presented and will facilitate the understanding of challenging chemical reactions catalyzed using inexpensive earth abundant metals such as iron.

Nanomaterials based on cerium (IV) oxide, CeO2, have been extensively investigated due to interesting chemistry from a readily available transition between Ce3+ and Ce4+. Oxygen vacancies present in the oxide lattice combined with the available redox transition gives CeO2 materials antioxidant and enzyme mimetic behavior. The addition of tri-valent, fluorescent ions such as Eu3+ further increase the oxygen vacancy concentration, may allow control over the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio, and may add fluorescence to the doped material. These properties give europium doped cerium oxide (EuCeO¬2) potential applications within biological systems.
Eumelanin is a complex dark brown pigment originating from the oxidation and oligomerization of tyrosine. The pigment can also be synthesized through the auto-oxidation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). While its structure has not been fully determined, eumelanin has shown antioxidant and free-radical scavenging behavior, strong UV-VIS absorption, and conductive properties. The pigment has been researched for its radiation damage protection, and for activity against amyloids associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Our research thus far has focused on the controlled synthesis of various EuCeO2 nanomaterials, and their interaction with the auto-oxidation of L-DOPA to eumelanin as measured through the observation of eumelanin fluorescence at 471 nm. Nanorods, nanowires, and nanocubes of EuCeO2 were each synthesized with a range of dimensions and europium content. EuCeO2 nanorods and nanocubes were synthesized through precipitation of EuCe(OH)3 and a subsequent hydrothermal reaction between 100°C and 180°C. Nanowires were synthesized using electrospinning and annealing techniques. All materials were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), and powder x-ray diffraction (XRD).
The presence of CeO2 or EuCeO2 materials in L-DOPA containing solutions consistently suppressed the eumelanin-associated fluorescence intensity. Various parameters, including temperature, pH, nanomaterial concentration and morphology, and europium doping concentration have been evaluated for their potential impact on the evolution of eumelanin from L-DOPA in the presence of these EuCeO2 nanomaterials.

Plant based nanotechnology for drug delivery and anti-inflammatory therapy
Jhansi Kalluri, Julianna West, Giridhar Akkaraju, Leigh Canhm and Jeffery L. Coffer*
Abstract:
Chronic inflammation is one of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s, cancer, and selected auto inflammatory diseases. Medicinal plant extracts rich in polyphenols have shown the ability to aid in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. One of the problems of using polyphenols to treat these diseases is their potentially low bioavailability and short half-life in vivo. An alternative to using free compound is to use plant polyphenol-loaded nano/micro particles to increase their bioavailability and half-life.
Equisetum arvense is a silicon accumulator plant serving as a source for a viable eco-friendly route for fabricating nanostructured porous silicon (pSi) drug delivery carriers; at the same time, if selected plant components contain medicinally-active species as well, then the single substance can provide not only the nanoscale high surface area drug delivery carrier (pSi), but the drug itself. With this idea in mind, porous silicon was fabricated from stems/fronds of the silicon accumulator plant Equisetum arvense and the anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf components (aqueous ethanol extract) of Equisetum arvense was tested using a luciferase assay. We evaluated the dose dependent activity of the extract to inhibit TNF-induced NF- kB activation. Our long-term goal is to measure the anti-inflammatory activity of extract-loaded porous silicon particles in a sustained manner.

Semiconducting silicon (Si) is a promising element that has been extensively studied in various fields ranging from microelectronics to bio-relevant applications.1 In fact, nanostructured porous silicon has received widespread attention due to its unique chemical and physical characteristics.1 Another relatively more well-defined example of nanostructured silicon is Si nanotubes (SiNTs) with well-characterized sidewalls, inner void space and lengths, allowing opportunities to study its potential properties in diverse fields, such as Li ion batteries, solar cells.2,3 In particular, SiNTs are potential vectors in drug delivery systems. The available interior free space of the NTs offer the material the ability of confining a desired amount of payload of therapeutic agents. Moreover, the available silanol groups on the surface of the NTs also enable attachment to a linker, whose other end is subsequently attached to a drug molecule of interests. Within a biological environment, therapeutic molecules of interest can be released in a sustained manner into targeted sites through either dissolution of the SiNT carriers or their detachment from the linkers.
In terms of therapeutic candidates, cisplatin has been renowned for its ability to treat a variety of cancers including lymphomas, carcinomas, etc. Due to low chloride ions concentrations (4-12mM) in the intracellular environment of cancer cells, chloride ligands on cisplatin are readily displaced by water, producing either cis-[PtCl(NH3)2(H2O)]+ or cis-[Pt(NH3)2(H2O)2]2+ aquo complexes, which actively target DNA and trigger apoptosis.4 However, since drug resistance is developed in cancer cells and undesirable interactions between cisplatin and other biological molecules occur, the therapeutic effects become diminished and negative side effects are also observed.5,6 In order to enhance the therapeutic efficiency of cisplatin, in this project, SiNTs are employed as carriers that can be loaded with cisplatin and potentially deliver the drugs to the desired sites. For the purpose of controlling the release of cisplatin from SiNTs, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) is employed as the linker, which can covalently bind to the nanotubes through the available silanol groups on the surface, and the amino group on the other end of APTES can subsequently coordinate cisplatin.
In this study, SiNTs with lengths less than 1 µm are used (for optimal cellular uptake), and a sidewall thickness ~ 10 nm for desirable dissolution within a biological environment. Moreover, the distinct porous morphology of the nanotubes permits infiltration of the molecules of interest. By varying solvents (acetone and toluene) of APTES solution and functionalization time, the amount of cisplatin loaded into SiNTs can be modulated ranging from 20-40 weight %, thereby suggesting the ability of SiNTs to carry therapeutic agents.
References
1. Canham, L.T. Hanbook of Porous Silicon. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG, 2014.
2. Tesfaye A, Gonzalez R., Coffer J., Djenizian T. Porous Silicon Nanotube Arrays as Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries, ACS Appl Mater. Inter. 2015, 7, 20495−20498.
3. Gonzalez-Rodriguez R., Arad-Vosk N., Rozenfeld N, Sa’ar A, Coffer JL (2016) Control of CH3NH3 PbI3 Perovskite Nanostructure Formation through the Use of Silicon Nanotube Templates, Small 2016, 12, 4477–4480.
4. Ma P., Xiao H., Li C., Dai Y., Cheng Z., Hou Z., Lin J. Inorganic nanocarriers for platinum drug delivery, Materials Today 2015, 18(10), 554-564.
5. Martin L.P., Hamilton T.C., Schilder R.J. Platinum Resistance: The Role of DNA Repair Pathways, Clin Cancer Res. 2008, 14(5):1291-1295.
6. Xue X., You S., Zhang Q., Wu Y., Zou G., Wang P. C., Zhao Y., Xu Y., Jia L., Zhang X., Liang X. Mitaplatin Increases Sensitivity of Tumor Cells to Cisplatin by Inducing Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Mol. Pharmaceutics, 2012, 9 (3), 634–644.