Schedule of Events

In organic chemistry, multiple functional group sites can be problematic if the chemical transformation must be performed chemoselectively. Protecting groups can alleviate this problem by isolating the functional group involved in the reaction while maintaining the rest of the structure. In this work, we propose the development of a new and efficient carboxylic acid protecting group, via a two-step process, namely the synthesis of the protected carboxylic acids followed by stability tests under various reaction conditions. Starting with various benzaldehyde substrates, hydrazones were synthesized using hydrazine and ethanol under Nitrogen at room temperature to serve as a protecting group precursor. Following the purification of the hydrazones, an esterification step was performed using 4-methoxybenzoic acid, dichloromethane, manganese oxide, and potassium phosphate at room temperature, resulting in a protected carboxylic acid, the final product of the synthesis. Out of several starting substrates, the m-tolualdehyde and the 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde were the most stable and easily purified. The meta-tolualdehyde substrate yielded 28% and the 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde substrate yielded 74%. Both products were confirmed via NMR. Both esters were tested under hydrolysis and monitored via  TLC and were shown to be stable for 24 hours at room temperature. In the future, we will analyze the protecting groups' stability under different conditions such as reduction, acid/base, and hydrogenation. Following the completion of the stability tests, we hope to have developed a new synthesis for a carboxylic acid protecting group that is stable under various conditions and can be applied to academic, pharmaceutical, and food research.

This study investigated the effects of ankle support systems on a dynamic, lateral cutting movement. 10 sports-affiliated participants (5 males, 5 females, 18-25 years old) volunteered in accordance with the local institutional review board. Participants completed 5 side shuffles from a distance of 3 meters while leading with both left (L) and right (R) under all three conditions: no tape (NT), taping (TP), and bracing (BC) for the ankle joint. The participants were randomly assigned the order in which condition they complete the task. Maximum ground reaction forces (Kistler, 1000 Hz) in the horizontal and vertical directions were recorded as a measure of performance for each trial. An ANOVA repeated measures test was conducted to determine differences across conditions (LTP, RTP, LNT, LBC, RBC, α = 0.05). The results of the study found a statistical difference between conditions across the group for the propulsion peak horizontal reaction force (F = 3.717, p = 0.007, mean = 1.017). There was no significance difference between conditions across the group for initial peak horizontal reaction force (F = 0.346, p = 0.882, mean = 1.218), initial peak vertical (F = 0.363, p = 0.871, mean = 1.875), or propulsion peak vertical (F = 1.106, p = 0.342, mean = 1.526). Therefore, neither taping nor bracing has an adverse effect on force production in relation to the group as a whole. Athletes will be able to perform a lateral cutting movement with similar force outputs with either the ankle tape or brace.

The L-pentomino is a shape made of five unit squares connected at their edges to form an L shape with one leg shorter than the other. We study using the L-pentomino to tile a rectangle, that is, to cover a rectangle completely with copies of this shape without overlap, which is an interesting mathematical puzzle to explore. Our primary goal is to classify every m × n rectangle as able to be tiled with L-pentominoes or not. We also study tiling a deficient board, which is an n × n rectangle partitioned into unit squares that is missing one unit square. The goal here is to determine which values of n produce a deficient board that can be tiled and to find locations where the missing unit square can be to produce a tiling. We use modular arithmetic, finding tilings by hand, and mathematical induction to obtain the results.

Mitochondria play a vital role in many cell functions, including ATP production, redox balance, modulation of Ca2+ signaling and apoptosis. The homeostasis of the fission and fusion rates of the mitochondrial network allow for healthy cellular function. If the homeostasis of fission and fusion processes become out of balance, the mitochondria can no longer supply the ATP  the neuron needs nor process the calcium ions which leads to apoptosis. Mitochondria's key role in apoptosis makes it a possible target for treatment for neurological disease. As the the causes behind the progressive degeneration of neurons and the nervous system, are not yet understood, beyond a correlation with age, an understanding of the details of the change in mitochondrial function and structure is a step towards better treatments for  neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondrial reticulum structure and function is altered due to conditions like neurodegenerative diseases and Trisomy 21. We investigate the difference rates of fission and fusion, cluster size and mean degree of healthy mitochondria reticulum and mitochondria with Trisomy 21. We present a model of the dynamic mitochondrial reticulum, and deduce fission and fusion rates from a single image. This process can be used to deduced the fission and fusion rates of mitochondrial networks with different neurological disease to better understand the exact mechanisms and impact of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.