Academic Chemistry Research Articles

Targeting N-methyl-lysine histone demethylase KDM4 in cancer: natural products inhibitors as a driving force for epigenetic drug discovery.

KDM4A-F enzymes are a subfamily of histone demethylases containing the Jumonji C domain (JmjC) using Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate for their catalytic function. KDM4 enzymes are overexpressed or deregulated in cancer, thus leading to alteration in chromatin structure and transcriptional defects. As KDM4 enzymes have been associated with malignancy, they may represent novel targets for developing innovative therapeutic tools to treat different solid and blood tumors, of note, KDM4A is the isozyme most frequently associated with aggressive phenotypes of these tumors. To this aim, industrial and academic medicinal chemistry efforts have identified different KDM4 inhibitors. In most cases, these are pan-KDM4 inhibitors, with low selectivity against other Jumonji family members. The pharmacophoric features of the inhibitors frequently include a chelating group capable of coordinating the catalytic iron within the active site of the KDM4 enzyme. Nonetheless, non-chelating compounds have also demonstrated promising inhibitory activity, suggesting potential flexibility in the drug design. Several natural products, containing monovalent or bivalent chelators, have been identified as KDM4 inhibitors, albeit with a micromolar inhibition potency. This highlights the potential for leveraging them as templates for the design and synthesis of new derivatives, exploiting nature's chemical diversity to pursue more potent and selective KDM4 inhibitors.

How Can Materials Chemists Contribute to Food Supply Security in the Age of AI and Robotics?

AbstractGlobal factors are compromising the security of the food supply. Many of us in our community might be unsure about how to help with our seemingly inapplicable expertise. In this piece, I describe how materials chemistry and materials chemists will be essential in addressing this problem, but not only in the way we might think. There is a gigantic and largely unexplored opportunity for real societal impact if we accept a broader view of what academic materials chemistry can be.

How Can Materials Chemists Contribute to Food Supply Security in the Age of AI and Robotics?

Global factors are compromising the security of the food supply. Many of us in our community might be unsure about how to help with our seemingly inapplicable expertise. In this piece, I describe how materials chemistry and materials chemists will be essential in addressing this problem, but not only in the way we might think. There is a gigantic and largely unexplored opportunity for real societal impact if we accept a broader view of what academic materials chemistry can be.

The Pan-Canadian Chemical Library: A Mechanism to Open Academic Chemistry to High-Throughput Virtual Screening

Computationally screening chemical libraries to discover molecules with desired properties is a common technique used in early-stage drug discovery. Recent progress in the field now enables the efficient exploration of billions of molecules within days or hours, but this exploration remains confined within the boundaries of the accessible chemistry space. While the number of commercially available compounds grows rapidly, it remains a limited subset of all druglike small molecules that could be synthesized. Here, we present a workflow where chemical reactions typically developed in academia and unconventional in drug discovery are exploited to dramatically expand the chemistry space accessible to virtual screening. We use this process to generate a first version of the Pan-Canadian Chemical Library, a collection of nearly 150 billion diverse compounds that does not overlap with other ultra-large libraries such as Enamine REAL or SAVI and could be a resource of choice for protein targets where other libraries have failed to deliver bioactive molecules.

Dehydrogenative synthesis of N-functionalized 2-aminophenols from cyclohexanones and amines: Molecular complexities via one-shot assembly.

Polyfunctionalized arenes are privileged structural motifs in both academic and industrial chemistry. Conventional methods for accessing this class of chemicals usually involve stepwise modification of phenyl rings, often necessitating expensive noble metal catalysts and suffering from low reactivity and selectivity when introducing multiple functionalities. We herein report dehydrogenative synthesis of N-functionalized 2-aminophenols from cyclohexanones and amines. The developed reaction system enables incorporating amino and hydroxyl groups into aromatic rings in a one-shot fashion, which simplifies polyfunctionalized 2-aminophenol synthesis by circumventing issues associated with traditional arene modifications. The wide substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance are exemplified by late-stage modification of complex natural products and pharmaceuticals that are unattainable by existing methods. This dehydrogenative protocol benefits from using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO) as oxidant that offers interesting chemo- and regio-selective oxidation processes. More notably, the essential role of in situ generated water is disclosed, which protects aliphatic amine moieties from overoxidation via hydrogen bond-enabled interaction.

Speaking of Organic Chemistry: A Faculty Metaphor Analysis in Organic Chemistry Education

Organic Chemistry is frequently considered to be a difficult subject. Understanding the factors that contribute to this phenomenon can inform the chemistry education community of what can be done to improve organic chemistry education. This work is part of a larger study focused on student and faculty perceptions of organic chemistry at a large public university in the southeastern United States. Specifically, this paper contains an analysis of metaphors from interviews with faculty members who teach organic chemistry. Over the course of the interviews, the faculty members compared experiences in organic chemistry to learning a new language, practicing an instrument, and organizing clothes. The analysis of these metaphors was based on the Improved Metaphor Analysis (IMA) framework. The connections made by these metaphors gives greater insight into the perspectives of the organic chemistry faculty members as well as possible faculty action research interventions in organic chemistry education. We propose that metaphor analysis can be a powerful and innovative tool to guide professional development and action research initiatives.

Factors associated with chemistry faculty members’ cooperative adoption of evidence-based instructional practices: results from a national survey

Despite institutional reform efforts to increase use of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) in undergraduate chemistry and STEM courses, didactic lecture remains the predominant mode of instruction. Research to inform these initiatives routinely focuses on drivers and barriers to EBIP adoption, with recent work investigating factors associated with faculty members’ cooperative adoption of EBIPs from five STEM disciplines including chemistry. To understand the role of these specific factors within undergraduate chemistry education across a broad set of institutions, we conducted a national survey of chemistry faculty members (n = 1105) from the United States in Spring 2023. The survey targeted constructs that may underlie the cooperative adoption of EBIPs, including faculty members’ perception of (1) using EBIPs as mutually beneficial, (2) having their success and failure intertwined, and (3) institutional climate around teaching. The survey also included items targeting teaching-specific social interactions, another potential aspect of cooperative adoption. Results from multilevel modeling suggest that EBIP adoption is associated with chemistry faculty members’ perception of using EBIPs as mutually beneficial, aligning with prior findings on STEM faculty members’ cooperative adoption of these practices. However, there is no evidence of an association between EBIP adoption and chemistry faculty members’ perception of campus climate around teaching, where prior findings indicate an inverse association among STEM faculty members. Results further indicate that EBIP adoption is associated with the number of people with whom one specifically discusses pedagogy, instruction, and assessment. Collectively, our results demonstrate that differences exist between STEM disciplines and point toward the chemistry education research community's responsibility to further explore EBIP adoption from a disciplinary lens. Our investigation also provides insight into factors associated with the cooperative adoption of EBIPs among chemistry faculty members on a national level; we identify several implications for how chemistry faculty member change agents (e.g., course coordinators, department leaders) may effectively promote EBIP adoption across the undergraduate chemistry curriculum.

Dehydrogenative oxidation of hydrosilanes using gold nanoparticle deposited on citric acid-modified fibrillated cellulose: unveiling the role of molecular oxygen.

Efficient and environmentally friendly synthesis of silanols is a crucial issue across the broad fields of academic and industrial chemistry. Herein, we describe the dehydrogenative oxidation of hydrosilane using a gold nanoparticle catalyst supported by fibrillated citric acid-modified cellulose (F-CAC). Au:F-CAC catalysts with various particle sizes (1.7 nm, 4.9 nm, and 7.7 nm) were prepared using the trans-deposition method, a technique previously reported by our group. These catalysts exhibited significant catalytic activity to produce silanols with high turnover frequency (TOF) of up to 7028 h-1. Recycling experiments and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation represented the high durability of Au:F-CAC under the reaction conditions, allowing kinetic studies on size dependency. Mechanistic studies were conducted, including isotope labelling experiments, kinetics, and various spectroscopies. Notably, the near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) of the model catalyst (Au:PVP) revealed the formation of catalytically active cationic Au sites on the surface through the adsorption of molecular oxygen, providing a new insight into the reaction mechanism.

Recycling Opportunities in a High Volume Academic Clinical Chemistry Laboratory

Abstract Many sectors of industry, including the biomedical sector, have quantified waste, and created sustainability strategies to mitigate its environmental impact. One of these strategies utilizes the waste hierarchy, a model which ranks the concepts reduce, re-use and recycle in order of the most to least sustainable practice. However, to date, the clinical laboratory has seldom been evaluated for total waste production and mitigation strategies and additional public reporting of the physical amount of waste produced in these areas are lacking in the literature. In this study, we aimed to identify specific wastes produced from performing the CMP over the course of a year in our automated clinical chemistry laboratory and what proportion would be recyclable. The total in- and outpatient testing volumes as well as volumes of quality control and calibrations needed to perform the CMP at our institution were collected retrospectively from 07/14/2021 - 07/14/2022. We further identified disposables waste items such as calibrator kits, quality control kits, patient blood specimen tubes, shipping packaging and reagent wedge kits that are necessary to perform the CMP. In addition, to obtain a conservative and consistent evaluation to the total amount of waste produced from the CMP, the average weights for components of the reagent test wedge kits which includes plastic wedges, cardboard shipping boxes, and paper package inserts were calculated. These weights in conjunction with total testing volumes was used to determine the total, recyclable, and non-recyclable waste produced from these disposable items. A total of 1089.2 kg of reagent kit wastes were estimated to be produced by performing the CMP over the course of a year. Of this waste, cardboard shipping boxes and paper package inserts were determined to be recyclable (233.6 kg) and the plastic reagent wedges were determined to be non-recyclable (855.5 kg) as they were not labelled with the universally recognized recycling code, were composed of proprietary plastic material, and contained biohazardous contaminants. Overall, 21.4 % of the total specific waste weight was found to be recyclable. The CMP is a small subset of the clinical chemistry test menu that produces a considerable amount of recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

Therapies from Thiopeptides.

The first part of this contribution describes solutions that were developed to achieve progressively more efficient syntheses of the thiopeptide natural products, micrococcins P1 and P2 (MP1-MP2), with an eye toward exploring their potential as a source of new antibiotics. Such efforts enabled investigations on the medicinal chemistry of those antibiotics, and inspired the development of the kinase inhibitor, Masitinib®, two candidate oncology drugs, and new antibacterial agents. The studies that produced such therapeutic resources are detailed in the second part. True to the theme of this issue, "Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry: Two Inseparable Partners", an important message is that the above advances would have never materialized without the support of curiosity-driven, academic synthetic organic chemistry: a beleaguered science that nonetheless has been-and continues to be-instrumental to progress in the biomedical field.

Trailblazing Egyptian scientists: inspiring stories of success and social progress

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, math, geology, astronomy and engineering. The paper highlights the struggles and successes of these scientists, as well as the cultural, social and political factors that influenced their lives and work. The aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and make their own contributions to society by presenting these scientists as role models for hard work and dedication. Ultimately, the paper seeks to promote the importance of science and its impact on society.Design/methodology/approachThe purpose of this review is to present the scientific biographies of Egypt's most distinguished scientists, primarily in the field of Natural Sciences, in a balanced and comprehensive manner. The work is objective, honest and abstract, avoiding any bias or exaggeration. The author provides a clear and concise methodology, including a brief introduction to the scientist and their field of study, an explanation of their major contributions, the impact of their work on society, any challenges or obstacles faced during their career and their lasting legacy. The aim is to showcase the important achievements of these scientists, their impact on their respective fields and to inspire future generations to pursue scientific careers.FindingsThe group of outstanding scientists in 20th century Egypt were shaped by various factors, including familial upbringing, education, society, political and cultural atmosphere and state support for scientific research. These scientists made significant contributions to various academic disciplines, including medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering. Their impact on their communities and cultures has received international acclaim, making them role models for future generations of scientists and researchers. The history of these scientists highlights the importance of educational investments and supporting scientific research to foster innovation and social progress. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals, preserving Egypt's scientific heritage and honouring the scientists' outstanding accomplishments.Research limitations/implicationsThe encyclopedia preserves Egypt's scientific heritage, which has been overlooked for political or other reasons. It is a useful tool for a variety of readers, including students, instructors and education professionals, and it offers insights into universally relevant scientific success factors as well as scientific research methodologies. The encyclopedia honours the outstanding scientific accomplishments of Egyptian researchers and their contributions to the world's scientific community.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of this paper are several. First, it highlights the importance of education, family upbringing and societal support for scientific research in fostering innovation and social progress. Second, it underscores the need for continued funding and support for scientific research to maintain and build upon the accomplishments of past generations of scientists. Third, it encourages young people to pursue scientific careers and make their own contributions to society. Fourth, it preserves the scientific heritage of Egypt and honors the contributions of its outstanding scientists. Finally, it serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals seeking to understand the factors underlying scientific success and research methodologies.Social implicationsThe social implications of the paper include promoting national pride and cultural identity, raising awareness of the importance of education and scientific research in driving social progress, inspiring future generations of scientists and researchers, reducing socioeconomic disparities and emphasizing the role of society, politics and culture in shaping scientific researchers' personalities and interests.Originality/valueThe paper's originality/value lies in its comprehensive documentation of the scientific biographies of Egypt's most prominent scientists in the 20th century, providing unique insights into the factors that contributed to their development and their impact across various academic disciplines. It preserves Egypt's scientific heritage and inspires future generations of scientists and researchers through the promotion of educational investments and scientific research. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for education professionals seeking to understand scientific success factors and research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of supportive and inclusive environments for scientific development.

Measuring the Association of Departmental Climate around Teaching with Adoption of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices: A National Survey of Chemistry Faculty Members

Measuring the Association of Departmental Climate around Teaching with Adoption of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices: A National Survey of Chemistry Faculty Members

Beyond Solvothermal: Alternative Synthetic Methods for Covalent Organic Frameworks

AbstractCovalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline porous organic materials that hold a wealth of potential applications across various fields. The development of COFs, however, is significantly impeded by the dearth of efficient synthetic methods. The traditional solvothermal approach, while prevalent, is fraught with challenges such as complicated processes, excessive energy consumption, long reaction times, and limited scalability, rendering it unsuitable for practical applications. The quest for simpler, quicker, more energy‐efficient, and environmentally benign synthetic strategies is thus paramount for bridging the gap between academic COF chemistry and industrial application. This Review provides an overview of the recent advances in alternative COF synthetic methods, with a particular emphasis on energy input. We discuss representative examples of COF synthesis facilitated by microwave, ultrasound, mechanic force, light, plasma, electric field, and electron beam. Perspectives on the advantages and limitations of these methods against the traditional solvothermal approach are highlighted.

Beyond Solvothermal: Alternative Synthetic Methods for Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline porous organic materials that hold a wealth of potential applications across various fields. The development of COFs, however, is significantly impeded by the dearth of efficient synthetic methods. The traditional solvothermal approach, while prevalent, is fraught with challenges such as complicated processes, excessive energy consumption, long reaction times, and limited scalability, rendering it unsuitable for practical applications. The quest for simpler, quicker, more energy-efficient, and environmentally benign synthetic strategies is thus paramount for bridging the gap between academic COF chemistry and industrial application. This Review provides an overview of the recent advances in alternative COF synthetic methods, with a particular emphasis on energy input. We discuss representative examples of COF synthesis facilitated by microwave, ultrasound, mechanic force, light, plasma, electric field, and electron beam. Perspectives on the advantages and limitations of these methods against the traditional solvothermal approach are highlighted.

Development of Silicon Nanowire Array–Metal Hybrid Catalysts for Batch and Flow Organic Reactions

AbstractThe development of highly efficient and reusable supported metal catalysts is important for academic and industrial synthetic organic chemistry; however, their widespread application remains a challenge because supported Pd, Rh, and Pt catalysts are expensive. To overcome these problems, we have developed novel, highly stable, reusable, and selective heterogeneous catalysts consisting of silicon nanowire arrays (SiNAs) and metal nanoparticle composites. Metal nanoparticles on SiNA have been applied as heterogeneous catalysts in the Mizoroki–Heck reaction, C–H arylation, hydrosilylation, hydrogenation, reductive alkylation of amines, and hydrogenative decarboxylation of fatty acids. The catalysts used in this study showed high catalytic activity in batch and microflow conditions. Their structural investigation using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) suggests that strong metallic bonding (alloy/agglomeration) between the metal and silicon (metal silicide bond formation) is key to the high catalyst stability.1 Introduction2 Development of Silicon Nanowire Array (SiNA) Hybrid Catalysts and Silicon Nanostructure (SiNS) Hybrid Catalysts3 Application of SiNA-Pd to Organic Synthesis4 SINA-Supported Mono- and Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Hydrogenation Reactions5 Application of SiNA-Pd to Microflow Reductive Alkylation Reactions6 Application of SiNA-Rh to Hydrogenative Decarboxylation Reactions using Microwave Irradiation7 Conclusions

Reactions

Reactions

TEACHERS’ PERCEIVED EFFECT OF SCHOOL-BASED PLANNING (SBP) ON CHEMISTRY ACHIEVEMENT IN KANO METROPOLIS SECONDARY SCHOOLS, NIGERIA

This study investigates the teachers’ perceived effect of School-Based Planning (SBP) on chemistry achievement in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Having adopted a descriptive survey design, 2,267 teachers of the 176 schools selected constituted the study population. Three hundred and forty teachers (340) Chemistry teachers were sampled via the multistage sampling technique, using the Taro Yamane (1980)’s formula of sample size determination. The researchers’ designed instrument entitled; Teachers’ Perception of SBP on Chemistry Achievement (TPSBPCA) was used to collect data for the study. The instrument was validated by 3 experts in: Science Education, Educational Administration and Planning, as well as Test and Measurement respectively. The reliability coefficient of the instrument “r” was established to be 0.88 using the Test-re-test method and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficients (PPMCC). Simple percentage was used to answer research questions. The t-test of independent variables was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05-level of significance. The study revealed that irrespective of gender, school types and location, there is a positive teachers’ perception of SBP in Students’ Academic Achievement Chemistry in the selected secondary schools in Kano State. It is hereby recommended that SBP should be integrated into the teacher's training programme to enhance the implementation of Chemistry Curriculum towards academic achievement.

Discipline-Based Diversity Research in Chemistry.

ConspectusWe introduce the term discipline-based diversity research (DBDR) to capture the emerging field of research advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging with specificity to a given discipline. Contextualizing a human dynamic through a disciplinary lens has already given rise to discipline-based education research (DBER). The modalities through which students and practitioners think and process information are a reflection of a given discipline, and it tends to give rise to its professional practices. Through DBER, such specification is necessary in addressing evidence-based practices that are effective for teaching a particular subject. Likewise, the inequities and opportunities within a given field (and its professional culture) must be addressed within a disciplinary lens. Thus, the findings from social science in diversity in arbitrary contexts must be analyzed, interpreted, applied, and researched within a given discipline.One specific challenge to academic chemistry is the lack of inclusion in the sense that the faculties in research-active chemistry departments are far from diverse. We recapitulate the percentage of women and under-represented person of color (URPOC) professors over the past 20 years reported by us and other sources. The data admits to linear fits with high confidence. Assuming this linearity holds, the gender gap in representation would be bridged only in 2062, and the threshold of 20% of the faculty as URPOC would be reached only in 2113. While the community has actively engaged in modifying practices and procedures to redress this grim projection, it should be clear that more needs to be done.Toward this objective, we have been driven by the top-down hypothesis that solutions must be led intentionally through the top─that is, by department heads and chairs─because they are the stewards of the infrastructure. Department chairs and the chemistry community have engaged in DBDR through biennial workshops─that is, through the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE)'s National Diversity Equity Workshops (NDEWs)─to survey and evaluate existing policies and practices aimed at advancing inclusive excellence. This has led to research-based recommendations for the implementation of solutions in chemistry departments. This includes (i) engaging in community, (ii) conducting authentic and open searches, and (iii) recognizing and rewarding inclusive excellence. What makes them DBDR in chemistry is that we have to articulate and contextualize these solutions in terms of practices and procedures that we conduct in chemistry, assess their efficacy, and promote them across our discipline. Furthermore, we must offer theories of change for reforming them while offering frameworks that fit within how chemists think and practice.In this Account, we demonstrate how DBDR has taken root in chemistry, forecast where this emerging field may go, and provide a blueprint for how it might be replicated in other disciplines.

Revisiting faculty members’ goals for the undergraduate chemistry laboratory

Over a decade has passed since faculty members’ goals for the undergraduate chemistry instructional laboratory were first investigated on a large, national scale in the United States. This study revisits these goals, using data from a 2022 national survey of chemistry faculty members in the United States (n = 521) to investigate current objectives, including how those goals vary with course, institutional context, and receipt of funding for improving undergraduate chemistry courses. A modified version of the Faculty Goals for Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Instrument was used to measure goals, with psychometric evidence providing support for its use across the studied contexts, with the exception of the general chemistry laboratory. Goals were associated with course and receipt of funding but not institution type, both with regard to institutions’ highest chemistry degree awarded and approval from the American Chemical Society to award certified bachelor's chemistry degrees. Results suggest that faculty members may adopt a distinct set of goals not immediately associated with the practice of chemistry in the general chemistry laboratory. Further, goals increasingly focus on providing research experience and cultivating disciplinary knowledge and skills with progression through the chemistry curriculum; this focus increases more abruptly when moving from large-enrollment lower-level courses to small-enrollment upper-level courses. Findings imply a need for increased efforts focused on (1) evaluating goals for the general chemistry laboratory, including whether those goals contribute to overarching curricular objectives, (2) promoting adoption of evidence-based pedagogies in large-enrollment contexts to better align instruction with the practice of chemistry, (3) supporting faculty members in procuring funding to improve courses, and (4) refining professional societies’ evaluation criteria for undergraduate chemistry programs.

Comparative Effect of Improvised and Real Materials on Chemistry Students’ Academic Performance in Senior Schools

Instructional materials are used in teaching in order to minimizes rote learning and enhance students’ practical experiences and creativity skills. Despite the importance it is worrisome that senior schools do not have adequate instructional materials with the huge sum of money spent by Government. This study investigates the effect of real and improvised instructional materials on chemistry students’ academic performance in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Four purposively selected senior secondary schools in Ijero local Government area consisting of 180 senior secondary class II chemistry students of four intact classes made the sample. Two schools were assigned to experimental group which received treatment of involvement of teaching using improvised materials and the other two schools were assigned to the control group which were taught using real materials. Twenty-five (25) item chemistry test (CT) validated by science education experts and having reliability of 0.82 using Kudar Richadson 20 was used as the instrument. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Mean, standard deviation and t-test were used to answer the research hypotheses. The findings revealed no significant difference in the mean academic performance of the two groups before treatment but was significant after the treatment. The experimental group also performed significantly better than the control group in creativity skills. It is recommended that teachers should improvised materials in order to improve students’ manipulative skills. While text book writers and curriculum developers should include activities in the textbooks and curriculum that will enhance creativity that are capable of leading students to self-reliance. Keyword: Academic performance, Chemistry students, Real, Improvised, Materials and Comparative. Aims Research Journal Reference Format: Alake, E.M. (2022): Comparative Effect of Improvised and Real Materials on Chemistry Students’ Academic Performance in Senior Schools. Advances in Multidisciplinary and Scientific Research Journal Vol. 8. No. 4. Pp 17-23 www.isteams.net/aimsjournal. dx.doi.org/10.22624/AIMS/V8N4P2