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Through the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp became a federally legal crop in the United States for the first time in nearly a half century. Farmers from across the country became interested in the potential of the crop and land-grant universities and other institutions of higher education were challenged with the task of closing an expansive knowledge gap through research and outreach. Despite its federally legal status, hemp's association with marijuana and public stigma remain. This study investigated university students' knowledge and attitudes toward hemp before and after an educational campaign that involved hemp plants on campus. Results indicated students initially had low knowledge about hemp. A majority of students did not recognize the crop as being federally legal and were unable to distinguish major differences between hemp and marijuana. Despite low knowledge, students held fairly high attitudes toward hemp. After the educational campaign, students were significantly more knowledgeable and held more favorable attitudes toward hemp.

The "International Research Experience for Students (IRES)" at Doane University (DU) located in Crete, Nebraska, exposed undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students to international research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. The international collaboration team included three undergraduate researchers per year from DU, one faculty member and one postdoctoral fellow from DU, two faculty mentors at KIT, and several graduate, post-doctoral, and technical staff at KIT. Prior to departure to Germany, the students received extensive research training, as well as culture and language preparation from the mentors at DU. While in Germany, the students received an in-depth orientation to Karlsruhe, Germany, Europe, the research setting at KIT, and the international collaborators. The eight week summer projects over three years involved nanolithography, nano- to microsized array fabrication, organic synthesis using click chemistry, and surface modifications for sensing and other biomedical research applications. When the students returned from Germany, they continued to conduct research at DU and train other undergraduate students using the expertise acquired from KIT. The DU research students, including the IRES scholars, learned oral and written communication skills. They presented their KIT and DU research results at weekly seminars and at local and national meetings. An external assessment firm evaluated the program, the students, and mentors on a yearly basis before and after the summer research. This enabled all participants to continuously improve the learning objectives and the program execution including three program adjustments implemented in year 2 or 3. The survey data shows that the IRES program provided an enriching experience for the students in research and international culture and established a successful base of collaboration for mentors.

Abstract: The synthesis of a seven-membered ring locked analogue of 11-cis-retinol, tethered to a cross-linking moiety on C-15 and a lysine-extended biotin on the C-3, was accomplished for its utilization [...]

A tetraanionic nickel(II) meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin NiTPPS has selectively sensed the spermine induced Z-form of DNA. The studies have shown that the ternary sulfonated nickel(II) porphyrin-DNA-spermine system is modulated reversibly by pH variations, thus making it a supramolecular reversible information storage system and an AND logic gate.

A chiral tripodal ligand is prepared from primary amines containing two monosubstituted tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) moieties. It shows that chelation of Cu(II) resulting in strong exciton coupled circular dichroism (ECCD) spectra with visible wavelength light.

The study that examines the possibility of using porphyrin exciton-coupled circular dichroism (CD) for tetraarylporphyrin oligonucleotides conformational analysis is examined. CD spectra in the 200-300nm region are widely used to investigate DNA conformations and their changes.

Abstract: With the increasing availability of digital imaging devices, colorimetric sensor arrays are rapidly becoming a simple, yet effective tool for the identification and quantification of various analytes. Colorimetric arrays utilize colorimetric data from many colorimetric sensors, with the multidimensional nature of the resulting data necessitating the use of chemometric analysis. Herein, an 8 sensor colorimetric array was used to analyze select acid and basic samples (0.5 – 10 M) to determine which chemometric methods are best suited for classification quantification of analytes within clusters. PCA, HCA, and LDA were used to visualize the data set. All three methods showed well‐separated clusters for each of the acid or base analytes and moderate separation between analyte concentrations, indicating that the sensor array can be used to identify and quantify samples. Furthermore, PCA could be used to determine which sensors showed the most effective analyte identification. LDA, KNN, and HQI were used for identification of analyte and concentration. HQI and KNN could be used to correctly identify the analytes in all cases, while LDA correctly identified 95 of 96 analytes correctly. Additional studies demonstrated that controlling for solvent and image effects was unnecessary for all chemometric methods utilized in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant demand for devices that can rapidly detect chemical–biological–explosive (CBE) threats on-site and allow for immediate responders to mitigate spread, risk, and loss. The key to an effective reconnaissance mission is a unified detection technology that analyzes potential threats in real time. In addition to reviewing the current state of the art in the field, this review illustrates the practicality of colorimetric arrays composed of sensors that change colors in the presence of analytes. This review also describes an outlook toward future technologies, and describes how they could possibly be used in areas such as war zones to detect and identify hazardous substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Novel, blue fluorescent solids referred to as Wild Plum compounds can camouflage skin imperfections when incorporated into cosmetic products. We evaluated the relationship between sun exposure and skin fluorescence and determined if the application of Wild Plum formulations could restore lost fluorescence without harming the skin. Methods The forehead skin of two groups of volunteers of mixed gender and age was examined for fluorescence and redness. In addition, subjects answered questions describing any adverse sensations they experienced after their skin was exposed to Wild Plum formulations for extended periods of time. Results Fluorescence measurements of both solar and non-solar skin indicated that repeated sun exposure causes a loss of skin fluorescence. Application of Wild Plum formulations caused an increase in skin fluorescence at all concentrations, restoring solar skin fluorescence to values well beyond that of non-solar skin. Photo analysis and interview questions indicated that these formulations did not cause any symptoms of irritancy. Conclusion Wild Plum compounds have the ability to restore fluorescence of solar skin to a level significantly higher than that associated with non-solar skin. Skin appears more luminous and therefore more youthful. This fluorescence restoration is achieved at relatively low concentrations, without any harmful side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DETECHIP has been used in testing analytes including caffeine, cocaine, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from marijuana, as well as date rape and club drugs such as flunitrazepam, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and methamphetamine. This study investigates the intermolecular interaction between DETECHIP sensor eosin Y (DC1) and the analyte (caffeine) that is responsible for the fluorescence and color changes observed in the actual array. Using 1H-NMR, 1H-COSY, and 1H-DOSY NMR methods, a proton exchange from C-8 of caffeine to eosin Y is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]