Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Mxene-Based Materials For Enhanced Water Quality: Advances In Remediation Strategies, Ali Mohammad Amani, Milad Abbasi, Atena Najdian, Farzaneh Mohamadpour, Seyed Reza Kasaee, Hesam Kamyab, Shreeshivadasan Chelliapan, Mostafa Shafiee, Lobat Tayebi, Ahmad Vaez, Atefeh Najafian, Ehsan Vafa, Sareh Mosleh-Shirazi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Two-dimensional MXenes are promising candidates for water treatment because of their large surface area (e.g., exceeding 1000 m²/g for certain structures), high electrical conductivity (e.g., >1000 S/m), hydrophilicity, and chemical stability. Their strong sorption selectivity and effective reduction capacity, exemplified by heavy metal adsorption efficiencies exceeding 95 % in several studies, coupled with facile surface modification, make them suitable for removing diverse contaminants. Applications include the removal of heavy metals (e.g., achieving >90 % removal of Pb(II)), dye removal (e.g., demonstrating >80 % removal of methylene blue), and radioactive waste elimination. Furthermore, 3D MXene architecture exhibit enhanced performance in antibacterial …

Forgoing Nuclear: Nuclear Power Plant Closures And Carbon Emissions In The United States, Luke Petach

Funded Scholarship

This paper examines the effect of nuclear power plant decommissioning on electricity generation and carbon emissions in the United States. Using data on nuclear reactor closures in the United States between 1993 and 2022 and data on state-level carbon emissions and electricity generation from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), this paper adopts a difference-in differences (DiD) approach to estimate the effect of nuclear decommissioning. Two-way fixed-effects (TWFE) DiD estimates suggest a nuclear plant closure increases annual state-level per capita carbon emissions between 6% and 8%. The increase in state-level carbon emissions is driven by a substitution toward fossil fuel electricity—particularly …

Multifunctional Nanoscale Pigments: Emerging Risks And Circular Strategies For A Sustainable Future, Ajay Vikram Singh, Preeti Bhardwaj, Vimal Kishore, Sunil Choudhary, Akihiko Hirose, Neha Gupta, Madleen Busse, Swarn Lata Singh, Christopher J. Osgood

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The substantial penetration of nanoscale pigments into a range of sectors has changed the dynamics of industries such as medical, material science, and many more. Nonetheless, their persistence in the environment and probable adverse impacts on health require that an assessment of such risks be formulated considering the One Health perspective. This viewpoint considers the crossing of boundaries of progress in the nanotechnology of nanoscale pigments with environmental, animal, and human health and emphasizes the significance of collaborative activity. Traditional perspectives explain the distribution of pigment history, while the nanotechnology of today's accessibility poses problems regarding utilization, toxicities, and interactions …

Evaluation Of The Dnazyme Gr5 For The Determination Of Lead Speciation In Natural Waters, Gaganprit Gill

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis explores the development and application of a DNAzyme-based biosensor designed to detect labile metal species in environmental samples. Real time and on-site monitoring of labile metal fractions would make a valuable contribution to environmental management, as these fractions are the most bioavailable and pose significant toxicity risks to aquatic organisms. Conventional methods for detecting labile metals, while effective, are often burdened by high costs, complexity, and lengthy processing times, making them less ideal for rapid and widespread environmental assessments.

The first manuscript of this thesis (chapter 2) establishes the fundamental capabilities of the Pb²⁺-specific DNAzyme GR5 …

Heterogeneous Being: The Inhumanities And The Creative-Scientific Aesthetic, Steven L. Ogden

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Heterogeneous Being attempts to set the often-disunited aspects of the sciences and humanities in congruence and to extol and advance a hybrid creative-scientific aesthetic that moves beyond any restricted dimensions of its previously segregated fields of study. It likewise expresses the need to perpetuate that hybrid form of inquiry and representation to successfully address or convey the precarious realities of Earth’s ecological and environmental conditions. Heterogeneous Being asks readers to observe the inexhaustible proofs of our pluralized configurations with the nonhuman world, to recognize the agentic potentialities nonhuman subjects may hold both in and outside of those inhuman enmeshments, and …

Identification Of Fentanyl And Fentanyl Analogs Found In Human Urine Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Adam M. Fisher

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Identification of fentanyl and its analogs in unknown samples is a frequent practice completed in forensic crime labs, as the fentanyl epidemic continues. With the continued increase in illicit drug use, crime labs are not able to keep up with the flooding of new fentanyl analogs being developed, resulting in new analogs slipping past the crime labs’ authority. This research is to start to develop a database of commonly found fentanyl analogs in New York State. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is a widely used method for the detection and identification of illicit drugs in forensic crime labs. A database that …

An Initiative To Improve Sevoflurane Gas Flows Among Anesthesia Providers In An Academic Medical Center, Amy Dinicola

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

An Initiative to Improve Sevoflurane Gas Flows Among Anesthesia Providers in an

Academic Medical Center

Amy DiNicola

Background: While global warming has been introduced as the most significant public health threat of the 21st century, 10% of carbon emissions in the United States come from healthcare (Shoham et al., 2022). Sevoflurane is a volatile anesthetic gas that requires a carrier gas mixture of oxygen with air or nitrous oxide to reach a patient during anesthesia. The extra gas flow often exceeds physiologic needs, and the excess gets wasted into the atmosphere. Reducing the additional flow of carrier gas can …

Synergetic Effect Of Cellulose And Chitosan Polymers In Cancer Treatment, Grace Peterson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research explores the development of a biocompatible, natural drug delivery system designed for targeted cancer therapy. Lung cancer cells are used in these particular tests, but further research indicates treatment could be used for various cancer types. Traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy are often limited by poor selectivity for tumor cells, causing significant damage to healthy tissues. The study proposes a dual-layered delivery system, utilizing Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) as the core material and a charge-reversible chitosan shell to encapsulate and target cancer drugs. CMC, with its water solubility and ability to form stable gels, serves as a stable drug …

Developing A Simplified Method Of Measuring Ultrafine Particulate Matter Dose Concentrations For Diesel Emissions, Nafisat Ohunene Isa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Developing a Simplified Method of Measuring Ultrafine Particulate Matter Dose

Concentrations for Diesel Emissions

Ultra-fine particulate matter (UFP), particularly from diesel emissions, poses significant health and environmental risks due to its small size and potential to penetrate deep into the respiratory system. Accurate measurement of UFP concentrations is essential for assessing exposure and mitigating health impacts. However, current methods for measuring UFP can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. This study aims to develop a simplified method for efficiently measuring UFP concentrations from diesel emissions, which will enable easier and more widespread monitoring of air quality and public health impacts. …

Reversible Degradation Of Peptidoglycan By Lytic Transglycosylases, Aaron Devereaux

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a burden on the global healthcare system with an estimated cost of billions of dollars and millions of deaths each year. Recently, there has been little to no development on new antibiotics to treat bacterial infection, and any that are developed become resisted to within a few years. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria contain a mesh-like layer called peptidoglycan (PG) that surrounds their cells providing strength, cell shape, and protection from their environments. This layer is a polymer of N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) connected via a b-1,4-glycosidic bond, with each strand being cross-linked …