Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Immobilization Of Ticagrelor On Implant Materials And Corrosion And Biofouling Inhibition By Novel Layered Polymer Thin Films For Marine Application, Tell Lovelace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Percutaneous coronary interventions are a widely used cardiovascular surgery which is typically accompanied by the insertion of a vascular stent. After the procedure patients are put on dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) to prevent stent thrombosis, a common complication to this procedure in which platelets aggregate in the blood vessel on the inserted stent. Systemic deactivation of platelets in patients via oral DAPT results in patients becoming bleeding risks in future medical procedures, necessitating the development of a localized delivery system for anti-platelet medications from the surface of the stent. A novel anti-thrombogenic vascular stent coating has been prepared by covalent …

Combatting The Effects Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Cattle To Decrease Global Warming, Grace Stockmal

D.U.Quark

Greenhouse gases (GHG), specifically methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, contribute to eutrophication and global warming. Large amounts of these gases are released by beef and dairy farms. The misconception is how and why greenhouse gases are emitted from cows. It is hypothesized that greenhouse gas emissions from cattle can be reduced through mitigation strategies in beef and dairy production along with farmers’ contributions to their livestock’s emissions. The reduction of emissions and increase in milk production comes from increased activity and care of the cows, including medicating lesions and diseases. It is also concluded that waste management and records …

The Development And Optimization Of A Two-Dimensional Lc-Qqq-Ms-Method For The Combined Analysis Of Synthetic Cannabinoids And Designer Cathinones In Urine, Holly Penefsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The compounds and chemical compositions of synthetic cannabinoids and designer cathinones are designed to mimic the intoxicating effects of D⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol and amphetamines, respectively. In order to skirt existing drug laws, non-controlled ingredients are used, and the original chemical structures of current drugs are being modified using analogs or derivatives. These continually changing chemical compositions pose a problem for policymakers, and forensic and analytical scientists, as users are able to attain a “legal high” and avoid detection in standard drug screens. Commonly, toxicology laboratories utilize a screening method, such as immunoassay, for the presumptive identification of designer drugs. When …

Investigation Of Ongoing Unconventional Gas Extraction And Underground Gas Storage In Pennsylvania: Regulations And Water Quality, Cassandra Ziegler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The extraction of unconventional shale gas and its underground gas storage have the potential to impact surface and groundwater water quality. In New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, 54 unconventional gas wells were drilled between 2013 and 2019. Groundwater samples from 33 water wells and surface water from Brush Creek (18 samples) were collected and analyzed for anions, cations, and light hydrocarbons. Results showed that at least 8 wells had indicators of brine contamination, and the surface waters of mine drainage. The Steckman Ridge natural gas storage field in Clearville, Bedford County, PA has 13 active storage wells. Samples were …

Impacts Of Oil And Gas Wastes On Landfill Leachate, Sewage Treatment Plants, And The Environment, Lauren Badertscher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between January 2011 and March 2021 oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania produced

305,637,795 barrels of liquid waste and 6,992,957 tons of solid waste with the majority from

Marcellus Shale unconventional wells. This waste is not considered hazardous and over 89% of

the solid waste generated by unconventional and conventional oil and gas extraction has been

disposed of in landfills over the past decade. This study examined trends in the quantity of waste

produced and methods of disposal. Landfills accepting this waste were identified and their

general method of leachate treatment, using onsite facilities or offsite at wastewater treatment

plants, …

Quantification Of Persistent Organic Pollutants In Various Matrices Using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction And Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry, Weier Hao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A method was developed to quantify persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in a wide range of matrices including wastewater, dietary supplements, and human whole blood using stir-bar sorptive extraction, GC-MS/MS, and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). The method enabled accurate, precise, sensitive, and efficient quantification of POPs in these matrices. Compared with calibration curves, IDMS provided measurements with a higher level of accuracy and precision, especially at lower measured concentrations. The use of GC-MS/MS enabled a lower limit of quantification compared with GC-MS. A reverse-IDMS method was performed to further eliminate biases from the labelled concentrations of the commercially available standards. …

Computational And Experimental Studies Of Functionalized Phenolic Tertiary Phosphine Oxides As Organocatalysts For The Redox-Neutral Mitsunobu Reaction, Sadie Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was the identification of a more efficient catalyst analog that could perform the redox-neutral Mitsunobu reaction, which was achieved via two synthetic pathways: elimination-addition and addition-rearrangement. Furthermore, a computational investigation was conducted on the conflicting interpretations of the catalytic cycle. Our research group replicated Houk et al. work, as well as expanded the computations to examine the influence different functional groups had on the ground state and transition state structures. Important ground state and transition state structures were determined, which provided a more energetically favorable pathway of the catalytic cycle. Experimental work demonstrated that both …

Air Pollution In The Steel City: Assessing The Influence Of Covid-19 On Air Pollution In Allegheny County, Carissa L. Lange

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has sickened millions of individuals, lockdown measures have provided a unique opportunity to analyze air pollution reductions. Reductions in air pollution are especially important in a city like Pittsburgh, where industrial activity has led to elevated levels of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter 2.5). The majority of this PM_2.5 pollution comes from two industrial facilities, the Edgar Thomson Steel Works and the Clairton Coke Works. By utilizing a natural experiment, this study sought to determine how large of a role the COVID-19 lockdowns played in improving air quality in the Pittsburgh region. Data …

Understanding The Effect Of Adaptive Mutations On The Three-Dimensional Structure Of Rna, Justin Cook

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are variations in the genome where one base pair can differ between individuals.¹ SNPs occur throughout the genome and can correlate to a disease-state if they occur in a functional region of DNA.¹According to the central dogma of molecular biology, any variation in the DNA sequence will have a direct effect on the RNA sequence and will potentially alter the identity or conformation of a protein product. A single RNA molecule, due to intramolecular base pairing, can acquire a plethora of 3-D conformations that are described by its structural ensemble. One SNP, rs12477830, which …

Squaramide Structure And Interactions With Benzene, Serina Tressler

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The chemical industry’s continued reliance on expensive and toxic metal catalysts has driven the search for greener and more sustainable alternatives. One such option is hydrogen bonding organocatalysts, a group of inexpensive compounds made from renewable feedstocks. However, the interactions of these compounds with aryl groups is not currently understood, limiting their overall effectiveness. Dual hydrogen bond donors such as squaramide and thiourea have been a focus of study for some time, but the structure and interactions of unsubstituted squaramide have not been thoroughly reported and present an unknown in catalyst design. This study seeks to understand the structure of …

Development Of A Rapid Drug Detection Method For Insects Using Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Psi-Ms), Alexandria Plyler

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Insects have the ability to reflect the chemical environment that they have developed in. Thus, necrogenous insects can reflect the chemical environment of cadavers they have fed on. Forensic scientists can potentially utilize insect larvae as an alternate biological matrix to detect drugs in cadavers that are skeletonized, burned, or otherwise badly damaged. Analysis of insects using paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS), an analytical method requiring little to no sample preparation, could prove a rapid, cost-effective, and non-destructive alternative form of toxicological analysis. Traditional tissue analysis via GC and LC-MS often require lengthy sample preparation, use expensive reagents, and …

Cassie Dibenedetti's Portfolio, Cassie Dibenedetti

Honors College Portfolios

The Data Science B.S. curriculum surpasses bare collection and interpretation of data. An expansion of these applications are foundational courses that include critical thinking, articulate translation, and data immersion. The mathematical pillar of the Data Science program teaches students fundamental calculus and statistical skills, and the computer science pillar teaches students the utilization of software when working with data. Most importantly, the data science pillar intertwines the two and teaches students to provide practical solutions to problems involving data.

This portfolio serves as a glimpse into the Data Science student’s curriculum. Viewers can observe the varying skills required of a …

Assessment Of The Fluoride Concentration In Drinking Water And Tea In The Arusha Region Of Tanzania, Sophia Bakar, David Kahler, Alanna Bachtlin, Kara Okular, Kathleen Glancey, Abbey Whitewood

Environmental Science Datasets

High fluoride concentrations in drinking water affect millions of people around the world; however, fluoride can come from several sources. The World Health Organization recommends a fluoride concentration in drinking water of no more than 1.5 mg/L; fluoride above this concentration can cause long-term problems known as fluorosis, such as mottled teeth and increased risk of dental caries, or skeletal deformities. Rural communities near Arusha, Tanzania have high fluoride concentrations in their water. Adults and children of the Arusha Region rely heavily on tea for daily water consumption, which has the benefit of disinfection by boiling. Researchers investigated water quality, …