Article
Environmental Sciences
Melanie D. LaCount, Richard A. Haeuber, Taylor R. Macy, Beth A. Murray
Summary: The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments introduced the innovative Acid Rain Program and Good Neighbor requirements, leading to a significant decrease in emissions from the electric power sector and a dramatic reduction in air pollution and environmental effects over the past 30 years. Implementation of these regulations provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of legislative versus regulatory policies for future environmental policy.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
B. P. Baldigo, S. D. George, D. R. Winterhalter, M. R. McHale
Summary: In recent years, reductions in acidic deposition in the Catskill Mountain region of New York have led to improvements in water quality and fish communities in the upper Neversink watershed, although recovery is still incomplete.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Rachel C. Nethery, Fabrizia Mealli, Jason D. Sacks, Francesca Dominici
Summary: This study develops a causal inference approach to estimate the number of adverse health events prevented due to changes in exposure to pollutants as a result of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Through matching and machine learning methods using population-level data, it is found that a large number of cardiovascular and dementia-related hospitalizations were avoided due to changes in pollution exposure attributed to the CAAA.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gregory B. Lawrence, Barry P. Baldigo, Karen M. Roy, Scott D. George
Summary: Recent studies indicate that although concentrations of toxic forms of aluminum (Al-i) have decreased in the Adirondack region, a significant number of streams still experience harmful Al-i levels during spring snowmelt, particularly in the western region. Long-term monitoring and multiple resampling suggest that the recovery of Al chemistry is influenced by the increase in organically complexed Al and the availability of calcium.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Todd M. Scanlon, Ami L. Riscassi, James N. Galloway
Summary: The reductions in acidic deposition after the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act have led to improvements in the acid/base status of many freshwater bodies in the eastern United States, but recovery has not been as widespread in Virginia mountain streams. The studies show that streams underlain by siliciclastic bedrock have experienced decreases in acid neutralizing capacity, while pH levels have increased. Additionally, high-flow conditions show a more encouraging assessment of episodic acidification compared to chronic acidification.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yang Zhang, Steve J. Smith, Michelle Bell, Amy Mueller, Matthew Eckelman, Sara Wylie, Elizabeth L. Sweet, Ping Chen, Deb A. Niemeier
Summary: Effective solutions require integration of improved data, technology innovations, community engagement, and environmental justice.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuyu Jiang, Ting Hu, Wenqian Zhao, Ang Hu, Lifeng Zhu, Jianjun Wang
Summary: This study analyzed the diversity changes of three plankton communities (phytoplankton, crustaceans, and rotifers) in 28 lakes in Adirondack Park, USA, and found a decrease in spatial and temporal diversity of phytoplankton and rotifers, leading to spatial homogenization, during recovery from acidification. Contrary to previous views, this spatial homogenization co-occurred with an overall increase in diversity, highlighting the importance of long-term monitoring programs in assessing biodiversity change during ecosystem recovery.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mei Yuan, Alexander R. Barron, Noelle E. Selin, Paul D. Picciano, Lucy E. Metz, John M. Reilly, Henry D. Jacoby
Summary: This study explores the economic, distributional, and health consequences of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals using Section 115 of the Clean Air Act. The analysis considers different approaches to interstate allocation and rates of technology improvement. The findings show that with participation from all states in allowance trading, the national emissions price is lower and economic welfare grows at the baseline rate. The policy is also found to be welfare-improving for the lowest income quintile in all regions when allowance revenue is distributed on an equal per-capita basis.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Business
Maureen Cropper, Nicholas Mueller, Yongjoon Park, Victoria Perez-Zetune
Summary: This study examines the impact of nonattainment status on Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) during the 1970s, comparing counties designated as out of attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to attainment counties. The study analyzes data from TSP monitors from 1969-78 and 1971-78, using both the official nonattainment designation and the definition in the literature. The findings raise questions about causal inference due to violations of the parallel trends assumption when using the official nonattainment designation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Economics
Zach Raff, Andrew Meyer, Jason M. Walter
Summary: This paper examines the impact of local politics on the implementation of the Clean Air Act, a critical federal environmental policy, in the electricity generation sector. The study finds that under Republican gubernatorial control, capital spending on air pollution abatement decreases by 90% in nonattainment areas, and the probability of installing the most effective nitrogen oxide abatement technology decreases by nine percentage points.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Muhammad Luqman, Tareq Al-Ansari
Summary: This study introduces an integrated solution to support water security by reclaiming wastewater and energy security by shifting the air-conditioning load from electricity to low-grade thermal energy. The system utilizes solar energy to recycle wastewater and produce clean water, offering conditioned air in hot and arid climates.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael R. McHale, Amy S. Ludtke, Gregory A. Wetherbee, Douglas A. Burns, Mark A. Nilles, Jason S. Finkelstein
Summary: This study reports trends in wet-precipitation chemistry in response to emissions reductions implemented as part of the Clean Air Act Amendments. The concentrations of sulfate and nitrate showed significant decreasing trends, while ammonium concentrations increased. The trends for sulfate and nitrate were strongest in the beginning of the study period and became weaker in later periods.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Natalie Sampson, Carmel Price, Melanie Sampson, Mary Bradshaw, Bianca Freeman
Summary: The Title V program of the Clean Air Act provides opportunities for public participation in permit-related decisionmaking, but there is a lack of substantive changes prioritizing environmental justice in overburdened communities. Increasing the use of plain language can improve public participation by enhancing access, transparency, and accountability. Analysis of public notices revealed poor writing quality and a lack of attention to writing strategies for improved understanding and addressing environmental health and justice. Suggestions for improving public notices are provided, emphasizing the need for plain language and environmental health literacy.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos F. Gould, M. Lorena Bejarano, Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Alison G. Lee, Ajay Pillarisetti, Samuel B. Schlesinger, Enrique Teran, Alfredo Valarezo, Darby W. Jack
Summary: This study investigates the association between increased clean cooking fuel use and under-5 lower respiratory infection (LRI) mortality in Ecuador from 1990 to 2019. The findings suggest that the widespread transition to clean-burning fuels for cooking in households reduced under-5 LRI mortalities over the last 30 years, with an estimated 7,300 deaths averted.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2023)
Article
Law
Emily Williams
Summary: Wildfires are increasing in both frequency and severity due to climate change, causing serious health issues from the smoke produced. Land managers believe that prescribed burns can help mitigate these negative consequences by reducing smoke amount and limiting wildfire damage, but the Clean Air Act exempts wildfire smoke while imposing strict regulations on prescribed burns.
WASHINGTON LAW REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexander Corletto, Amanda V. Ellis, Nick A. Shepelin, Marco Fronzi, David A. Winkler, Joseph G. Shapter, Peter C. Sherrell
Summary: Layered 2D crystals, with their unique properties and diversity, have great potential in energy conversion and harvesting devices. The synchronous multisource energy conversion enabled by these crystals offers a game-changing approach to device production and utilization in the future.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haoxin Mai, Tu C. Le, Dehong Chen, David A. Winkler, Rachel A. Caruso
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive introduction and critical review of machine learning techniques used in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis research. It discusses the sources of electro/photocatalyst data, current approaches to representing these materials mathematically, and the most commonly used machine learning methods. The article also evaluates the quality and utility of electro/photocatalyst models and provides illustrations of how machine learning models are applied in novel electro/photocatalyst discovery and to elucidate reaction mechanisms. It serves as a guide for materials scientists in selecting machine learning methods for electrocatalysis and photocatalysis research.
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
David A. Winkler
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Suiying Ye, Nastaran Meftahi, Igor Lyskov, Tian Tian, Richard Whitfield, Sudhir Kumar, Andrew J. Christofferson, David A. Winkler, Chih-Jen Shih, Salvy Russo, Jean-Christophe Leroux, Yinyin Bao
Summary: In this study, a versatile and simple platform based on through-space charge transfer (TSCT) polymers was developed, which exhibited full-color-tunable emission and was aided by predictive machine learning models. By introducing electron donor groups containing simple polycyclic aromatic moieties (e.g., pyrene) through one-step copolymerization or end-group functionalization, continuous blue-to-red emission color tuning was easily achieved in solid polymers. Theoretical investigations confirmed the structurally dependent TSCT-induced emission redshifts. Additionally, the TSCT polymers were demonstrated to be a general design platform for solid-state stimuli-responsive materials, exemplified by their application in information encryption with high-contrast photochromic emission.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
David Winkler, Ira Katz, Andrew Warden, Aaron Thornton, Geraldine Farjot
Summary: This study analyzed the dataset of protein-gas interactions, focusing on the potential clinical applications of xenon-protein interactions. A rational scoring method was used to generate a partial prioritized list of xenon protein targets. The study provides a preliminary analysis method for this massive dataset and emphasizes the importance of this dataset to the scientific community.
MEDICAL GAS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Leonardo Contreas, Andrew L. Hook, David A. Winkler, Grazziela Figueredo, Paul Williams, Charles A. Laughton, Morgan R. Alexander, Philip M. Williams
Summary: Bacterial infections are becoming a greater concern due to antimicrobial resistance. The rational design of materials resistant to biofilm formation is a crucial strategy to prevent infections related to medical devices. Machine learning has been used to identify strong associations between bacterial adhesion and the physicochemical properties of polyacrylate libraries. However, the interpretability of nonlinear models is limited, making it challenging to understand the molecular interactions between materials and bacteria.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sarah E. Bamford, Dilek Yalcin, Wil Gardner, David A. Winkler, Thomas M. Kohl, Benjamin W. Muir, Shaun Howard, Eric A. Bruton, Paul J. Pigram
Summary: The self-organizing map with relational perspective mapping (SOM-RPM) is an unsupervised machine learning method used for visualizing and interpreting high-dimensional hyperspectral data. In this study, SOM-RPM was applied to stitched ToF-SIMS datasets to provide a direct comparison in both 2D and 3D. The quantitative assessment of annealing-induced chemical breakdown trends was conducted on spin-coated polyaniline (PANI) films, revealing differences in peak intensity ratios.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiliang Yan, Tongtao Yue, David A. A. Winkler, Yongguang Yin, Hao Zhu, Guibin Jiang, Bing Yan
Summary: Decades of nanotoxicology research have generated extensive and diverse data sets. However, data is not equal to information. This review discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and molecular simulation in transforming nanotoxicity data into critical information, by constructing quantitative nanostructure-toxicity relationships and elucidating toxicity-related molecular mechanisms. Several obstacles must be overcome for AI and molecular simulation to have their full impact, including the lack of high-quality nanomaterials, standardized nanotoxicity data, model-friendly databases, specific and universal nanodescriptors, and realistic simulation of nanomaterials. The review also provides a comprehensive summary of current capability gaps and tools required to fill these gaps, as well as a perspective on future trends and challenges.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sakshi Piplani, Puneet Singh, Nikolai Petrovsky, David A. A. Winkler
Summary: Drugs targeting novel targets are necessary for treating COVID-19 patients due to the rapid mutation of SARS-CoV-2. In silico simulations can quickly identify existing drugs with known safety profiles that can be repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. This study provides new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its potential regulation by endogenous hormones and drugs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
See Yoong Wong, Andrew L. Hook, Wil Gardner, Chien-Yi Chang, Ying Mei, Martyn C. Davies, Paul Williams, Morgan R. Alexander, Davide Ballabio, Benjamin W. Muir, David A. Winkler, Paul J. Pigram
Summary: Biofilm formation is a major problem in hospitals, and researching biofilm-resistant materials is critical. Polymer microarrays can efficiently discover new biofilm-resistant polymers. This study investigates bacterial attachment and surface chemistry on a polymer microarray to better understand Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation. Analyzing the data using linear multivariate analysis and a nonlinear self-organizing map reveals fragment ions associated with bacterial biofilm formation. Considering these insights, a second analysis is conducted that explicitly considers interactions between key fragments. This improved model provides chemical insights for designing materials that prevent pathogen attachment.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Wil Gardner, David A. Winkler, David L. J. Alexander, Davide Ballabio, Benjamin W. Muir, Paul J. Pigram
Summary: In this study, two different ToF-SIMS imaging datasets were used to evaluate the impact of data preprocessing methods and SOM hyperparameters on the performance of SOM. It was found that preprocessing is generally more important than hyperparameter selection, and there are complex interactions between different parameters. The results of this study are important for understanding the effects of data processing on hyperspectral imaging data.
JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexander Corletto, Marco Fronzi, Alexis Krywula Joannidis, Peter C. Sherrell, Michael J. Ford, David A. Winkler, Joseph G. Shapter, James Bullock, Amanda V. Ellis
Summary: A new model is proposed to explain how the electrostatics and strain at the MoS2/metal interface influence the monolayer-selectivity of MME. The study demonstrates the significance of electrostatics in nanomaterial van der Waals interactions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
David Alan Winkler
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Aayush Kumar, Jimiama M. Mase, Divish Rengasamy, Benjamin Rothwell, Mercedes Torres Torres, David A. Winkler, Grazziela P. Figueredo
Summary: This paper presents an open-source Python toolbox called Ensemble Feature Importance (EFI) which provides robust and accurate feature importance quantification and reliable interpretation for prediction problems using fuzzy sets. EFI addresses uncertainties in feature importance quantification due to diverse machine learning algorithms and calculation methods, and it merges results from multiple models using decision fusion techniques.
MACHINE LEARNING, OPTIMIZATION, AND DATA SCIENCE, LOD 2022, PT II
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuying Li, Haoxin Mai, Junlin Lu, Xiaoming Wen, Tu C. Le, Salvy P. Russo, David A. Winkler, Dehong Chen, Rachel A. Caruso
Summary: This study used a combination of machine learning models and theoretical calculations to efficiently screen substitution elements that enhanced the photoactivity of Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskites. The results showed that d10-configured Zn2+ significantly boosted the photocatalytic activity. Experimental verification confirmed a 13-fold increase in toluene conversion compared to the unsubstituted counterpart. This research exemplifies the application of computational modeling in photocatalyst design and elucidating structure-property relationships.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
