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Oldowan Tool Behaviors Through Time On The Homa Peninsula, Kenya, Emma M. Finestone

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The adaptive significance of tool use to genus Homo is a central theme in human origins. However, what we know from the early Oldowan sites suggests that persistent technology may have begun as an opportunistic behavior with minimal investment, rather than a habitual and widespread adaptive revolution. This dissertation seeks to investigate investment in Oldowan tool production on the Homa Peninsula, Kenya, considering raw material selection, transport, and lithic production at two newly discovered Oldowan localities: Nyayanga (ca. 2.6 Ma) and Sare River (ca. 1.7 Ma).

The first section of this dissertation outlines a method that enables the comparison of …

Lead And Arsenic Contamination In Urban Soils In New York City, Anna Paltseva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examined total and bioaccessible soil lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) concentrations and their accumulation in commonly grown garden vegetables in New York City (NYC) metropolitan area. Direct oral ingestion of contaminated soil and consumption of plants that have accumulated Pb or As from underlying soil are known human exposure pathways in urban garden soils that often contain elevated levels of contaminants. The research had four components: (1) assessment of the variability of bioaccessible Pb in NYC urban soils; (2) field experiments to evaluate Pb stabilization and As mobilization by phosphate and alternative amendments; (3) development of a new …

The Water/Energy Nexus: Climate, Consumption And Ecosystem Services, Hildegaard D. Link

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Water and energy are drivers of living systems. This work provides an assessment of the Water Energy Nexus in the United States, comparing the well-watered north-east and the arid west. Electric grid systems are most stressed on hot summer afternoons. Grid stress can lead to cascading failures of electricity, water and wastewater treatment systems. (Zimmerman, 2017) Water for power generation and/or water supply depend on ecosystem services. The ecosystem services and resource trade-offs embedded in provision of a watt of power and an ounce of potable water, however, have yet to be comprehensively enumerated nor have the cost relationships been …

Measuring Streambank Erosion: A Comparison Of Erosion Pins, Total Station, And Terrestrial Laser Scanner, Daniel T. L. Myers, Richard R. Rediske, James N. Mcnair

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Streambank erosion is diffcult to quantify; models and field methods are needed to assess this important sediment source to streams. Our objectives were to (1) evaluate and compare three techniques for quantifying streambank erosion: erosion pins, total station, and laser scanning, (2) spatially assess streambank erosion rates in the Indian Mill Creek watershed of Michigan, USA, and (3) relate results with modeling of nonpoint source pollution. We found large absolute and relative errors between the different measurement techniques. However, we were unable to determine any statistically significant differences between techniques and only observed a correlation between total station and laser …

Elevated Temperature Attenuates Ovarian Functions And Induces Apoptosis And Oxidative Stress In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Potential Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Nash, Jackson Johnston, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is predicted to intensify thermal stress in marine and coastal organisms, affecting their development, growth, and reproductive functions. In this study, we performed histological observations on ovarian development, immunohistochemical analyses of ovarian heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species (RNS)), and dinitrophenyl protein (DNP, an indicator of protein oxidation) expressions, in situ TUNEL assay for cellular apoptosis, biochemical analyses of ovarian caspase-3/7 activity and protein carbonyl (PC, a measure of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) contents, nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels, and extrapallial fluid (EPF, an important body fluid) pH in the American oyster, …

Elevated Temperature Attenuates Ovarian Functions And Induces Apoptosis And Oxidative Stress In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Potential Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Nash, Jackson Johnstone, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is predicted to intensify thermal stress in marine and coastal organisms, affecting their development, growth, and reproductive functions. In this study, we performed histological observations on ovarian development, immunohistochemical analyses of ovarian heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species (RNS)), and dinitrophenyl protein (DNP, an indicator of protein oxidation) expressions, in situ TUNEL assay for cellular apoptosis, biochemical analyses of ovarian caspase-3/7 activity and protein carbonyl (PC, a measure of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) contents, nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels, and extrapallial fluid (EPF, an important body fluid) pH in the American oyster, …

Don Reduction Of Wheat Grain Without Compromising The Lab-Scale Milling Properties Of Flour, Jikai Zhao, Xin Liu, Fengcheng Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Wheat bran was investigated to be the most commonly contaminated raw material by mycotoxins. However, there are no economical and practical pretreatment methods for industrial on-line application until now. The effect of light debranning on deoxynivalenol (DON) removal, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and flour quality from lab-scale milling were performed. For on-line production, the DON concentration in wheat decreased 15.89% at debranning ratio of 1.2%. For lab experiment, the maximum DON removal for wheat and flour was 23.35% and 21.95%, respectively. However, the PPO activity, browning of dough sheet and flour qualities in lab scale exhibited no significant variation. …

Prevalence And Distribution Of Ranavirus In Amphibians From, Drew R. Davis, Jillian K. Farkas, Taylor R. Kruisselbrink, Jessa L. Watters, Elyse D. Ellsworth, Jacob L. Kerby, Cameron D. Siler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Several infectious diseases are threatening amphibian species worldwide and have resulted in massmortality events across the globe. An emerging group of viral pathogens (ranaviruses) are documented to cause die-offs in amphibian populations worldwide, including in several regions of the U.S. Unfortunately, large gaps remain in our understanding of the distribution of this systemic pathogen in the U.S., including within the state of Oklahoma. To address this gap in our understanding, we carried out surveys of this infectious pathogen across 14 sites in seven southeastern Oklahoma counties in spring 2015, screening 17 amphibian species from this region. Using liver and tail …

Organic/Inorganic Interfacial Interactions Affecting Metal Reactivity: Water Treatment And Sensor Applications, Mohamed Nabil Shaikh

Civil Engineering ETDs

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the interactions occurring at the organic – inorganic interface between solid media and aqueous contaminants for water treatment and sensor applications. The gaps in current literature on these interfacial organic-inorganic interactions must be bridged in order to develop advanced water treatment and monitoring technologies for improving water quality and thus, restore and protect the contaminated water resources. As a part of this dissertation, manganese oxides-based composites and electrospun polymer mats were developed and investigated for gaining mechanistic insights of organic (bisphenol A and acetaminophen) and inorganic (uranium) contaminants removal, respectively. These reactions …

Evaluating The Sustainability Of Indirect Potable Reuse And Direct Potable Reuse: A Southern Nevada Case Study, Sajjad Ahmad, Cory Dow, Krystyna Stave, Daniel Gerrity

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This case study presents a framework for evaluating the sustainability of indirect potable reuse (IPR) and direct potable reuse (DPR) in Las Vegas, Nevada. A system dynamics model was developed to simulate population growth, water supply, water quality, energy costs, net present worth (NPW), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The model confirmed that DPR could achieve a net reduction in energy costs of up to US$250 million while still ensuring an adequate water supply. However, the high NPW of DPR ($1.0–$4.0 billion) relative to the status quo IPR approach ($0.6 billion) represents a significant economic hurdle, although future monetization of …

Small Soil C Cycle Responses To Three Years Of Cover Crops In Maize Cropping Systems, Anna M. Cates, Matthew D. Ruark, A. Stuart Grandy, Randall D. Jackson

Faculty Publications

Cover crops are touted for their ability to improve many ecosystem functions in annual cropping systems. In addition to water and nutrient retention, cover crops may influence C cycling by increasing total C inputs to the agroecosystem, stimulating microbial populations, altering main crop residue decomposition rate, or changing litter chemistry over time. We assessed whether annual (rye) or perennial (bluegrass) cover crops in maize cropping systems influenced maize residue decomposition (litterbags) or microbial communities (shotgun metagenomics) in soil and litter, and whether these cover crops had an effect on microbially active pools of C: particulate organic matter (POM) C and …

Seasonal Variability Of Forces Controlling Sedimentation In The Sundarbans National Forest, Bangladesh, Carol A. Wilson, E. J. Bomer

Faculty Publications

Southwest Bangladesh, located on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, is experiencing the impacts of sea level rise (SLR) due to processes at both the local and global scale. In particular, regional alterations of the hydrodynamic network, due to embankment construction, have drastically altered effective SLR, placing millions of inhabitants at risk of prolonged inundation, and threatening the world's largest continuous mangrove stand, the Sundarbans National Forest (SNF). In order to effectively employ landscape recovery solutions, an understanding of local sediment transport and deposition is critical. This field-based study investigates the sediment dynamics between the mangrove platform and tidal channels of the SNF …

Assessing Diagenetic Conditions In The Late Triassic Chinle Formation Through Petrographic And Geochemical Analysis Of Phytosaur Teeth, John Fortner

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The Upper Triassic (Norian; ~227-208 Ma) Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest (PeFo) National Park was deposited during a time of major tectonic breakup and profound changes in atmospheric circulation and faunal compositions. Little has been done however to assess whether surficial paleoenvironmental trends related to deterioration of the Late Triassic Megamonsoon resulted in similar trends in the early diagenetic environment. Here, we use phytosaur tooth dentin as a proxy for diagenetic conditions in the Chinle of PEFO, as its greater susceptibility to chemical alteration relative to enamel makes it an excellent substrate from which changing diagenetic conditions may be studied …

Respons Kedelai Akibat Jarak Tanam Dan Konsentrasi Giberelin Pada Tanah Inceptisol Jatinangor, Aep Wawan Irwan, Agus Wahyudin, Toto Sunarto

Jurnal Kultivasi

Teknik budidaya untuk meningkatkan produktivitas kedelai antara lain penggunaan jarak tanam yang tepat dan penambahan input berupa giberelin. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh jarak tanam dan konsentrasi yang tepat agar pertumbuhan dan hasil meningkat. Percobaan dilakukan pada bulan Juli sampai Oktober 2017 di Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Padjadjaran, dengan ketinggian tempat yaitu ± 780 meter di atas permukaan laut. Percobaan dilakukan dengan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok pola faktorial, dengan tiga ulangan. Faktor I adalah jarak tanam, terdiri dari 3 taraf, yaitu: jarak tanam 25 cm X 25 cm, jarak tanam 15 cm X 15 cm X 40 cm …

Fracture Networks On Mars: Preservation Of Surface And Subsurface Environments At Mawrth Vallis, Phoebe Kinzelman

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Mawrth Vallis is an outflow channel on Mars that cuts through some of the planet’s most ancient terrains, which contain many different types of fractures. The ExoMars rover mission will search for biosignatures on Mars, and this site was proposed as one of the two final candidate landing sites for the rover. A biosignature is any object that shows evidence of past or present life. Fracture networks are a high priority for the mission because they might contain minerals precipitated by fluid interaction, and these minerals could trap and preserve biosignatures, critical for our understanding of ancient processes. In this …

The Role Of A Permeable Sand Column In Modifying Tidal Creek Geochemistry And Land-Derived Inputs To The Coastal Ocean, Nicholas Anthony Legut

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The impairment of regional water quality in Long Bay is an episodic occurrence that has been documented for over a decade. According to one explanation, the occurrence of these events is hypothesized to be the combination of local, terrestrially derived inputs and water-column stratification in the nearshore zone. A portion of these inputs may discharge as surface run-off through estuaries ending in sandy transitional environments termed "swashes". An investigation into the fate of land-derived materials through swashes utilize a linear conservative mixing model to describe the non-conservative behavior of materials in the overlying water and pore-water. This model relies on …

Modeling Irrigation Behavior In Groundwater Systems, Timothy Foster, Nicholas Brozovic, Adrian P. Butler

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Integrated hydro-economic models have been widely applied to water management problems in regions of intensive groundwater-fed irrigation. However, policy interpretations may be limited as most existing models do not explicitly consider two important aspects of observed irrigation decision making, namely the limits on instantaneous irrigation rates imposed by well yield and the intraseasonal structure of irrigation planning. We develop a new modeling approach for determining irrigation demand that is based on observed farmer behavior and captures the impacts on production and water use of both well yield and climate. Through a case study of irrigated corn production in the Texas …

Multivariate Assessment Of Metal Contamination In Mtoni Sedimentary Environment, Tanzania, Matobola Mihale

Tanzania Journal of Science

Enrichment factor, geo-accumulation factor, contamination factor, degree of contamination, modified degree of contamination and potential contamination index were applied to assess the contamination of metals (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb ) in the Mtoni estuary sediments in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The sediment samples were sampled as appropriate, treated using established methods and analysed using inductively coupled plasma-high resonance mass spectrometry. The calculated enrichment factor values indicated contamination varying from minor (EF > 1) to severe contamination (EF > 50). The determined geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, degree of contamination, modified degree of contamination and potential contamination …

Traffic Noise And Sexual Selection: Studies Of Anthropogenic Impact On Bird Songs And Undergraduate Student Reasoning Of Evolutionary Mechanisms, Sarah Spier

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Humans have transformed much of the natural landscape and are continuing to do so at an accelerated rate, compromising natural areas that serve as important habitat for many species. Roads impact much of the environment as they fragment habitat and introduce traffic noise into the acoustic environment, deferentially affecting wildlife in roadside habitat. I explored how traffic noise affects the detection of birds based on whether their vocalizations were masked by traffic noise. Masked species detection was not affected by an increase in traffic noise amplitude, while there was a negative effect of traffic noise amplitude on unmasked species detection, …

Historical Floodplain Sedimentation Rates Using Mining Contaminant Profiles, Cesium-137, And Sediment Source Indicators Along The Lower Big River, Jefferson County, Missouri, Miranda M. Jordan

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Floodplain sedimentology and geochemistry can indicate the age of sediment layers to evaluate the history of human-caused sedimentation in a watershed. While the Ozark Highlands of Missouri has had a long history of settlement and land disturbance beginning in the early 1800s, there are few studies that have investigated the effects of these anthropogenic activities on river form and legacy sedimentation. The goal of this study is to characterize the sediment properties and geochemical trends in post-settlement floodplain deposits along lower Big River in Jefferson County, Missouri. This study evaluated trends of sediment properties at 3 cm intervals in a …

Geomorphic And Land Use Controls On Headwater Channel Morphology In Mark Twain National Forest, Grace F. Roman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Prescribed burning has been used over the past two decades to manage forests and restore shortleaf pine-oak woodlands in Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF). While soil studies have been completed, no assessments of burning practices on small drainage channel systems have yet been done. Headwater streams may account for more than two-thirds of total stream length and are important to the maintenance of hydrologic connectivity in watersheds. This study’s focus is on understanding the relationship between frequency of forest burning and channel morphology (size, shape, and substrate) of headwater streams (km²). A combination of field measurements, geo-processing methods, …

The Archaeology Of Mississippian Vulnerability And Resilience In The New Madrid Seismic Zone, Michelle Megan Rathgaber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the vulnerability and resilience of Mississippian people in the Central Mississippi Valley to the large-scale New Madrid seismic zone earthquakes of the late15th to early 16th century. This is done using the theory of eventful archaeology/anthropology to look at cultural materials both before and after an event (such as an earthquake and sand blows) to look for evidence of changes to the schema and resources on which a society relies. If changes are present, the event can be labeled as such, if there are no changes, it means that the society affected did not see the event …

Microbial Community, Functioning, And Its Relationship With Heavy Metals In An Urban Brownfield, Jay Prakash Singh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The ubiquity of urban brownfields presents a challenge for environmental managers for managing degraded ecosystems that are in close contact with human habitation. Presence of metal contaminants in brownfields further complicate the matters as it cannot be degraded and hence pose a high risk to human and environmental health, and well-being of the local community. However, previous studies indicate that management and restoration of brownfields are possible through the use of low input longer term and sustainable remediation approaches. These sustainable approaches include the use of plants, fungi, and bacteria to increase soil function and mitigate risks from the contaminants. …

Exploring The Role Of Evaporation And Precipitation Rates On Mangrove Island Morphology, Isamar M. CortéS

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mangroves are salt tolerant species of trees that grow in tropical and subtropical environments. Mangroves provide ecosystem services to societies along marine environments, including storm protection, coastal biodiversity, and blue carbon storage. However, as the importance of mangrove ecosystems has become clearer over recent years, their coverage has been reduced through mismanagement and climate impacts. For instance, in terms of climate warming, mangroves cannot survive under abnormally high rates of net evaporation when soil stressor concentrations (e.g., sulfate, sulfide) increase above threshold conditions. To study the effects of this climate driver phenomenon on mangrove islands, we are examining mangrove islands, …

Stratigraphic Interpretations Of Eocene Winona And Tallahatta Formations In The Duffee Quadrangle, Ms, Sydney Kennedy

Honors Theses

Outcrops and exposures of the Winona and Tallahatta formations in the Duffee Quadrangle in Newton and Lauderdale counties were mapped and analyzed. The rock type, composition, structures, and fossils were identified at each site; unit thicknesses were measured, and stratigraphic relationships were analyzed for available exposures. Using GPS coordinates, each site was mapped on Google Earth Pro. The data collected at each site, aerial photographs, and topographic maps were used to identify each formation. The variability between previous works and this study was analyzed. The primary rock type found in the Tallahatta Formation is siliciclastic silty claystone and sandstone; some …

Stable Isotope And Geochemical Characterization Of Nutrient Sources In The Big Creek Watershed Of Northwest Arkansas, Kelly Robin Sokolosky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The establishment of a concentrated animal-feeding operation (CAFO) in Newton County, Arkansas near Big Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo National River, has raised concern over potential degradation of water-quality in the watershed. In this study, isotopic tools were combined with standard geochemical approaches to characterize nutrient sources and dynamics in Big Creek. An isotopic and geochemical reference library of potential nutrient sources in the Big Creek watershed was established by direct sampling of representative potential sources, including septic-system effluent, poultry litter, swine and cattle manure, and CAFO waste lagoons. Representative nutrient sources and Big Creek stream samples were analyzed …

Drought Impacts Assessment In Brazil: A Remote Sensing Approach, Denis Mariano

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Climate extremes are becoming more frequent in Brazil; studies project an increase in drought occurrences in many regions of the country. In the south, drought events lead to crop yield losses affecting the value chain and, therefore, the local economy. In the northeast, extended periods of drought lead to potential land degradation, affecting the livelihood and hindering local development. In the southern Amazon, an area that experienced intense land use change (LUC) in the last, the impacts are even more complex, ranging from crop yield loss and forest resilience loss, affecting ecosystem health and putting a threat on the native …

Regime Detection Measures For The Practical Ecologist, Jessica L. Burnett

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Forecasting undesirable change is, arguably, the holy grail of ecology. Paired with an understanding of system interactions, a forecast is ideal if it provides reliable predictions in sufficient time to prevent or mitigate unwanted systemic change. Early warning systems (or early warning signals, early warning indicators) have been developed and tested for some ecological systems data, but have been mostly applied to marine fisheries time series and nutrient loadings in shallow lakes. Despite the numerous quantitative methods proposed for identifying or forecasting regime shifts in ecological data, few are used in practice. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of the …

Nitrate Removal And Placement Of Floating Treatment Wetlands In The Midwest, Mary G. Keilhauer

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Midwestern United States is vulnerable to eutrophic conditions from high nutrient concentrations. Recommendations for nonpoint source pollution management include runoff treatment (i.e., filter strips, riparian buffers) and in-situ lake treatment practices (i.e., aluminum sulfate (alum) treatments, aeration, up/downdraft pumping, floating treatment wetlands). Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are an innovative wetland design for nutrient removal from nonpoint sources and provide a unique in-situ treatment. Best management practice studies have commonly focused on adjacent to water practices, which have resulted in a gap for guidance for in-situ treatment placement and design. Therefore, the objectives of this project were to (1) Quantify …

Assessing Bioavailability, Metal Fractionation, Magnetic Susceptibility, And Organic Matter Interactivity In Mine-Waste Contaminated Sediments In Turkey Creek, Joplin, Missouri, Zachary Joseph Collette

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Joplin, Missouri, part of the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), has a long history of mining that resulted in mine waste piles proximal to the mines throughout the area. A local lead smelter also resulted in smelter fallout in Joplin. Mine waste pile runoff and local smelter fallout resulted in contamination of sediments, soils, and waterways. In the 1990s, remediation of residential soils and play areas began after blood lead levels in children were much higher than the national average. Soon afterwards, the chat piles were removed and used for beneficial reuse purposes. In May of 2011, an EF5 tornado devastated …