Digital Commons Network^™

Improvement Of Biochar Through Ozonization And Biosafety Of Genetically Engineered Cyanobacteria, Oumar Sacko

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Through the innovative technique of biochar post-production surface oxygenation by ozonization, we were able to improve certain properties of biochar. In project one, the incubation of an insoluble phosphate rock material (hydroxyapatite) with the wet ozonized pine 400 biochar and its filtrate resulted in a solubilization of 80 times more phosphate from hydroxyapatite (569.0 mg/L ± 6.4) compared to the pure water-hydroxyapatite control (7.2 mg/L ± 0.3). The ozonized biochar may provide a new possible way to unlock the phosphorus from insoluble phosphate mineral phases. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a key property of biochar when used as a …

Bioethanol Production: Glucose Testing And Quantification Using Dns Analysis And Addition Analytical Methods, Dineen Vogler, Barnabas Gikonyo

McNair Scholars Program

The search for alternative ways to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly source of energy, other than fossil fuels, has been ongoing for many years. Particularly, the production of biofuels has become of interest. One effort has been through the creation of first-generation biofuels that curb greenhouse gas emissions, unlike fossil fuels. However, first generation biofuels lead to the increase in food prices which negatively impacts developing countries, as they use food sources to produce biofuel. To mitigate this issue, second generation biofuels are considered as a better alternative. Instead of hindering the food supply, second generation biofuels aim …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Community Engagement Plan For Remedial Design & Remedial Action, The Langdon Group, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Flood Hazard Mapping And Assessment Of Precipitation Monitoring System Using Gis-Based Morphometric Analysis And Trmm Data: A Case Study Of The Wadi Qena Watershed, Egypt, Wael M. Elsadek, Wael E. Mahmod, Mona G. Ibrahim

Applied Environmental Research

Wadi Qena is one of the Nile Valley areas particularly at risk of severe flash flooding, located in Egypt. The study aims to verify TRMM rainfall data (TRMM 3B42), using eight stations across Egypt as well as relies on morphometric analysis to generate a flood risk map based on the ranking method. Three process could be recognized through the study, calibration, correction and verification processes. The results discuss the match daily rainfall trends of TRMM and observed data, producing a correction equation for TRMM data with root mean square error (RMSE) value of 0.837 mm d-1 and R2= 0.238 (calibration …

Impact Of Riverside Drains On Surface-Water And Ground Water Interactions In The Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico: Implications To The Sustainability Of Native Cottonwoods (Populus Deltoides Ssp. Wislizenii) And Native Species, Gerardo Rodriguez

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The Middle Rio Grande riparian zone, named the Bosque, provides cultural, aesthetic, environmental, recreational, and historical value to the residents of the Middle Rio Grande valley. Most of the Bosque has not experienced successful native cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii) recruitment since the completion of the Cochiti reservoir and most of the Bosque cottonwood forest is senescing. This decline of the native species in the Bosque can be attributed to highly managed hydrology of the riparian zone. The levees and agricultural drains managed by the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD), that borders both sides of the river, also affect …

Range-Wide Declines Of Northern Spotted Owl Populations In The Pacific Northwest: A Meta-Analysis, Alan B. Franklin, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin Bown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M. Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M. Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W. Lamphear, Christopher Mccafferty, Trent L. Mcdonald, Janice A. Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G. Sovern, James K. Swingle, Heather Wise

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) inhabits older coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest and has been at the center of forest management issues in this region. The immediate threats to this federally listed species include habitat loss and competition with barred owls (Strix varia), which invaded from eastern North America. We conducted a prospective meta-analysis to assess population trends and factors affecting those trends in northern spotted owls using 26 years of survey and capture-recapture data from 11 study areas across the owls' geographic range to analyze demographic traits, rates of population change, and occupancy parameters for spotted …

2021 Btl O&M Events Log, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2021 Btl O&M Events Log, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Deep-Sea Biodiversity At The Extremes Of The Salas Y Gómez And Nazca Ridges With Implications For Conservation, Alan M. Friedlander, Whitney Goodell, Jonatha Giddens, Erin E. Easton, Daniel Wagner

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Salas y Gómez and Nazca ridges are underwater mountain chains that stretch across 2,900 km in the southeastern Pacific and are recognized for their high biodiversity value and unique ecological characteristics. Explorations of deep-water ecosystems have been limited in this region, and elsewhere globally. To characterize community composition of mesophotic and deep-sea demersal fauna at seamounts in the region, we conducted expeditions to Rapa Nui (RN) and Salas y Gómez (SyG) islands in 2011 and Desventuradas Islands in 2013. Remote autonomous baited-cameras were used to conduct stationary video surveys between 150–1,850 m at RN/SyG (N = 20) and 75–2,363 …

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Fire Suppression And Ignition With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Carrick Detweiler, Sebastian Elbaum, James Higgins, Christian Laney, Craig Allen, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Evan Michale Beachly

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be configured for fire suppression and ignition. In some examples, the UAV includes an aerial propulsion system, an ignition system, and a control system. The ignition system includes a container of delayed-ignition balls and a dropper configured by virtue of one or more motors to actuate and drop the delayed-ignition balls. The control system is configured to cause the UAV to fly to a site of a prescribed burn and, while flying over the site of the prescribed burn, actuate one or more of the delayed-ignition balls. After actuating the one or more delayed-ignition …

Individual Exposure Potential Assessment For Livestock Based On Spatial-Temporal Analysis Of Gps Data And Behavior Patterns Classification In Cove Wash Watershed, Arizona, Zhuoming Liu

Geography ETDs

This thesis examined the geospatial and temporal grazing patterns of domesticated livestock to model individual-level exposure potential to abandoned uranium mine (AUM) waste in a tribal community in the Southwest United States. Lotek Litetrack Global Positioning System (GPS) collars collected data at 20-minute-intervals for 2 flocks of sheep and goats during the Spring and Summer of 2019. Depending on the flock and individual animals, tracking time ranges from 10 days to four months. This research developed a GIS-based exposure potential framework that built on existing methodologies in time geography, GIS, and exposure mapping. This thesis aims to: 1) classify GPS …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2021 Final Reclaimed Areas Maintenance And Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) – 2021, Mike Mcanulty, Eric Hassler

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Targeted Processing Method For Seismic Data Of Karst Caves And Goafs In Nanchuan Area, Meng Qingli, Ren Junxing, Yang Fan

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to solve the problem of poor imaging effect of near surface karst cave and goaf location seismic data in seismic exploration, this paper summarizes the frequency, energy and signal-to-noise ratio characteristics of seismic data in this area using forward modeling combined with actual data analysis. On this basis, a set of corresponding processing methods are proposed, including micro log constrained tomography static correction, weak signal extraction and compensation, pre-stack five dimensional data regularization and structure constrained grid tomography velocity modeling. Through the application in Nanchuan area, the signal-to-noise ratio and wave group continuity of seismic data are obviously …

Experimental Study On Multi-Scale Pore Structure Characteristics Of Tar-Rich Coal In Yushenfu Mining Area, Shen Yanjun, Wang Xu, Zhao Chunhu, Wang Shengquan, Guo Chen, Shi Qingmin, Ma Wen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Extracting oil and refining gas from oil-rich coal is an important measure to make up for the shortage of oil and gas supply in China. The research on pore development characteristics and permeability of tar-rich coal will help to better develop and utilize tar-rich coal. Taking the tar-rich coal in Yushenfu mining area as the research object, this paper studies the multi-scale pore structure and the whole segment pore characterization of tar-rich coal by such methods as low-temperature liquid nitrogen adsorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance and gas permeability measurement method. Based on the test results of multi-scale pore …

Borehole-Roadway Seismic-While-Mining Tomography Using Correlation Time Difference, Wang Yunhong, Wang Baoli, Cheng Jianyuan, Cui Weixiong, Jin Dan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Using shearer as a source, seismic-while-mining(SWM) technology has realized dynamic, accurate and green intelligent detection in fully mechanized mining faces, and can be used to detect static geological anomaly and dynamic mining geological disasters within the work face. Conventional SWM observation system has the defect of blind area. To solve this problem, a new observation system with detectors installed in both roadway and within boreholes are proposed, which effectively improved the imaging range. Based on seismic interferometry principle, using frequency domain correlation algorithm, this paper turns the SWM signal to explosive source signal, and computes the equivalent shot sets. In …

The Development Of A Single-Component Non-Cable Seismograph In Underground Coal Mines, Li Yuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

In-seam wave seismic exploration, featured in wide detection range and high accuracy, plays an increasingly important role in the refined exploration of coal geological structures. However, most seismic exploration equipment is bulky, with a large number of cables are laid in construction, leading to low efficiency and high construction cost. This seriously restricts the development of high-precision in-seam wave seismic exploration technology in underground coal mines. Based on the design concept of nodal seismograph, the moving coil geophone is integrated into a complete cavity with the acquisition and control circuit, the time precision keeping circuit and the power supply circuit. …

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Bpsou Final Reclaimed Areas Maintenance And Monitoring Qapp - 2021, Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

A Global Dataset Of Atmospheric 7be And 210pb Measurements: Annual Air Concentration And Depositional Flux, Fule Zhang, Jinlong Wang, Mark Baskaran, Qiangqiang Zhong, Yali Wang, Jussi Paatero, Jinzhou Du

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

7Be and 210Pb air concentration and depositional flux data provide key information on the origins and movements of air masses, as well as atmospheric deposition processes and residence time of aerosols. After their deposition onto the Earth's surface, they are utilized for tracing soil redistribution processes on land, particle dynamics in aquatic systems, and mixing processes in open ocean. Here we present a global dataset of air concentration and depositional flux measurements of atmospheric 7Be and 210Pb made by a large number of global research communities. Data were collected from published papers between 1955 and early 2020. It includes the …

Revisiting The Use Of Red And Near-Infrared Reflectances In Vegetation Studies And Numerical Climate Models, Garik Gutman, Sergii Skakun, Anatoly Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Surface reflectance data acquired in red and near-infrared spectra by remote sensing sensors are traditionally applied to construct various vegetation indices (VIs), which are related to vegetation biophysical parameters. Most VIs use pre-defined weights (usually equal to 1) for the red and NIR reflectance values, therefore constraining particular weights for red and NIR during the VI design phase, and potentially limiting capabilities of the VI to explain an independent variable. In this paper, we propose an approach to estimate biophysical variables, such as Leaf Area Index (LAI), Canopy Chlorophyll Content (CCC) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) absorbed by …

Air Temperature Equation Derived From Sonic Temperature And Water Vapor Mixing Ratio For Air Flow Sampled Through Closed-Path Eddy-Covariance Flux Systems, Xinhua Zhou, Tian Gao, Eugene S. Takle, Xiaojie Zhen, Andrew E. Suyker, Tala Awada, Jane Okalebo, Jiaojun Zhu

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Air temperar (T) plays a fundamental role in many aspects of the flux exchanges between the atmosphere and ecosystems. Additionally, it is critical to know where (in relation to other essential measurements) and at what frequency T must be measured to accurately describe such exchanges. In closed-path eddy-covariance (CPEC) flux systems, T can be computed from the sonic temperature (T_s) and water vapor mixing ratio that are measured by the fast-response senosrs of three-dimensional sonic anemometer and infrared gas analyzer, respectively. T then is computed by use of either T = T_s( 1+0.51 q …

The Contribution Of Mining Sector To Sustainable Development In Saudi Arabia, Mourad Zmami, Ousama Ben-Salha, Sultan O. Almarshad, Houyem Chekki

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The mining sector development is among the priorities of the Saudi Vision 2030. There is currently a lot of interest in the role of the mining sector in Saudi Arabia. This research contributes to this debate by empirically assessing the effects of mining on sustainable development in Saudi Arabia during the period 1980-2018. Unlike many previous studies, the three sustainable development dimensions, namely economic, social, and environmental, are jointly considered. The cointegration analysis, based on the ARDL, Gregory-Hansen, and combined cointegration tests, confirms the existence of long-run relationships between mining and all sustainable development dimensions. Furthermore, the findings lend substantial …

Groundwater Level Assessment And Prediction In The Nebraska Sand Hills Using Lidar-Derived Lake Water Level, Nawaraj Shrestha, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Aaron R. Young, Troy E. Gilmore, David C. Gosselin, Yi Qi, Caner Zeyrek

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The spatial variability of groundwater levels is often inferred from sparsely located hydraulic head observations in wells. The spatial correlation structure derived from sparse observations is associated with uncertainties that spread to estimates at unsampled locations. In areas where surface water represents the nearby groundwater level, remote sensing techniques can estimate and increase the number of hydraulic head measurements. This research uses light detection and ranging (LIDAR) to estimate lake surface water level to characterize the groundwater level in the Nebraska Sand Hills (NSH), an area with few observation wells. The LIDAR derived lake groundwater level accuracy was within 40 …

A Quantitative Validation Of Multi-Modal Image Fusion And Segmentation For Object Detection And Tracking, Nicholas Lahaye, Michael J. Garay, Brian D. Bue, Hesham El-Askary, Erik Linstead

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In previous works, we have shown the efficacy of using Deep Belief Networks, paired with clustering, to identify distinct classes of objects within remotely sensed data via cluster analysis and qualitative analysis of the output data in comparison with reference data. In this paper, we quantitatively validate the methodology against datasets currently being generated and used within the remote sensing community, as well as show the capabilities and benefits of the data fusion methodologies used. The experiments run take the output of our unsupervised fusion and segmentation methodology and map them to various labeled datasets at different levels of global …

Mapping Plastic Pollution In The Amite Watershed, Louisiana, Gourav Divan

LSU Master's Theses

Microplastics have quickly emerged as a concerning pollutant in both freshwater and marine environments. Their recent discovery means that their impacts are still being studied, however, it is important to continuously monitor their concentrations. An important conduit of plastic pollution to marine environments are rivers and streams. Previous models have estimated the transport of plastics from land to sea in many parts of the world. Most of these models, however, have been conducted at coarse spatial resolutions that make it difficult to establish tractable management programs to minimize this impact. Here, a previously existing model was applied to model for …

Contemporary Challenges And Opportunities For The Management Of Bird Damage At Field Crop Establishment, Christophe Sausse, Alice Baux, Michel Bertrand, Elsa Bonnaud, Sonia Canavelli, Alexandra Destrez, Page E. Klug, Lourdes Olivera, Ethel Rodriguez, Guilllermo Tellechea, Sebastian Zuil

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird damage, from sowing to crop establishment, is an important issue for farmers in many parts of the world. However, reliable and cost-effective solutions remain elusive because management tools and research on the subject are limited. The spatial variability of damage across landscapes and the adaptative behaviour of birds create further challenges. Additionally, the issue must be tackled at the landscape scale and involve a variety of stakeholders with conflicting interests and objectives. We summarize some of the challenges and opportunities identified to face these difficulties and address four major research directions for operational solutions including 1) crop damage assessment, …

Not Approved For Human Consumption: A Study Of The Denmark Water Crisis, A Call For Reforming The Swda, And A Demand For Community Lawyering In Rural America, Matthew Woodward

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

Over the past four decades, nine million Americans have ingested dangerous drinking water from a trusted source: their own taps. Each year, “an estimated 16.4 million cases of acute gastroenteritis” are linked to public drinking water. For many Americans, drinking water—perhaps the most important cornerstone of human health—has become cause for concern.

In Flint, Michigan, this concern turned to panic. In 2014, after toddlers began developing painful skin conditions, children fell seriously ill, and tap water emerged in the form of thick, orange-brown sludge, the people of Flint began to wonder: is there something in the water? What soon became …

Cubesats Deliver New Insights Into Agricultural Water Use At Daily And 3 M Resolutions, Bruno Aragon, Matteo G. Ziliani, Rasmus Houborg, Trenton E. Franz, Matthew F. Mccabe

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Earth observation has traditionally required a compromise in data collection. That is, one could sense the Earth with high spatial resolution occasionally; or with lower spatial fidelity regularly. For many applications, both frequency and detail are required. Precision agriculture is one such example, with sub-10 m spatial, and daily or sub-daily retrieval representing a key goal. Towards this objective, we produced the first cloud-free 3 m daily evaporation product ever retrieved from space, leveraging recently launched nano-satellite constellations to showcase this emerging potential. Focusing on three agricultural fields located in Nebraska, USA, high-resolution crop water use estimates are delivered via …

Engineered Nanostructured Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Network (Ndc) Electrodes With Unprecedented Cycling Stability For Water Capacitive Deionization In Harsh Conditions, Soha Essam Anwar

Theses and Dissertations

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a feasible low-cost desalination technique for low-to-medium (brackish) salinity water. However, cycling stability and regeneration of the CDI electrodes are the bottlenecks hindering the practical application of the technology on large scale. Oxidation of the electrodes during the sequential adsorption-desorption processes is one of the most challenging problems hindering their long-term cycling performance. Herein, we demonstrated the ability to design and fabricate exceptionally stable CDI electrodes via a one-pot pyrolysis protocol. The optimized pyrolysis of nitrogen-carbon precursors at different temperatures enabled the fabrication of carbon materials with a controlled amount nitrogen dopant (NDCs) with exceptional cycling …