Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Variability In Planetary Boundary Layer Height Over Thailand: Correlations With Enso And Aerosol Optical Depth, Sirapong Sooktawee, Khwanruthai Renuhom, Siriwan Kaewket, Aduldech Patpai, Pramet Kaewmesri, Thongchai Kanabkaew, Pichnaree Lalitaporn

Applied Environmental Research

Thailand has been facing air pollution, e.g., PM2.5, and impacts from climate phenomena, e.g., the El Niño‒Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Both air pollution and climate interact with each other. Changes in the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) can affect PM2.5, represented by the aerosol optical depth (AOD), and are influenced by ENSO related to changes in the PBLH. The relationships among the PBLH, ENSO, and AOD were investigated via an empirical orthogonal function (EOF), which decomposes the spatiotemporal data of the PBLH into spatial patterns and corresponding time series. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between the PBL variability …

Nationwide Household Food Waste Generation Rates In Rural And Urban Settings: Evidence In Thailand, Vilasinee Krutprong, Chanathip Pharino

Applied Environmental Research

To achieve sustainable development goals, addressing food waste requires evidence-based solutions grounded in a nuanced understanding of waste generation rates and the factors influencing them. This study explores the intricate dynamics of food waste generation in Thai households, encompassing both liquid and solid waste streams. Empirical data were collected from 2,700 diverse households across urban and rural areas over a four-week period. The study revealed an average food waste generation rate of 0.332±0.003 kg per capita per day when liquids were included and 0.228± 0.002 kg per capita per day when liquids were excluded. Surprisingly, rural households generated more food …

The Role Of Remittances In Economic Growth And Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-Country Analysis, Bishnu B. Khatri, Omkar Poudel, Pradeep Acharya

Applied Environmental Research

Although remittances significantly influence economic stability, their role in sustainable growth and environmental impact remains uncertain. While these financial inflows enhance household welfare, their effects on gross domestic product (GDP), carbon emissions, and trade openness require further exploration. This study investigates the economic and environmental linkages of remittances in India, Mexico, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan, the top five remittance-receiving countries. Using panel data analysis, this study employs Dumitrescu Hurlin causality tests and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) to assess the long-term and causal relationships between urbanization, trade openness, GDP per capita, carbon emissions, and remittances. Data from the World …

Macroplastic Characteristics And Assessment Of The Plastic Abundance Index (Pai) Of Beach Sediments In Prigi Bay, East Java, Indonesia, Adinda P.A. Nevandhra, Seftiawan S. Rijal, Syarifah H.J. Sari, Defri Yona

Applied Environmental Research

Macroplastics, defined as plastic debris ranging from 2.5 to 100 cm, pose significant threats to aquatic ecosystems, as they can breakdown into smaller particles. These materials are widely dispersed across marine environments, including coastal areas. This study aimed to compare and assess the abundance of macroplastics in the foreshore and backshore zones of four beaches around Prigi Bay, East Java, Indonesia, via the plastic abundance index (PAI). Macro-plastics were collected via a 5×5 m quadrat transect method. The results revealed that single-use plastics, particularly packaging and sachets, dominated both zones, accounting for 86% and 91% of the total number of …

Applying Radom Forest And Support Vector Machine For Land-Use Classification In Phu Giao District Vietnam, Trong Dieu Hien Le, Linh Truong Vinh

Applied Environmental Research

Machine learning algorithms are currently widely used to classify satellite images to create surface maps of the earth. Support vector machines (SVMs) and random forests (RFs) are more effective ML algorithms and more accurate classifications than other methods. The aim of this study is to analyze the performance of these two algorithms in land-use and land cover classification. For this purpose, the Landsat 8 OLI satellite image freely provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was used to classify land use in the Phu Giao District, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam, where forestland is being strongly converted into rubber plantations …

The Use Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Water Quality Index Prediction In The Sai Gon River, Vietnam, Thuy Nguyen Thi Diem, Mai Nguyen Thi Huynh, Tra Tran Quang

Applied Environmental Research

Accurate prediction of the water quality index (WQI) lays the groundwork for integrated river basins and sustainable water resource management. Recent and accelerated advances in machine learning have led to various promising applications in water quality assessment. The present study leverages the predictive performance of several ML algorithms, including extreme gradient boosting (XGB), the gradient boosting model (GBM), support vector regression (SVR), and the radial basic function (RBF), to predict the WQI at three monitoring sites on the Sai Gon River from 2015–2019. In comparison, the results indicate that the XGB model outperforms the other models when eight parameters, including …

Kinetics Of Hexavalent Chromium Adsorption And Reduction By Living Cells Of The Marine Bacterium Bacillus Cereus, Jittima Charoenpanich, Wachiraphorn Cherdchoo, Jutamas Pantab, Jariya Supakrit

Applied Environmental Research

This study identified Bacillus cereus, an efficient Cr(VI) bioreducer, isolated from marine sediment in Thailand. Batch experiments verified the complete removal of 25 mg L-1Cr(VI) from synthetic wastewater (pH 7.0) after 6 days at 37 °C, 50 rpm,and a biomass concentration of 25% (v/v) culture inoculum. The Freundlich isotherm model demonstrated the best correlation with the Cr(VI) adsorption equilibrium data in the 25–100 mg L-1concentration range (R2= 0.9831). Kinetic analyses indicated that the removal of Cr(VI) by living B. cereusfollowed a pseudo-second-order adsorption model (R2= 0.9875) and a pseudo-second-order reduction model (R2= 0.9807). The adsorption rate can be accuratelycharacterizedvia the …

40 Years Passing By In (A) “Heartbeat”, Christopher Janney

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This article outlines the forty-year history go Christopher Janney’s iconic performance work “HeartBeat.” Trained as an architect and jazz musician, Janney combines these two disciplines to create large interactive light/sound installations and performances. On the one hand, he attempts to make architecture more like music, more “alive” using real-time sensing devices as on his “Harmonic Convergence” installation on the Miami International Airport. On the other hand, he attempts to make music more like architecture, more physical more visual. In his “HeartBeat” performance, a dancer wears a heartbeat device that amplifies his/her heartbeat in “real time.” Over this pulse, live musicians …

Yoga Sūtra Book Four And The Yogabindu, Christopher Key Chapple

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Four themes from the fourth pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra are examined here: karma (IV:2-13), individuality (IV:16), humility (IV:20-22), and freedom (IV:29-34). Affirmations and variant interpretations of these four are provided from Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu, most likely composed a century or two later.

Collective Karma: From The Yogasūtra To Taylor Swift, Zoë Slatoff

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The Indian knowledge traditions speak at length about karma, which is divided into three categories—accumulated (saṃcita), ripe (prārabdha), and future (kriyamāṇa). While much is said about our individual karma and how it affects our repeated reincarnation in cyclic existence, how does this affect others and how do others affect us? In other words, as this paper explores, what is our reciprocal and collective karma?

Painting Liberation: A Visual Ontology Of The Interplay Of Mind And Consciousness In Book Four Of The Yoga Sūtras, Melissa Townsend

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This presentation explores how artistic practice can illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of mind, consciousness, and liberation as articulated in Book Four of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Through a series of paintings that visually translate these sūtras, I propose that art offers a unique, experiential means of engaging with the complex relationship between citta (mind) and puruṣa (consciousness).

The paintings function as a form of “visual ontology,” inviting viewers to engage with abstract philosophical concepts in a sensory, tangible way. By depicting the interplay between the mutable processes of the mind and the unchanging awareness of consciousness, these …

Global Strategies To Manage Huanglongbing (Hlb) And Its Vectors: Insights And Implications For The Mediterranean Region, Meritxell Pérez-Hedo, Mark S. Hoddle, Fernando Alferez, Lochy Batista, George A.C. Beattie, Shourish Chakravarty, Paul Holford, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, Inusa Jacob Ajene, Aruna Manrakhan, Paul H. Fourie, Maritza Luis, Eduardo Osorio-Hernández, Mamoudou Sétamou, Alejandro Tena, Pedro Takao Yamamoto, Tara Wade, Changyong Zhou, Nian Wang, Lukasz L. Stelinski, Alberto Urbaneja

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, poses a severe threat to the global citrus industry. This disease is caused by three species of bacteria, ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, ‘C. L. africanus’, and ‘C. L. ameri-canus’. The primary pathogen vectors are the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and the African citrus psyllid (Trioza erytreae Del Guercio, Hemiptera: Triozidae). The disease is incurable, and its management relies on reducing vector densities and the adverse effects of bacterial infections on host trees. Managing psyllid vec-tors, especially D. citri, has proven exceptionally challenging due to its rapid spread and subsequent …

Generation Z’S Perception Of Skin Cancer And How It Relates To Climate Change, Piercen Bogolea

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, and climate change has been identified as a significant contributor. Preventative action early on can help reduce occurrence, but it is unknown if Generation Z is aware of this and is taking the necessary action now to protect themselves. This research aims to gauge the perception of Generation Z on the severity of skin cancer, the relationship between climate change and skin cancer, and the prevalence of preventative measures being taken. A survey was distributed to students aged 18 to 27 enrolled at the University of Central Florida through mixed sampling. The …

Navigating Wastewater: Minnesota Mining Wastewater Permit Challenges And Evolving Compliance Standards, Madelaine Adamich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

February of 2021 marked the beginning of Minnesota clearly establishing that groundwater qualifies as a Class 1 water in a legal battle involving United States Steel, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, WaterLegacy, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and eventually the Minnesota Supreme Court (MNSC). Minnesota has a water classification system, as required by the federal Clean Water Act, with 7 classes of use. Class 1 waters are waters used for domestic consumption (MPCA 4, n.d.). According to Minnesota Statute § 7050.0220, the acceptable level for sulfate is 250 mg/L in Class 1 …

Usu Extension Sustainability Permaculture Initiative: 2025 Impact Report, Natalia Bustos, Roslynn Brain Mccann, Jake Powell

Extension Research

• Permaculture Statistics
• Harvest Donations (Organic)
• Participant Response
• 2025 Monthly Educational Events
• Publications
• USU Extension Workshops & Events

Chromium Removal From Tannery Wastewater Via A Hydroponic Technique With Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Zizanioides), Ismot Zereen, Zainul Abedin, Siddikur Rahman, Debasish Pandit

Applied Environmental Research

This research aimed to investigate the effects of hydroponically cultivated vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the treatment of tannery wastewater for chromium (Cr) removal in Bangladesh. The field experiment involved 9 containers, which were separated into 3 groups: tannery wastewater with hydroponically planted vetiver, tannery wastewater without vetiver (control), and a group with vetiver grown in tap water. The tap water group was used solely for plant growth assessment, whereas only the control and hydroponic vetiver groups were evaluated for Cr and water quality parameters. Throughout the 45-day trial period, Cr and other water quality parameters were analyzed …

Government Support And Local Residents’ Behavior In E-Waste Management: Evidence From Thailand, Peeranart Kiddee, Somsiri Decharat, Suttiporn Bunmak

Applied Environmental Research

Electronic waste (e-waste) management is a critical global pollution concern. This study investigates government support; local residents' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to e-waste management; and collaborative governance in southern Thailand. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research involves expert government officers who are well versed in e-waste management and local residents. The study utilized in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and workshops. The results revealed that the government is responsible for four e-waste management approaches, encompassing various e-waste collection, transportation, and disposal methods. Local residents exhibited low perceptions of e-waste news but possessed substantial knowledge and positive attitudes toward e-waste …

Microplastic Contamination In Commercially Important Bivalves Of Sorsogon Bay, Philippines, Sarina M.B. Arciga, Charmaine A. Malon, Kenneth N. Ballaran

Applied Environmental Research

Sorsogon Bay, a key fishing ground in the Philippines, is known for its commercially important bivalve species: Perna viridis, Atrina pectinata, and Paphia undulata. Despite their ecological and economic value, limited research has been conducted on microplastic contamination in bivalves harvested from this area. This study aimed to assess the abundance and types of microplastics in commercially important bivalves (P. viridis, A. pectinata, and P. undulata) from Sorsogon Bay, Philippines. Commercial bivalve samples were randomly collected, digested with 10% w/v potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, filtered (8 µm), and examined under a compound microscope. …

Sediment Grain Size Analysis And Characteristics Of Sedimentation Processes In The Bang Berd-Khao Tham Thong Beach, Chumphon Province, Rawadee Meeprasit, Sujaree Bureekul, Suriyan Saramul

Applied Environmental Research

This study investigated the sedimentological characteristics of the Bang Berd-Khao Tham Thong beach system, which is located along the western shore of the central Gulf of Thailand, an area that is minimally disturbed by human activity and is ideal for studying natural coastal processes. Sediment samples were collected from both coastal and marine environments across four sampling periods (July 2022, September 2022, April 2023, and June 2023). The analysis focused on the grain size distribution, sorting, skewness, kurtosis, and sediment composition, revealing a predominance of medium sand in coastal sediments and increased silt and clay contents in marine sediments. The …

Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Via Dempster-Shafer, Statistical Index, And Certainty Factor Models In Gis And Their Comparison At Pidie Recency In Aceh, Indonesia, Septianto Aldiansyah, Amniar Ati, Fitriyani Saudi

Applied Environmental Research

Landslides are natural disasters that are active if there is an interaction of environmental factors that are considered to control them, especially in mountainous areas. This study developed a landslide susceptibility map in Pidie Regency via the Dempster-Shafer (DS), statistical index (SI), and certainty factor (CF) models. A total of 957 landslide events were mapped, 70% of which were used for modeling, whereas the remaining events were used to validate the model output. Fourteen layers of conditioning factors were used: elevation, slope, aspect, curvature, TWI, SPI, STI, NDVI, rainfall, distance from river, distance from road, distance from fault, LULC, and …

Exploration Of Indigeneous Biosurfactant-Producing Bacillus Sp. From Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil In Indonesia, Rizky Danang Susetyo, Wahyu Wilopo, Suwarno Hadisusanto, Endah Retnaningrum

Applied Environmental Research

Hydrocarbonolastic bacteria are valuable for the remediation of petroleum-polluted environments. The production of biosurfactants by such bacteria significantly enhances hydrocarbon bioavailability and increases remediation efficiency. One genus of hydrocarbonolastic bacteria with the potential to produce biosurfactants is Bacillus, yet strain-level diversity and local adaptations remain underexplored.Tthis study aimed to isolate and characterize hydrocarbonolastic bacteria belonging to the Bacillus genus from soil samples collected at Geopetroleum Teksas Wonocolo, Kedewan District, Bojonegoro Regency, Indonesia, which is a historically underreported hydrocarbon site. Additionally, the capacity of Bacillus to synthesize biosurfactants was examined. Bacillus strains capable of biosur-factant production were identified via a polyphasic …

Artificial Intelligence And Environmental Sustainability: Review And Research Directions, Troy Strader, Yu-Hsiang (John) Huang, Yu-Ju Tu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Environmental sustainability is one of the most important and complex issues currently facing our global society. One solution to some aspects of this problem could come from artificially intelligent systems and data analytics methods. The objective for this study is to identify the range of recently published research that addresses issues involving the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental sustainability. A systematic literature review produced a sample of 62 journal articles from 2018-2024 that were each categorized into one of six research themes that included studies of AI and the ways in which it impacted natural resources, energy and …

The Sustainability Of The Outdoor Recreation Industry: Studied Through Mountaineering In Teton County, Wy, Samantha Olstein

Student Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Verification Of Real-Time Smoke Simulations: A Case Study On Early Summer North American Wildfire Events, Daniel Bonilla

Pitzer Senior Theses

As wildfire intensity and frequency escalate in times of unprecedented climate change and severe droughts, it is important to enhance forecasting models that accurately and efficiently predict wildfire smoke movement. NOAA’s experimental Rapid-Refresh Forecasting System with Smoke and Dust (RRFS-SD) aims to improve upon the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh- Smoke (HRRR-Smoke), by extending the domain to include all of North America and incorporating new developments in physics and wildfire parameterizations. Our work explores the process of adding satellite Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data, through AERONET, as an additional method of verification of the RRFS-SD experimental model. Using a case study on …

Identifying The Spread Of Invasive Jumping Worms Across Maine’S Forests Using Soil Edna, Rebecca Wanger

Honors Theses

Jumping worms of the Megascolecidae family are invasive earthworms from East Asia that have been spreading across the United States since the late 1800s (Chang et al., 2021). Recently, the earthworms have gained more attention for their expansion into northeastern states, as they are believed to have negative impacts on the soil biogeochemistry, flora, and fauna of these forest ecosystems that have had no native earthworms given the recent nature of the Last Glacial Maximum (~11,000 yrs ago; Bohlen et al. 2004; McCay et al. 2020). The earthworms are distinguished by their thrashing behaviors, milky-white smooth clitellum, and evenly spaced …

Into Thick Air: Adapting Cultural Practices Into Solutions For Modern Wicked Problems, Syed Muhammad Erzum Naqvi

Theses and Dissertations

Into Thick Air argues that cultural practices can inspire solutions

to challenging modern problems. This project employs the Basant

festival as a case study to critically reimagine kite flying as a

collective practice with the potential to contribute to the reduction

of air pollution in Lahore, a city consistently ranked among those

with the poorest air quality globally. By building kites from fabric

treated with nanoparticle coatings, Into Thick Air transforms a

traditional community activity into an accessible, citizen-driven

method for removing pollutants from the air. The treated kites

empower Lahoris to take charge of their environment while

encouraging collective …

Usf St. Petersburg Campus Water Refill Station Inventory Readme, Carolyn Mazur, Theresa G. Burress

Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) Water Refill Stations

ReadMe file supporting the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus Water Refill Station dataset.

A Collaborative Assessment Of Coastal Ocean Acidification Monitoring In Maine & Standard Operating Procedures And Best Practices For The Collection Of Continuous Ph Data In Coastal Marine Environments, Christopher W. Hunt, Curtis Bohlen, Mike Doan, Jeremy Miller

Faculty Publications

The ‘Sensor Squad’ of the Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative is the product of a 2023 Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Action Fund grant to conduct “A two-year pilot project designed to address and overcome technological barriers to ocean acidification data collection, develop protocols to elevate quality assurance and ensure comparable data, and meet regularly to discuss project results and data compilation”. The Squad consists of representatives from Friends of Casco Bay (FOCB), Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (WNERR), and the University of New Hampshire (UNH). This report is a summary of their efforts to assess affordable, repeatable means of continuously …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

Lead Bioaccessibility And Commonly Measured Soil Characteristics (Detroit, Mi, Usa) Phase Ii, Conor T. Gowan, Sabrina R. Good, Allison R. Harris, Patrick Crouch, Shawn P. Mcelmurry

Open Data at Wayne State

Urban soil contaminated with anthropogenic sources of Pb is a major contributor to child Pb exposure. To assess the Pb risk in urban areas, composite samples were collected from 142 voluntary privately owned 142 residential parcels in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, Michigan. Samples were collected at two time periods, before and after treatment applied for those denoted as treatment sites. Samples were collected from areas covered with turf grass on the parcels from the front, middle and rear sections. Soils were collected with a bulb planter at approximately 10cm depth and were cleaned with a tap water-Liquinox detergent solution …