Digital Commons Network^™

A Visualization-Supported, Hierarchical, Action-Learning Model For Driving Behavior In A V2x Environment, Xuantong Wang, Jing Li, Jecca Bowen

Geography and the Environment: Faculty Scholarship

Understanding human driving decisions is crucial for intelligent transportation research. Most existing studies focus on individual vehicles in limited contexts, which restricts broader applicability of results. Leveraging Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) infrastructure, this study introduces a machine learning framework to model driving actions and detect outliers across diverse environments. This approach features a semantically enabled clustering method that groups similar driving behaviors based on speed and actions. It also adds a time-series learning model to identify typical driving behaviors across various contexts, thereby enabling detection of abnormal driving actions. A suite of visual tools has been developed to help interpret driving patterns, …

The Impact Of Natural Cavities On Mining Feasibility In Brazil: Dilemma Between The Sustainability Of Mining Operations And The Environment, Tiago Leite, Felipe Souza, Mariana Silva, Iuri Brandi, Hernani De Lima

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Due to the legislation on natural underground cavities in Brazil, mineral reserves have been blocked, causing a great dilemma between the sustainability of the mineral activity and the preservation of cavities. This study presented an analysis of the evolution of the federal cave legislation, pointing out the main gains and contribution to the theme, in which the importance in the Brazilian scenario of the publication in 2017 of Normative Instruction N° 01, which updated the procedures for the definition of these “other forms of compensation” to the irreversible negative impact on cavities with a high degree of relevance. In this …

A Review Study Of The Relationship Between Coal Fly Ash Characteristics And The Presence Of Rare Earth Metals From Steam Power Plants In Indonesia, Muhammad F. Shafiyurrahman, Shofa Rijalul Haq, Nurkhamim Nurkhamim, Ade Kurniawan, Rofa D Bulopa, Rizki Khoiriah Nasution

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The establishment of a coal mining downstream ecosystem focused on a sustainable and environmentally friendly economy is an important goal for many countries. One strategic step in achieving this goal is the utilization of coal fly ash (CFA) waste as a secondary source of rare earth elements (REE). The use of CFA provides a solution to the environmental and health challenges resulting from mining primary sources. Prior to developing REE extraction technology, CFA characterization must be conducted. Therefore, this study addresses the relationship between CFA characteristics and the presence of REE. Based on the ASTM C618-12 standard, CFA in Indonesia …

Study On Visualization Simulation And System Dynamic Optimization Of The Ore Drawing Process In Mine Chutes, Liang Juan, Zhu Quanjie, Hao Yingnan, Quan Zhongxue, Zhang Zhiwu, Liu Xiaohuic, Ouyang Zhihua

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The ore release process in metal mine chutes is a critical part of the mining operation. Based on the urgent demand for intelligent mining construction, this paper proposes a visualization simulation and dynamic optimization method for the mine chute ore release process using the open-source programs Python and Blender. The main research content includes: designing the simulation method and model for the ore release process, including the main control program, process subprograms, etc.; proposing a visualization simulation method for the mine chute ore release process based on Blender, studying the impact of ore shape and size on ore release efficiency, …

Assessment Of Heavy Metal Contamination In Surface Water Near Tailings Dam, Gera Techane Mengistu, Tesema Kebede, Enatfenta Melaku, Engdasew Temere

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Elevated levels of heavy metals in surface water can lead to the degradation of water quality, especially in mining areas where tailing dams are sources of heavy metal pollution. This study focuses on evaluating the concentrations of heavy metals in surface water near the Legadembi tailings dams. The mean concentrations (in µg/L) of various heavy metals including: arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl), uranium (U), vanadium (V), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), and zirconium (Zr) were determined: 79.7, 0.15, 162.3, 0.66, 18.1, 0.01, …

Assessment Of Outdoor Thermal Human Comfort Over Houche Al-Oumara, North Lebanon, Ali Adnan Shaar, Ismail Ibrahim Abbas, Mahmoud Ahmed Hewehy, El-Sayed Mohamed Abdel-Hamid Robaa, Mohammed Salah El-Din Mostafa

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

This study examined thermal discomfort in Houche Al-Oumara between 1994 and 2021 using several discomfort indices and analyzing temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall data. The results showed that July and August recorded markedly higher mean temperatures than all other months, with July having the highest temperature overall. In contrast, January was identified as the coldest month. The study found a steady rise in mean air temperature from January to July, followed by a steady decline from July to December. Relative humidity showed the same pattern but in the opposite direction. Fewer than half of the residents experienced thermal discomfort during …

Genre Based Analysis Of Sustainability In Contemporary U.S. Film Production: Inception Or Illusion?, Tanner Ennis

Interdisciplinary Studies | Senior Theses

Anthropogenic activity is actively leading to environmental degradation, highlighting the need for large industries to take responsibility for their environmental impact, particularly the film industry. While sustainable practices in the film industry such as virtual production, recycling of set construction materials, or the use of renewable energy present opportunities to improve sustainability, there is still a substantial amount of progress to be made. For example, research has demonstrated that increases in production budget correlate with higher carbon dioxide emissions, with fuel, utilities, and travel acting as the top contributors (Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, 2022). Conversation among the scholarly community is centered …

Most Utahns Support Affirming Rights Of Great Salt Lake, Sarah A. Woodbury, Kirsten Vinyeta, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Darren Parry

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

A combination of water diversions and climate change-related shifts have led to record low water levels and increasing salinity at Great Salt Lake (GSL) (1, 2).  Low water levels not only impact those directly dependent on the lake—brine shrimpers and migratory birds, for example—but also the millions of individuals living along the Wasatch Front. Increasing toxic dust levels from exposed lakebed and potential shifts to snowpack in the region are of primary concern. Children and marginalized communities are especially vulnerable to the respiratory health impacts of toxic dust (3, 4). According to the 2023 Utah People & Environment Poll (UPEP), …

Setting The Recycling Narrative: A Thematic Analysis Of Recycling Webpages In The United States, Haley Nolde

Dissertations and Theses

Recycling is widely promoted in the United States as a central strategy for waste diversion and sustainable materials management, yet recycling outcomes remain inconsistent and public understanding is often fragmented. While substantial research examines recycling behavior, infrastructure, material science, and markets, less attention has been paid to how recycling itself is framed and communicated to the public. This thesis addresses that gap by examining narratives produced by recycling thought leader organizations (TLOs) in the United States. Using thematic analysis, this study analyzes publicly available recycling webpages from 99 TLOs, including state government agencies, state-level non-governmental organizations (NGOs), national and regional …

Utahns' Low Concern About Wildfire Does Not Align With Growing Risk To Communities Statewide, Ashley Young, Kirsten Vinyeta, Catrin Edgeley

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

According to a national 2022 study published in the New York Times, the state of Utah bears the highest risk of property damage due to to wildfires when measured as a share of all properties.¹ These findings, coupled with Utah’s rapid population growth and accompanying residential development in fire-prone environments, present a pressing emergency preparedness challenge for federal, state and local officials. Utahns who live in the St. George metro area, which includes Dameron Valley and Washington County, face the highest possibility of harm across the state.² On July 31st, 2025, Governor Cox declared a thirty-day state of …

Examining The Association Between Ddt Exposure And Parkinson’S Disease, Hodges Mccathern

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, was an organochlorine pesticide widely used in the mid-20th century. It is highly stable and resistant to degradation, leading to its long-term presence in the environment. This chemical bioaccumulates in ecosystems and in human tissue, particularly adipose tissue, raising concerns about chronic exposure. Emerging research links DDT exposure to adverse neurological outcomes, including increased risk for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. Mechanistically, DDT and its metabolites may disrupt dopaminergic neurons, induce oxidative stress, and interfere with mitochondrial function, contributing to neurotoxicity. Understanding the environmental fate of DDT and its bioaccumulative properties is essential for …

When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

For the aquifers of Minnesota, the environmental impact statement (EIS) was a promise of protection that never left the page. An environmental impact statement is meant to be an aid in the decision making process in order to ensure that projects consider potential environmental harms that may occur. However, they are often used instead as another regulatory box to check, rather than as active considerations when planning. As such, a project plan can be flawed from the start—if project developers only consider environmental impacts after they have already put considerable time, effort, and funding into their project as-is, they may …

Occurrence Of Microplastics In The Urban Air And Water Systems And Associated Exposure Risks, Jenny K. Nguyen

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Microplastics (MP) pollution is an emerging health concern that affects humans and the environment. Urban areas are high exposure zones due to consistent anthropogenic and industrial activity. With air and water as important MP transport and exposure pathways, monitoring and estimating their human exposures are necessary. Air samples were collected from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston in Texas and Cusco, Peru and water samples were from Tarrant County (DFW), Texas. The samples were analyzed using the pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) and the EDI (estimated daily intake) of inhalation and ingestion (normal and high exposures) were calculated. PS, PP, PE, PVC, …

A Geospatial Assessment Of Groundwater Salinization In A Multi-Aquifer System: Durango, Mexico, Juan Lopez-Sierra

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Groundwater salinization poses a critical environmental concern for water resource sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluates spatial and temporal patterns of groundwater salinity across the state of Durango, Mexico, using total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), as salinity indicators and nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃–N) as an anthropogenic indicator. Groundwater quality data were obtained from (CONAGUA), a Mexican water agency. To assess salinity variations with respect to time, while minimizing interannual sampling bias, two multi-year sampling periods were selected: 2012-2013, and 2020-2021. Final datasets consisted of 122 wells for 2012–2013 and 131 wells for 2020–2021. The wells were …

From Sediment To Mangrove: Tissue-Specific Metal Accumulation In Red Mangroves Of Southeastern Florida, Sophie Welch

Honors Theses

Coastal wetlands near industrialized waterways face increasingly heavy‐metal contamination, posing risks to benthic communities and food webs. Mangroves can influence metal cycling through sediment trapping, root‐zone sequestration, and internal physiological regulation, yet their effectiveness in urbanized systems remains debated. This study quantified concentrations of 17 heavy metals in sediments and mangrove tissues from four sites near Port Everglades, Florida, examined tissue‐specific partitioning, spatial and temporal contamination patterns, and examined the mangroves’ role in mediating metal loads. Ecological risk metrics identified STB as a contaminant hotspot with exceedances of TEL values across multiple elements (Ni, Pb, and Zn) as well as …

Rethinking Climate Change Education: Wyoming And New Jersey As Effective Models Of Climate Change In Education Standards, Jamie W. Miller

Pitzer Senior Theses

Education is an essential and oft-overlooked part of the conversation about climate change. As I’ll demonstrate in this thesis, education shapes how the public understands climate change and creates environmental knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and intentions. Exploring and understanding climate change education allows us to understand how people form perspectives about climate issues. This topic is extremely important, but one we often gloss over when thinking about climate solutions. I analyzed three case studies of educational standards in the United States to understand how political context, writing focuses, and benchmarks impact the efficacy of climate change standards. My research found that …

Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation, Bailey Dawn Rappold

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected globally in environmental media and biota. Legacy compounds PFOA and PFOS have been observed to be toxic and bioaccumulative in low doses and have been removed from production and industrial processes. Replacement PFAS chemicals are less understood and present a gap in current knowledge in their toxicological effects. This research utilized extended chronic toxicity studies to assess the impacts of HFPO-DA, a short chain replacement PFAS, on the standard aquatic toxicology organism Pimephales promelas. Organisms were exposed for 29 to 30 days at environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxicant, 7.8125 ng/L …

Planaria Dugesia Japonica As A Model Organism For Measuring The Toxicity Of Environmental Contaminants Per- And Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas), Caitlyn Rodeo

Behavioral Neuroscience Honors Papers

A group of synthetic chemicals, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the environment and have significant detrimental effects on physiology and behavior. Planaria have recently increased in popularity as a model for toxicology and regeneration research. These organisms possess a primitive centralized nervous system that is thought to be more similar to the vertebrate brain than to other invertebrate brains in terms of structure and function, and possesses the same neuronal subpopulations and neurotransmitters as the mammalian brain. While other studies have investigated the behavioral effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on planaria, there is …

Closing The Loop In Sustainable Fashion: Recycling Textile Waste And Its Environmental, Social, And Consumer Impacts, Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie

Sustainability Program Posters and Papers

Fast fashion has intensified textile waste, emissions, and social inequities across global supply chains. This study examines sustainable fashion frameworks and the role of textile recycling in advancing circularity. It employes a qualitative integrative literature review synthesizing interdisciplinary research on waste streams, recycling technologies, policy instruments, and consumer behavior. However, advanced recycling technologies offer environmental benefits but remain limited in scale. Nonetheless, rising consumption offsets efficiency gains, while economic and behavioral barriers hinder systemic change. Technological innovation alone is insufficient; circular design, regulatory enforcement, and reduced overproduction are essential for sustainable transformation.

Community Science For Enigmatic Ecosystems: Using Ebird To Assess Avian Biodiversity On Glaciers And Snowfields, William E. Brooks, Jordan Boersma, Neil Paprocki, Peter Wimberger, Scott Hotaling

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Mountain glaciers and snowfields are rapidly receding because of climate warming. Species living in these habitats remain poorly studied, likely because of the remoteness and ruggedness of their terrain. We leveraged community science data from eBird—an online database of bird observations from around the world—to characterize bird use of mountain glaciers and snowfields. We estimated total bird biodiversity and preference for glaciers and snowfields over nearby, ice-adjacent habitats. We used field notes from eBird users and breeding codes to extend our data set to include insight into habitat usage and behavior. Finally, we compared our community-science approach to previous studies …

Using Herbarium Specimens To Morphologically Delineate Three Western Phlox Species, Jack David Hager, Meredith Zettlemoyer

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Western Phlox are incredibly diverse, found in a variety of habitats spanning lowland meadows to high alpine tundra. The genus contains around 65 unique species, often with overlapping trait variation that makes morphological and taxonomic delineation difficult. Phlox missoulensis, a cushion-forming species endemic to the Missoula Valley, inhabits lower-elevation, windy, arid ridgelines that mimic alpine conditions. Two nearby congeners, Phlox kelseyi and Phlox pulvinata, occupy partially overlapping ecological niches: P. kelseyi is found in wet meadows at similar elevations to P. missoulensis, while P. pulvinata is found in higher elevation environments. P. missoulensis exhibits morphological characteristics that are intermediate between …

Unveiling Microplastic Removal And Characteristics In Wastewater From Two Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities In Indonesia, Nurul Setiadewi, Prayatni Soewondo, Cynthia Henny

Applied Environmental Research

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered an entrance pathways for microplastic (MP) pollution in aquatic environments. This study reveals the removal and characteristics of MPs in wastewater from two municipal WWTPs in Indonesia. The influent contained 17.1 ± 5.65 particles L-1 (WWTP A) and 15.45 ± 4.31 particles L-1 (WWTP B), whereas the effluent contained 1.41 ± 0.01 and 1.5 ± 0.16 particles L-1. The removal efficiency was 91.75% for WWTP A and 90.32% for WWTP B, with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). WWTP A employed advanced treatment units, whereas WWTP B used a conventional pond-based system. MPs were …

Assessment Of The Influence Of Human Activities On The Occurrence Of Forest Fires In Thailand Via Multiple Linear Regression (Mlr), Sittipong Ruktamatakul, Jirarat Insuk, Benjaporn Pinwongpet, Sarisa Ruktametakul, Pornpis Yimprayoon

Applied Environmental Research

Forest fires represent one of the most critical environmental challenges in Thailand, with impacts varying depending on forest type, fuel characteristics, terrain conditions, fire intensity, and the frequency of fire occurrence on the same landscape. While forest fires can contribute to ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and the depletion of natural resources, such effects are not uniformly severe across all forest ecosystems. Understanding the human-induced factors contributing to forest fire occurrence is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies and promoting sustainable forest management. This study aimed to identify the anthropogenic factors influencing forest fire areas in Thailand via multiple linear regression …

Spatial Temporal Modeling Of Infectious Disease Patterns In Texas, Robert E. Lashbrook

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses

The Texas Department of State Health Services monitors numerous notifiable conditions statewide, including Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Rabies, and West Nile virus (WNV). Given the substantial health, economic, and public health burden associated with these conditions, improving prediction is an important step toward reducing their overall impact. This study evaluated whether external demographic, social, climate, and environmental data could improve prediction of county-year disease activity across Texas. County level data was analyzed using supervised machine learning models, including linear regression, ridge regression, multilayer perceptron, random forest, XGBoost, as well as K-means clustering to identify broader …

Land Cover Classification Using Optimized Imagery Resolution And Machine Learning Algorithms For A Long-Term Monitoring And Restoration Project, Jessica R. Suoja

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Ecosystem services and functions are prone to water resource exploitation resulting in cascading effects that include decrease of biodiversity and loss of riparian vegetation, a keystone habitat in desert riparian ecosystems. Mono Lake is a prime example of overexploitation of water resources leading to legal action and eventually a legally mandated long-term monitoring and restoration project. Monitoring and restoration projects can benefit from techniques such as remote sensing and machine learning algorithms to generate accurate land cover classification maps for calculating land cover change over time. However, the spatial resolution of remote sensing imagery and the machine learning algorithms chosen …

"What Power Do We Have?" Community Capacity And Justice In Samoa, California’S Floating Offshore Wind Terminal Development, Lauren Mccall Hart

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Floating offshore wind (OSW) is a relatively novel technology in the United States, which is positioned to play an integral role in California’s decarbonization strategy. Two federal OSW lease areas have been established off the coast of Northern California, and plans are underway to develop supporting port infrastructure, including the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal (HLMT). The proposed HLMT site is adjacent to communities on the Samoa Peninsula of Humboldt Bay, which currently face socio-environmental vulnerabilities and critical infrastructure gaps. The social implications of OSW port development remain poorly understood, particularly in rural and underserved communities. This …

Uncertainty-Aware Estimation, Planning, And Control For Tracking Multiple Drifting Patches In Flow Fields, Daniel O. Akanji, Krishnanand N. Kaipa, Cong Wei

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

In this study, we present a replay-based framework for uncertainty-aware persistent tracking of multiple advected surface patches using an autonomous marine vehicle operating in spatiotemporal-varying currents. The method combines three components: local flow estimation, covariance-aware patch-boundary propagation with intermittent boundary fusion, and mission-level scheduling over multiple patches. Each patch is represented by a polygonal boundary, whose vertices are propagated through the estimated flow field while carrying per-vertex covariance, thereby quantifying uncertainty growth during advection. A flow-aware gain-scheduled linear quadratic regulator (LQR) was designed to shape the desired surge speed to take advantage of favorable currents. When the vehicle services a …

Soil Respiration Drivers And Challenges In A Changing Environment, Olivia Rae Haas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aims to understand post agricultural forested soils (sandy loam, silt loam, and loam) and the influences that drive carbon sequestration and soil respiration flux. Duke Farms in Hillsborough NJ, has historically been utilized as an agricultural zone for farming a variety of crops. Currently the area is protected with a focus on environmental conservation and restoration of the land. This includes getting a better understanding of the forested portions of the property. Understanding the quality of forested areas is vital as they have the potential to act as a carbon sink which can mitigate the effects of climate …

Greenhouse Gas Report For Western Australian Wild-Catch Fisheries And Aquaculture 2004-2025, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Dipesh Maharjan, Mark Goninon, Pia Dobson, Jason How, Rodney Duffy Dr., Ainslie Denham, Shaye Carman, Trina Anderson

Climate Science Published Reports

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Western Australian wild-catch fisheries and aquaculture for the fiscal years (FY) 2004/05 to 2024/25. These industries represent important components of the Western Australian primary production sector, with distinct emissions profiles and trends.

Key Findings:

Emissions from wild-catch fisheries have declined significantly over time, from approximately 0.341 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂e) in FY 2004/05 to 0.136 Mt CO₂e in FY 2024/25, a reduction of approximately 60%.

Emissions from aquaculture in FY 2024/25 were approximately 0.350 Mt CO₂e, reflecting substantial industry growth from near-negligible levels in …

Aggregation Bias In Multi-Industry Economic Contribution Analysis: The Case Of Kentucky Forest Sector, Domena A. Agyeman, Thomas Ochuodho, Omkar Joshi

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Closely related industries are often aggregated in US forest sector economic contribution analysis, yet the choice of aggregation scheme can influence results. The Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) system is the most widely applied input–output model for forest economic contribution analysis in the US. In IMPLAN, the level of industry aggregation determines which inter-industry transactions are restricted, thereby influencing the magnitude of estimated indirect and induced effects. Although IMPLAN practitioners can model individual industries to avoid aggregation bias, they must still decide whether to analyze forest industries as a single group, as traditional subsectors, or individually. This decision can alter …