Digital Commons Network^™

Vibrio Cholerae Endemic To The Lower Rio Grande Delta Segregate Into Urban And Rural Phylotypes, Daniele Provenzano, Jeffrey W. Turner, Jorge Duran-Gonzalez, David A. Laughlin, David Silva, Viviana Trevino, Miguel F. Gonzales, Boris Ermolinsky, Stefan Pukatzki

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The lifestyle of Vibrio cholerae is primarily environmental, yet a chance encounter with a human host can lead to cholera, a potentially lethal form of diarrhea. Strains belonging to O1 and O139 serogroups have pandemic potential, but the contribution of non-O1/non-O139 serovars towards the genesis of cholera remains unclear. Endemic V. cholerae lineages were investigated given several historical accounts describing cholera epidemics and sporadic, contemporary cholera-like outbreaks along the lower Rio Grande Delta (LRGD). Seven isolates were recovered from an urban segment of the Rio Grande and six from a rural segment where the river empties into the Gulf of …

Discharge System Field Sampling Plan, 2025 Update Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Mine Flooding Operable Unit | Butte, Montana, Mark Thompson, Dave Griffis

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

جهود المملكة العربية السعودية في الاستجابة للكوارث والأزمات الدولية - "مركز الملك سلمان للإغاثة والأعمال الإنسانية إنموذجاً", عبدالله فريح العلي

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف البحث إلى التعرف على دور مركز الملك سلمان للإغاثة والأعمال الإنسانية في الاستجابة للكوارث والأزمات الدولية، والتعرف على الكوارث والأزمات الدولية التي باشرها مركز الملك سلمان لإغاثة والأعمال الإنسانية في الدول المتضررة، والتعرف على نوعية المشاريع الاغاثية التي نفذها مركز الملك سلمان لإغاثة والأعمال الإنسانية، وكذلك التعرف على التحديات التي تواجه أعمال الإغاثة الإنسانية، واعتمد البحث على المنهج الوصفي التحليلي ومنهج دراسة الحالة. وتوصل البحث إلى عدة نتائج أهمها يعمل مركز الملك سلمان للإغاثة والأعمال الإنسانية وفق مستهدفات رؤية 2030 في تعزيز قنوات التواصل الخارجي والحضور الفاعل مع المنظمات فيما يتعلق بالأعمال الإنسانية، تعتبر المملكة العربية السعودية من أكبر …

Green Energy Production Using A Hydro-Generator In An Underground Mine Water Pumping Station – Case Study, Andrzej Chmiela, Beata Barszczowska, Eugeniusz Krause, Arkadiusz Kulawik, Adam Smolinski

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper analyses the experience of almost one year of production of “green” electricity by a hydro-generator using a constant water drop in the pits of mine water pumping stations. The main technical, economic and environmental parameters obtained by the applied technical and organisational system are presented. Equipping the mine water pumping station with a hydro-generator proved to be a good investment. The investment offers a relatively low risk with a relatively low initial outlay and a relatively short payback period of about 4 years. The innovative use of typical but modern elements in an atypical operating environment has not …

Machine Learning Techniques For Optimizing The Efficiency And Costs Of Drill Steel In Sandstone And Granodiorite: A Case Study In Peru, Marco Cotrina, Jairo Marquina, Jose Mamani, Solio Arango, Eusebio Antonio, Eduardo Noriega, Teofilo Donaires, Dominga Cano

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This research aims to optimize the efficiency and costs of drilling steel in sandstone and granodiorite rocks using machine learning techniques in a Peruvian mine. Predictive models, including random forest (RF), XGBoost (XGB), decision trees (DT), and artificial neural networks (ANN), were applied, along with optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), ant colony optimization (ACO), and simulated annealing (SA). A dataset of 705 entries was analyzed, focusing on drill bit wear, percussion and rotation pressures, and cost per meter drilled. Model performance was evaluated using R², RMSE, MAE, and MAPE. The ANN model …

Assessing The Living Conditions Of Mining-Induced Resettled Persons: The Case Of Ahafo South Resettlement Communities, Ghana, Jonathan Zinzi Ayitey, Mustapha Okyere, Frank Gyamfi-Yeboah

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This study examines the living conditions of mining-affected persons in the Ahafo South Mining Communities in Ghana using Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) model. Employing a case study design, data for the study was obtained through a combination of semi-structured interviews and close-ended questionnaires administered to ninety (90) respondents in the Ntotroso and OLA resettlement communities in the Asutifi North District, Ghana. The results show a complex mix of outcomes of mining-induced displacement and resettlement of the resettled population. While an analysis of resettlement impacts found a high level of satisfaction among the resettled population with housing provision, road …

Damage Assessment In The Case Of Post-Mining-Induced Seismicity: How To Use And Adapt Macroseismic Intensity Scales?, Johanna Vieille, Caterina Negulescu, Pierre Gehl, Pascal Dominique, Romain Guidez, Grzegorz Mutke

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Following coal mine closures, the impact of flooding on underground mining excavations and on the geomechanical stability of the rock mass has the potential to trigger superficial earthquakes. The generated vibrations may induce damages to the surface infrastructures. Therefore, they represent a significant source of concern for the population. Nowadays, seismic risk assessment procedures in Europe usually build upon the EMS-98, which has been developed for natural tectonic earthquakes. This study aims to investigate the applicability of EMS-98 to seismic events induced by post-mining context while comparing it to a new intensity scale MSIIS-22 adapted to very low intensities from …

Rockfill Trenching For Enhancing Overburden Dump Height On Weak Soil Strata, Rahul Shende, Srinivasan Venkatraman, K. Athiveera Pandian, Shubham Jain, Anjan Patel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Dumping waste on weak soil layers can destabilize the dump, compromising its capacity for material disposal. This study focuses on the stability of dumps placed over weak black cotton (BC) soil strata in central India, with an emphasis on assessing the effectiveness of rockfill trenches (RFT) in improving dump stability. A combined approach using nine limit equilibrium methods (LEM) and the finite element method (FEM) was employed for analysis. The results demonstrate that dump stability is significantly influenced by the presence of weak strata under both dry and wet conditions when the dumping height is increased. The study also reveals …

Exploring The Interactions Between Mining And Climate Change: A Bibliometric Analysis, Artatrana Mishra, Sarat Chandra Sahu, Manish Yadav, Nitin Kumar Singh

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The increasing demand for minerals has placed huge pressure on the mining industry to increase production, which consequently affects the environment, and, thus, contributes to climate change. Coal extraction has been reported to be a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. As a consequence, the frequency and severity of extreme climatic events have also increased throughout the world. Mining is essential for the development of society but contributes to climate change. On the contrary, extreme weather events and rising temperatures associated with climate change affect the overall productivity of mining companies. …

Evaluation Of Cyanide Removal Processes On Water Effluents From Gold Ore Processing And Industrial Scale Up, Juliana Freitas, Jorge Bellido

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Gold extraction goes through different steps, from research to physical-chemical processing, which uses chemical reagents for extraction, such as cyanide. In literature, there are presented many ways to remove cyanide from this effluent on a bench scale, although on an industry scale it is not very often analysed. In this study, seeking innovation on an industrial scale for cyanide removal from real effluent generated by gold processing was analysed through oxidation with H₂O₂ and Fenton process. It was proven that these processes can remove cyanide at the levels required for recirculation of the effluent in the process, …

Prediction Of Blast-Induced Ground Vibrations In Limestone Mine Using Multiple Linear Regression (Mlr) Analysis, Appani Ravikumar, Harsha Vardhan, K V Subrahmanyam Sarma

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Open cast mining comprises a series of activities, including rotary cum percussive drilling, blasting, loading, and dumping. The excavation of overburden (OB) and minerals is carried out by employing the blasting process. The adverse effects linked to the practice of blasting include the generation of ground vibrations, the occurrence of fly rock, and the production of air-over pressure. Among the undesirable outcomes, ground vibrations are a significant concern for mining and environmental engineers. Typically, the estimation of ground vibrations caused by blasts in open-cast mines is accomplished using conventional regression analysis techniques. The independent variable included in the regression analysis …

Healthcare Administration Within Free Medical Clinics And The Impacts On The Sustainable Development Goals, Saneywongse Le Mar

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

No abstract provided.

Utahns’ Awareness Of The Drying Up Of The Great Salt Lake, Ashley Young

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

The Great Salt Lake provides several benefits for the state of Utah. It supports industry, recreational activities, and aquaculture. It also provides wetland habitat to twelve million migratory birds.¹ Due to drought induced by climate change and human water use, the lake has been shrinking rapidly in a process known as desiccation. The desiccation threatens the lake’s economic and ecological benefits while also posing other potential challenges. Dust from the dry lakebed may also cause health challenges for humans, as the dust contains harmful amounts of arsenic, lithium, copper, and other metals.²

Utah’s ability to combat desiccation of …

Barrier Removal Is A Strategy For Climate Resilience, Sarah E. Null, William Bosen, Gregory Goodrum

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Millions of dams and in-stream barriers have been built worldwide to manage water supply, reduce flood risk, generate hydropower, and support recreation, navigation, and road infrastructure. The National Aquatic Barrier Inventory estimates over 550,000 dams and over 298,000 road-related barriers that fragment streams in the United States¹. As dams age and as droughts and floods become more intense, some dams and barriers have become problems, for example, by outliving their useful life, presenting safety concerns to communities, and impacting ecosystems, especially in a changing climate. These dams – the ones that present safety concerns due to their age …

Groundwater Flooding On Highways In The Nebraska Sandhills: Applying Remote Sensing, Precipitation And Groundwater Modeling To Determine Depth, Cause And Frequency, Aaron R. Mittelstet

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Climate change significantly impacts infrastructure sustainability, particularly through shifts in precipitation patterns, intensity, and duration. These precipitation dynamics may increase the occurrence of surface water and groundwater flooding. Groundwater in the Nebraska Sand Hills (NSH), including the thickest portions of the High Plains Aquifer, extends close to the land surface in interdunal areas, making the NSH vulnerable to groundwater flooding. Recent events involving heavy precipitation, snow melt, and rising groundwater levels have caused prolonged highway flooding, disrupting transportation networks. This study estimates groundwater flood inundation depth, duration and frequency in the highways of NSH using remote sensing techniques and groundwater …

Fisheries Science Update - Pilbara Fishing Competition Science 2020 To 2024 - July 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key Points:

• Pilbara recreational fishing competitions are helping to track the sustainability of pelagic species like Spanish mackerel.
• Over 500 pelagic fish have been sampled at Pilbara fishing competitions over 5 years.
• This information goes towards DPIRD’s assessment of Spanish mackerel and monitoring the large pelagic resource in the North Coast Bioregion.

Geophysical Tools For Agricultural Management: Trends, Challenges, And Opportunities, Sophia Becker, Trenton Franz, Yufeng Ge, Joe Luck, Derek M. Heeren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Agrogeophysics is a convergence of proximal soil sensing and hydrogeophysics in which geophysical methods are used to describe soil patterns and dynamics that shape agronomic management (including precision agriculture). To fully realize its potential for optimizing agricultural production, current barriers and targets for future agrogeophysics research must be identified. In this review, we compare the trajectory of agrogeophysics within peer-reviewed literature, patents, and the US university extension literature and examine the current challenges and opportunities for supporting agricultural production and sustainability with agrogeophysical tools. We conducted a repeatable search of Web of Science and Scopus for seven geophysical methods (electromagnetic …

Adaptation Planning To Mitigate Flood Risk: Bellevue, Nebraska As A Case Study, Michael Nti Ababio

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

Flooding remains one of the most pressing natural hazards in the United States, with increasing frequency and intensity driven by climate change. This thesis explores the adaptation planning strategies employed to mitigate flood risks in Bellevue, Nebraska, a city significantly impacted by the 2019 floods in eastern Nebraska. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative analysis of flood vulnerability with a critical review of local planning policies using documents, zoning ordinances and institutional frameworks. Spatial analytical tools such as Global Moran’s I and Hot Spot Analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) were used to detect clustering of inundated buildings during the 2019 …

Assessment Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Scalability In Fine-Scale Wildfire Random Forest Prediction Models, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Joshua B. Fisher, Kerry Cawse-Nicholson, Christine M. Lee, Natasha Stavros

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Wildfire prediction models that can be applied across diverse regions at fine scales (<  100 m) are critical for wildfire management. Remote sensing offers a path forward by providing heterogeneous and dynamic measurements of fuel load, type, and flammability. Machine learning methods such as random forests provide an empirical framework that are high-accuracy, computationally efficient, interpretable and able to model complex ecological relationships. Here we use high resolution (70 m, every 3–5 days) remote sensing observations of evapotranspiration and evaporative stress index, which represent plant water stress, from Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), as well as topography and weather data, to predict burn severity and occurrence for 8 large wildfires that burned 3715 km² from 2021 and 2022 in New Mexico, USA. These fires ranged from low to high burn intensity, and covered a diverse range of ecoregions (deserts, grasslands, forests), plant species, and topographies. We used a single model to predict the burn severity of all wildfires one week before occurrence. The prediction accuracy was greatest when using all predictors (ECOSTRESS, weather, topography) (R² = 0.77). We assessed the role of spatial autocorrelation in driving model performance by: (1) increasing the sample spacing of our dataset, (2) …

Standard Operating Procedures For The Laser Particle Size Analysis Of Terrigenous Sediments And Soils, Sandra Passchier

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This report details the preferred standard operating procedures for use of the Malvern Mastersizer 3000 (MS 3000) laser particle sizer in the analysis of terrigenous sediments and soils. Materials with median grain size < 500 µm can be measured on the MS3000. Preparation methods of sediment and soil samples before placing them in the laser particle sizer are described and the details of and rational behind the instrument standard operating protocols.

West Antarctic Ice Retreat And Paleoceanography In The Amundsen Sea In The Warm Early Pliocene, Sandra Passchier, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Sidney R. Hemming, Werner Ehrmann, Thomas Frederichs, Steven M. Bohaty, Ronald Leon, Olga Libman-Roshal, Lisbeth Mino-Moreira, Karsten Gohl, Julia S. Wellner

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Mass loss from polar ice sheets is poorly constrained in estimates of future global sea-level rise. Today, the marine-based West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate, most notably in the Thwaites and Pine Island glacier drainage basins. Early Pliocene surface temperatures were about 4 °C warmer than preindustrial and maximum sea level stood ~20 m above present. Using data from a sediment archive on the Amundsen Sea continental rise, we investigate the impact of prolonged Pliocene ocean warmth on the ice-sheet−ocean system. We show that, in contrast to today, during peak ocean warming ~4.6 − 4.5 …

Modeling The Impact Of Explosive Volcanism On Biogeochemical Cycling At The Peak Of The Late Paleozoic Icehouse, Lily S. Pfeifer, Qingting Wu, Ying Cui, Gerilyn S. Soreghan

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The peak of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) coincided with atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) lows, and large-magnitude fluctuations in glacial-interglacial pCO2, but the driver(s) for pCO2 drawdown at this time remain debated. Backed by parameters for the frequency and magnitude of Late Carboniferous volcanism derived from the rock record, we apply an intermediate complexity Earth system model to evaluate the biogeochemical impacts of ash-borne nutrients from frequent (decadal) and explosive silicic volcanism on nutrient cycling ca. 310–300 Ma. Results show that volcanic perturbations result in negligible changes in marine particulate organic carbon export concurrent with sustained increases in pCO2 …

Urbanization In Resource-Based County-Level Cities In China: A Case Study Of New Urbanization In Wuan City, Hebei Province, Jianguang Hou, Danlin Yu, Hao Song, Zhiguo Zhang

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates the complex dynamics of new-type urbanization in resource-based county-level cities, using Wuan City in Hebei Province, China, as a representative case. As China pursues a high-quality development agenda, cities historically dependent on resource extraction face profound challenges in achieving sustainable and inclusive urban growth. This research employs a multi-method approach—including Theil index analysis, industrial shift-share analysis, a Cobb–Douglas production function model, and a composite urbanization index—to quantitatively diagnose the constraints on Wuan’s development and assess its transformation efforts. Our empirical results reveal a multifaceted situation: while the urban–rural income gap has narrowed, rural income streams remain fragile. …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, July 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- 150th Anniversary & Homecoming Kickoff
--- SQG re-notification requirement
--- Introducing the Food, Beverage & Organics Team
--- A Historic First in Corrosion Control
--- Important Reminders
--- Industry News

Non-Traditional Socio-Environmental And Geospatial Determinants Of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementia Mortality, Skanda Moorthy, Jean-Eudes Dazard, Zhuo Chen, Ruby Charak, Shruthika Palanivel, Salil Deo, Sadeer G. Al-Kindi, Sanjay Rajagopalan

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Importance

Design

Ai Tools In Natural Resources And Environmental Systems For The Classroom, Research, Extension And Industry, Derek M. Heeren, C. T. Agouridis, Debabrata Sahoo, Isaya Kisekka, Trisha L. Moore

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

This white paper synthesizes a series of panel insights on AI adoption across education, Extension, research and industry contexts within natural resources and environmental systems. It emphasizes that while advanced machine learning and generative AI introduce structural shifts in autonomy, scale, and cognitive augmentation, their value lies in augmenting, not replacing, human expertise. Applied tool examples include decision‑support systems for rural water operators, HAB‑diagnosis apps integrating image classification and natural‑language guidance, an irrigation educational chatbot tailored to user background, and sensor‑driven orchard AI for light interception estimation and data gap filling. A recurring design imperative involves co‑development with end users, …

Water Current, Volume 57, No. 2, Summer 2025

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Literature Review Of Reverse Electrodialysis Technoeconomic And Environmental Analysis, Kevin Allen Wear

Water Resources Science and Technology Theses and Graduate Research Reports (Archived)

This thesis presents a theoretical analysis of Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) for electricity generation using produced water—a high-salinity byproduct from oil and gas extraction. Drawing from over seventy peer-reviewed studies, this research explores the potential of RED as a sustainable energy solution for industrial wastewater streams. Chapter 1 outlines the environmental and economic implications of produced water. Chapter 2 reviews ion transport theories and membrane technologies. Chapter 3 evaluates past implementations of RED and related membrane systems. Chapter 4 delivers a comprehensive synthesis of current literature, modeling RED performance under realworld salinity gradients, ion compositions, and membrane constraints. Chapter 5 discusses …

Behavioral Responses Of The California Two-Spot Octopus Octopus Bimaculoides To Changes In Color And Sound, Sofia I. Ramirez, Nathalie Reyns

McNair Summer Research Program

Recreational and commercial boat activity, military and construction operations, and seismic surveys among other human activities produce excessive sound that is classified as anthropogenic noise. Because the intensity and frequency of anthropogenic noise is often higher than that of natural underwater acoustic stimuli, marine animals may experience physiological damage to their sound-detecting organs which in turn, affects their communication and orientation abilities. In our study, we aimed to analyze the differences in behaviors exhibited by the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) when exposed to various volumes of noise at 54 Hz. To further investigate behavioral changes under varying conditions, we …

Demonstrating Co2 Storage In The Pcor Partnership Region And Beyond, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about the Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership region and the importance of CO₂ storage.