Digital Commons Network^™

Final Bpsou Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-05 Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Myceli-Yum: Elucidating Structure-Property Relationships For Polymer Degradation By Mycelial Digestion, Jordan Scott Ford

Master's Theses

Since the industrial entrance of polymer plastic materials, plastic has become ubiquitous in both everyday use and waste. Due to inefficiencies and knowledge gaps, current recycling methods are not able to account for the high scale of plastic waste, resulting in the bulk of this waste being landfilled, mishandled, and deposited in the environment. Mycelium, the microorganism responsible for fruiting mushroom bodies and mold growth, holds potential to reduce plastic waste and can potentially be utilized as a method of industrial recycling. Following a drug-design approach, the active site of mycelial enzymes responsible for natural biopolymer degradation have been assessed …

Exposure To Metoprolol And Propranolol Mixtures On Biochemical, Immunohistochemical, And Molecular Alterations In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Andrew Salinas, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Pharmaceutical drugs, particularly beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol, propranolol, etc.), are extensively used to treat human cardiovascular conditions, yet pose significant risks to non-target aquatic organisms when introduced into coastal and marine environments via wastewater effluent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of short-term exposure (one week) to environmentally relevant concentrations of metoprolol and propranolol (MP) mixtures (low-dose: 50 ng/L propranolol and 250 ng/L metoprolol, and high-dose: 250 ng/L propranolol and 650 ng/L metoprolol) in the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica, a commercially and ecologically important marine bivalve mollusk) under controlled laboratory conditions. Histopathological assessments revealed structural damage to gills, …

Biochar Suppresses Growth, Pupation And Eclosion Success Of A Specialist (Manduca Sexta) And A Generalist (Spodoptera Frugiperda) Insect Herbivore, Nischal Wagle, Soumya Unnikrishnan, Satinderpal Kaur, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance made by the pyrolysis of organic material from agricultural and forestry waste. While biochar is well documented for altering soil physicochemical conditions, few studies have investigated its possible effects on the management of arthropod pests. Tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, FAW) are specialist and generalist insect herbivores respectively, that can cause significant defoliation in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In this study, we examined whether walnut shell biochar can affect growth and development of these herbivores. Specifically, we investigated how biochar influences parameters such as mass gain, length …

Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Site Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Site Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

On-Site Water Management Field Sampling Plan (Fsp), 2025 Update, Mark Thompson, Rampart Solutions

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final Bpsou Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-05 Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Residential Factors Associated With Mental Health In United States Veterans, Air Force Military, And Air Force Employees, Andrew J. Hoisington, Christopher A. Stamper, Molly Penzenik, Meredith Reitter, Elizabeth J. Kovacs, Nazanin H. Bahraini, Lisa A. Brenner

Faculty Publications

Individuals in Westernized countries spend most of their time indoors. However, exploration of residential building factors that may influence occupants’ mental health is limited in scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to explore investigator's perceived areas of importance in residences to mental health via survey methods. To that end, we administered the Housing, Occupancy, Materials, and Environment (HOME) survey to assess factors that may influence mental health to those working in the United States (US) Air Force (n = 230) or past military members, US Veterans (n = 180). Self-reported mental health surveys were also administered to the …

Satellite And Eddy Covariance Analysis Reveals Short-Lived Evapotranspiration Changes After Fire In Mediterranean Woodland, Hoang Long Nguyen, Simone Gelsinari, J. Nik Callow, Richard Silberstein, Sally E. Thompson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) varies through space and time in response to environmental gradients and disturbances like fire. Field-based techniques (e.g. eddy covariance) can directly measure how ET responds to fire; however, these measurements are localised and only represent small areas. Remotely sensed ET products can potentially evaluate fire impacts on ecosystem ET, but their performance for this task remains largely unassessed. This paper uses three widely available remote sensing products: the CSIRO MODIS ReScaled ET (CMRSET), MODIS ET (MOD16), and Penman–Monteith–Leuning (PML), to assess ET changes caused by a fuel reduction burn in a Mediterranean woodland in comparison to the …

Spatial Patterns In Urban Water Consumption: The Role Of Local Climate Zones And Temperature Dynamics, Mohammad Maleki, Amirbahador Damroodi, Mahsa Mostaghim, Amir Reza Bakhshi Lomer, Samira Sadat Saleh, Junye Wang, Nabi Moradpour, Iain D. Stewart, Kanglin (Connie) Chen, Fatemeh Kazemi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Urban Water Consumption (UWC) is a major challenge in arid regions, intensified by urbanization, population growth, and resource scarcity, prompting debates on relocating Iran's capital to address resource scarcity and sustainability. This study analyzed the relationship between Local Climate Zones (LCZ), Land Surface Temperature (LST), and water usage in Tehran (2015–2019) to inform urban water management. UWC data was spatially matched to urban areas to calculate per capita consumption. An LCZ map for the base year 2017 was generated using the Random Forest (RF) algorithm, achieving an accuracy of 88.88 %. LST data for the five years was derived using …

Rebuilding Consent: Fear, Trust, And The Future Of Nuclear Energy, Austin Dunham

University Honors Theses

This thesis traces the cultural and emotional roots of nuclear fear in the United States and explores how those inherited anxieties continue to shape public resistance to nuclear energy in the face of a worsening climate crisis. Drawing on personal narrative, risk perception theory, and the history of nuclear discourse - from Hiroshima to Chernobyl to today - the research examines how trust, rather than technology, remains the largest barrier to progress. By analyzing the stories we tell about energy, disaster, control, and overall perceived risk, this work asks what it would take for Americans to imagine nuclear energy not …

Indigenous Science And The Legacy Of Fire: Resilience, Fuels, Mosaics, And Eco-Cultural Landscapes In Oregon’S Coastal And Cascade Range, Julia Alcalá

University Honors Theses

Most of Oregon's western Cascade and Coastal range is a landscape that has historically been considered devoid of mid to low-intensity fires by Western science. However, for time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have been stewarding the forests through the use of "good fire," creating diverse and heterogenous landscapes with mixed fire regimes, ranging from less than a decade to several centuries since the last fire, resulting in a mosaic of patchy forest, oak savannas, prairies, and wetlands. Yet centuries of Indigenous displacement, cultural assimilation, and suppression of cultural burning contributed to this prevailing belief. Despite that, in recent decades, Western scientists …

Surface Temperature Analysis Report: Kellogg Creek Restoration & Community Enhancement Project, Dalton Palin

University Honors Theses

Kellogg Creek is located in the Kellogg-Mt Scott watershed which flows through downtown Milwaukie, Oregon into the Willamette River. At the confluence of Kellogg Creek and the Willamette River is the Kellogg Dam. This dam impedes salmon, steelhead, and lamprey movement up Kellogg Creek, which is known historically as a salmon and steelhead rearing and migrating habitat. A plan to remove Kellogg Dam and restore 14 acres of Kellogg Creek is in progress by North Clackamas Watersheds Council (NCWC) and partners. Water temperature studies in Kellogg Creek have been conducted for the past several years, this report analyzed thermal surface …

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells In Electric Vehicles: Innovations, Challenges, And Pathways To Sustainability, Tarek Abedin, Jagadeesh Pasupuleti, Johnny Koh Siaw Paw, Yaw Chong Tak, Monowar Mahmud, Md Pauzi Abdullah, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are leading the shift to sustainable energy, especially in fuel-cell electric vehicles. In PEMFCs, hydrogen is converted into electricity which contributes to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and decreased dependence on fossil fuels. Many works have been conducted to improve the power density and longevity of the whole system to be adopted in vehicles. The power density was considerably increased by a stack design incorporating lightweight material such as graphene-coated Ni form and weak carbon nanofiber films. Hydrogen refueling failures such as overfilling with hydrogen, hydrogen flow overfill, and hydrogen leakage need mitigation by developing advanced …

Final Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area (Sbcca) Butte Reduction Works (Brw) Air Monitoring For Interim Demolition Activities – Phase I Data Summary Report (Dsr), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Tree Story, Jia Hu

Masters Theses

What is Nature?

Nature is a system of intelligence. It means designing for efficiency—often by learning from strategies that have evolved over time. In my research, I use patterns to interpret and decode nature.

To explore nature, I began with the red cedar tree, aiming to simulate and predict its growth patterns—forms shaped by both internal biology and external forces. By analyzing its geometry, I sought to understand how trees embody the dynamic relationship between organism and environment. These patterns reveal the adaptive logic of life.

Patterns are central to understanding nature. While tree geometry may appear chaotic, it follows …

Field Journal: The Excluded Middle, Carrie E. Kouts

Masters Theses

What does it look like to engage with organisms and landscapes at the periphery of anthropocentric value structures? How does one break the internalized myth that the “built” environment is excluded from the natural world? When does a hyper-mobile and hyper-commodified society confront the exponential crisis of animal death? Within this series of journal entries, field notes, collection observations, weird prose, and sensory musings, one will find questions on the nature of being human and the complex narratives of care we encounter in a world shared with more-than-humans. Each handwritten vignette and photograph from daily life weaves a non-linear and …

Microplastic Production And Toxicity Of Marine Ropes On Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, Amelia Lawson

Graduate Masters Theses

Marine environments have been affected greatly over the last 50 years by anthropogenic marine waste, particularly plastic. Plastic waste in the oceans comes from many sectors, such as textiles, shipping, and the fishing industry. As plastic litter degrades, it produces microplastics, including five major forms: foam, films, fragments, beads, and fibers. Fibers are the most prevalent microplastic type and are often formed from marine ropes, which are frequently discarded or lost at sea. These ropes contribute to entanglement, ingestion hazards, and microplastic pollution. While the shedding of microplastic fibers from ropes during active use has been studied, much less is …

Integrating A Stakeholder-Centric Approach Into Dynamic Adaptation Policy Pathways For Equitable Coastal Flood Risk Management In East Boston, Shailee M. Desai

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research aims to illustrate a methodology incorporating diverse stakeholder values in adaptation planning to promote equitable outcomes using a hypothetical case study of the Lower Border Street area in East Boston, using the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP) framework for managing coastal flood risk. It offers three significant contributions to the field of adaptation planning: (i) It demonstrates how to integrate a stakeholder-specific assessment within the DAPP framework and illustrates individual impacts to a variety of stakeholders, including high- and low-income residents, commercial actors, government actors, and coastal landowners hoping that the planning process remains transparent and motivates local …

2025 Revised Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Wildlife Road Mortalities During Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Lockdown In South Texas: A Comparative Survey, Bradley Evan Beer, Kevin W. Ryer, Md Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Mortalities of wildlife caused by collisions with vehicles along roads are increasing in prevalence, threatening the existence of various species and populations. The COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown provided an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how wildlife vehicle mortality occurrences change in response to anthropogenic variables and how varying survey methods influence obtaining mortality data. In this study, data were collected in three observation periods: pre-lockdown (PreL), during lockdown (DL), and post-lockdown (PostL) in south Texas. There were 194 wildlife mortalities recorded during weeks 4–27 of 2020. Results of this study showed that road mortality survey counts did not change …

A Phase Transition-Induced Fracturing Permeability Enhancement Technology Using Carbon Dioxide Capsules For Low-Permeability Coal Seams And Its Application, Li Mao, Fan Xinchuan, Fu Hui

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods To address engineering challenges like high gas content, high pressure, and low drainage efficiency in the mining of low-permeability coal seams, this study developed a phase transition-induced fracturing and permeability enhancement technology using carbon dioxide (CO₂) capsules for low-permeability coal seams. This technology leverages the feature that CO₂ transitions into the supercritical state under high pressure. A capsule encapsulating critical CO₂ is placed into a conduit, which is then placed within a coal seam. Subsequently, phase transition-induced blasting is triggered using a heating blasting start device. Consequently, liquid CO₂ vaporizes rapidly and …

Characteristics And Control Modes Of Geothermal Fields In Deep Coal Reservoirs In The Linxing-Shenfu Block, Xu Lifu, Bai Yuhu, Xu Bingxiang, Hu Weiqiang, Chen Jianqi, Li Yong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Geothermal fields serve as a crucial geological condition controlling the phases and seepage of deep coalbed methane (CBM). Investigating geothermal fields facilitates the assessment and efficient development of deep CBM resources.Methods This study explored the Nos. 8 and 9 coal seams in the Linxing-Shenfu block using data from drilling, well logging, well tests, and experiments. Specifically, this study summarized the regional distribution patterns of geothermal fields in deep coal reservoirs in the block, analyzed the impacts of the geothermal fields on the gas-bearing and physical properties of the reservoirs, and revealed the controlling factors and mechanisms of the …

Dynamic Evolutionary Patterns Of High-Temperature Steam Seepage And Thermal Strains Of Coals During Heat Injection, Li Zhiqiang, Zhang Ningchao, Chen Jinsheng, Chen Liwei, Feng Wenxiang, Liu Longwei, Wang Yungang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Thermal stimulation of coal seams using high-temperature steam is recognized as a highly promising technology used to increase gas production. Steam permeability serves as a critical parameter for characterizing the injection capacity of thermal fluids. However, the seepage patterns and evolutionary mechanism of steam in coals remain unclear, and exploring these issues holds critical scientific significance for gas production enhancement via heat injection. Methods Through experiments on the seepage and thermal strains of coals during the injection of high-temperature steam performed using the steady-state method, this study investigated the dynamic time variation patterns of the steam permeability and thermal …

Assessing The Potential And Suitability Of Geothermal Resources Using Monte Carlo Simulation And Game-Based Combination Weighting Method, He Yixiang, Ding Pengpeng, Liu Shaohua, Wang Mingzhu, Zhu Lei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Geothermal energy in porous sandstone reservoirs is recognized as stable, efficient clean energy. However, these reservoirs feature heterogeneity and exploration uncertainty, posing serious challenges to probabilistic resource assessment and the identification of suitability for resource development.Methods This study investigated the geothermal resources in the Guantao Formation within the northwest Shandong plain. Using the volumetric method and Monte Carlo simulation, this study assessed the uncertainty of the resource potential. Then, considering the characteristics of geothermal resources, the attributes of geological structures, and the social economy, this study developed a multi-dimensional evaluation index system for the suitability of sandstone geothermal …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Sedimentary Patterns And Exploitation Practices Of Tight-Sand Gas Reservoirs In Coal Measure Strata: A Case Study Of The 3rd Submember Of The Second Member Of The Permian Shanxi Formation In The Daning-Jixian Block, Zhang Lei, Huang Li, Zhao Longmei, Wang Feng, Zhang Yixin, Shi Shi, Zhang Wen, Zhao Haoyang, Chen Tong, Tong Jiangnan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The third submember of the second member of the Permian Shanxi Formation (also referred to as the Shan 2³ submember) in the Daning-Jixian block along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin is identified as a primary target layer for tight-sand gas production in the block. In the early stage of the block development, play fairways were initially identified through fundamental studies on provenance areas and sedimentary systems. Accordingly, a gas field with an annual production of 10 × 10⁸ m³ was constructed in the block. However, further exploitation reveals that the sandstones in the Shan …

Application Of A Uav-Borne Gpr System In The Detection Of Water Bodies And Cavities, Wang Ying, Sun Chenchen, Zhang Lu, Chen Yifei, Lu Song, Zhou Feng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system, enjoying the advantages of high resolution and non-contact detection, is applicable to the detection of water accumulation in coal seams and goaves in mines. Therefore, this study proposed a rapid detection method based on a UAV-borne air-coupled GPR system to enhance the exploration efficiency of mining areas and reduce the time and risks of manual explorations. Given the limitations of the test scenarios in actual coal mines, this study investigated the water body of the Fanxiong reservoir in Ezhou City and surrounding drainage culverts for equivalent validation, aiming …

Transparent Prevention And Control System For Water Hazards In Mine Floors Under Empowerment Based On Spatiotemporal Information Fusion, Liu Zaibin, Yan Junsheng, Wang Jianghong, Gao Yaoquan, Yang Hui, Bai Baojun, Lu Jingjin, Wang Hongwei, Wang Gang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Water hazards in coal mines frequently cause heavy casualties, severely affecting the safe mining of coal mines. Methods With the continuous advancements in both the construction of real scene 3D views and coal mine intelligentization, this study examined the development of the intelligent geological guarantee system for the Tangjiahui Coal Mine in Inner Mongolia, as well as the prevention and control of water hazards in the Ordovician limestones in the coal mine floor. Accordingly, this study elaborated on enhancing the prevention and control capacity against water hazards in coal mines during the mining cycle of a mining face using …