Digital Commons Network^™

Post-Wildfire Erosion And Biogeochemistry: Integrating Aerial Imagery And Soil Testing To Assess Landscape Recovery, Justin A. Allred

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

After a wildfire, land managers are required to monitor large tracts of land with limited time and budgets. Traditionally, tracking landscape recovery is a time intensive process. This research explored the effectiveness of using drones (UAVs), strategic soil sampling, and computer modeling as additional tools for land managers in order to monitor the recovery more efficiently.

By using drones to collect aerial imagery and using machine learning, plant regrowth was monitored in back-to-back years. The machine learning model performed well at telling broad groups apart (trees vs grass) but it struggled to identify differences between plant species. Because many plants …

Replacing Exams With Project-Based Assignments, Patrick Hiesl

Land-Grant Press — Teaching Section

This brief provides an example of project-based learning that was applied to the FOR 3410 – Wood Procurement Practices in the Forest Industry undergraduate course. After teaching this course for 4 years, it was determined that project-based learning aligned well with the learning outcomes and activities the students would encounter in their professional careers, resulting in better student engagement in the course and higher retention of the concepts.

Analysis Of The Flavonoid Composition Of Honey Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Bryce Phillips

Honors Theses

Honey is a naturally occurring substance that has a complex composition including compounds such as flavonoids, that contribute to potential health benefits. Quantitative analysis of flavonoids in honey can be challenging due to their similar structural characteristics, matrix effects, and chromatographic peak separation issues. This study aimed to establish calibration curves for five flavonoids–kaempferol, luteolin, chrysin, myricetin, and quercetin– to estimate their concentrations in five honey samples from varying geographic origins. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to isolate the flavonoids from honey. High Performance Liquid Chromatography was utilized to establish calibration curves and analyze honey samples. The calibration curves assembled demonstrated …

Climate Change-Related Effects On Carbon Emissions And Net Ammonification Across Lowland To Upland Soils From A High-Latitude Coastal Ecosystem, Jenna M. Ross, Karen H. Beard, Katharine C. Kelsey, Matteo Petit Bon, A. Joshua Leffler

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Warming, sea-level rise, and changing herbivory patterns are affecting ecosystem processes in northern coastal soils, including carbon and nitrogen cycling, although their combined effects are poorly understood. We studied the impact of these changes in a full-factorial microcosm experiment using four distinct soil types from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta of western Alaska. Soil was collected from three coastal wetlands, which differ in flooding frequency and use by migratory geese, and one rarely-flooded upland tundra used by geese in late summer. Microcosms containing these soils were incubated for 16 weeks at 10°C or 18°C, with or without three short-term floods, and with …

Creating A Unique Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carrier, Clayton Fuller

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the current state of alternative oxygen carriers and propose a new hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) as a blood substitute/ blood therapeutic. Blood donation has drawbacks: risk of spread of infection, short storage time, and blood typing, and the current shortage. There are several possible modifications for hemoglobin to create a carrier (HBOC) which address specific issues related to allowing free hemoglobin to exist extra cellularly. One issue to address is vasoconstriction caused by nitric oxide scavenging, which has been solved by increasing the molecular weight of the HBOC via (co)polymerization, or by …

Investigating The Synthesis And Antibacterial Activity Of A Main-Chain Cationic Polymer, Emily Smith

Honors Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to public health. Due to the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, the overprescription of antibiotics, and the misuse of antibiotics by patients, antibiotic resistance is spreading at an alarming rate. As antibiotic resistance spreads, the antibiotics we depend on to treat common infections become ineffective. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel treatments for infections that do not increase the prevalence of antibiotic resistance. One treatment being explored is the use of synthetic polymers with antibacterial properties. Synthetic polymers are advantageous because they can be synthesized from widely available precursors and their structure is …

Ai-Driven Multispectral Drone Monitoring For Afforestation In Arid Environments, Hesham Morgan, Ali Elgendy, Brandon Tran, Tamer Ismail, Mohamed M. Moursy, Yehya Kh. Shehadeh, Ahmed Elgharib, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Dughairi, Ali El Mubarak, Khaled Allam Harhash, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Monitoring large-scale afforestation projects in arid and semi-arid environments requires accurate, high-resolution, and repeatable methods to assess tree survival and growth. In this study, we integrated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral imaging with an advanced object detection framework to evaluate vegetation establishment in the Shuayb Al-Budai afforestation site, part of the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Natural Reserve, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Multispectral datasets were acquired using a MicaSense Altum-PT sensor and processed through a masked Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) with two backbone architectures: ResNet-101 and VGG19-BN. The Mask R-CNN–ResNet-101 model achieved superior performance, with an overall accuracy …

Reinforcement Learning Improves Llm Accuracy And Reasoning In Disease Classification From Radiology Reports, Yishu Wei, Yi Lin, Adam Flanders, George Shih, Yifan Peng

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Accurate disease classification from radiology reports is essential for many applications. While supervised fine-tuning (SFT) of lightweight LLMs improves accuracy, it can degrade reasoning. We propose a two-stage approach: SFT on disease labels followed by Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO) to refine predictions by optimizing accuracy and format without reasoning supervision. Across three radiologist-annotated datasets, SFT outperformed baselines and GRPO further improved classification and enhanced reasoning recall and comprehensiveness.

Morphology And Bioactive Compounds Of Gurmar (Gymnema Sylvestre) With Potential As Antidiabetics, Neny Novita Yuliany, Abdillah Maulana Farhan, Putry Lazimatu Ziyaroh, Edia Fitri Dwinianti, Husnatun Nihayah, Mukhamad Su'udi

Jurnal Kultivasi

The medicinal plant Gymnema sylvestre is widely known for its ability to lower blood sugar levels. This study reviewed the physical characteristics and bioactive compounds of G. sylvestre sourced from different regions, emphasizing its potential as an antidiabetic agent. Morphological analysis includes leaf structure, trichome presence, and other anatomical features, which can influence the plant's chemical profile. Phytochemical analysis, performed using techniques like GC-MS, identifies key bioactive compounds such as saponins, flavonoids, and gymnemic acids, which contribute to its hypoglycemic effect. The findings indicate that regional variations can affect the concentration and presence of these compounds, suggesting that environmental factors …

Optimization Of Physalis Angulata L. Callus Induction And Salinity-Induced Antioxidant Production, Firstian Naufal Sistyananda, Erni Suminar, Anne Nuraini, Muhamad Kadapi, Murgayanti, Syariful Mubarok, Rahmat Budiarto, Eddy Renaldi, Kusumiyati

Jurnal Kultivasi

Groundcherry (Physalis angulata L.) is a plant with many medicinal potentials due to its rich secondary metabolites such as phenolic and flavonoid. However, conventional agriculture practices are still limited, especially in Indonesia. This study was divided into two stages. The first stage was conducted to determine optimal 6-BAP and 2,4-D combination for callus induction, while the second stage was conducted to determine callus phenolic, flavonoid, and antioxidant response to salinity stress. The first stage was arranged in factorial completely randomized design with two factors: 6-BAP (0, 2, and 4 mg/L) and 2,4-D (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg/L). The second …

Estimating Leaf Area In Velvetleaf (Limnocharis Flava) And Kangkong (Ipomea Aquatica): A Precise And Non-Destructive Approach For Wetland Vegetables, Anggrika Riyanti, Benyamin Lakitan, Momon Sodik Imanudin, Muhammad Yazid

Jurnal Kultivasi

Developing a leaf-area estimation model for vegetable cultivars in wetlands is essential to optimizing agricultural cultivation practices. This study aims to develop a non-destructive model for leaf area estimation in wetland vegetable cultivars (velvetleaf (Limnocharis flava) and kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica)) using regression-based models. The plants were cultivated in a wetland system. Measurements of leaf length and width were taken on all leaves of each plant, using the product of length and width (L×W) as predictor. The regression models for estimating leaf area were adjusted from linear, zero-intercept linear, quadratic, and power. The optimal model was evaluated using the determination coefficient …

Response Of Chlorophyll, Morphology, And Yield Of Several East Java Superior Soybean (Glycine Max L.) Varieties To Levels Of Salinity, Puji Lestari Tarigan, Ida Retno Moeljani, Fadila Suryandika, Hadi Munarko

Jurnal Kultivasi

Soybean production has been extended to saline areas. This development is a strategy to expand planting areas to suboptimal land to increase worldwide production. To support cultivation in these locations, it is necessary to develop superior varieties that are resistant to salinity and provide supporting technological inputs. In saline conditions, soybeans may face stress that leads to morphological, physiological, and yield disturbances. Consequently, the response of several soybeans in East Java should be observed. This study is a pot experiment and arranged in a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of two factors, soybean varieties and NaCl concentrations. The treatments …

Growth Of Vanilla Cuttings Under Modified Acid Soil Media And Application Of Several Plant Growth Regulators, Rifqi Raditya Kurniawan, Yugi Rahayu Ahadiyat, Etik Wukir Tini

Jurnal Kultivasi

This research aimed to optimize the growth of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) cuttings in acid soils by modifying the growing media and applying several types of plant growth regulators (PGRs). Several types of PGRs, including synthetic compounds such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), as well as natural extracts from shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) and moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera), were tested to enhance plant performance in acid-growing conditions. The primary objectives were to determine the optimal soil amendment formula and the most effective PGR type for promoting vanilla growth, and to develop a measurable, easy-to-use PGR formulation accessible to farmers. …

Effects Of Phosphate-Solubilizing Fungi On Phosphorus Availability, Retention, And Soil Chemical Properties In Shallot Cultivated On Andisols Of North Sumatra, Agustina Erlinda Marpaung, Tengku Sabrina, Abdul Rauf, Dwi Ningsih Susilowati

Jurnal Kultivasi

The availability of phosphorus (P) is one of the main limiting factors for plant productivity in Andisol soils due to the strong fixation of P by allophane clay minerals, aluminum and iron oxides. Giving the phosphate solubilizing fungi (PSF) is an alternative to increase available P which plants can use to increase the yield. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) in improving P availability on Andisol. The experiment used a block randomized design (BRD) with three replications. The first factor is Andisol soil origin (Soil 1 and Soil 2) and the second is isolate of …

Assessment Of Morphological Differences And Genetic Variation In Head Shape Of Florida Pompano Trachinotus Carolinus, Neriah Nicholas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Genomics research can inform selective breeding programs to improve broodstock and seedstock quality for the U.S. warmwater marine finfish aquaculture industry. Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus serves as a model species for the industry due to its commercial value and ability to spawn in captivity. This study examined a growth abnormality observed in commercially produced juveniles in partnership with Aquaco Farms LLC. Twenty fish were collected, culled, and euthanized by Aquaco staff, then classified into two head types: “normal” and “concaved”. Eleven morphological measurements were recorded before and after freezing to assess head variation and storage effects. DNA from pectoral fin …

Geospatial Assessment Of Agrivoltaic Opportunities And Land Use Requirements In Nigeria, Ifeoluwa Ezekiel Babarinde, Bashir Salisu, Jude A. Benavides, Engil Pereira, Steven M. Grodsky, Rafael M. Almeida

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Agrivoltaics, the co-location of agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure, can deliver co-benefits like reduced plant drought stress and improved yields of shade-tolerant crops, particularly in water-scarce regions. Despite growing global interest, the technical potential and opportunities for agrivoltaics remain poorly understood in many regions facing both food and energy insecurity, such as sub-Saharan Africa. Here we provide a spatial assessment of agrivoltaic opportunities in Nigeria by integrating cropland distribution, solar resources, and water stress. We find that northern states—where cropland is abundant and water-stressed, solar irradiance is high, and electricity access remains low—offer the greatest potential for agrivoltaic systems …

Volume 12 Full Text, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Exploring Gender As An Analytical Framework In The 2018-2019 Revolution And Ongoing Civil War: The Role Of Gendered Violence And Sudanese Women's Resistance, Ami John

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper will interrogate the intersection of gender, war, and political upheaval within Sudan while focusing on the role of women in both the 2019 resistance and the ongoing conflict and revolution. By the end of 2018, mass protests had called for the ousting of Omar al-Bashir, the long-standing Sudanese president. This event set off a chain reaction which led to events that fueled the long-standing rivalry between the two militant groups that were active in Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The tension caused by this rivalry created unforeseen circumstances for the local …

Wallflowers, Misfits, And Gender Nonconformists: Roller Derby As A Refuge, Kate Clement

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This article explores how roller derby serves as a unique space for queer women and gender minorities to foster community and build “found families,” engage in activism, and practice self-expression, from its creation in 1935 to the present. This study will outline the unusual historical context that allowed the sport to evolve radically differently from other professional sports, twentieth-century feminine beauty standards and their role within the era’s roller derby, the inclusive nature of its modern bylaws, and the lived experiences of queer roller derby athletes. Utilizing a wide range of primary sources, including oral history interviews of current roller …

Front Matter And Table Of Contents, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Bioactive Constituents And Pharmacological Activities Of Curcuma Zedoaria: A Mini-Review, Abdulmutalib Allaq, Muneer M. Saleh Mohammed Saleh Alsayadi, Mustapha Salihu, Hasan M. Agha, Amena Hassan Hassan Gheeth, Fatimah Salim, Norrizah Jaafar Jaafar Sidik

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. (white turmeric) is a rhizomatous medicinal plant in the Zingiberaceae family, widely used in traditional Asian medicine. In recent years, increasing scientific attention has focused on its diverse pharmacological properties and bioactive constituents. This mini review summarises current knowledge of the phytochemical composition and biological activities of C. zedoaria, with particular emphasis on its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Phytochemical investigations using analytical techniques such as GC–MS and HPLC have revealed the presence of numerous bioactive compounds, including sesquiterpenes (example, germacrone, curzerenone, and curdione) and curcuminoids, which contribute to its therapeutic potential. Experimental studies demonstrate …

Expanding The Fossil Record Of Hippopotamodon (Suidae, Artiodactyla) From The Hasnot Area, Siwalik, Pakistan, Muhammad Ilyas, Rana Mehroz Fazal, Sayyed Ghyour Abbas, Misbah Faiz, Kiran Aftab, Abdul Ghaffar, Khizar Samiullah, Luke Holbrook

STEM Student Research Symposium Posters

The suid genus Hippopotamodon with its type species H. sivalense, is well known from Upper Miocene deposits in Eurasia. Its taxonomic history has been characterized by considerable instability, including early misassignments to genera such as Sus and Potamochoerus, and subsequent reclassifications involving Propotamochoerus, Dicoryphochoerus, and Microstonyx. This confusion primarily resulted from an overreliance on variable dental and canine morphology. Subsequent systematic revisions attempted to resolve these issues by proposing synonymies among these taxa, although debate has continued regarding the relationship between Hippopotamodon and Microstonyx. Recent work supports the synonymy of these taxa based on shared diagnostic features across Eurasian material. …

Discovery And Characterization Of Three Novel Bacteriophages Infecting Arthrobacter Globiformis: Crescenzo (Ay), Gerri43 (Fr), & Roberts (Fr), Gabrielle Achinko, Maximillan Castro, Evan Chernyenko, Kelley Crescenzo, Natalie Horchuck, Jessica Lee, Mattie Mcmahon, Heidi Meehan, Sandra Orjih, Kanishka Poudel, Kaitlyn Roberts, Alex Bogush, Matthew Farber, Marina Bogush

STEM Student Research Symposium Posters

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are increasingly important in applications ranging from agriculture and food safety to phage therapy. In this study, we isolated and characterized three novel phages, Gerri43, Crescenzo, and Roberts, from soil samples collected in Greenwich, New Jersey, and from the Rowan University campus in Glassboro, New Jersey, using Arthrobacter globiformis as the host bacterium. Phages were recovered using standard enrichment and purification approaches. After initial isolation, multiple rounds of plaque purification and serial dilution were performed to obtain clonal populations. High-titer lysates were then prepared by flooding webbed plates. Electron microscopy showed that all …

Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens) Growth And Longevity Estimated From Adult Capture-Mark-Recapture Data, Edward A. Baker, Scott F. Colborne, Nancy A. Auer, Kim T. Scribner, Douglas L. Larson, Andrew S. Briggs, Ronald M. Bruch, Margaret H. Stadig, Michael C. Donofrio

Michigan Tech Publications

Effective fishery management policy depends on accurate life-history data, particularly for harvested species. Longevity is a core life-history trait that is directly related to annual survival and lifetime reproductive potential, but fish longevity is generally not well documented, particularly for long-lived species. We used capture-mark-recapture data spanning 44 years as an alternative method to estimate sex-specific adult lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) average annual growth and longevity for five populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes. We determined individual fish average annual growth and fit population and sex-specific exponential lines for average annual growth as a function of fish length at initial …

The Spatial Distribution Of Coccidia In Arkansas Freshwater Snails, Julia R. Pye, Taylor M. Fiedor, Jason M. Post, Kyle D. Gustafson

Create@State

Coccidia are obligate, intracellular parasites that infect the digestive tracts of many animals and cause coccidosis, which can result in vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, death. At broader scales, the disease contributes to substantial economic losses in agriculture. Our study examined the distribution of Pfeifferinella ellipsoides, a coccidian parasite in freshwater snails. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that (1) there will be statistically significant spatial clustering in northern Arkansas and (2) the parasite will be found exclusively in two snail genera, Physa and Planorbella. We sampled 17 snail species and surveyed feces for oocysts from 1,920 snails and …

Solarvale: Exploring Australian Ecology And Culture Through Serious Game Design, Ping-I (Adam) Ho, Elliot Birch

Imaginings: creative practice and inquiry

This research examines how a serious game (Gee, 2007): Solarvale: Tale of the Sun Root (Birch et al., 2024), developed by students from SAE University College addresses the importance of ecological conservation and cultural awareness specifically in relation to the Australian landscape. While some Australian serious games, such as Catchment Detox (2008), Paperbark (2018), and Bleached Az (2019) engage with similar themes, few titles integrate storytelling with interactive ecological environments and cultural awareness in a way that encourages players to reflect on their own role and actions—which is the central focus of Solarvale. Drawing on the concepts from serious …

Isolation, Identification And Antibiotic-Resistance Profiling Of Bacteria Isolated From Mobile Phone Surfaces In Karbala., Kawkab Abdullah Alsaadi, Zahraa Raheem Murshidy, Dhuha Ali Hussein, Sura Abd Ali Kadhim, Kawakib Aboudi Hanoon

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Due to the diverse environments that mobile phones are exposed to via human handling they become reservoirs of microorganisms. The objective of the current study was to determine the level and character of bacterial contamination on mobile phones by identifying bacterial strains, and the degree of antimicrobial susceptibility. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2025 where phones belonging to 115 individuals were randomly chosen from various departments and units at Kerbala University and swabbed. The VITEK 2 automated system was used to identify bacterial taxa and test for antimicrobial susceptibility, and 50 of the swabs exhibited bacterial …

Evaluation Of Sirna-Mediated Knockdown Of Heat Shock Protein 16.2 In Adult Acropora Cervicornis, Edward P. Gniffke, Benjamin D. Young, Keir J. Macartney, Michael S. Studivan, Ian C. Enochs, Erin E. Easton

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Acropora cervicornis is a critically endangered Caribbean coral species facing a precipitous decline due to disease and thermal bleaching. To combat the loss of ecologically important reef-building corals, novel molecular approaches can be used to understand mechanisms of resilience and ultimately provide a means to modulate coral performance. In this study, we tested a recently developed method for gene knockdown in adult corals that utilizes short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and the RNA interference pathway. The Heat Shock Protein 16.2 (HSP16.2) gene in fragments of adult A. cervicornis was targeted for knockdown using a single siRNA construct. RT-qPCR analysis of HSP16.2 …

2026 - The Thirtieth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the 30th Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 22-24, 2026. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Effects Of Soil Amelioration On Wheat Growth, Nutrition, And Soil Microbiome Dynamics In Sandy Soil, Shompa Akter, Sultan Mia, M. Asaduzzaman Prodhan, Gaus Azam, Zakaria Solaiman, Kadambot H M Siddique

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Purpose Cropping regions in Western Australia (WA) face multiple soil constraints including acidity, nutrient deficiencies, compaction and water repellence, which limit crop productivity. Developing sustainable soil management strategies is therefore crucial. This study evaluates the effects of soil amendments—lime, gypsum, clay, compost, and synthetic fertilisers on soil health, nutrient availability, microbial function and wheat production. Methods A glasshouse experiment was conducted using undisturbed soil cores collected in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) column from a field trial site where four treatments were applied: Control (no amendment), CLG (clay, lime, gypsum), CLG + NPK (CLG + nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilisers), and …