Digital Commons Network^™

Citizen Science As A Long-Term Environmental Baseline: Assessing Impacts Of A Small Dam Removal In Montana, Usa, Bethany Blakey, Natalie Bursztyn

Watershed Sciences Student Research

As dam removals increase in frequency across Europe and North America, most research has focused on the impact of larger dam removals, despite the removal of small dams being much more common. There are hundreds of small dams in Montana, USA, and this research investigates impacts on stream ecology and morphology using citizen science data collected over eight years spanning before and after a 2020 small dam removal in Rattlesnake Creek. We analyzed pebble count grain size distributions and aquatic macroinvertebrate biotic indices from 2017 to 2024 to assess changes in sediment transport and macroinvertebrate population as well as evaluate …

Artificial Intelligence And Social Equities: Navigating The Intersectionalities In A Digital Age (Editorial), Daisuke Akiba, Julie Albright

Publications and Research

This editorial article introduces and synthesizes the Special Issue, “Artificial intelligence and social equities: navigating the intersectionalities in a digital age,” which examines how AI systems intersect with race, ethnicity, and interconnected identity dimensions across global contexts. The eight contributions span healthcare, digital media, higher education, organizational communication, and speculative futures, addressing anti-racist psychiatric algorithms, AI-generated visual disinformation, epistemic injustice between the Global North and South, algorithmically mediated rural–urban divides, culturally untranslated technology transfer, accessibility auditing across the AI lifecycle, and the tension between mechanical objectivity and empathic understanding. Read together, they show that AI is neither inherently …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Schweinitz's Cyperus (Cyperus Schweinitzii), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Schweinitz's cyperus (Cyperus schweinitzii) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Long-Term Trends And Drivers Of Commercial Shrimp Fisheries Across The Southeastern U.S. Atlantic Coast, Trinity Assels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Long-term dynamics of southeastern U.S. Atlantic commercial shrimp fisheries reflect interacting environmental and socioeconomic processes rather than uniform regional decline. However, integrated, multi-state assessments linking these drivers to fishery-dependent indicators remain limited for the region. This study analyzed over four decades (1980–2023) of confidential fishery-dependent data from coastal South Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Florida, focusing on the region where white and brown shrimp dominate commercial landings. Segmented regression analysis was used to identify structural shifts in long-term trends of landings, participation, and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), while multiple linear regression models identified seasonal temperature variables associated with interannual variation in shrimp CPUE. …

Presence And Impact Of Herbicides On Intertidal Benthic Communities, Marco Sanderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing reliance and widespread use of herbicides on a global scale is negatively affecting non-targeted biota and, consequently, their ecosystems. Herbicide levels and their impacts have been extensively researched around the world in riverine and lacustrine ecosystems. However, studies of the levels and effects of herbicides on coastal intertidal benthic communities have been lacking. This study focused on testing spectrophotometric methodologies for herbicides (atrazine and glyphosate) and documenting their presence and levels in sediment, water, and biotic tissue of intertidal coastal beaches and marshes of Waties Island and Singleton Swash, Horry County, South Carolina. A laboratory microcosm was employed …

A Vision For The Future Of Academic Publishing In Sports Analytics, Ryan Elmore, B. Baumer, Brian Macdonald, Gregory J. Matthews, Michael E. Schuckers

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

This article introduces the Journal of Statistics and Data Science in Sports (JSDSS), a Diamond Open Access, peer-reviewed journal. The journal is founded on three core principles. First, our commitment to open access is absolute. Second, reproducibility is critical and fundamental to the journal. Third, we believe sport is a rich and underutilized laboratory for statistical and data science innovation. The aim of the Journal of Statistics and Data Science in Sports is to provide an outlet for original, rigorous, practical, state-of-the-art, reproducible, and peer-reviewed analysis of sports data as well as the data science tools (software, applications, data, etc.) …

Fabrication Of Objectives For Imaging Ultracold Lithium, Danelle Akanova

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis develops a documented, reproducible procedure for building diffraction-limited microscope objectives entirely from catalog singlets, for imaging ultracold 6Li atoms in a ring-trap experiment. The objectives must resolve micron-scale features through a 5 mm fused-silica vacuum window, operate at multiple wavelengths, fit inside a 48 mm magnet bore, and contain no conductive or magnetic material, because the surrounding coils switch 0.1 T fields on microsecond timescales. Commercial long-working-distance objectives are universally housed in metal, which the eddy-current constraint rules out, and custom fabrication of a suitable non-conductive matched pair is estimated at nearly $200k.

The procedure is developed and …

2026 Final Bpsou Backfill And Cover Material Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

This Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) Backfill and Cover Material Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) provides the procedures and protocols necessary to conduct sampling and geotechnical characterization activities on import borrow and other externally sourced materials that will be used in backfill, cover soil, or engineered caps for upcoming BPSOU remediation activities described in the BPSOU Consent Decree (CD) (referred to as BPSOU CD; EPA, 2020a) Further Remedial Elements Scope of Work (FRESOW) (Attachment C of Appendix D to the BPSOU CD), the 2020 Residential Metals Abatement Program (RMAP) Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) Amendment (EPA, 2020a), and ongoing maintenance …

Personal Authenticity For Engagement And Transfer In Introductory Cybersecurity Education, Daniel T. Hickey, Ronald J. Kantor

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Abstract—This conceptual/theoretical paper explores how personal authenticity might promote generative learning in introductory cybersecurity courses. Generative learning transfers confidently to future educational, professional, personal, and testing situations. This cycle of design-based research addresses the concern that more typical professionally authentic contexts (e.g., hospitals, banks, etc.) may be alien and overwhelming to many students, particularly those in introductory courses and/or from non-professional families and communities. If so, this leads to “inert” knowledge that does not transfer. Personal authenticity is rooted in expansive framing, a modern theory of learning transfer. We reframe expansive framing as personal authenticity to make it …

Deep Learning-Based Burned Area Mapping Of California Wildfires Using Sentinel-2 And Landsat-8 Imagery Enhanced With Super-Resolution Techniques, Youngmin Seo, Seung Hee Kim, Menas Kafatos, Jinsoo Kim, Yangwon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

The increasing frequency of wildfires under a changing climate has led to extensive ecosystem destruction, highlighting the need for reliable burned area assessment using satellite imagery. Single-satellite data are constrained by observation gaps and interference from smoke and clouds, whereas multi-satellite data fusion can mitigate these limitations. Nonetheless, the fusion techniques still encounter challenges such as spatial information loss from resolution differences and cross-satellite domain mismatch. This study presents a burned area mapping framework that integrates super-resolution (SR) with transfer learning to address spatial and domain gaps in multi-satellite data. Specifically, Landsat-8 imagery is super-resolved to 7.5 m resolution, and …

Benchmark Brown Dwarf Systems. I. Chemical Abundance Analysis Of Fgk Stars With Wide-Separation Brown Dwarf Companions Using Pepsi, Caprice L. Phillips, Megan Bedell, Catherine Manea, Alison Duck, Anusha Pai Asnodkar, Emily J. Griffith, Austin Rothermich, Emily Calamari, Jacqueline K. Faherty, Ben Burningham, Channon Visscher, Eileen C. Gonzales, Ilya Ilyin, Klaus Strassmeier, Ji Wang

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

We present results from a spectroscopic survey of 32 FGK stars hosting brown dwarfs, using high-resolution optical spectra (R = 130,000 and 50,000) obtained with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument spectrograph on the Large Binocular Telescope. The primary goal of this survey is to determine precise stellar parameters and abundances for 11 elements (C, O, Mg, Si, Ca, Al, Ti, Fe, Y, S, and N) in these systems. We employ spectral synthesis within the BACCHUS framework to derive precise stellar properties and elemental abundance ratios. For our data with average signal-to-noise ratio > 200, we achieve a typical …

Zero-Field Diode Effect As A Constraint On Cuprate Superconductivity Mechanisms, Armen Gulian, Serafim Teknowijoyo, Vahan Nikoghosyan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We present measurements demonstrating that copper-oxide high-temperature superconductors can exhibit broken time-reversal symmetry in the absence of external magnetic fields. Using Tl₂⁢Ba₂⁢CaCu₂⁢O₈ microbridges, we observe a pronounced superconducting diode effect at 100 K under strictly zero-field conditions. This nonreciprocal response remains unchanged in magnetic fields up to ±100 Oe. Our results are consistent with recent reports of zero-field diode behavior in Bi₂⁢Sr₂⁢CaCu₂⁢O_8+𝛿 and together they indicate that time-reversal symmetry breaking may be an intrinsic property of the cuprate superconducting state. These findings provide an additional experimental …

Modeling Of Supersonic Wave And Shock Propagation Using The Lattice Boltzmann Method, Timothy P. Schroeder

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has emerged as a mesoscopic alternative to traditional Navier-Stokes solvers for modeling fluid dynamics offering advantages in computational efficiency, parallelization, and handling of complex boundaries. Despite these strengths, accurately reproducing compressible, shock-driven phenomena remains challenging. This study investigates the performance of LBM in simulating the Sod shock tube problem, a classical benchmark for compressible flow-using both single and double distribution function formulations across one- and two-dimensional lattice stencils. A MATLAB-based solver was developed to model the flow under isothermal conditions and compared to the analytical solution using the L2 norm error. The one-dimensional models achieved …

Development Of Quantum Cryptographic Algorithm For Next Generation Secure Systems, Gururaja Ts Mr

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid advancement of digital communication and quantum technologies are developing at an accelerated pace makes cybersecurity and data protection a big challenge. The traditional cryptographic methods are increasingly under attack by phishing, brute force, cryptanalytic attack and threats of quantum computing. This research presents a quantum-secure communication based on Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG), Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Quantum Image Encryption (QIE) and secure quantum key access using a dongle-based hardware.

QRNG models were designed in the quantum simulator and hardware. The sequences produce high entropy and they passed the statistical randomness tests with p-values higher than 0.01 indicates …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Resilience-Oriented Geological Safeguards For Damage Mitigation In Coal Resource Exploitation, Wang Shuangming, Sun Qiang, Yan Meixin, Miao Lintian, Liu Lang, Qiao Junwei, Niu Chao, Geng Jishi, Fang Chenxi, Zhang He, Xiao Lele, Li Shibo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Coal remains a fundamental component of China’s energy security system. With the westward shift of coal development and continuous expansion into deeper strata, coal mining is confronted with increasingly complex geological conditions and growing ecological constraints. Geological damage induced by mining disturbance has evolved from isolated geological issues into a coupled Earth-system problem involving the lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, characterized by uncertainty, hysteresis, concealment, and cross-scale accumulation. Resilience-based damage mitigation emphasizes reducing the probability, intensity, and recovery costs of geological damage through proactive identification, dynamic regulation, damage suppression, and post-disturbance restoration under mining disturbance and external environmental …

Mechanisms And Implications Of The Novel Cast Model Of Coal Graphitization, Wang Shaoqing, Zhang Jingzhe, Zhang Xiaomei, Wang Xiaoshuai, Chen Hao, Wang Xiaoling, Li Wu, Tang Yuegang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Coal graphitization is a multi-stage process with abrupt changes rather than linear evolution. So far, its inherent driving mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Notably, twisted graphene was observed in the process of coal graphitization in 2025, providing a new opportunity to reveal the essence of this structural transformation. Results and Conclusions By combining previous research results, this study proposes a novel coal graphitization model that consists of condensation, alignment, stacking, and twisting (CAST). The four parts of the CAST model are organically integrated, collectively forming a continuous and dynamic evolutionary process. Most especially, no absolute …

Spatial Topological Configurations Of Cleats And Geometrical Quantitative Characterization Of Matrix Blocks In Deep Coal Seams, Shen Jian, Li Wei, Tian Yongjing, Ma Tianyu, Zhang Hewei, Dong Jiying, Zhu Peipei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Cleats in deep coal seams are characterized by strong heterogeneity, and their topological configurations, as well as their topological relationships with matrix blocks, remain poorly understood. On the other hand, the assumptions regarding the size and geometry of matrix blocks adopted in representative reservoir structure models and numerical simulations do not fully reflect actual reservoir conditions. Methods Deep coal cores collected from the northeastern Ordos Basin were investigated in this study. Using CT scanning and topological theory, a multi-dimensional topological parameter system was established to characterize cleats in deep coal seams. Furthermore, four topological configurations of cleats in deep …

Stable Isotope-Based Origin Identification And Enrichment Zone Division Of Medium- To Low-Rank Coalbed Methane, Wang Qiong, Xu Fengyin, Ren Pengfei, Xu Hao, Lu Pengda, Hu Han, Zhou Siyuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Medium-to low-rank coalbed methane (CBM) exhibits complex origins with significant vertical differentiation, leading to unclear origin identification and enrichment patterns. This study aims to determine the genetic mechanisms, enrichment patterns, and efficient exploitation pathways of medium- to low-rank CBM. This will help improve the theoretical system for the exploration and exploitation of such CBM. Methods CBM data from 14 typical low- to medium-rank coalfields and coal-bearing basins across the world were comprehensively analyzed, including CBM compositions C₁/(C₂+C₃), carbon and hydrogen isotopes of CH₄ (δ¹³C-CH₄ and δD-CH_{4 …}

Dynamic-To-Static Elastic Parameter Conversion Models For Coals Under Temperature-Pressure Coupling: A Case Study Of The No. 8 Coal Seam In The Daning-Jixian Block, Zhang Wei, Wu Peng, Liu Conghui, Zhang Sidun, Sun Xuedong, Yang Haixing, Ma Zhuang, Shi Rui, Shen Jian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Existing dynamic-to-static elastic parameter conversion models for coals fail to fully account for the actual in situ pressure and temperature conditions of deep reservoirs. This leads to significant deviations in directly evaluating the mechanical properties of reservoirs using log-derived dynamic parameters. To address this challenge, this study investigated dynamic-to-static elastic parameter conversion under the in situ stress and geotemperature conditions of strata. Accordingly, high-precision parameter conversion models were established. Methods This study examined coal samples from the No. 8 coal seam at a burial depth of approximately 1200 m in the Daning-Jixian block along the eastern margin of the …

A Geochemical Evaluation Method For Geological Sweet Spots Of Marine-Continental Transitional Shale Gas: A Case Study Of The Shan$^3_2 $ Sub-Member, Eastern Margin Of The Ordos Basin, Zhu Xingcheng, Li Yong, Lu Jungang, He Qingbo, Li Shuxin, Xiao Zhenglu, Li Xiang, Jiang Qijun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background China boasts abundant marine-continental transitional shale gas resources. However, marine-continental transitional shales in the country exhibit complex geological conditions characterized by rapid lateral facies transition, vertical superimposition of multiple lithologies, and small single-layer thickness. These characteristics pose a challenge to shale gas sweet spot prediction. Therefore, establishing a sweet spot grading and evaluation system tailored to these shales is of great significance for guiding decision-making in hydrocarbon exploration and supporting large-scale production. Methods Based on core observations, this study systematically evaluated the geochemical characteristics of marine-continental transitional shales in the 3rd submember of the 2nd member of the Permian …

An Integrated Automated Parameter Optimization Method Based On Fdem And Isight For Rock Mass Engineering: A Case Study Of Pillar Stability Design, Zhu Defu, Gao Bolong, Xu Jiabo, Wang Deyu, Gao Peng, Li Yalin, Hu Wenshuo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Conventional rock mass engineering design largely relies on empirical equations or numerical simulation schemes selected from a limited number of comparable cases, making it difficult to effectively balance multiple constraints such as safety, economic viability, and resource recovery. The finite-discrete element method (FDEM) based on the intrinsic cohesive zone model (ICZM) can effectively simulate the evolution of quasi-brittle materials from continuous to discontinuous behavior, rendering it particularly suitable for engineering issues involving highly discontinuous rock masses. Therefore, FDEM has become an important numerical analysis method in rock mass engineering. However, there remains an urgent need for a high-precision, integrated, …

Selection And Verification Of Optimal Key Parameters Of Ultra-Wideband Radars For Life Detection In Coal-Rock Shielding Environments In Coal Mines, Huang Yuan, Zheng Xuezhao, Wen Hu, Jin Feiyang, Xu Chengyu, Liu Yin, Ding Wen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Ultra-wideband (UWB) radars can transmit electromagnetic waves that penetrate coal and rock media, thereby addressing the challenge of detecting and localizing personnel trapped in shielding environments during mine collapse. However, key parameters for UWB radar detection are difficult to determine due to complex mine environments, diverse media, and unclear dispersion characteristics. To deal with this issue, this study determined the frequency-dependent dielectric properties of various coal and rock media, as well as human tissues, through experiments and fitting. In combination with actual rescue scenarios, this study established the electromagnetic equivalent model of shielding environments in coal mines. …

Factors Influencing The Build-Up Rate Of Small-Diameter Rotary Steerable Systems In Underground Coal Mines, Yang Dongdong, Li Quanxin, Zhang Youzhen, Chen Long, Chu Zhiwei, Jiang Bici, Wang Bo, Yan Wenchao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Intelligent drilling represents an important part of intelligent coal mine construction. However, measurement-while-drilling (MWD) directional drilling, the core of underground intelligent drilling operations, currently suffers from several limitations, including the high dogleg severity of wellbore trajectories, low drilling efficiency, and poor hard-rock penetration. Rotary steerable system (RSS) technology has emerged as a key approach to addressing these limitations owing to its high-precision control on drilling trajectories. Methods This study systematically analyzed the factors influencing the build-up rate of small-diameter, push-the-bit RSSs using a modified 3-point circle method and the longitudinal beam bending method. Through theoretical modeling, the coupled impacts …

Machine Learning-Based Diagnosis Of Fracture-Induced Lost Circulation And Intelligent Selection Of Lost Circulation Control Fluids, Sun Huan, Zhu Mingming, Wang Jinshu, Yao Lu, Zhou Fangfang, Tan Xuebin, Sun Yan, Qu Yanping, Chen Ning

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Method Drilling operations in the Changqing area face several challenges in lost circulation, including complex types, significantly different characteristics, and difficulty in designing plugging formulations. To address these issues, this study proposes a DSX-Hybrid coupled intelligent decision-making framework, which serves as an integrated scheme to identify lost circulation channels, perform intelligent selection of plugging formulations, and offer recommendations on construction process. In this framework, given the scarcity of labeled log data, the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is employed to mine latent geological characteristics of unlabeled data. Then, the self-attention convolutional neural network (SACNN) is …

Fast-Track Ode: A Student-Centered, Game-Based Summer Differential Equations Course, Chamila D. Malagoda Gamage

CODEE Journal

This article describes a student-centered and game-based redesign of an Elementary Differential Equations course taught during a six-week summer session. In this compressed setting, students had to move through the standard course content quickly while still developing procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and confidence with applications. To support these goals, the course used real-time feedback tools, collaborative problem solving, applications connected to students' fields, and mathematical games. The paper describes the course context, major activities, implementation details, and student feedback. Student responses suggest that the activities were well received and helped students stay engaged, participate regularly, prepare for exams, and see …

2026 Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

Insufficiently Reclaimed sites exist within the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) that could pose a threat to human health or surface water quality due to the exposure of historical mine waste. Although many source areas have been previously reclaimed, areas exist where reclamation was completed prior to the establishment of the Butte Hill Revegetation Specifications (BHRS) or reclaimed areas that have failed consecutive Butte Reclamation Evaluation System (BRES) inspections and now fall into either the Insufficiently Reclaimed or Reclamation Improvement category. In all these cases, additional work is required to comply with the BHRS to ensure the cap remains …

Key Technologies And Their Application Of Vertical Large Models For Geological Guarantee In Coal Mining, Liu Zaibin, Fan Tao, Liu Borui, Chen Changyuan, Li Guihong, Li Wei, Jing Xiaotian, Li Xiping, Du Yiming

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background General-purpose large language models (LLMs) have remarkable capabilities in natural language understanding and complex-task reasoning. However, when applied to geological guarantee in coal mining, these models still suffer from several inherent limitations, including insufficient professional geological knowledge, limited insights into industrial terminology, and inadequate integration of engineering logic and rules. Consequently, they face challenges in accurately capturing domain-specific knowledge and reasoning mechanisms required for geological interpretation, early warning of disasters, and decision-making for disaster prevention and control. These issues lead to limited applicability and reliability of general-purpose LLMs. On the other hand, geological guarantee in coal mining involves multi-source …

Microstructure Evolution Characteristics Of Coal Briquettes During Hot Pressing Carbonization And A Temperature Control Method, Gan Qingqing, Xu Jiang, Peng Shoujian, Cai Guoliang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Coal briquettes used for physical simulations of gas disasters in coal mines generally exhibit low strength and high permeability. To address this challenge, this study developed a new hot pressing process and a temperature control method to optimize the mechanical and seepage performance of coal briquettes. Methods First, an optimal mixing ratio scheme was determined based on the Horsfield close-packing theory, and coal briquettes were prepared at different temperatures using an independently developed hot pressing system. Subsequently, the microstructure evolution patterns of the hot-pressed coal briquettes were characterized using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), a …

3d Geological Modeling And Its Application For Steeply Dipping Coal Seams In The Miquan Area, Xinjiang, Wu Luofei, Li Yong, Zhang Weiqi, Han Yiyang, Zhang Jie, Cao Mingliang, Li Qiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Influenced by multi-stage compression from the North Tianshan and Bogda mountains, the southern margin of the Junggar Basin in Xinjiang exhibits the widespread development of steeply dipping coal seams. The extreme stratigraphic occurrence, combined with complex structural superimposition styles, poses significant challenges to the fine-scale characterization of these coal seams. Correspondingly, the planar and regional distribution patterns of gas content in these coal seams remain poorly understood, rendering it difficult to effectively determine the sweet spots of coalbed methane (CBM). Methods Focusing on the Miquan area, Xinjiang, this study investigated the methodology for 3D geological modeling of representative steeply …