Engineering Commons^™

Determining Mating Type And Species Of A Natural Isolate Of Dictyostelium Using Molecular Techniques And Sexual Crosses, S.N. Baviskar, C. Catron, H. Jenkins, M. Smith

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Cellular slime molds, Dictyostelium, are bactivorous, soil-dwelling amoebae. When food is available, cells reproduce asexually by binary fission. Under certain environmental conditions, such as darkness and humidity, Dictyostelium reproduces sexually. The sexual cycle is uniquely social and has unusual features. First, sexual reproduction in most eukaryotes usually involves fusion of two gametes. But, in Dictyostelium, triparental inheritance is observed (Bloomfield et al. 2019), in which gamete fusion involves more than two gametes. Second, most eukaryotic species have two sexes or mating types, but Dictyostelium species are known to have more than two mating types. Even though Dictyostelium species show variations …

Noteworthy Parasites (Trematoda, Cestoda, Phthiraptera) Of Three Birds (Aves: Passeriformes; Pelecaniformes; Piciformes) From Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Between November 2020 and March 2021, three species of birds, one each of a tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and great blue heron (Ardea herodias) were salvaged from Lawrence and Polk counties, Arkansas, and examined for parasites. Found were four taxa of parasites, including a dicrocoeliid trematode, a cyclophyllidean cestode, and species of philopterid and menoponid lice. We document new host and distributional records for these parasites from select birds of the state.

New Geographic Distributional Records For Two Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes: Petromyzontidae) In Arkansas, With Notes On Histopathology, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison, E.M. Leis, D.G. Cloutman, A.C. Camus

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The recent update (2nd edition) of the Fishes of Arkansas includes what is known, to date, on the geographic distribution of five species of lampreys that occur in the state. Here, we provide new distributional records on two of those species, the chestnut lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus) and southern brook lamprey (I. gagei), as well as documenting host-parasite information (histopathology) caused by the former species.

Spermiogenesis In The Western Siren, Siren Nettingi (Caudata: Sirenidae), S.E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I investigated spermiogenesis in the Western Siren, Siren nettingi (formerly Western Lesser Siren, Siren intermedia nettingi) from salamanders collected periodically over a span of 21 yr (1994–2015) in northeastern Arkansas. My primary objective in this study is to present histologically and ultrastructurally, for the first time, the novel sequence of spermatological events of the spermiogenic process in this species. I describe the transformational stages from secondary spermatocytes to mature biflagellated spermatozoa, all of which occur within the lumen of testicular lobules. These new-to-science processes begin with nuclear displacement and expansion within spermatids, which occur after their detachment from Sertoli cells …

Histomorphology Of The Distal Urogenital Ducts In The Male Northern Crawfish Frog, Rana Areolata Circulosa (Anura: Ranidae), S.E. Trauth, R.G. Neal

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We examined the microanatomy of the distal urogenital ducts in the male Northern Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata circulosa) from a small sample (n = 5) collected in February and March from central Arkansas over a 5-year period (2017–2022). Specifically, we sought information on the following structures: (1) the paired Wolffian (urogenital) ducts caudally from the kidneys to their merging with the urodeum of the cloaca, (2) the paired seminal vesicles (sperm storage structures), and (3) the paired Müllerian ducts and glands. This study provides new information on these urogenital ducts and promotes a clearer understanding of this anatomical region for …

No Sperm Morphometric Differences Between Two Snapping Turtle Species, J.D. Konvalina, S.E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We examined sperm morphometrics between Chelydra serpentina and Macrochelys temminckii. When both species are combined, we found significant correlations between total sperm length and sperm head length as well as sperm tail length and sperm head length. In addition, we observed significant correlations between total sperm length and sperm tail length. T-tests revealed no significant differences in any of the sperm morphometrics between the two species. Both snapping turtle species had greater values for every sperm morphometric when compared to another freshwater turtle. The strong correlation between total sperm length and sperm tail length is concurrent with what has previously …

New Species Of Birds Reported In Arkansas Since 2009, R. Tumlison, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We update our state of knowledge regarding the 20 new species of birds (and 1 new species name based on a change in taxonomy) discovered in Arkansas since the last update in 2009. These are based on records of the Arkansas Audubon Society and those posted on eBird. New species include 3 from Order Anseriformes, 1 Pelicaniformes, 1 Falconiformes, 1 Gruiformes, 4 Charadriiformes, 1 Apodiformes, and 10 Passeriformes. Historic distributions of the new species include Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts, as well as interior origins. The current count of extant species of birds observed in Arkansas now stands at 425.

Keynote Address And Meeting Program, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Instructions To Authors, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Comparing Phosphorus Removal Efficiencies And Mechanisms Via Two Cost-Effective Specialty Adsorbents In A Cascade Upflow Filtration System, Sydney Kilgus-Vesely

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Finding solutions to treat water that contains phosphorus is an important effort due to the harmful impacts it presents to both human health and the environment. Phosphorus is considered a limiting factor in water oftentimes and therefore controls the growth of algal bloom in a water body. The increase of algal populations due to wastewater effluent, stormwater runoff, and agricultural discharge in Florida waters has a direct link to the event of harmful algal blooms such as red tide in coastal regions, eutrophication of waterbodies, and fish kills. Finding low cost, energy efficient, and low maintenance green sorption media (GSM) …

Assessment Of Microplastics In The Surface Water Of Sitio Pulo, Navotas, Metro Manila, Mark Lester C. Galicia, Carl Luis P. Flestado, Jeff Ryan S. Magalong, Ronald Benz L. Rivera, Kim M. Villacorte, William Peter G. Sarmiento, Chester C. Deocaris

Applied Environmental Research

Microplastics are synthetic polymer particles with a length of 5 mm or less with no well-defined lower boundary. These debris particles are known to affect marine and aquatic organisms which poses a threat to biodiversity and marine resources. In this study, the isolated microplastic from the coastal and lagoon surface waters of Sitio Pulo is described. Sitio Pulo is a barrier island mangrove sanctuary located at Brgy. Tanza I, Navotas City surrounded by Manila Bay. The samples collected last July 4 and 25, 2019, were isolated, profiled, and analyzed. A total of four hundred forty-nine (449) microplastic fragments were isolated …

An Urban Tree (Tabebuia Argentea) Exhibits Higher Sensitivity To Environmental Conditions Than An Urban Palm (Ptychosperma Macarthurii) Growing In The Same Roof Garden: An Implication For Sustainable Urban Water Use, Ratchanon Ampornpitak, Prangwilai Khobpee, Weerapong Unawong, Nisa Leksungnoen, Pantana Tor-Ngern

Applied Environmental Research

Roof gardening is popular for increasing green space in cities due to the restricted urban areas. However, when watering plants on a roof garden, one should consider loading capacity of the roof, which may limit water supply to the plants therein. To improve the efficiency in irrigating trees in a roof garden, we evaluated plant water status, represented by midday leaf water potential (ΨL), and leaf gas exchange parameters including stomatal conductance (gs) and net photosynthesis (An) of a tree (Tabebuia argentea, Ta) and a palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii, Pm) species, which dominate the garden. …

Impact Of Covid-19 Nationwide Lockdowns And Unlock Phases In India On River Water Quality Of Upper Part Of The Ganga River, Dhara Kakwani, Abha Kumari, Kumar Suranjit Prasad, Bablu Prasad

Applied Environmental Research

The river water quality index (RWQI) of the upper Ganga canal has been computed to assess the effect of lockdown and unlock phases lead down by COVID-19 in India. Geospatial distribution of RWQI from January 2019 to December 2021 in the study area revealed significant impacts of lockdown on water quality. However, unlock phases (post lockdown) have deteriorated water quality since August 2020 and reached to actual conditions of the river by August 2021. To evaluate the lockdown as a management strategy to clean the river, other factors were reviewed including rainfall data, migration, and other activities. The results revealed …

Classifying Multi-Generational Products For The Circular Economy, Buddhika M. Hapuwatte, Fazleena Badurdeen, I. S. Jawahir

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing Faculty Publications

Manufacturers are increasingly interested in the circular economy (CE) and potential of circular productions. To fully utilize CE, better guidance at the design stage is needed to establish closed-loop flows and prioritize higher value retaining end-of-use (EoU) practices such as reuse and remanufacture (i.e., parts harvesting). Intergenerational commonality (IC) is a method to increase EoU parts harvesting. However, closed-loop parts harvesting potential depends on the compatible timing between design generations’ production and EoU returns curves. Therefore, in this paper, we explore an approach to make an initial assessment on where IC as a closed-loop CE strategy can produce most benefit, …

The Combination Of Activated Sludge And A Constructed Wetland For Treating Soybean Wastewater, Tri Nguyen Minh, Nhan Nguyen Thi, Hoan Le Thi-Hai, Thanh Pham Van

Applied Environmental Research

Soybean is a nutritious and popular material in the Vietnamese food industry. Soybean processing wastewater contains a significant amount of organic compounds, which have a negative impact on aquatic life due to light penetration and oxygen consumption limitations. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine whether the combination of activated sludge and a constructed wetland using VA06 grass could be effective in treating soybean wastewater. Various amounts of activated sludge were investigated. To be specific, a 20% additional sludge percentage resulted in the shortest treatment time for chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and phosphorus (TP). Additionally, the …

Riverine Microplastics Pollution In Vietnam: A Review Of Current Scientific Knowledge And Legal Policies, Sang Truong Tran Nguyen, Emilie Strady, Thuy Chung Kieu Le, Thi Minh Tam Le, Phuoc Dan Nguyen, Ngoc Bao Pham, Yukako Inamura

Applied Environmental Research

Plastic litter and microplastic pollution in the aquatic environment have become a major concern since scientists, politicians, and citizens began to learn about the impacts in recent years. This in-depth desk review of scientific papers and Vietnamese policies aims to state the current knowledge, legal framework, and action plan relative to microplastic assessment, release, and control in Vietnamese aquatic environments, especially rivers. Regarding scientific literature, this paper focuses on (i) the occurrence of microplastics in riverine surface water and sediments, (ii) the fate and transfer of microplastics in Vietnam’s canals-riverine- estuarine systems, (iii) their accumulation in biota, and (iv) effects …

Developing Cost-Effective Specialty Adsorbents To Meet The Emerging Challenges Of Pollutant Removal In Surface Water Systems, Diana Ordonez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The production of clean water is emphasized under the United Nations goals for sustainable development (SDGs), enlightening the acute need of developing new sustainable technologies in all disciplines. SDGs have urged all engineers in the 21st century to mitigate pollution of drinking water sources and prevent all receiving waterbodies from the impact of agriculture discharge, wastewater effluent, and stormwater runoff. Current water matrix constituents of concern include traditional pollutants (i.e., total nitrogen and total phosphate), natural organic matters (i.e., total organic carbon (TOC), tannic acid), heavy metals (i.e., copper, calcium), and harmful algae toxins (i.e., microcystin), as well as contaminants …

Low-Head Dams (Aka Drowning Machines) Are Deadly: An Analysis Of Liability For Landowners And States, And Recommendations For Legislation And Warning Signs, Forrest R. Hansen, Rollin H. Hotchkiss

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Mitigating Supply Chain Disruptions In Retail Discount Department Stores, Anthony T. Patton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain disruptions can have adverse effects on business outcomes. Retail industry supply chain leaders are concerned with supply chain disruptions because supply chain disruptions can lead to dissatisfied customers and loss of profits. Grounded in game theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies four retail industry supply chain leaders in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana implemented to mitigate the effects of supply chain disruptions. Data were collected using semistructured virtual interviews with four retail industry supply chain leaders and a review of company documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) choosing appropriate inventory …

Air Traffic Management Principles: A Case Study On How To Create A Sustainable System, Eva Maleviti

Publications

BEYOND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

• Emissions, SAF, CORSIA, Design
• Economic growth and development
• Sustainability should go beyond environment
• Non-technology approaches for sustainability and Net-Zero targets
• What about social sustainability and people?

In the total share of aviation emissions (1GT CO2) 3% is 3Mt CO2. Small share but very significant contribution.

Business Meeting Report (Secretary's And Treasurer's Report), Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Climate Change And The Law Of National Security Adaptation, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

The Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest employer in the world, owns and operates an enormous global real estate portfolio, and emits more Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) than many nations. Entrusted with the national security, the DoD is now threatened by a new enemy—climate change. Climate change imperils national security infrastructure while undermining the military’s capacity to respond to climate-driven disasters at home and abroad. However, legal scholarship has yet to address what I call “the law of national security adaptation” and related questions. For example, how do environmental and climate change laws apply to the U.S. military? What laws …

Carbon Capture, Utilization, And Storage, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s CCUS capabilities. Includes information on the Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership initiative, Brine Extraction and Storage Test (BEST), Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE), Red Trail Energy Carbon Capture and Storage, a feed study at Coal Creek Station, Bell Creek and Cedar Creek anticline projects, and Partnership for CO₂ Capture (PCO₂C).

Bench- And Pilot-Scale Corrosion Control Inhibitor Effectiveness Studies For A Community's Blended Surficial And Brackish Groundwater Supply, Paula Campesino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates the lead and copper content of a public water system's finished water at the consumer's tap, through the Safe Drinking Water Act's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), promulgated in 1991. This rule was recently changed through the LCR Revisions (LCRR), that took effect in 2021. The more stringent requirements of the LCRR motivated the City of Sarasota, Florida (City), to work with the University of Central Florida (UCF) on a study of the municipality's finished water corrosivity. Initially, this evaluation investigated the City's existing finished water corrosivity using linear polarization resistance (LPR) measurements …

Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Precision Meteorology: An Analysis Of Gnss Position Measurement Error And Embedded Sensor Development, Karla S. Ladino

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The overarching objective of this research was to enhance our comprehension of the three-dimensional precision of meteorological measurements obtained using small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Two complimentary experiments were conducted to achieve this objective.

The first experiment entailed the development and implementation of a system to determine the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position accuracy on a UAS platform. This system was utilized to assess the static and dynamic accuracy of L1 and L1/L2 GNSS receivers in real-time kinematic (RTK) and non-RTK fix modes. Adjusted two-sample t-tests revealed significant differences in horizontal and vertical error between RTK and non-RTK receivers …

New Records Of Distribution And Natural History Of Vertebrates In Arkansas: 2020-2023, R. Tumlison, H.W. Robison, M.B. Connior, D.B. Sasse, T.S. Risch, K. Edmonds, J.D. Wilhide, C.R. Allen

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Small details of natural history often go undocumented to science if those details are not parts of larger studies. However, knowledge of small details can provide insights that lead to interesting questions about ecological relationships or environmental change. We have compiled recent important observations of natural history of vertebrates, including several distributional and size records of fishes, atypical carapace shape in a common snapping turtle, an unusual support structure for a bird nest, healed damage to a broken jaw of a young deer, and numerous distributional records of bats.

Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Investigate The Detectability Of Burmese Pythons In South Florida, Joseph Cerreta, William Austin, David Thirtyacre, Scott S. Burgess, Peter Miller

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Burmese pythons are an invasive, non-native species of snake to southern Florida and attempts at eradicating the snakes had yielded mixed results. The current rate of detection had been reported as 0.05%. The purpose of this research project was to determine if a UAS equipped with a near-infrared (NIR) camera could be used to detect pythons at a higher rate when compared to a RGB camera. The approach involved collecting 55 images from RGB and NIR cameras, over carcass pythons at flying heights of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 meters. A likelihood ratio consisting of a true positive rate …

New Host Records Of Apicomplexan Blood Parasites (Haemogregarinidae And Hepatozoidae) Infecting Two Reptiles (Testudines; Ophidia) From Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Relatively few records of apicomplexan blood parasites from reptiles in Arkansas have been published although the effects of these parasites on reptilian health may be of concern. Using photomicrographs we describe the morphotypes of parasite gamonts found in blood samples from the Midland smooth softshell turtle, Apalone mutica mutica, and a western Milksnake Lampropeltis gentilis from Arkansas. The turtle possessed four distinct morphological gamont forms of a Haemogregarina sp. The snake possessed two morphological forms of gamonts of a Hepatozoon sp. Both infections are new host records and the western milksnake has not been described as a host elsewhere for …

Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoon; Kinetoplastida: Trypanosoma) Of Two Anurans (Hylidae; Ranidae), From Polk County, Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas supports 26 species/subspecies of anurans and only one (4%), the green frog, Rana clamitans, has been previously reported with hemoparasites. Here, we collected blood samples from three species of anurans, five American green treefrogs, Dryophytes cinereus, five American bullfrogs, Rana catesbeianus, two southern leopard frogs, Rana sphenocephalus utricularius, and two Fowler’s toads, Anaxyrus fowleri from Polk County and examined each for hemoparasites. American green treefrogs and American bullfrogs harbored hemoparasites, including two (40%) D. cinereus and four (80%) R. catesbeianus with trypanosomes, and one (20%) R. catesbeiana with a Hepatozoon sp. This is the first time these two anurans …

Novel Reproductive Data On Blue Sucker, Cycleptus Elongatus (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), From Northeastern Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, D.G. Cloutman, E.M. Leis, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Nothing has been published in the scientific literature concerning the reproductive biology of the Blue Sucker, Cycleptus elongatus in Arkansas. We examined seven female C. elongatus collected in late February 2021 and 2022 and again in early March 2023 from the Black River, Lawrence County. Egg mass (g) averaged 15.8% of the total weight of these gravid females. It appears that this sucker can spawn as early as February in this population. This is the first time information on female reproduction in this species has been published from any population of C. elongatus in the state.