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Historical stream and valley sedimentation survey data for the Whitewater River Valley, Minnesota, United States (1855–1994)
No full textA. WRV_MN_1939_1994_sedimentation_transects.csv: Transect data and metadata.
B. WRV_MN_1939_2014_sedimentation_monuments.csv: Transect monument, or other marker, data and metadata. Provides a breakdown of transect monumentation history from data collected by field surveyors between 1939 and 2014.
C. WRV_MN_1939_1965_sedimentation_borings.csv: Transect auger boring data and metadata. Provides legacy sediment (LS) thickness data collected by field surveyors in 1939 and 1965.
D. WRV_MN_1855_1994_sedimentation_elevations.csv: Transect elevation (surface profile) data and metadata collected by field surveyors between 1939 and 1994. Some data was calculated by Wood in 2024.
E. WRV_MN_2008_2014_sedimentation_coordinates.csv: Transect monument, or other marker, GNSS coordinate data and metadata collected by field surveyors led by Christianson and Svien between 2008 and 2014. Some data was calculated by Wood in 2025.
F. WRV_MN_1855_1994_sedimentation_rates.csv: Transect elevation change rates calculated by Wood in 2025 for the time periods of 1855–1939, 1939–1965, 1965–1994, 1855–1965, 1965–1975, 1975–1978, and 1978–1994.
G. WRV_MN_1855_1994_sedimentation_exceptions.csv: Transect elevation change rates calculation exceptions set by Wood in 2025. The exception is a zone along the transect between two measurement stations where elevation change rates are not calculated.
H. WRV_MN_1855_1994_sedimentation_statistics.csv: Statistical hypothesis test results for tests conducted by Wood in 2025 to gauge whether sedimentation rates between 1855–1939, 1939–1965, and 1965–1994, differed.
I. WRV_MN_1855_1994_sedimentation.gpkg: GeoPackage of transect lines and monuments and elevation profile data from 1855, 1939, 1965, 1975, 1978, and 1994. See README_GPKG.txt for geospatial metadata.Between the late 1930s and mid-1960s, Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) personnel established 107 floodplain survey transects in the Whitewater River Valley (MN) to investigate stream and valley sedimentation conditions throughout the basin. These transects were the basis for auger boring and optical elevation surveys conducted by field personnel. The former was performed to measure floodplain legacy sediment thickness, or the thickness of the sediment deposited since the widespread introduction of Euro-American agriculture around 1855. The latter was performed to capture the continuous geometry of the river valley via elevation measurements at discrete points along the transect. Since the late 1930s, multiple government agencies have sampled these transects for multiple sedimentation surveys yielding a near 140-year record (1855-1994) of river valley change that has not been available to the public. The relevant survey periods include 1939–1941 (SCS), 1964–1968 (USGS), 1975 (SCS), 1978 (SCS), and 1993–1995 (SCS–Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS]). Data preservation work conducted in 2008–2014 (NRCS-Pennsylvania State University) focused on a GNSS survey of transect monuments (markers) and continued work in 2021–2025 (University of Minnesota Twin Cities) focused on compiling all the previous data since 1939 for publication and calculating elevation change rates across the basin. We have compiled the historical sedimentation survey data pertaining to these transects and distilled it into eight files: (A) transects, (B) monuments, (C) boring surveys, (D) elevation surveys, (E) monument coordinates, (F) elevation change rates, (G) elevation change rate calculation exception zones, and (H) elevation change rate statistics. We have also digitized the bulk of this data into 8 layers housed in a GeoPackage (I).Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENTRF) grant 2022-163.National Science Foundation (NSF) grant 1944782.University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Graduate School Diversity Office Summer Institute.University of Minnesota Twin Cities, College of Science & Engineering Inclusion Fellowship.Wood, Jimmy J; Svien, Lawrence; Christianson, Doug; Claas, Lauren. (2025). Historical stream and valley sedimentation survey data for the Whitewater River Valley, Minnesota, United States (1855–1994). Retrieved from the Data Repository for the University of Minnesota (DRUM), https://doi.org/10.13020/2ggx-qk28
Minutes: Senate Committee on Student Affairs: March 19, 2025
No full textIn these minutes: Welcome and Introductions; Policy Consultation: Administrative Policy Addressing Student ComplaintsUniversity of Minnesota. Senate Committee on Student Affairs. (2025). Minutes: Senate Committee on Student Affairs: March 19, 2025. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/273791
Conducting a personal listening audit as a practice of critical self-awareness
No full textUniversity of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. 2025. Major: Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication. Advisor: Amy Lee. 1 computer file (PDF); xii, 281 pages.In order to conduct what I’m calling a personal listening audit as a practice of critical self-awareness, this dissertation utilizes rhizomatic autoethnography to contribute to the scholarly landscape in the field of listening studies (Worthington & Bodie, 2020) and listening rhetoric (Ratcliffe, 1999, 2005; Blankenship, 2019). In doing so, I show what one can learn about themselves by “listening to their listening” as a method of self-research. By analyzing my listening practices over a series of interviews with fellow graduate students in RhetComp, I explore the following questions: 1) What can I learn from paying close and critical attention to my listening?; 2) What is/are my listening identity/ies? as in, who is the “I” that listens?; and 3) How do/can I begin to listen better? My study starts from the assumption that how we “know the world or gain knowledge of it” (Denzin & Lincoln, qtd. in Pitard, 2017, pg. 3) is situated, in part, within the contexts of our personal experience. As such, I establish rhizomatic analysis as the fundamental epistemology of this dissertation and share a narrative evolution of my study to contextualize my research questions. Next, in order to place my study in the context of an already existing scholarship, I give an account of the interdisciplinary field of listening research and define rhetoric’s premiere theory of listening, Krista Ratcliffe’s rhetorical listening (1999; 2005) as well as Lisa Blankenship’s rhetorical empathy (2019). Next, I provide a definition of autoethnography as a method and an account of my study design. In order to gather data to analyze for my study, I elected to conduct virtual qualitative interviews with graduate student-instructors in RhetComp, asking them questions about their own experiences with being heard (or not) throughout their programs. Recordings of these interviews as well as notes taken in the moment and reflective post-interview memos provided me with a rich data set that allowed me to analyze my listening practices as my participants answered my questions. Finally, this study concludes with a rhizomatic analysis of my data, distributed across three rhizomatic threads which can be read in any order. I organized these chapters into an analysis of the behavioral, affective, and cognitive aspects of my listening. Behavioral addresses physical, observable behaviors that I embodied while my participants spoke. Affective addresses data that resonated emotionally. Cognitive addresses unobservable aspects of my data such as wonderings or errors in listening. These rhizo-chapters provide an account of significant takeaways that are blended with scholarship, memories and personal experiences, creative fiction, and participant data.Bursch, Cody. (2025). Conducting a personal listening audit as a practice of critical self-awareness. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/275942
Soil Compaction Solutions: Prevention, Management, and Recovery
No full textSoil compaction is a critical issue in modern agriculture, driven by larger equipment, frequent field traffic, and reduced crop diversity. This fact sheet outlines the causes, impacts, and detection methods of compaction, along with practical strategies for prevention and management. Emphasis is placed on equipment factors, soil conditions, and agronomic practices essential for maintaining soil structure, promoting root growth, and sustaining long-term productivity.DeJong-Hughes, Jodi; Daigh, Aaron. (2025). Soil Compaction Solutions: Prevention, Management, and Recovery. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/274471
Data in Support of Identifying and Minimizing Primary Sources of Temporal Broadening in Online Affinity Micro Free-Flow Electrophoresis
No full textData files include MATLAB code, raw data (.csv) and processed data (.csv). The matlab code is used to process all raw data files (matrices) for generation of figures and extraction of linescans or post-processing matrices for further analysis. Raw data files are included for any experiment shown in the manuscript. These are titled "FigX_raw...". Separate files with already-extracted linescans and peak-heigh-over-time traces are included for any data shown in manuscript. These are titled "FigX_Extracted...".Affinity micro free-flow electrophoresis (µFFE) takes advantage of continuous separations to enable real-time measurements in biological systems. Here, competitive immunoassay reagents are mixed online and streamed into the µFFE device, where bound and free labeled species are separated in real-time based on their electrophoretic mobility. In the manuscript corresponding to this dataset, we optimized the affinity µFFE platform to minimize the response time of the assay. Analyte response time was improved by 1) mitigating temporal broadening as analyte transited the fluidic system and 2) reducing surface adsorption. Fast iteration of the microfluidic parameters enabled optimization of temporal broadening due to longitudinal diffusion and parabolic flow. Minimizing incubation capillary length while ensuring adequate equilibration time for the competitive immunoassay improved rise times from 25-seconds to 10-seconds, a 2.5-fold improvement in temporal response. Incorporation of immunoassay reagents hindered response time as a result of peptide surface adsorption. Dynamic coating with 0.005% w/v bovine serum albumin was shown to mitigate surface adsorption without interfering with the binding and separation of the immunoassay components, resulting in 2.8-fold improvement in overall signal and 2-fold improvement in temporal response, which improved from 61 seconds to 30 seconds. This data set includes raw and processed data supporting this publication, as well as MATLAB code used for data processing and figure generation.This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (GM145956)Burke, Gretchen; Bowser, Michael. (2025). Data in Support of Identifying and Minimizing Primary Sources of Temporal Broadening in Online Affinity Micro Free-Flow Electrophoresis. Retrieved from the Data Repository for the University of Minnesota (DRUM), https://doi.org/10.13020/x9kn-fn14
Media Consumption and Race Associations in Toddlers
No full textFaculty Advisor: Dr. Charisse B. PickronInvestigating media’s impact on young minds can provide insight into how toddlers develop their understanding of the world around them. At 12 months of age, approximately 75% of U.S. toddlers watch television, and 90% do so by 24 months. Additionally, most infants are read to on a weekly basis. The present study explores how the media toddlers consume relates to their thinking and behavior. Specifically, it examines whether racial diversity in toddler media relates to toddlers’ race associations. Sixty children participated in 3 race association selection tasks at the University of Minnesota Child Development Laboratory School. Parents reported on the diversity of the media that the children consumed. A multivariate Poisson regression showed that older toddlers chose fewer markers to use to color in a line drawing of a face. There were no other significant associations between task performance and media consumption or age. Overall, the study found that racial diversity in toddlers’ media consumption is generally unrelated to the races the toddlers select in race association tasks, although toddlers choose fewer different skin-colored markers to use to color in a face as they get older.This research was supported by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).Stephens, Evelyn M.; Pickron, Charisse B.. (2025). Media Consumption and Race Associations in Toddlers. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/275144
Episode 288 - Dairy Culling Deep Dive: The Hidden Value of Your Cows - UMN Extension's The Moos Room
No full textRuntime 20:44Dairy Cow Culling Research Insights. In this episode of The Moos Room, Brad takes a break while guest hosts Emily and Joe dive into a recent research study from the University of Minnesota on dairy cow culling. The study, spanning 14 years of data, compares Holstein and crossbred cows, uncovering key insights about the reasons for culling and its economic impact. Did you know that dairy cows make up 10% of the U.S. beef market? In this episode of The Moos Room, guest hosts Emily and Joe break down a new University of Minnesota study analyzing 14 years of dairy cow culling data. The study compares Holsteins and crossbred cows, revealing key factors that influence culling decisions, market value, and farm profitability. What You’ll Learn: why cows are culled (poor reproduction & mastitis top the list), how cull cows impact the beef market and farm revenue, which cows bring in the most money—Holsteins vs. crossbreds, how seasonal trends & lactation cycles affect cull value, the future of dairy genetics—is a shift toward dual-purpose cows coming? This episode challenges the traditional view of dairy culling and explores how breeding, management, and market trends are shaping the future of dairy farming. Valuing Cull Cows (https://extension.umn.edu/pasture-based-dairy/valuing-crossbred-cull-cows), Reasons for disposal and cull cow value of Holstein cows compared with Holstein, Jersey, Montbéliarde, Normande, and Viking Red crossbred cows (https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(24)00991-3/fulltext)
Minutes: Student Senate: April 24, 2025
No full textUniversity of Minnesota: University Senate. (2025). Minutes: Student Senate: April 24, 2025. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/273800
Sustainable Application of TDA in Stormwater Infiltration and Treatment
No full textThe objective of this research was to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the application of tire-derived aggregate (TDA) in stormwater treatment and management systems. We reaffirmed that TDA is an excellent means of retaining phosphate (soluble reactive phosphorus) in stormwater runoff. In addition, we found that biofilms grow on TDA flushed by river water in sufficient quantities to retain zinc and copper to below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s chronic toxicity criteria within one to four, 72-h flushes, designed to simulate the flushes of an underground runoff storage facility. A four-week antecedent dry period after the 13th flush did not cause the total loss of the biofilm, indicating that the TDA could also be used in biofilters that have high phosphate release due to degradation of compost. We can therefore conclude the following: 1) TDA is a media that can retain phosphate (SRP) for more than 72 flushes (Singh and Gulliver 2024), or roughly 8 to 9 years in the upper Midwest of the United States. 2) Biofilms growing on the TDA will retain much of the zinc, copper and iron that is released from the TDA, even when applied in surface infiltration practices. 3) The per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) leached from TDA were relatively low in our study and appear to be similar to typical urban concentrations, including residential land. 4) TDA that avoids disposal and can be installed as an underground stormwater storage or infiltration facility can reduce the lifetime costs of the material.Natarajan, Poornima; Gulliver, John S.; Cai, Meijun; McCollor, Mara; Singh, Rajneesh. (2025). Sustainable Application of TDA in Stormwater Infiltration and Treatment. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/276411
Towards highly accurate map services.
No full textUniversity of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2025. Major: Computer Science. Advisor: Mohamed Mokbel. 1 computer file (PDF); x, 146 pages.Map services such as routing, travel time estimation, and nearby facility search have become integral to a broad range of transportation applications including ride-sharing, food delivery, last-mile logistics, and emergency response. Consequently, significant research efforts have focused on developing algorithms for map service queries, commonly under the implicit assumption that the underlying road network is accurate. As a result, these efforts primarily focus on algorithmic efficiency (i.e., execution time). Unfortunately, this assumption is not true, as road network data suffer from various inaccuracies such as missing roads, incorrect edge weights, and inaccurate traffic information, all of which severely degrade the accuracy of query results. No matter how efficient a shortest path algorithm is, or how accurate the map topology may be, the end result will be only as accurate as the edge weights it relies on. Thus, the primary bottleneck in map services today is no longer the efficiency, but rather the accuracy, which heavily depends on the quality of the underlying road network used for these services. The goal of this dissertation is to significantly boost the accuracy of map services and shift the research focus from merely developing more efficient algorithms to improving the accuracy of the underlying map itself. We consider a broader definition of a map that goes beyond traditional topology to a richer one that includes traffic related metadata, without which, most map services would suffer from low accuracy. To this end, we introduce a set of innovative techniques geared towards building the most comprehensive and accurate maps. This dissertation does not aim to develop new algorithms for map services or modify existing ones. Instead, it aims to improve the accuracy of the map itself to provide more accurate input to query systems. This significantly boosts the accuracy of all existing (and future) algorithms without changing their internal logic. This thesis makes the following contributions: First, we introduce RASED, an open-access map analysis tool that we developed to help researchers monitor map updates across the world and gain deeper insights into map quality. Second, we present QARTA, a full-fledged machine learning-based system for accurate map services. It leverages machine learning to (i) learn accurate edge weights for the map from sparse trip data, and (ii) learn and model the map error margins, which are then used to calibrate query answers based on contextual information, including transportation modality, location, and time of day/week. Third, we introduce our vision, “Let’s Speak Trajectories”, which enables the execution of most (if not all) trajectory analysis tasks essential for constructing accurate maps via one unified framework. We draw a novel analogy between trajectories and natural language statements and innovatively adapt the BERT language model to perform these tasks within a single, model-based framework. Lastly, we present KAMEL, a novel system for the trajectory imputation task inspired by our vision. It accurately infers missing points along sparse trajectories, generating dense, high-quality trajectories that enable more reliable map inference for any algorithm using this data as input. In summary, the research contributions in this thesis lay the foundation and provide the means for building comprehensive, high-quality maps that elevate the accuracy of all map-based applications.Musleh, Mashaal. (2025). Towards highly accurate map services.. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/275909