Biotic and Abiotic Factors as Indicators of Bottomland Hardwood Health and Their Potential Use for Ecosystem Management

My research focused on investigating anecdotal reports from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of decline in the bottomland hardwoods of the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge (DFNWR) outside of Okmulgee, OK. The overall goals of the project were to determine 1) extent and severity of forest decline in the DFNWR and 2) whether decline could be attributed to environmental variables. Data included observations from the vegetation and the soils. Vegetation observations aimed to gather information on species richness, density, health, and size distribution of overstory, midstory, and understory vegetation; soil observations included recording soil texture, color, and the presence or absence of redoximorphic features which aimed to give insight to the water holding and infiltration capacity, as well as relative moisture in the soils of the Deep Fork. The most important finding of this study was there was no evidence of forest decline in the DFNWR bottomland hardwoods. Mortality was limited in the overstory and the principal species included pin oak (Quercus palustris), pecan (Carya illinoensis), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), American elm (Ulmus americana), and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). Soil observations demonstrated the prominence of silty clay soils and that overall the bottomland soils drain slowly. Soil redoximorphic features generally indicated that the soils were moderately inundated for prolonged periods of time. In addition Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that of all environmental variables, soil texture had the most important effect on species composition in the Deep Fork bottomland hardwoods.Natural Resources and Ecology Managemen

Intercultural Interaction in architectural education

Fourteen case studies on architectural education - Intercultural Interactions is a theme that began within SCHOSA (The Standing Conference of Heads of Schools of Architecture) whilst Robert Mull was chair between 2008 and 2010. The theme and publication were then developed with the support of CEBE (The Centre for Education in the Built Environment) and the ASD Projects office at London Metropolitan University

Direct observation of active material concentration gradients and crystallinity breakdown in LiFePO4 electrodes during charge/discharge cycling of lithium batteries

The phase changes that occur during discharge of an electrode comprised of LiFePO4, carbon, and PTFE binder have been studied in lithium half cells by using X-ray diffraction measurements in reflection geometry. Differences in the state of charge between the front and the back of LiFePO4 electrodes have been visualized. By modifying the X-ray incident angle the depth of penetration of the X-ray beam into the electrode was altered, allowing for the examination of any concentration gradients that were present within the electrode. At high rates of discharge the electrode side facing the current collector underwent limited lithium insertion while the electrode as a whole underwent greater than 50% of discharge. This behavior is consistent with depletion at high rate of the lithium content of the electrolyte contained in the electrode pores. Increases in the diffraction peak widths indicated a breakdown of crystallinity within the active material during cycling even during the relatively short duration of these experiments, which can also be linked to cycling at high rate

Brachyury and Related Tbx Proteins Interact with the Mixl1 Homeodomain Protein and Negatively Regulate Mixl1 Transcriptional Activity

Mixl1 is a homeodomain transcription factor required for mesoderm and endoderm patterning during mammalian embryogenesis. Despite its crucial function in development, co-factors that modulate the activity of Mixl1 remain poorly defined. Here we report that Mixl1 interacts physically and functionally with the T-box protein Brachyury and related members of the T-box family of transcription factors. Transcriptional and protein analyses demonstrated overlapping expression of Mixl1 and Brachyury during embryonic stem cell differentiation. In vitro protein interaction studies showed that the Mixl1 with Brachyury associated via their DNA-binding domains and gel shift assays revealed that the Brachyury T-box domain bound to Mixl1-DNA complexes. Furthermore, luciferase reporter experiments indicated that association of Mixl1 with Brachyury and related T-box factors inhibited the transactivating potential of Mixl1 on the Gsc and Pdgfrα promoters. Our results indicate that the activity of Mixl1 can be modulated by protein-protein interactions and that T-box factors can function as negative regulators of Mixl1 activity

Textile futures in Second Life

Procedural aspects of the exhibition 'Textile Futures in Second Life' sought to build upon insights from Harris's earlier AHRC funded research, encompassing 3D computer graphic (CG) animated representation of contemporary and historical textiles and dress. At the commencement of this project in 2007 real-time spaces had already permeated international higher education, commercial and leisure realms, proffering new methods for teaching, learning and everyday experiences. However, CG constructed real-time spaces were generally considered aesthetically challenging and visually synthetic, with little evidence that they may be conducive to the aesthetically and materially driven practice of textile design, the premise for this work. This project aimed to: expand understanding of how material practices may be curated using alternative digital methods in a simple real-time context; represent diverse material examples from participating designers, interpret and repurpose established works; and advance the perception of digital imaging realms and media to improve implementation and engagement with textile practitioners and broader audiences. Harris considered how a range of physical textile works (22) and processes may be digitally translated for a virtual exhibition. While interpretation methods were limited by the relatively crude nature of ‘real-time’ CG tooling, the project facilitated novel engagements with CGI technology, provided insights as to how physical textile forms may be represented differently digitally, and proposed new approaches to physical design practice

Increasing Energy Efficiency on Massachusetts Dairy Farms

This report, prepared for Representative Anne Gobi, investigates methods to improve energy efficiency on Massachusetts dairy farms. We included a discussion on available technologies that, if implemented, would reduce the amount of electricity used by dairy farmers. Also, this report investigates the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, solar panels, and solar hot water heaters. For our sample of five farms, we recommended the technologies that would be best suited for their individual farms. Also, included is a method for other dairy farmers to calculate their potential energy savings