124 research outputs found
Riverine trees and shrubs
No full textFrom coastal estuaries to the vast floodplains of the arid interior, woody plants can be found in a wide range of riverine habitats throughout Australia. Although often absent from areas that experience frequent and prolonged flooding, as well as many saline wetlands of inland Australia ( Specht 1990 ), trees and shrubs form a considerable diversity of riverine vegetation communities across the continent including closed and open forests, woodlands and shrublands, in addition to many areas dominated by herbaceous vegetation that also support scattered trees and shrubs. Despite this structural diversity, woody riparian vegetation in Australia is often locally dominated by one to a few species, many of which are also widespread across the continent (e.g. Eucalyptus camaldulensis , river red gum) ( Capon and Dowe 2007 ). Among these are a handful of rheophytes (e.g. Casuarina cunninghamiana , river she-oak) adapted to growing in swiftly flowing waters as well as trees and shrubs characteristic of marginal flood-plain habitats that may be inundated less frequently than once a decade (e.g. E. largiflorens , black box), but nevertheless rely on inundation for their survival. Wherever woody plants occur in riverine landscapes, however, and in whatever form, they play an integral role in shaping the environments of which they are a part – physically, ecologically and culturally.
In this chapter, we provide a broad survey of the floristics and biogeography of woody riparian plants across Australia. We review the common traits of these species that facilitate their growth and reproduction in habitats that are characterised by periodic flooding and drying. Adaptations exhibited by riparian trees and shrubs to other common disturbances and stresses (e.g. fire, grazing and salt) are considered in other chapters in this volume (see Chapters 15, 16 and 17). We also dis-cuss the dynamics of woody vegetation in Australia’s riverine landscapes with a focus on describing major temporal and spatial patterns at both population and community levels and the chief drivers of these. Finally, we present a brief appraisal of the major ecosystem functions, goods and services provided by riparian trees and shrubs in Australia.Griffith Sciences, Griffith School of EnvironmentNo Full Tex
Book Review: Mohan K. Tikku, After the Fall: Sri Lanka in Victory and War
No full text Mohan K. Tikku, After the Fall: Sri Lanka in Victory and War. New Delhi: OUP, 2016, pp. 308, Price ₹650. </jats:p
Automation of concept induction based CNN neuron interpretation using high performance computing
No full textMaster of ScienceDepartment of Computer SciencePascal HitzlerInterpreting hidden neuron activations in convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is a critical objective in the field of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), aiming to transform "black box" models into transparent systems. Previously, our research group addressed this challenge by employing concept induction and semantic reasoning using a concept hierarchy derived from the Wikipedia knowledge graph. However, that process was manual and required several days to complete, limiting its practicality and scalability. In this study, we introduce a fully automated pipeline that streamlines model training, data preparation, concept induction, image retrieval, classification, and statistical validation, reducing execution time from days to approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes while ensuring consistent, reproducible results. The automation enables flexible adjustments, such as incorporating a broader range of training images and classes and examining additional concept induction results across various neuron layers with minimal code changes. The automation efficiently processes large datasets by utilizing parallel processing capabilities on high-performance computing resources, ensuring that the pipeline operates quickly and effectively. The results confirm that our automated approach effectively bridges the gap between deep learning models and human-understandable concepts, enhancing model interpretability without compromising performance. This work advances the field of Explainable AI (XAI) by offering a practical solution that balances interpretability with computational efficiency, contributing to the broader goal of making AI systems more transparent and trustworthy
The Reinhardt/Helbing/Deininger Connection
No full textReport prepared as part of the coursework required for REL 167, Speaking Stones.History of three Rochester, NY, families, starting with Ethel Reinhardt (1902-2002), her parents Harry Reinhardt (1857-1935) and Emma K. Reinhardt (1866-1947), her maternal grandparents August and Emma Helbing, paternal grandparents August D. Reinhardt and Louisa B. Deininger, and her great uncle William C. Deininger (1861-1941). Provides photos of the two grave sites in Mt. Hope Cemetery, and other historical photos
Delano’s Turn: Directions West of the River
No full textDelano has been waiting. Although plans for community investment have been considered since 1989, there remains much to be done. Douglas Avenue has been redeveloped and is widely considered a tremendous success, yet the vacant Pacific Union rail corridor lays dormant, the Arkansas Riverfront is underdeveloped, vacant parcels and underutilized surface parking areas abound, and access to public space is fragmented. Recently, there are reasons for enthusiasm. Near the turn in the Arkansas River, a new residential building and an advanced learning library are under construction. Immediately adjacent, a hotel and mixed use residential building are slated for development. Wichita leadership wants to expand urban investment from the east side of the river to the west, including a renovated or redeveloped Lawrence-Dumont baseball stadium. There are many directions the community can turn. Showcasing Delano’s unique identity, leveraging existing assets, and creating cohesion are ways to move forward. Delano has been waiting. It’s Delano’s turn.
Delano’s Turn: Directions West of the River presents urban design ideas for the future of the Delano district in Wichita, Kansas. Fifteen mid-level students enrolled in an intensive 8-week Community Planning and Design studio completed the work during the summer of 2017. The studio was co-led by Associate Professor Blake Belanger and Associate Professor Howard Hahn. The effort was supported with funding from the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC) and Kansas State University’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB), and would not have been possible without the support of Blase Leven, TAB Program Coordinator. We are also grateful for the support and guidance from Jason Gregory with the WDDC, Scott Knebel with the Wichita-Sedgwick County Planning Department (WSCPD), and our external reviewers, particularly Associate Professor Carl Smith who delivered both exceptional insights and humor.
Conceived by the studio professors and the WDDC, the idea for the project emerged from discussions in late 2016. Goals of the collaborative service learning studio included providing students with first-hand experience working with a community, generating creative ideas for advancing the dialogue about planning the future of Delano, engaging residents and stakeholders and responding to their input, and supporting the mission of the project partners. The studio’s process included rigorous mapping of various conditions, two community engagement workshops, design development through an iterative process, a final presentation to project partners and local planning and design professionals, and a public open house exhibiting posters of student proposals.
Delano’s Turn is presented in two Volumes. Volume 1: Design Proposals begins with background, primary dilemmas, intent, methods, and process. In the following four chapters of Volume 1, we present specific urban design strategies for activating existing assets, showcasing Delano’s identity through sense of place, and increasing connectivity and cohesiveness. Volume 2: Critical Maps and Index contains over 80 maps documenting existing conditions, dilemmas, opportunities, and conceptual strategies. The maps served the studio as a vital method for developing urban design strategies. For planners and designers advancing this work, the critical maps are valuable research that may help inform recommendations and decision-making processes.
In contrast to a singular master plan, the collection of ideas presented in Delano’s Turn provides a multitude of ideas that can be compared, evaluated, prioritized, and perhaps hybridized. We aspire that Delano’s Turn will contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the future direction of Delano, and will help establish a legacy for Wichita
Balancing Act: Water Quality Protection and Flood Resilience
No full textFlood resilience efforts and laws designed to protect water quality may not always be compatible under current Virginia law. This paper will discuss two examples in particular. First, there can be tensions between the water quality goals under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and efforts to conduct flood resilience projects within 100 feet of the shoreline in Tidewater Virginia. Second, there are significant challenges faced by localities seeking to comply with the Virginia Stormwater Management Program, while also continuing to mitigate the impacts of flooding. These two examples stem from the larger question facing Virginia: as flooding increases, how does the state balance water quality protection with the need for flood resilience?
This abstract has been adapted from the author\u27s introduction
Recommended from our members
Balancing Act: Water Quality Protection and Flood Resilience
No full textFlood resilience efforts and laws designed to protect water quality may not always be compatible under current Virginia law. This paper will discuss two examples in particular. First, there can be tensions between the water quality goals under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and efforts to conduct flood resilience projects within 100 feet of the shoreline in Tidewater Virginia. Second, there are significant challenges faced by localities seeking to comply with the Virginia Stormwater Management Program, while also continuing to mitigate the impacts of flooding. These two examples stem from the larger question facing Virginia: as flooding increases, how does the state balance water quality protection with the need for flood resilience?
This abstract has been adapted from the author\u27s introduction
Investigation of structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of Cr3+ substituted Cu0.75Co0.25Fe2-xO4 ferrite nanoparticles
No full text
Temperature dependent structural, vibrational and magnetic properties of K<SUB>3</SUB>Gd<SUB>5</SUB>(PO<SUB>4</SUB>)<SUB>6</SUB>
No full textHerein we report the evolution of the crystal structure of K3Gd5(PO4)6 in the temperature range from 20 K to 1073 K, as observed from variable temperature X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic studies. K3Gd5(PO4)6 has an open tunnel containing a three dimensional structure built by [Gd5(PO4)6]3− ions which in turn are formed of PO4 tetrahedra and GdOn (n = 8 and 9) polyhedra. The empty tunnels in the structure are occupied by K+ ions and maintain charge neutrality in the lattice. Evolution of unit cell parameters with temperature shows a systematic increase with temperature. The average axial thermal expansion coefficients between 20 K and 1073 K are: αa = 10.6 × 10−6 K−1, αb = 5.5 × 10−6 K−1 and αc = 16.4 × 10−6 K−1. The evolution of distortion indices of the various coordination polyhedra with temperature indicates a gradual decrease with increasing temperature, while those of Gd2O9 and K2O8 polyhedra show opposite trends. The overall anisotropy of the lattice thermal expansion is found to be controlled largely by the effect of temperature on GdOn polyhedra and their linkages. Temperature dependent Raman spectroscopic studies indicated that the intensities and wavenumbers of most of the Raman modes decrease continuously with increasing temperature. Anharmonic analyses of Raman modes indicated that the lattice, rigid translation and librational modes have larger contributions towards thermal expansion of K3Gd5(PO4)6 compared to high frequency internal modes. The temperature and field dependent magnetic measurements indicated no long range ordering down to 2 K and the observed effective magnetic moment per Gd3+ ion and the Weiss constant are 7.91 μB and 0.38 K, respectively
- …
