Phytochrome B and the Regulation of Circadian Ethylene Production in Sorghum1

The sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) cultivar 58M, which contains the null mutant phytochrome B gene, shows reduced photoperiodic sensitivity and exhibits a shade-avoidance phenotype. Ethylene production by seedlings of wild-type and phytochrome B mutant cultivars was monitored every 3 h, and both cultivars were found to produce ethylene in a circadian rhythm, with peak production occurring during the day. The phytochrome B mutant produces rhythmic peaks of ethylene with approximately 10 times the amplitude of the wild-type counterpart with the same period and diurnal timing. The source of the mutant's additional ethylene is the shoot. The diurnal rhythm can be produced with either light or temperature cycles; however, both light and temperature cycles are required for circadian entrainment. The temperature signal overrides the light signal in the production of diurnal rhythms, because seedlings grown under thermoperiods reversed with the photoperiod produced ethylene peaks during the warm nights. To examine the effect of extreme shading on ethylene production, seedlings were grown under dim, far-red-enriched light. This treatment duplicated the phytochrome B mutant's shade-avoidance phenotype in the wild type and caused the wild type to produce ethylene peaks similar to those observed in the mutant. The results confirm that phytochrome B is not required for proper function of circadian timing, but it may be involved in modulating physiological rhythms driven by the biological clock oscillator.

Behavioral expression of emotions and non-invasive assessment of physiological correlates in dogs (Canis familiaris)

The aim of this thesis was to validate the use of infrared thermography (IRT) to non-invasively measure emotional reactions to different situations in pet dogs (Canis familiaris). A preliminary test, aimed to evaluate the correlation between eye-temperature and rectal temperature in dog, was performed. Then, in three different situations, negative (veterinary visit), positive (palatable food rewards), and mildly stressing followed by mildly positive (separation from and reunion with the owner), variations in heat emitted from lacrimal caruncle (referred to as eye temperature) were measured with an infrared thermographic camera. In addition, heart rate and heart rate variability parameters were collected using a non-invasive heart rate monitor designed for human use and validated on dogs. All experiments were video recorded to allow behavioral coding. During the negative situation dogs’ level of activity and stress related behaviors varied across compared to the baseline and dogs showed an increase in eye temperature despite having a significant decrease in the level of activity. The positive situation was characterized by a peak in eye temperature and mean HR and dogs engaged in behaviors indicating a positive arousal, focusing on food treats and tail wagging but there were not variations in HRV during stimulation but only an increment in SDNN immediately after the stimulus. In the separation from and reunion with the owner dogs’ eye temperature and mean HR did not vary neither in the stressful nor in the positive situations, RMSSD increased after the positive episode, SDNN dropped during the two stimulations and it increased after the stimulations. During the separation from the owner dogs were mainly directed to the door or to the experimenter while during the reunion with the owner dogs were focused mainly on the owner and on the environment, exhibiting safe base effect. A different approach was used to assess the welfare of shelter dogs. Dogs were implanted with a telemeter and after implantation dogs were housed in sequence in four different situations lasting 1 week: alone, alone with toys and a stretch cot for sleeping, with an unknown, spayed, female, and alone with a daily 2-hours interaction with an experimenter. Two different approaches were tried: partially random extracted fragments from every week, behaviors from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. were continuous during baseline and the female situation. Results showed different reactions by dogs to the different situations and interestingly not all enrichments were enjoyed by the dogs improving their welfare. Overall results suggest that IRT may represent a useful tool to investigate emotional reactions in dogs. Nevertheless, further research is needed to establish the specificity and sensivity of IRT in this context and to assess how different dogs’ characteristics, breed, previous experience and the valence and arousal elicited by the stimulus could influence the magnitude and type of the response. The role of HRV in understanding emotional valence and the one of telemeters in understanding long-term effects on sheltered dogs’ welfare is also discussed.

Green Animal Shelter Design for the Stokes County Humane Society of North Carolina

The Stokes County Humane Society has the opportunity to implement sustainable design concepts and demonstrate long-term fiscal savings in the design of an animal shelter for Stokes County, North Carolina. The proposed renovated structure takes advantage of passive design strategies that convert a cold, steel structure into one with warmth, light, and functionality. Proposed design techniques include an interior courtyard, geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, a green roof, rainwater harvesting, sustainable landscaping, and clever materials selection. A cost analysis identifies capital costs and long term operational costs for both traditional and sustainable construction techniques. The results are capital costs of a sustainable design that are comparable to a traditional build, with long-term operational cost savings and generated revenue.

Trees as Tools in Environmental Improvement; An Analysis of the Contribution of Vegetation to Energy and Water Conservation in the Front Range of Colorado

The Denver metropolitan area is facing rapid population growth that increases the stress on already limited resources. Research and advanced computer modeling show that trees, especially those in urban areas, have significant environmental benefits. These benefits include air quality improvements, energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, and possible water conservation. This Capstone Project applies statistical methods to analyze a small data set of residential homes and their energy and water consumption, as a function of their individual landscape. Results indicate that tree shade can influence water conservation, and that irrigation methods can be an influential factor as well. The Capstone is a preliminary analysis for future study to be performed by the Institute for Environmental Solutions in 2007.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Camden, New Jersey and vicinity, 1921 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of Philadelphia, Camden and vicinity : compiled from city plans & personal surveys, engraved by Albert Volk. It was published by Elvino V. Smith in 1921. Scale 1:35,000. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Pennsylvania South State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 3702). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, county, township, and city ward boundaries, parks, cemeteries, and more. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Astrotheology: Exoplanets, Christian Concerns, and Human Hopes

Are there planets beyond our solar system? What may appear quite plausible now had only been a hypothesis until about twenty years ago. The search for exoplanets is driven by the interest in the “habitable” ones among them. Could such planets one day in the far future provide resources or even shelter for humankind? Will we find one day a habitable planet that is even inhabited? These kinds of imaginative speculations drive public interest in the subject. Imagining alien intelligent life in the universe is not at all new. When Ted Peters called for establishing the field of “astrotheology,” he was certainly thinking less of historical precedents than of something analogous to the emerging field of astrobiology. Will astrotheology result in the decentering of humanity in cosmic dimensions? One could also conclude that we are alone, at least for all practical purposes.

Providing shelter for the homeless on underutilized federal properties pursuant to the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act [microform] : hearing before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, second session, October 13, 1988.

CIS Microfiche Accession Numbers: CIS 89 H401-22

National school fallout shelter design competition awards:

Mode of access: Internet.

Shade tree evaluation.

Issued by the Conference under an earlier name: National Shade Tree Conference.

Our shade trees,

"A list of some of the more useful books on trees and shrubs": p. 310-312.

A community facilities center with fallout shelter as dual purpose space /

"The thirty-seventh annual competition of the Brooklyn Chapter of the American Institute of Architects."

A practical treatise on painting : in three parts : consisting of hints on composition, chiaroscuro, and colouring : the whole illustrated by examples from the Italian, Venetian, Flemish, and Dutch schools /

Pagination, part 1: 31 pages, 9 leaves of plates; part 2: vi, 45 pages, 8 leaves of plates; part 3: ix, 64 pages, 8 leaves of plates.

The bag-worm : an injurious shade-tree insect /

Caption title.

"Scientific opportunities with advanced facilities for neutron scattering" : report of a workshop held at Shelter Island, New York, October 23-26, 1984 /

On cover: Shelter Island Workshop, October 23-26, 1984.

Domestic violence services and prevention program fiscal year ... annual report /

"Public act 82-645 mandates the Department of Public Aid to administer domestic violence shelter and service programs for adults and their dependents who are victims of domestic violence."