Reconstructed Memory

<p>How can the abstract idea of memory be represented through the discipline of landscape architecture? How could this be more specifically achieved within the man-made landscape, using materiality and time as tools within the design process? This thesis essentially addresses the relationship that may exist between landscape architecture and the exploration of selective memory within the landscape. In this case, the definition of memory can be defined by site and urban context. The exploration of theories relating to collective and individual memories, identity in the man-made landscape, materiality and trace will aim to define and anchor memory within landscape architecture. The first part of the research will examine the works of Sebastien Marot, Mark Crinson and Paul Tyrer. On one hand Crinson describes memory as a sense of structure and rhetoric. He suggests that memory cannot be physically represented as the same idea for everyone, leaving memory very subjective. On the other hand, Marot works around the concept of social frameworks of memory. He describes how it is important for landscape architects to understand cities and their spatialised design systems. These reflect the conditioning of memories, described as dense accumulations of traces within the environment (collective memories). The connection between site, social frameworks of memory and the urban realm will be tested through a variety of design interventions. Importantly, a decision needs to be made on whether to design for the collective or individual memories of the site. The second part of this thesis addresses the idea of memory within the man-made landscape. How infrastructure has impacted upon the identity of the natural landscape, which has in turn affected the collective memory of the site within the larger urban environment. The selected site for this research is the former Air Force Base at Shelly Bay, Miramar. Originally a submarine mining depot, the coastal area was reclaimed for military purposes since before World War One. The land has recently been bought by the local Iwi as part of a Treaty of Waitangi Settlement, who plan to develop the site for the public of Wellington. This site is an example of memory bound within a city, providing interstitial spaces to test designs of memory against the collective and individual memories, both man-made and natural. The design experimentation will investigate how memory can be recreated and represented on the chosen site of Shelly Bay. An investigation into temporary and permanent aspects of design, including materiality and weathering, will allow a more in-depth exploration of memory to take place upon the site. The materiality of landscape elements establishes the form and design ideas. The process of the weathering and durability over time makes the design intent visible, and displays the character and identity of the landscape. The ability to bridge the gap between a fixed idea of memory and the realization of that built idea over time could be achieved by allowing for process and change to occur within the design and the site. These concepts will be tested upon the site of Shelly Bay through three specific design interventions. These interventions will aim to test and represent different memories upon the site, both man-made and natural.</p>

Reconstructed Memory

<p>How can the abstract idea of memory be represented through the discipline of landscape architecture? How could this be more specifically achieved within the man-made landscape, using materiality and time as tools within the design process? This thesis essentially addresses the relationship that may exist between landscape architecture and the exploration of selective memory within the landscape. In this case, the definition of memory can be defined by site and urban context. The exploration of theories relating to collective and individual memories, identity in the man-made landscape, materiality and trace will aim to define and anchor memory within landscape architecture. The first part of the research will examine the works of Sebastien Marot, Mark Crinson and Paul Tyrer. On one hand Crinson describes memory as a sense of structure and rhetoric. He suggests that memory cannot be physically represented as the same idea for everyone, leaving memory very subjective. On the other hand, Marot works around the concept of social frameworks of memory. He describes how it is important for landscape architects to understand cities and their spatialised design systems. These reflect the conditioning of memories, described as dense accumulations of traces within the environment (collective memories). The connection between site, social frameworks of memory and the urban realm will be tested through a variety of design interventions. Importantly, a decision needs to be made on whether to design for the collective or individual memories of the site. The second part of this thesis addresses the idea of memory within the man-made landscape. How infrastructure has impacted upon the identity of the natural landscape, which has in turn affected the collective memory of the site within the larger urban environment. The selected site for this research is the former Air Force Base at Shelly Bay, Miramar. Originally a submarine mining depot, the coastal area was reclaimed for military purposes since before World War One. The land has recently been bought by the local Iwi as part of a Treaty of Waitangi Settlement, who plan to develop the site for the public of Wellington. This site is an example of memory bound within a city, providing interstitial spaces to test designs of memory against the collective and individual memories, both man-made and natural. The design experimentation will investigate how memory can be recreated and represented on the chosen site of Shelly Bay. An investigation into temporary and permanent aspects of design, including materiality and weathering, will allow a more in-depth exploration of memory to take place upon the site. The materiality of landscape elements establishes the form and design ideas. The process of the weathering and durability over time makes the design intent visible, and displays the character and identity of the landscape. The ability to bridge the gap between a fixed idea of memory and the realization of that built idea over time could be achieved by allowing for process and change to occur within the design and the site. These concepts will be tested upon the site of Shelly Bay through three specific design interventions. These interventions will aim to test and represent different memories upon the site, both man-made and natural.</p>

COVID-19 Seroprevalence and Active Infection in an Asymptomatic Population

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, immediate and scalable testing solutions are needed to direct return to full capacity planning in the general public and across the Department of Defense (DoD). To fully understand the extent to which a population has been affected by COVID-19, active monitoring approaches require an estimation of overall seroprevalence in addition to accurate, affordable, and rapid tests to detect current SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, researchers in the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate evaluated the performance of various testing methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and viral RNA in asymptomatic adults working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the surrounding area during the period of 23 July 2020–23 Oct 2020. Altogether, there was a seroprevalance of 3.09% and an active infection rate of 0.5% (determined via the testing of saliva samples) amongst individuals tested, both of which were comparable to local and national averages at the time. This work also presents technical and non-technical assessments of various testing strategies as compared to the gold standard approaches (e.g., lateral flow assays vs. ELISA and RT-LAMP vs. RT-PCR) in order to explore orthogonal supply chains and fieldability. Exploration and validation of multiple testing strategies will allow the DoD and other workforces to make informed responses to COVID-19 and future pandemics.

A Place-Based Analysis of Tornado Activity and Casualties in Shreveport, Louisiana

Tornadoes are among the most violent hazards in the world capable of producing mass casualties. Much of what is known about the relationship between tornadoes and casualties—injuries and fatalities—is driven by quantitative methods that often omit individual community factors. In response, here we present a place-based analysis of tornado activity and casualties in Shreveport, Louisiana. Results show that tornado casualties are more likely in smooth and lower topography and in formally redlined neighborhoods. Results also indicate that areas around the local Barksdale Air Force Base have experienced fewer casualties than other parts of the city since the installation of a Doppler Radar in 1995 and that Shreveport has a greatly reduced casualty rate since the Super Outbreak of 2011. We argue that continued place-based approaches are necessary for an understanding of the multi-dimensional, structural, and historical legacies that produce disproportionate impacts to environmental hazards and that when combined with quantitative methods, place-based approaches have the potential to create regional or local intervention strategies that can reduce the loss of life.

Long-Term Population Fluctuations of A Burrowing Owl Population On Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, USA

Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea; hereafter, Burrowing Owls) were once widespread residents of grasslands throughout western North America, but their range has contracted, and abundance has declined in some regions. The causes of declines and geographic variation in population trends of Burrowing Owls are unclear but may be linked to changing land use and urbanization. Burrowing Owls are often found in association with airfields and airports, and their presence at such facilities is sometimes considered to be in conflict with those operations. Documenting the long-term persistence of Burrowing Owls at active airfields can help airfield managers who face decisions regarding compatibility of owls and airfield operations. We report the results of a long-term effort to monitor Burrowing Owls on Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, USA, including the rapid recovery of Burrowing Owl numbers from near-extirpation and the relationships between abundance and other demographic traits. The number of breeding pairs of Burrowing Owls increased from one pair in 2013 to 28 pairs in 2019 and 2020, and the number of fledglings produced increased from one in 2013 to 84 in 2019 and 61 in 2020. The recovery was not uniform across all areas of Kirtland Air Force Base, and some formerly occupied areas remained unoccupied. We documented dispersal outside the Air Force base boundary and that the number of breeding pairs was more strongly influenced by the number of offspring produced in the prior year than the number of owls returning from prior years, which indicated that the population is part of a larger meta-population. Our results demonstrate that the maintenance of Burrowing Owl populations is not necessarily at odds with safe airfield operations, that Burrowing Owls exhibit complex population dynamics, and can rapidly recolonize previously occupied areas if habitat and nest sites remain suitable.

Assessing Aircraft Performance in a Warming Climate

Increases in maximum and minimum air temperatures resulting from anthropogenic climate change will present challenges to aircraft performance. Elevated density altitude (DA) reduces aircraft and engine performance and has a direct impact on operational capabilities. The frequency of higher DA will increase with the combination of higher air temperatures and higher dewpoint temperatures. The inclusion of dewpoint temperature in DA projections will become increasingly critical as minimum air temperatures rise. High DA impacts aircraft performance in the following ways: reduction in power because the engine takes in less air; reduction in thrust because a propeller is less efficient in less dense air; reduction in lift because less dense air exerts less force on the airfoils. For fixed-wing aircraft, the performance impacts include decreased maximum takeoff weight and increased true airspeed, which results in longer takeoff and landing distance. For rotary-wing aircraft, the performance impacts include reduced power margin, reduced maximum gross weight, reduced hover ceiling, and reduced rate of climb. In this research, downscaled and bias-corrected maximum and minimum air temperatures for future time periods are collected and analyzed for a selected site: Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. Impacts corresponding to DA thresholds are identified and integrated into risk probability matrices enabling quantifiable comparisons. As the magnitude and frequency of high DA occurrences are projected to increase as a result of climate change, it is imperative for military mission planners and acquisition officers to comprehend and utilize these projections in their decision-making processes.