Planting Seeds of Victory: Creating Shared Meaning while Gardening amidst a Pandemic

The Victory2020 Garden Community Program was established by faculty members within the University of Florida (UF), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) in Marion and Columbia County Extension offices. In response to COVID-19, the purpose of the program was to provide online-mediated programs that could be completed at the desired pace of the participants, while promoting a self-reliant, science-based approach to learning about home food production through gardening. Due to food insecurity rates in both Marion (14.4%) and Columbia (15.2%) counties ranking above the statewide average in Florida, an immediate need to provide educational resources on becoming self-sufficient in growing one’s own food became increasingly important due to nationwide supply-chain shortages (Feeding America, 2020). 2,548 participants representing 43 states and six countries were provided access to eight learning modules hosted by Canvas, an online tool through UF. Participants were provided a package of free seeds, including corn, squash, cucumber, and cowpea to plant their Victory2020 Garden. A purposeful online community was established by extension agents in Marion and Columbia counties to facilitate quality discussion and growth, culminating in over 225,000 total impressions. The findings of the program revealed that 88% of gardening households began eating more fruits and vegetables while 73% are embracing new food safety techniques in both the garden and kitchen. Primary investigators and co-pi\u27s recommend an implementation of a program timeline to benefit the participants through diverse, online learning options. Continued programming addressing mental health, nutrition, and gardening is recommended across extension programs nationall

Guide Design Specification for Bridge Temporary Works

DTFH61-91-C-00088Following the collapse of the Route 198 bridge over the Baltimore/Washington Parkway in 1989, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established the temporary works research program. The program was guided by the Scaffolding, Shoring, and Forming Task Group as formed by the FHWA. The objective of this study has been to develop a guide design specification for use by State agencies to update their existing standard specifications for falsework, formwork, and related temporary construction. The guide specification was prepared in a format similar to the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridge Structures

Report to the DOE on the “Crud II” project

This report documents SEM, TEM, and chemical analyses from crud samples from a commercially operating reactor

Gelcasting Ceramic Defense Parts

The goal of this work was to demonstrate an ability to gelcast and fire a particular defense-related part to net shape and to hold the required tolerances on size and shape with minimal or no post firing machining. The precision required represents a huge increase in the precision currently achievable by standard ceramic processing. The project has produced very promising results. While we did not achieve the degree of precision in as-fired parts that we had targeted ({+-}0.025%), we did improve our ability to hold tolerances to the {+-}0.25 level from our initial level of {+-}2.5 % on parts that were 5 to 10 inches in diameter. The progress to date makes us believe that the ultimate goal is achievable. We have demonstrated that gelcasting can be a viable precision forming technique for large articles. We are currently working with our industrial partner on a Statement of Work for a follow on project. This will be either a CRADA or a WFO project. The anticipated funding level is one person year in 1997 with funds coming from the industrial partner. Assuming reasonable progress is made in 1997, additional projects of similar size are expected in 1998 and out years funded either by the industrial partner or by DOD

Mechanical Response and Processability of Wet-Laid Recycled Carbon Fiber PE, PA66 and PET Thermoplastic Composites

The interest in recycled carbon fiber (rCF) is growing rapidly and the supply chain for these materials is gradually being established. However, the processing routes, material intermediates and properties of rCF composites are less understood for designers to adopt them into practice. This paper provides a practical pathway for rCFs in conjunction with low cost and, for the most part, commodity thermoplastic resins, namely polyethylene (PE), polyamide 66 (PA66) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Industrially relevant wet-laid (WL) process routes have been adopted to produce mats using two variants of WL mats, namely (a) high speed wet-laid inclined wire to produce broad good ‘roll’ forms and (b) 3DEPTM process patented by Materials Innovation Technologies (MIT)-recycled carbon fiber (RCF), now Carbon Conversions, which involves mixing fibers and water and depositing the fibers on a water-immersed mold. These are referred to as ‘sheet’ forms. The produced mats were evaluated for their processing into composites as ‘fully consolidated mats’ and ‘non-consolidated’ as-produced mats. Comprehensive mechanical data in terms of tensile strength, tensile modulus and impact toughness for rCF C/PE, C/PA66 and C/PET are presented. The work is of high value to sustainable composite designers and modelers

Iron isotope, major and trace element characterization of early Archean supracrustal rocks from SW Greenland: Protolith identification and metamorphic overprint

International audienceThe iron isotope, trace and major element compositions of Eoarchean supracrustal rocks from southern West Greenland (Isua Supracrustal Belt, the islands of Akilia and Innersuartuut) were analyzed in order to identify protoliths and characterize the imprints of metamorphism and metasomatism. Banded iron formations (BIFs) from the Isua Supracrustal Belt (ISB) have trace element characteristics that are consistent with seawater derivation, including high Y/Ho ratios, positive Eu/Eu* anomalies, positive La/La* anomalies, and concave upward REE patterns. These rocks also have heavy Fe isotopic compositions relative to surrounding igneous rocks (not, vert, similar+0.4‰/amu). The most likely interpretation is that this signature was inherited from partial oxidation in a marine setting of Fe emanating from a source similar to modern mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal vents (not, vert, similar−0.15‰/amu). Banded quartz-rich rocks from the island of Akilia with high Fe/Ti ratios share many similarities with bona fide BIFs from Isua (heavy Fe isotopic compositions up to +0.4‰/amu, elevated Y/Ho ratios compared to igneous rocks, sometimes positive Eu/Eu* anomalies) suggesting a chemical sedimentary origin. Iron-poor metacarbonates from the southwestern part of the ISB have light Fe isotopic compositions (not, vert, similar−0.4‰/amu). This is consistent with derivation of these rocks by fluid flow through surrounding ultramafic rocks and deposition as metasomatic carbonates. Iron-rich metacarbonates from the northwest and northeast parts of the ISB have Fe isotopic compositions (from +0.1 to +0.4‰/amu) and trace element patterns (high Y/Ho ratios, positive Eu/Eu* and La/La* anomalies, and concave upward REE) similar to associated BIFs. The most likely interpretation is that these iron-rich metacarbonates were derived from mobilization of Fe in BIFs by metasomatic fluids

Mechanical parameters of strontium doped hydroxyapatite sintered using microwave and conventional methods

The effects of ion substitution in hydroxyapatite (HA) on crystal structure and lattice stability is investigated in the green state and post sintering. The effects of ion incorporation on the biaxial flexural strength and hardness are also investigated. Sintering is carried out at 1200 °C using comparative conventional and microwave regimes. Post sintering, the effects of ion incorporation manifest as an increase in the lattice d-spacings and a reduction of the crystallite size. Some HA decomposition occurs with β-TCP stabilisation in conventional sintering (CS), but this phase is destabilised during microwave sintering (MS), generating α-TCP. Conventional sintering (CS) allows higher densification in the undoped samples. Overall, for the Sr-doped compositions, the MS samples retain higher amounts of HA and experience higher density levels compared to the CS samples. © 2011