COMPETITIVENESS OF COCOA PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Trinidad and Tobago produces a fine flavour cocoa that attracts a premium price on the international market. The country has a long and distinguished record in agronomy and production of cocoa and is home to the Cocoa Research Unit, which attracts international notice and funding. However, cocoa production has been on a steady decline over the past few decades. The objective of this study is to assess the competitiveness and comparative advantage of cocoa production in Trinidad and Tobago and to understand the reasons for decline in output within the context of competitiveness. The analyses were conducted over three cocoa production systems – small farm traditional, large farm traditional, and large farm intensive cultivation. The methodology involved data collection and use of the framework of the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) to assess competitiveness and comparative advantage. The results indicate that all production systems are profitable, internationally competitive and have comparative advantage. However, the traditional small-farm production system has the least profitability, competitiveness and comparative advantage. The results suggest that the low levels of profitability per hectare for the small farms may underlie the declining area and output.Cocoa Production decline, Trinidad, Tobago, Policy Analysis Matrix, Trinidad and Tobago, CAES, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Financial Economics,

Investigation of the Effects of Aggregate Properties and Gradation on Pervious Concrete Mixtures

Pervious concrete is a concrete mixture prepared from cement, aggregates, water, little or no fines and in some cases admixtures. It has been considered a Best Management Practice by the EPA because of its ability to reduce storm water runoff and to initiate the filtering of pollutants. Because the hydrologic properties of pervious concrete has been the primary reason for its reappearance in construction, the focus of previous research has been on maximizing the drainage properties of the mix with single-sized aggregates. This research, however, investigates the effects of aggregate properties and gradation on the strength, as well as hydrologic properties of pervious concrete mixtures. The aggregates were retrieved from two sources and Type I cement was used to prepare the eight (8) batches of pervious concrete mixes for each source. An additional seven (7) batches were prepared with aggregate gradations derived from new uniformity coefficients (Cu). Each batch consisted of fifteen 3 _ 6 in. cylinders and five 3 _ 3 _ 12 in. prisms. The water/cement ratio was held constant at 0.29 before factoring in absorption and the cement/aggregate ratio was 0.22. The design unit weight of the fresh concrete mixtures was 125 lb/ft3. The specimens were stored in a wet curing room for 28 days. The compressive, split-tensile, and flexural strengths were tested on 5 specimens each, along with the maximum specific gravity test that was conducted on loose cured concrete mixtures. The bulk and apparent specific gravity, the air voids and porosity, and permeability were all tested. Gradations were categorized according to nominal maximum aggregate sizes of ⅜, _, and _ in. and in order of their Cu values. iii The results were analyzed to evaluate the effects of properties, gradation and size. Strengths decreased as air voids increased, porosity increased with air voids, and permeability increased as air voids increased. The highest compressive strength was generated from the blended gradations with higher Cu values. In general, the single-sized mixes were on the lower end of the strength scale but on the higher end for air voids, porosity and permeability. However, blended mixes produced a relatively suitable strength and permeability. It was observed that compressive strength increased with Cu to a point after which there was a decrease in strength. Permeability decreased with the increase in Cu to a point after which it increased

Importance of EQ skills for On-line Professors

Distance learning has become widely used around the world and is available in a number of forms that greatly reduce the restrictions imposed on by the traditional class room environment. Various platforms allow the professors to hold live lectures, utilize PowerPoint presentations, and provide a learning environment that is as close to the campus lecture experience. Distance learning has grown and is continuing to grow in popularity as more and more colleges and universities are offering distance and hybrid programs

Optimization of Porous Pavement Mixtures Based on Aggregate Structure

Porous pavements are sustainable features that are used to help manage the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff. These pavements may include porous asphalt, permeable interlocking concrete pavers and pervious concrete. Since pavements that are purposefully designed to drain water through their matrix are relatively new, contractors and engineers are faced with various challenges such as improper design and installation, poor workability, and excessive finishing which may lead to clogged pores. Therefore, this study on porous pavements examined pervious concrete mixtures to evaluate an optimization process for the preparation of porous pavement mixtures based on aggregate structure to meet desired performance criteria. Pervious concrete mixtures typically consist of aggregate, cement, water, little to no fines and admixtures. Since aggregate makes up a large portion of the pervious concrete mix, aggregate properties and proportioning were the main focus of this study. Two aggregate sources (L and C) were used in the preparation of pervious concrete mixtures. From these sources, three single-sized aggregate fractions were used in making blends, the #8 (2.36 mm), the #4 (4.75 mm) and the in. (9.5 mm). Aggregate properties such as uniformity coefficient were calculated and others were measured including specific gravity, absorption, density (dry rodded and dry Proctor), void content, percent flat and elongated, shape and surface texture (particle index), California Bearing Ratio penetration stress, and compaction indices. From source L, fifteen (15) sample groups of twelve (12) 6 in. × 6 in. cylindrical specimens were made and from source C, fourteen (14) sample groups were made similar to source L. The fresh pervious concrete had a water-cement ratio of 0.25, with a cement-aggregate ratio of 0.23 for source L and 0.25 for source C, and the unit weights (ASTM C1688 and an alternative method) and gravimetric air content were determined. Each sample group was divided into 4 subgroups of three specimens that had permeability values that were not statistically different from each other. Other tests conducted on the different subgroups included effective porosity, compressive strength, split tensile strength, and abrasion loss. The aggregate test results showed that source L, had higher specific gravities, percent absorption, and densities than source C, but lower void contents, percent flat and elongated, particle index, and California Bearing Ratio penetration stress at 0.2 inches. The approach taken in evaluating an optimization process was to use regression analysis in combination with the simplex-centroid design of the three aggregate sizes. Relationships were analyzed within and across aggregate properties and pervious concrete properties. The augmented simplex-centroid design with the polynomial special quartic model was used to predict the aggregate proportions that best fit the desired aggregate property or pervious concrete property. This design of experiment tool is a triangle with an elevated response surface on which contour lines present the predicted parameter values. For this study, the simplex triangle consisted of ten design points representing the aggregate proportions associated with the predicted parameters. The design points were located at the vertices, at the halfway point along the edges, and at the centroid, and three additional points within the triangle around the centroid on imaginary lines that run perpendicularly from the midpoint of an axis to the opposite vertex. The lack-of-fit test with α = 0.01 was used to check the adequacy of the model based on all the data points and also on only the validation points. Based on the lack-of-tests, the special quartic model was over 50% adequate for source L mixtures and over 80% adequate for source C. The optimization process included two options: Option 1 - A regression analysis is done to predict an aggregate property that relates well to a pervious concrete property. The contour line on the simplex response surface that represents the predicted aggregate property is then used to predict aggregate proportions that meet the desired aggregate property. Option 2 - The contour line for the desired pervious concrete property could be located on the simplex response surface and used to predict the aggregate proportions that meet the desired pervious concrete property

Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in Sexual Minority (SM) College Undergraduate Students

It is well documented that disparities exist in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among sexual minority (SM) youth and adults compared to their heterosexual peers, and among college undergraduate students compared to all young adults. Yet, no studies have been conducted to date examining HRQOL, diet quality, or weight dissatisfaction at the intersection of SM and college undergraduate student status. In 2020, a cross-sectional convenience sample of college undergraduate students (N=690) from the University of Maine and Rutgers University completed an online survey consisting of items assessing demographic variables, HRQOL, diet quality, and weight dissatisfaction. Of this sample, 23.9% (n=165) of students identified as SM. Compared to their heterosexual peers, SM students experienced more days per month having poor mental health (14.5 ± 9.8 vs. 8.5 ± 8.7 days,

Grounding the Concept of God in the Human Predicament

Contemporary religious epistemology often neglects offering a substantial defense of a particular conception of God, relying instead on appeals to tradition and past great theologians. This neglect is regrettable due to the large impact one’s concept of God has on the kind of expected evidence of God. I aim to correct this deficiency by offering a defensible concept of God grounded in the predicament faced by all human inquirers. My account of this human predicament will focus on three key features that are salient to religious inquiry: death, moral failure, and suffering and severity. I will defend the idea that death, moral failure, and suffering are all bad things that humans do and ought to seek rescue from. I will then argue that we ought to define our concept of God in terms of what it would take to rescue humanity from its predicament, thus allowing our conception of God to capture what matters most to us

Wabanaki Basketmaking Traditions Under Threat? Art, Culture, and the Future of Maine Indian Basketmaking

A panel of award-winning Wabanaki Basketmakers Pamela Outdusis Cunningham, Geo Neptune, Jennifer Neptune and Sarah Sockbeson discuss the importance of the basketmaking tradition for their tribal communities. Each of the artists discuss their approach to basketmaking and its meaning to them and their communities. They also discuss the future of Indian basketmaking in Maine, given the recent arrival of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer, which kills all species of ash trees, including the brown ash, the source materials for Wabanaki Basketry. The panel is moderated by Dr. Darren Ranco, Chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine

Selective Laser Sintering of Passive Dynamic Ankle-Foot Orthoses

Passive dynamic ankle-foot orthoses (AFO’s) are used to improve gait performance in those with various neuromuscular disorders. An important design characteristic of passive dynamic AFOs is the storage and release of elastic energy within its structure to help satisfy the energetic demands of walking. Thus, minimizing energy dissipation through internal friction is a fundamental criterion for selecting the appropriate AFO material. This study compared the mechanical damping of a carbon-fiber AFO to three geometrically identical AFO’s fabricated using selective laser sintering with different materials. Mechanical damping characteristics ranked the materials as Nylon 11 (best), followed by DuraformTM PA and DuraformTM GF (worst).Mechanical Engineerin