Cabbage Transplant Production Using Organic Media at Cornell University, 2008

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this project is to create an improved potting medium for organic vegetable transplant production. Healthy vigorous transplants will be less susceptible to insects, diseases and transplant shock leading to better crop performance. Formulating organic potting mixes is especially challenging. Composts are a popular organic source of nitrogen, but can have inconsistent nutrient levels based on their starting materials and poor physical characteristics (large particle size, etc.). Individual batches of compost can change over time with storage and N release can be unpredictable. An alternative to traditional composts is vermicompost. Vermicompost has a finely granulated texture, which is ideal for mixing into peat-based media or applying as a top dressing through existing greenhouse equipment. Past research in the Rangarajan lab has shown improved yield with vermicompost compared to thermophilic compost, even when the same starting material was used for both types of compost.New York Farm Viability Institute with additional funding from the Organic Farming Research Foundatio

The Song Of The Liberty Bell

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2514/thumbnail.jp

Padanaram Harbor Management Plan

The Padanaram Harbor Management Plan was developed over a two‐year period, from 2017–2019, by a broad spectrum of Dartmouth governmental officials, citizens of the Town, regional and state agency staff, and representatives of non‐governmental organizations. There was significant public involvement through open meetings and an online survey. During the entire process, drafts of elements of the Plan were posted on the website of the Planning Board as they became available. The work was supported in consultation with staff of the Urban Harbors Institute from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Funding was provided through a grant from the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council and a local match

Vasopressin and Oxytocin Reduce Food Sharing Behavior in Male, but Not Female Marmosets in Family Groups

Oxytocin (OT) is critical for lactation and maternal care, but OT and the related nonapeptide vasopressin are important for caregiving behaviors in fathers and alloparents as well. This experiment tested the effects of vasopressin and OT on food sharing in marmoset families. We treated caregivers (parents, siblings) with intranasal vasopressin, OT, or saline, and then paired them with the youngest marmoset in the family. Caregivers were given preferred food, and then observed for food sharing and aggressive behavior with young marmosets. OT reduced food sharing from male alloparents to youngest siblings, and fathers that received vasopressin refused to share food with their youngest offspring more often than when treated with OT. Vasopressin increased aggressive vocalizations directed toward potential food recipients in all classes of caregivers. These results indicate that vasopressin and OT do not always enhance prosocial behavior: modulation of food sharing depends on both sex and parental status

Re-branding the leper colony: Challenges of changing culture and managing difficult people: Working paper series--09-10

Anika, a new manager, is confronted by a dysfunctional organizational culture characterized by employee disrespect, insubordination, and low performance. Her charge is to "to turn the place around". The case takes place in a service organization, a testing range run by the US Department of Defense. The staff is a combination of federal and contract employees who test clients' high-tech systems in a sometimes dangerous, desert environment. In addition, there are three vignettes that give a portrait of dysfunctional individual behaviors. Frequently, the response students want to make is "I'd just fire the guy." Unfortunately, it is not so simple

Heavenly Bodies RSVP

The purpose of the Heavenly Bodies RSVP project was to design and fabricate planet props, as well as a mechanism by which they could be raised and lowered in California Polytechnic State University’s Pavilion theater. The project team was comprised of four fourth year mechanical engineering students: Allison Turnbaugh, Braden Lockwood, Jack Boulware, and Justin Spitzer. We conducted extensive research to determine the ideal solution for the design problem brought to us by our sponsor. In our analysis, we discovered that the most important aspects of our design were the absolute reliability of the system, fire retardant material selection, and the overall aesthetics of the planets. These criteria along with our past product research allowed us to design a product that aligned with the vision of our sponsor. The system of planets was planned for use by the Music Department for the 25th installment of their annual diverse transmedia series entitled RSVP XXV: Call and Response. Sponsored by Dr. Antonio Barata, the show’s artistic director and producer, and professor in Cal Poly’s Music Department, the project featured design considerations unique to the location and nature of the production. For instance, the project had a hard completion deadline set for May 17, 2020, as stage construction would have been completed in preparation for rehearsals the following week. We determined that approximately 20 planets would be manufactured by the end of the project as well as a system to deploy them. Our objective was to make these planets safe, quiet, aesthetically pleasing, lightweight, and suitably reliable for use in the play. Though our design was unique to the needs of our sponsor, research of patented mechanisms provided inspiration for a system to raise and lower the planets. This information was utilized during ideation, which resulted in the creation of a few viable solutions, discussed later in this document. Working with our sponsor and advisor, the team finalized and tested a design, then created a structural prototype. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the team was forced to forgo construction of a final product, as the production was cancelled. In response, the team devoted its remaining time to creating a set of online instructions to assist others in building and implementing the developed system

Effect of tow alignment on the mechanical performance of 3D woven textile composites

Three-dimensional (3D) woven preforms are currently being considered for use as primary structural components. Lack of technology to properly manufacture, characterize and predict mechanical properties, and predict damage mechanisms leading to failure are problems facing designers of textile composite materials. Two material systems with identical specifications but different manufacturing approaches are investigated. One manufacturing approach resulted in an irregular (nonuniform) preform geometry. The other approach yielded the expected preform geometry (uniform). The objectives are to compare the mechanical properties of the uniform and nonuniform angle interlock 3D weave constructions. The effect of adding layers of laminated tape to the outer surfaces of the textile preform is also examined. Damage mechanisms are investigated and test methods are evaluated