City Of Gainesville Research Articles

A Novel Jeilongvirus from Florida, USA, Has a Broad Host Cell Tropism Including Human and Non-Human Primate Cells.

A novel jeilongvirus was identified through next-generation sequencing in cell cultures inoculated with spleen and kidney extracts. The spleen and kidney were obtained from a Peromyscus gossypinus rodent (cotton mouse) found dead in the city of Gainesville, in North-Central Florida, USA. Jeilongviruses are paramyxoviruses of the subfamily Orthoparamyxovirinae that have been found in bats, cats, and rodents. We designated the virus we discovered as Gainesville rodent jeilong virus 1 (GRJV1). Preliminary results indicate that GRJV1 can complete its life cycle in various human, non-human primate, and rodent cell lines, suggesting that the virus has a generalist nature with the potential for a spillover event. The early detection of endemic viruses circulating within hosts in North-Central Florida can significantly enhance surveillance efforts, thereby bolstering our ability to monitor and respond to potential outbreaks effectively.

Smart Curb Digital Twin: Inventorying Curb Environments Using Computer Vision and Street Imagery

Digital Twin (DT) offers a novel framework to track, model, analyze, and anticipate complex urban processes and support data-driven decision-making. However, a premise of developing DT applications is to inventory physical urban built environment digitally, which are often lacking for small-and medium-sized cities due to limited resources. Particularly, few digital inventories have been built for urban curb environments, which have been increasingly challenged by new vehicle technologies and emerging mobility services. We propose a data-driven framework to inventory curb facilities across types and locations using computer vision (CV) and Google Street View (GSV) imagery. Specifically, we used a state-of-the-art semantic segmentation model, i.e., DeepLab V3, pre-trained on the CityScapes dataset, to detect curb facilities of interest from GSV images. We then used the Inverse Perspective Mapping (IPM) to estimate the spatial location for each detected facility and used spatial processing to aggregate and filter estimation results. We demonstrated the framework for inventorying curbs in the Innovation District in the City of Gainesville, FL. The preliminary research contributes to Smart Curb Digital Twin for more safe, accessible, and productive curb environments.

EFFECT OF THE COMBINED NOZZLE ORIENTATION AND TRUCK SPEED ON EFFICACY OF ULTRA-LOW-VOLUME SPRAY AGAINST CAGED AEDES ALBOPICTUS IN URBAN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA

A field study was conducted to evaluate the combined effect of nozzle orientation and vehicle travel speed on droplet dispersion and mosquito mortality of an adulticide applied from a truck mounted ULV sprayer in the City of Gainesville, Florida. Three multi-block areas with dense, medium, and sparse vegetation were selected for the study. Aqua-Reslin ® was applied in each area in the following treatment combinations: a) horizontal nozzle at 24 km/h travel speed, b) 45° upward orientation (standard) at 16 km/h, and c) 22.5° upward orientation at 24 km/h. Caged, three to five day old Aedes albopictus females were used in all evaluations. Spray deposition was determined at various locations inside each application area using Florida Latham Bonds droplet impingers. There was a significant difference in 24-h mortality among the 3 nozzle angle and speed treatment combinations, but not in the interaction between those combinations and application distance. The 22.5° nozzle combination resulted in the greatest mosquito mortality (88.3%) while the 45° combination resulted in the least mortality (63.1%). A significant difference in 24-h mortality among the 3 vegetation densities and application distances occurred with no significant interaction among these two parameters. The greatest Ae. albopictus mortality was recorded in the sparse (91.4%) and the lowest in the medium vegetation area (72.2%) at the maximum rate of 0.0015 lb./acre. Adulticide deposition was not significantly different among vegetation levels, but was significantly different among the distances and interactions of those parameters.

Executive Summary of Gainesville's Urban Forests in 2016

This 2-page fact sheet written by Michael G. Andreu, Caroline A. Hament, David A. Fox, and Robert J. Northrop and published by the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation describes a 2016 ecological assessment of the urban forest in the city of Gainesville, FL. It provides a detailed look into some of the economic and ecological values of the forest to enhance understanding and improve urban forest policies, planning, and management, as well as to provide empirical data for the inclusion of trees within environmental regulations. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr417

The Structure and Composition of Gainesville's Urban Forest in 2016

Trees in cities were formerly thought of merely as a collection of individuals found along streets and incorporated into landscaping. However, urban trees are now viewed as being part of a unique forest type, and understanding the urban forest’s structure and composition is an important first step towards managing it. This 4-page fact sheet written by Michael G. Andreu, Caroline A. Hament, David A. Fox, and Robert J. Northrop and published by the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation aims to provide a broader understanding of the urban forest in the city of Gainesville, Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr413

Survival of Overwintering Aedes albopictus Eggs Under Natural Conditions In North-Central Florida.

Aedesalbopictus mosquitoes overwinter as eggs in north-central Florida. Knowledge of this species' overwintering survival rate is of great interest to local mosquito control districts. In this study, field-collected Ae. albopictus eggs were exposed to natural conditions during winter 2016-17 in Gainesville, FL, to determine the overwintering survival rate. Individual strips of germination paper containing eggs of this species were collected from ovitraps in November 2016 then later clipped to the inner edge of empty flowerpots and placed in the Department of Public Works compound, City of Gainesville, in December. Egg strips that remained outdoors were later brought back to the laboratory and hatched in late March 2017. Significant differences were found among the 5 ambient environmental exposure methods (configurations) in terms of egg survival rate, egg collapsed rate, and egg unaccounted rate, whereas no significant difference was observed on the egg intact rate. Egg strips stored in flowerpots with the drainage hole sealed had the highest survival rate (18.3%), whereas eggs stored in an open covered area had the least survival rate (2.4%). The effect of different storage conditions on the survivorship of overwintering Ae. albopictus eggs in north-central Florida is discussed.

Implementation and Results of Solar Feed-In-Tariff in Gainesville, Florida

AbstractIn the United States, the City of Gainesville in Florida was the pioneer in the implementation of a long-term feed-in-tariff model to purchase solar electricity generated by privately owned systems located in the public utility’s service territory, accelerating the investments in renewable energy. Based on the German model, the city implemented the feed-in-tariff program using 20-year agreements with suppliers. This program is funded by the electricity ratepayers through an increment in the electricity bill. A flat purchase rate is calculated using solar electric system costs and varies based on the type and size of installation. This cost-based purchase rate ensures a safe return margin to investors and is reduced annually for new contracts as market installation costs go down to promote the technology development in the region and encourage investors to act. Gainesville adopted this renewable energy policy in 2009 to diversify its generation portfolio, respond to community demands and meet carbo...

Do US consumers' perceive local and organic food differently? An analysis based on means-end chain analysis and word association.

The market of local and organic food is still a niche market in the USA, despite its strong growth rates. Both offer consumers an alternative to a globalized anonymous food supply chain. Yet local food and organic food seem to be overlapping and to some degree competing food concepts. While the organic food market somehow has managed to “mature”, being widely distributed in national supermarket chains, local food in the US still seems to be tied to a “grassroots food movement”, being mainly distributed over short food supply chains. With several trends indicating sustained growth for local and organic consumption, this paper first addresses different connotations of local food and compares them to standard definitions of organic food. The main focus is to explore the perception of US consumers towards local and organic food, using results from two different studies. Both studies use laddering techniques and word association tests, which were undertaken at Cornell University in New York State and at the University of Florida in the city of Gainesville. These findings are used to achieve a better understanding of the image of local and organic food, and the motives and values of local and organic food consumers.

Costs of Managing an Urban Forest

Urban forests provide benefits to society often referred to as ecosystem services: they improve human health, environmental quality, and local economies by increasing property values and aesthetics in communities. They help cities control storm water, reduce air pollution and energy costs, and offset carbon dioxide emissions. But urban forests also have “ecosystem disservices.” An accurate assessment of an urban forest’s costs can assist decision makers to better understand the role the forest plays in improving the well-being of the community. Identifying how funding is used can also help communities minimize costs and increase benefits. This revised 4-page fact sheet will review some of the types of costs associated with urban forests and present typical financial costs associated with urban forest management in the city of Gainesville, Florida. Written by Francisco Escobedo and Jennifer Seitz, and published by the UF Department of School of Forest Resources and Conservation, October 2012. FOR217/FR279: The Costs of Managing an Urban Forest (ufl.edu)

Vehicle actuation based short-term traffic flow prediction model for signalized intersections

Traffic flow prediction is an important component for real-time traffic-adaptive signal control in urban arterial networks. By exploring available detector and signal controller information from neighboring intersections, a dynamic data-driven flow prediction model was developed. The model consists of two prediction components based on the signal states (red or green) for each movement at an upstream intersection. The characteristics of each signal state were carefully examined and the corresponding travel time from the upstream intersection to the approach in question at the downstream intersection was predicted. With an online turning proportion estimation method, along with the predicted travel times, the anticipated vehicle arrivals can be forecasted at the downstream intersection. The model performance was tested at a set of two signalized intersections located in the city of Gainesville, Florida, USA, using the CORSIM microscopic simulation package. Analysis results show that the model agrees well with empirical arrival data measured at 10 s intervals within an acceptable range of 10%–20%, and show a normal distribution. It is reasonably believed that the model has potential applicability for use in truly proactive real-time traffic adaptive signal control systems.

A Case for the Safety and Sustainability of Class B Biosolids Land Application – Results of Microconstituent and Pathogen Research in Gainesville, FL

A Case for the Safety and Sustainability of Class B Biosolids Land Application – Results of Microconstituent and Pathogen Research in Gainesville, FL

Costs of Managing an Urban Forest

FOR-217, a 4-page fact sheet by Francisco Escobedo and Jennifer Seitz, reviews some of the types of costs associated with urban forests and presents typical financial costs associated with urban forest management in the city of Gainesville, Florida. Includes references. Published by the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation, July 2009. FOR217/FR279: The Costs of Managing an Urban Forest (ufl.edu)

One Hundred-one Canoes on the Shore – 3–5,000 year old Canoes from Newnans Lake, Florida

Newnans Lake is located east of the city of Gainesville in Alachua County, Florida. As the lake level dropped during extreme drought conditions in April 2000, hikers and bird watchers noticed wooden objects, including dugout canoes, appearing on the newly exposed shoreline. In the summer of 2000, with emergency funds furnished by the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources many of the canoes were partially excavated, measured, photographed, drawn to scale, mapped using GPS, and sampled for radiocarbon analyses and wood identification. In subsequent months, additional canoes were exposed and recorded bringing the total to one hundred-one. In this paper we describe what is currently known about what is likely the world's largest cache of prehistoric dugout canoes – ages, sizes, styles, tree species and their significance.

Cost-Benefit Highway Pavement Maintenance

Many methods used in highway maintenance plans are complex, and agencies often exclude components related to user costs in the work zone (such as vehicle operating costs, delay costs, and crash costs) when making project improvement decisions. Highway users are taxpayers, and considering the user costs in project rehabilitation, resurfacing, and reconstruction provides the greatest return on project tax dollars spent. A simple five-step procedure that includes user work zone costs in the selection of highway maintenance projects has been developed and applied to the city of Gainesville, Florida, roadway improvement network projects: (1) collect distress data, (2) prepare inventory forms for the roadway networks, (3) prepare a maintenance cost plan, (4) prepare priority rankings for project improvements, and (5) select and implement project rehabilitation on the basis of priority ranking. These five steps assist highway agencies (public works officials and highway engineers) in simplifying maintenance programs in light of limited funding and help agencies choose priorities for highway maintenance funding for projects.

Radon reduction systems in the construction of new houses in Gainesville, Florida.

High radon level exposures increase human risk of lung cancer. The objective of this paper is to present the results of the effectiveness of applying the Enkavent mat method and the suction pit method; as tested by a University of Florida research team; to reduce radon entry in new houses built in the city of Gainesville and the surrounding Alachua County area in Florida. Both of these passive techniques include placement of a barrier under the concrete floor slab right on top of the soil at the new building sites. Passive and active techniques applied in the construction of new houses reduced radon levels to below the minimum requirements of 148 Bq m(-3) (4 pCi L(-1)). The mitigation systems investigated in this research were adopted by the Florida Legislature to become part of the new building construction code in Florida.

An ecological study of amebas from a small stream in Northern Florida

An ecological study of amebas in the Hogtown Creek, which serves as a water-shed for the northwest quadrant of the city of Gainesville, Florida, indicates that the species which inhabit the creek are those typical of slow-flowing, moderate to warm freshwater streams of slightly alkaline nature. The Creek is essentially an unpolluted rural stream at its source; but receives both industrial and civil pollution in its course through the city. In the course of its flow some seven miles beyond the major entry of pollution, it recovers, and becomes again a rural stream with little significant pollution. Amebas disappear from the creek at the point where industrial pollution enters, and are found again in small numbers at two to four miles downstream. Thereafter, in the course of another three miles, amebas appear in greater numbers. Active amebas were not found whenever the pH of the stream became acid, at whatever station. None of the species known to be acidophilous were seen, with the exception of Difflugia oblonga, which may be ubiquitous. Some indication is noted that certain amebas prefer waters of certain temperature range, particularly within the genus Difflugia. In that genus D. lobostoma, D. tuberculata, D. urceolata, D. amphora, D. oviformis and D. acuminata were present more often in waters above 21° C.; whereas D. oblonga, D. globulosa, D. corona, D. gramen, and D. elegans were more often present in waters at temperatures below 21° C. Both naked and testate rhizopods were more numerous at or near pH 7.6; and in general both naked and testate amebas were more numerous at temperatures slightly below 21° C. It is suggested that any species of ameba may have a more or less restricted range of tolerance to any particular physical factor in the environment, with a presumed optimum for each factor, resulting in the appearance and disappearance of various species as the factors vary.