Extent of Regulations for E-bikes in Wisconsin Parks and Trails

Use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, has become increasingly popular over the past decade. The State of Wisconsin passed legislation in 2019 establishing e-bike classes and creating general guidelines for use in public spaces throughout the state. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which Wisconsin communities are planning for and managing e-bikes in parks and on trails. We systematically reviewed Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (CORPs), city ordinances, and websites associated with the forty-four premier member agencies of the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association (WPRA). Within these agency resources, e-bike mentions were noted and categorized as “regulations” or “other mentions.” Fourteen agencies were found to mention e-bikes in their documents or on their websites; of those fourteen, ten were categorized as “regulations”. Three of those regulations deferred to the 2019 Wisconsin state statutes, while seven expanded on the state’s legislation. To supplement our systematic review, generative AI was used to conduct a search across the entire state. This effort yielded similar results. Overall, we found that few communities sampled are specifically addressing e-bike use in parks and on trails in their formal plans, rules, and communications. As e-bike technology and use continues to expand this subject should be revisited to see how communities are addressing this emerging topic

Estimating Groundwater Evapotranspiration Using the Water Table Fluctuation Method

research posterEstimating evapotranspiration for an ecosystem’s water budget can be particularly challenging. In an unconfined aquifer, plants with roots that interact with the water table are able to extract groundwater and transpire it to the atmosphere. The Water-Table Fluctuation (WTF) Method was developed and applied frequently for groundwater recharge and others have used this method to calculate evapotranspiration (ET). Assuming the changes in water table elevation are plant mediated transpiration, measured changes in the water level in combination with the specific yield can be used to understand plant interactions with shallow groundwater and estimate ET resulting from phreatophytes. Previously, shallow wells screened across the water table were installed on Isherwood Farms in Portage County, WI, USA. The area is a mixed agricultural, coniferous, deciduous, and shrub forested area with groundwater in close proximity to the land surface. Wells were instrumented with Solinst 3001 LTF15 level loggers and water levels were monitored on a 30-minute interval. Measurements were adjusted to account for barometric pressure. The WTF method was then applied to the data in order to quantify evapotranspiration variability within a growing season as well as between growing seasons and vegetation types. Water level information was compared to weather data to validate ET estimates, allowing for a better understanding of ET dynamics in shallow groundwater environments

Wood County THC Community Environment Surveillance Scan, 2025

The Wood County THC Community Report project looked at THC and intoxicating hemp (such as Delta-8, Delta-10, and THC-A) product availability in Wood County, Wisconsin. The project conducted a three-phase environmental scan of THC retailers by investigating online websites, social media pages, and state licensing records to locate potential retailers and identify products offered; phone interviews with retailers to verify sales information and clarify product types; and in-person visits to confirm findings, observe store layouts, check for age verification measures, and, when possible, speak with owners or managers. Of 244 potential retailers, 76 were confirmed to sell THC (intoxicating hemp) products, a 245% increase from the 22 retailers identified in 2023. Based on initial phone conversations with retailers who do not sell but indicated that they will sell in the future, this number is expected to continue to increase over the next few years. Other major findings included: 25% of the identified THC retailers are Bars and Taverns; 20% of the scanned retailers sold intoxicating mushroom products; several stores scanned in-person did not restrict access to products for individuals under 21; a clerk offered free THC vape samples to an underage individual while vaping at the counter; and one retailer reported that they had 12 attempts by underage individuals to make purchases in the last month. Inconsistent age verification and sales raised concerns about youth access. The findings from this report were used by the Wood County IMPACT team members to develop additional tools with local businesses to help monitor age compliance checks for Wood County Ordinance #236.05 restricting sale of THC products for persons under the age of 21

TARGETING CDKN1A WITH UC2288 TO ENHANCE OSTEOGENESIS: MECHANISTIC INSIGHTS, DIFFERENTIATION PATHWAYS, AND BIOMATERIAL-BASED DELIVERY STRATEGIES

p21 (CDKN1A) is a regulator of the cell cycle, involved in halting cell division, coordinating DNA repair, and contributing to both senescence and apoptosis. In addition to these functions, recent evidence indicates another role in tissue repair—particularly in bone. The aim was to investigate if UC2288-medaited suppression of p21 can increase the osteogenic capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). While UC2288 was originally developed as an anticancer agent to induce apoptosis in malignant cells, the results demonstrate that UC2288 does not compromise cell viability at moderate concentrations, indicating its potential for safe application in this context. Furthermore, MSCs treated with UC2288 expressed higher levels of key bone markers compared to untreated controls. To delineate signaling pathways that may contribute to osteogenic differentiation beyond p21 suppression, transcriptomic analysis was performed. Genes associated with the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway were found to be upregulated in the transcriptomic data; however, subsequent validation studies did not fully corroborate these findings. Interestingly, combined suppression of HIF-1 and p21 resulted in increased expression of osteogenic marker genes. These observations suggest a potential interaction between p21 and HIF-1 signaling in regulating osteogenesis, although further experimentation is required to confirm this relationship. In the final aim, the ability of matrix stiffness to promote transdifferentiation of chondrocytes into osteoblasts was evaluated. The results demonstrated that osteogenic transdifferentiation is highly sensitive to matrix stiffness, with only a narrow range of stiffness values supporting this process. Overall, this thesis outlines a novel strategy to enhance the osteogenic capacity of mesenchymal stem cells with strong translational potential, particularly given that the therapeutic agent investigated is already approved by the FDA. Future studies will focus on in vivo validation to determine optimal dosing and treatment duration for improving bone healing following injury. Additional investigations will also assess the efficacy of this approach in pathological conditions such as advanced age, osteoporosis, and diabetes.2028-01-2

Oral History Interview, Mark Dorman (2609)

In his January 2026 interview with Troy Reeves, Mark Dorman discusses his time as a UW-Madison undergraduate student beginning in 1972. To learn more about this oral history, download & review the index first (or transcript if available). It will help determine which audio file(s) to download & listen to.In his January 2026 interview with Troy Reeves, Mark Dorman discusses his time as a UW-Madison undergraduate student beginning in 1972. Before coming to UW-Madison, Dorman enlisted in the Navy in 1968 and was released in 1971 as a conscientious objector. He shares about his decision to attend UW-Madison, his father’s disapproval of the university, how he paid for school, and his experience as a student not attending UW-Madison straight from high school. He contrasts UW-Madison’s courses with those of the Navy, finding collegiate courses lower stakes, more welcoming, and less challenging. Dorman studied journalism in the public relations segment and was in the Integrated Liberal Studies Program. He shares memories and anecdotes of professors and courses of these programs. Dorman worked part-time as a security guard. He discusses heightened security at WARF, which housed the Army Math Research Center after the bombing of Sterling Hall. Other topics he covers include enrollment, protests, student life and entertainment, and work ethic. To close out the interview, Dorman summarizes his 48 years of state service, including his internship in public relations for UW Hospitals and his jobs investigating Medicare and investment fraud. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the UW-Madison Class Reunion Project of UW-Madison Archives and Record Management Oral History Program

The ugliness of organizational growth: Analyzing developments which help merging organizations

A seminar paper presented to the graduate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science – Organizational Change LeadershipMerging organizations is inherent in our global sphere. As Aristotle shared: “the sum is greater than the parts on their own.” Organizational merger often involves rapid decision-making in quick succession; when there are a multitude of decisions in a short time interval, the fallout can be uglier without a pathway. In review of existing strategic frameworks, Jim Collins’s Good to Great and John Hayes’s The Theory and Practice of Change Management, the paper also unfolds a separate strategy: to unify, to focus growth, to establish leaders, to distribute influence, and to reflect on the ability to repeat a similar merger. The U.G.L.I.R. strategy is applicable in non-profit and for-profit organizations to simplify the uglier and complex organizational process of merging organizations. When reviewing non-profit mergers specifically, the study finds that the characteristics of a non-profit board of directors offer more challenges to a potential merger. In addition, for-profit intra-agency mergers are resembled by non-profit interagency mergers and vice versa. Finally, there are inherent challenges to merging nonprofit organizations, such as geography and organizing documents. Still applicable, the U.G.L.I.R. strategy shows that many non-profits demand more time and patience to fulfill a merger than a for-profit might require. Multiple mergers, in quick succession, are more common in a for-profit arena

Consumer Motivation Through AI Experiences: A Study Involving Brand Trust and Purchase Decision

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape digital service encounters, understanding how consumers with different motivational orientations respond to chatbot features has become increasingly important. This study examines whether AI chatbots influence consumers based on their hedonic and utilitarian motivations, utilizing two primary stimuli: social presence and AI accuracy. Building upon current research on consumer-AI interaction and motivation theory, we hypothesized that consumers motivated by hedonism respond positively to both social presence and perceived accuracy of AI chatbots. Furthermore, utility-motivated consumers are expected to value functional attributes – such as precision and efficiency – while demonstrating little to no positive response to heightened social presence, which may be perceived as intrusive or counterproductive. Thus, this research proposes a moderated trust-based framework explaining how chatbot features shape brand trust and purchase decision-making, through a consumer survey distributed primarily to Gen Z and millennial respondents aged 18 and older. To analyze the data, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) will be applied to prove the relationships hypothesized in the framework. By clarifying these relationships, this study contributes to both theory and practice by informing more effective and ethically responsible chatbot design strategies that foster long-term consumer trust—particularly among younger digital-native consumers.Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, & Creative Activity (URSCA), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Poin