Evaluating Tailored Feedback for Re-Engaging Residential Smart Grid Users: A Case Study in Milton, Ontario

A rapidly changing climate, predominantly caused by carbon-intensive human activities, has stimulated policies and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG’s). One area in which GHG reductions are being made is in the electricity sector. In the province of Ontario, the shutting down of all coal fired plants in 2014 and the adding of clean energy sources have contributed to this shift away from GHG emitting fuel sources. In addition to this, the widespread adoption of smart meters, time-of-use pricing, and the fostering of a ‘conservation culture’ have been put forth to promote reductions in total and peak consumption through widespread access to electricity information. Reducing electricity consumption and shifting consumption to off-peak hours is important because it helps avoid investment in the up-keep of electricity systems, increases energy security, and decreases emissions produced from carbon-intensive sources used during times of peak demand. Electricity reporting studies have sought to provide detailed feedback in the hopes of enhancing awareness and further reducing electricity consumption. While many studies have conducted research on the effectiveness of short term feedback, this study focuses on a case study of 26 households whom have been engaged in electricity interventions over a three-year period. Previous research on this case study, found that household engagement dropped off after the first few months. Therefore, this research seeks to understand the effectiveness of feedback to re-engage long-term smart grid users. Throughout the course of a 30-week study period, households were provided with disaggregated appliance feedback and aggregate household feedback on electricity use on a weekly basis to encourage users to reduce overall consumption or to peak shift to hours of the day with a lower electricity demand. Household consumption from the monitoring period is compared to the baseline period to determine whether households made behavioural changes and reduced total or on-peak consumption. Those who achieved the greatest savings relative to the baseline period in each given month were awarded with a certificate and a public announcement of their success was delivered to all other households partaking in the study. The weekly feedback reports categorized households into quintiles based on their electricity use relative to others in the study, listing them as ‘very efficient’, ‘low consumers’, ‘average’, or ‘high consumers’, or quintile 1, 2, 3, 4/5, respectively. From this, it was determined whether higher consuming households became motivated to match the consumption of the very efficient consumers. To further encourage conservative energy practices, tips were sent out with the weekly reports to those households belonging to quintiles 3, 4, and 5, to encourage households to moderate specific appliances and reduce consumption to match that of the efficient households. Total consumption in kWh and on-peak share of the week following and month following were compared to the week and month prior to the tip. The average change the week following a tip for the AC, laundry and media centre were 0.5, 3.5, and 2.4 kWh/week, respectively, and a 0.2% increase, and reduction of 1.4%, and 2.2% in on-peak share, respectively. Based on the results of this inquiry, households at the aggregate level reduced consumption. This is attributed to the provision of feedback, the use of tips, and outside factors. On average households made reductions in total electricity consumption by 10.4% before and after the intervention, over the course of 30 weeks (not normalized for temperature). A further seasonal analysis demonstrates a decrease of 4.5% for the 12 week summer period, and a reduction of 11.5% for the 18 week fall/winter period. An analysis of quintiles found a change in use by higher consuming residential quintiles towards the lowest consuming quintile. Following the presentation of a tip, households made reductions to particular appliances in total use (AC, washer/dryer, and media centre), and peak share (washer/dryer, dishwasher, and media centre) for both the week and month analysis. On average, there is a 1.6 kWh/week reduction in the week following a tip, and a 0.4 kWh/month reduction in the month following. For the peak share, there is an average 2.6% reduction the week following a tip, while the month following there is an average 0.4% increase. Comparing this study to others in which households are newly selected for the particular study, in which there are average savings of 12.3%, this study has an average savings of 10.4%. Despite the assertion that electricity monitoring devices eventually become ‘backgrounded’ in households, (Hargreaves et al., 2013), participants were still able to make reductions in electricity consumption (in terms of total or peak share) throughout the 30 week study period, resulting in similar reductions to those found in other studies in which participants are newly engaged with feedback interventions

Diagnostisk användbarhet av vaginalcytologi hos tik

Syftet med detta arbete var att jämföra östradiolkoncentrationer och östradiolpåverkan på vaginal-epitelet hos tikar i olika löpstadier och tikar med sjukdomstillstånden pyometra och juvertumörer, och på så sätt studera användbarheten av vaginalcytologi som diagnostiskt verktyg vid dessa sjukdomstillstånd. Syftet var även att jämföra två olika metoder för att utvärdera vaginalutstryk. Vaginalcytologi fungerar som ett indirekt mått på östradiolkoncentrationen och används normalt sett i kliniken för att bestämma tikens löpcykelstadium. Höga koncentrationer av östradiol får epitelcellslagret i vaginalslemhinnan att proliferera och keratiniseras. Östradiol kan ha en roll i patogenesen för juvertumörer och pyometra men frågan är om östradiolkoncentrationen har ett diagnostiskt och prognostiskt värde i praktiken för dessa sjukdomar. Vaginalcytologiska utstryk och blodprov togs från tikar med diagnostiserad pyometra, juvertumörer, kastrerade tikar och tikar i olika löpcykelstadier. Vaginalcellprov från 66 tikar bedömdes enligt två olika metoder; den första utifrån ett flödesschema för cellbedömning baserad på en studie av Reckers et al. (2022) och den andra utifrån metoden som lärs ut på veterinärprogrammet på SLU. Med Reckers metod räknades 100–200 celler från varje preparat beroende på celltäthet och celltyp bedömdes utifrån olika mått och kriterier. Om andelen förhornade celler översteg 90 % tolkades provet som östrus. Med metoden som lärs ut på SLU gjordes en uppskattning av andelen förhornade celler men även förekomst av neutrofiler och erytrocyter vägdes in i bedömningen. Utifrån en helhetsbedömning av preparatet kunde proven delas in i anöstrus, proöstrus, östrus eller metöstrus. Östradiolkoncentrationen analyserades i blod med hjälp av en ELISA. Resultatet från denna studie visade att vaginalcytologibilden från hundarna med pyometra och juvertumörer gick ej att skilja från de friska tikarnas cellbild. Ingen tydlig östradiolpåverkan i form av stor andel förhornade celler räknade med Reckers metod kunde ses på vaginalutstryket hos tikarna med dessa sjukdomstillstånd. Proverna från tikar med juvertumörer kunde ej skiljas från proverna från de intakta tikarna i anöstrus. Samtliga prover från tikarna med pyometra innehöll neutrofiler men detta ses även normalt i metöstrus. Däremot kan en cellbild med rikligt med neutrofiler och bakterier stärka misstanken om att tiken har pyometra om den kliniska bilden stämmer in i övrigt. Vidare visade resultatet ingen signifikant skillnad i östradiolkoncentration mellan tikarna med sjukdomstillstånden pyometra eller juvertumörer och de friska tikarna enligt en envägs varians-analys. Komplicerande faktorer i jämförelsen är att tikarna ej var i samma löpcykelstadie, det finns en stor normalvariation i östradiolkoncentrationen och hormonet kan produceras av fler vävnader och organ än äggstockarna såsom binjuren, huden och fettvävnad. Vid jämförelse av de två meto-derna för vaginalcytologiprovavläsning framkom att den ena metoden i vissa vaginalutstryk över-estimerade andelen förhornade celler, då metoden baseras på förhorningslinjer oberoende av cellkärnans storlek. Det är ej heller säkert att ELISA-metoden som användes för att analysera östradiol fungerade optimalt för hund då inga tidigare studier som validerat och använt metoden hittades. Detta är felkällor som kan ha påverkat resultatet och bör tas i beaktan vid bedömning av resultatet. Framtida studier med ett större urval kan ge en djupare inblick i användbarheten av vaginalcytologi som ett diagnostiskt verktyg.The aim of this study was to investigate whether vaginal cytology can be used as a diagnostic tool for different medical conditions in bitches, such as pyometra and mammary gland tumors. In addition, the aim was to compare two different methods for analyzing vaginal smears. Vaginal cytology is commonly used to determine the cycle stage of the bitch. Since oestradiol causes the vaginal epithelium to proliferate and keratinize, vaginal cytology works as a bioassay for oestradiol. Oestradiol may be involved in the pathogenesis of pyometra and mammary gland tumors. The question is if oestradiol has a diagnostic and prognostic value in practice for these medical conditions. Samples for vaginal cytology and blood serum was collected from bitches diagnosed with pyometra or mammary gland tumors, from ovariectomized bitches and from bitches in heat and in anestrous. The vaginal cytology was evaluated with two different methods; firstly, according to a flowchart for determination of the cell type of exfoliated vaginal cells made by Reckers et al. (2022) and secondly according to the method taught to veterinary students at the veterinary program at SLU. In the method by Reckers et al. (2022) 100-200 cells were counted and determined while in the method by SLU an estimation of the amount of each celltype was done. The samples were then interpreted as estrous or not estrous with Recker’s method and estrous, anestrous, proestrous or metestrous with SLU’s method. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for oestradiol with ELISA. The result from this study showed that the vaginal smears of the dogs with mammary gland tumors and pyometra did not differ from the vaginal smears of the healthy dogs. No distinct signs of high oestradiol as demonstrated by high percentage of cornified cells counted by Reckers method were seen in the vaginal smears from the bitches with these conditions. The vaginal cytology from the dogs with mammary gland tumors were similar to the intact dogs in anestrous. All the vaginal smears from the bitches with pyometra contained neutrophils but since neutrophils are also present in metestrus this is not a specific trait. However, a vaginal smear with an abundant number of neutrophils and bacteria may support the diagnosis of pyometra. Vaginal cytology was not found to be reliable as a sole diagnostic tool in the present study. Furthermore, there were no significant difference in the concentration of oestradiol in bitches with pyometra or mammary gland tumors compared to healthy dogs according to a one-way analysis of variance. Complicating factors in the comparison include the fact that the bitches were not in the same cycle stage, there is a large normal variation in oestradiol concentration, and the hormone can be produced by many tissues apart from the ovaries such as the adrenal gland, the skin and adipose tissue. When comparing the two methods it became apparent that Reckers method in some cases overestimated the amount of cornified cells, since the method was based on cornification lines rather than the size of the nucleus. There is a possibility also that the ELISA used in this study did not work properly for analyzing oestradiol in dogs. These sources of error may have affected the result and should be taken in consideration when evaluating the result. Future studies with a larger selection of samples could provide further insight into the application of vaginal cytology as a diagnostic tool

Electroencephalogram approximate entropy influenced by both age and sleep

The use of information-based measures to assess changes in conscious state is an increasingly popular topic. Though recent results have seemed to justify the merits of such methods, little has been done to investigate the applicability of such measures to children. For our work, we used the approximate entropy (ApEn), a measure previously shown to correlate with changes in conscious state when applied to the electroencephalogram (EEG), and sought to confirm whether previously reported trends in adult ApEn values across wake and sleep were present in children. Besides validating the prior findings that ApEn decreases from wake to sleep (including wake, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and non-REM sleep) in adults, we found that previously reported ApEn decreases across vigilance states in adults were also present in children (ApEn trends for both age groups: wake > REM sleep > non-REM sleep). When comparing ApEn values between age groups, adults had significantly larger ApEn values than children during wakefulness. After the application of an 8 Hz high-pass filter to the EEG signal, ApEn values were recalculated. The number of electrodes with significant vigilance state effects dropped from all 109 electrodes with the original 1 Hz filter to 1 electrode with the 8 Hz filter. The number of electrodes with significant age effects dropped from 10 to 4. Our results support the notion that ApEn can reliably distinguish between vigilance states, with low-frequency sleep-related oscillations implicated as the driver of changes between vigilance states. We suggest that the observed differences between adult and child ApEn values during wake may reflect differences in connectivity between age groups, a factor which may be important in the use of EEG to measure consciousness

Role of PP2Cα in cell growth, in radio- and chemosensitivity, and in tumorigenicity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>PP2Cα is the representative member of the type 2C family of protein phosphatases, and it has recently been implicated in the regulation of p53-, TGFβ-, cyclin-dependent kinase- and apoptosis-signaling. To investigate the role of PP2Cα in cell growth and in radio- and chemosensitivity, wild type and PP2Cα siRNA-expressing MCF7 cells were subjected to several different viability and cell cycle analyses, both under basal conditions and upon treatment with radio- and chemotherapy. By comparing the growth of tumors established from both types of cells, we also evaluated the involvement of PP2Cα in tumorigenesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>It was found that knockdown of PP2Cα did not affect the proliferation, the clonogenic survival and the membrane integrity of MCF7 cells. In addition, it did not alter their radio- and chemosensitivity. For PP2Cα siRNA-expressing MCF7 cells, the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was reduced, the induction of the G1 block was attenuated, the number of cells in G2/M was increased, and the induction of the G2 block was enhanced. The tumorigenic potential of PP2Cα siRNA-expressing MCF7 cells was found to be higher than that of wild type MCF7 cells, and the in vivo proliferation of these cells was found to be increased.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Based on these findings, we conclude that PP2Cα is not involved in controlling cell growth and radio- and chemosensitivity in vitro. It does, however, play a role in the regulation of the cell cycle, in the induction of cell cycle checkpoints and in tumorigenesis. The latter notion implies that PP2Cα may possess tumor-suppressing properties, and it thereby sets the stage for more elaborate analyses on its involvement in the development and progression of cancer.</p

Educators\u27 Experiences With Teaching During COVID-19: Journey of a Participatory Action Research Inquiry Team

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) issued 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2030) for everyone in this world to address. The need to act on these goals was intensified in 2020 when the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic spotlighting inequitable infrastructures and systems throughout many countries. The UN, in SDG4, urges us to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (UN, 2015, p. 21). To address this crisis, the International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) and MESHGuides sent out a call for research to scholars across the globe to capture teacher voices and find out about their experiences with teaching during COVID-19. Members of the College of Education program Professional Opportunities Supporting Scholarly Engagement (POSSE) at Texas A&M International University initiated a participatory action research project to join them and learn about changes in educators’ professional requirements. This report delineates their journey of collecting and analyzing data on teaching during COVID-19 and shares preliminary findings. Sixteen educators were interviewed in a focus group inquiry; six qualitative researchers analyzed the data using a systematic constant comparative method of analysis (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994). Educators shared challenges encountered when transferring curriculum, strategies, and pedagogical mindsets to a virtual platform. Teachers emphasized the significance of building collaborative relationships with parents as a supportive strategy. To face the pandemic-related changes, teachers paid both physical and emotional tolls, describing feelings such as frustration, helplessness, and uncertainty. As the participatory action research inquiry and analysis was being drafted as this article, at least half of the co-authors were still juggling expectations of altered face-to-face and virtual teaching–learning experiences while identifying the multiple impacts of a pandemic that lasted an entire calendar year, overlapping two academic years, while the research team had invested the time in listening to teachers’ voices to learn how best to promote equitable quality educational experiences for all

The evolution of human basophil biology from neglect towards understanding of their immune functions

Being discovered long ago basophils have been neglected for more than a century. During the past decade evidence emerged that basophils share features of innate and adaptive immunity. Nowadays, basophils are best known for their striking effector role in the allergic reaction. They hence have been used for establishing new diagnostic tests and therapeutic approaches and for characterizing natural and recombinant allergens as well as hypoallergens, which display lower or diminished IgE-binding activity. However, it was a long way from discovery in 1879 until identification of their function in hypersensitivity reactions, including adverse drug reactions. Starting with a historical background, this review highlights the modern view on basophil biology.(VLID)213835

Action plan for deriving dynamic RES-E policies

The core objective of this project is to facilitate a continuous and significant increase in the share of RESE with minimal costs to European citizen. To identify the most important strategies (e.g. Tradable Green Certificates, Feed-In Tariffs, Investment Subsidies, Emissions Trading, CO2-taxes) in a dynamic way the computer-based toolbox Green-X has been developed. Although within the scope of this project it has not been feasible to investigate all possible issues within this field, the cases analysed cover not only the needs and opportunities at the level of the national Member States, but also those at the level ofthe EU. However, the most important ones have been treated thoroughly. This report, which is the final outcome from the Green-X project (Contract No: ENG2-CT-2002- 00607), with funding from the European Commission, DG Research, provides recommendations on the way forward for the promotion of renewable energy for electricity generation in the EU. It is addressed primarily to energy policy maker, as well as to other people interested in renewable energy and energy policy

Closed-Loop Acoustic Stimulation During Sleep in Children With Epilepsy: A Hypothesis-Driven Novel Approach to Interact With Spike-Wave Activity and Pilot Data Assessing Feasibility

Slow waves, the electroencephalographic (EEG) hallmark of deep sleep, can be systematically manipulated by acoustic stimulation: stimulation time-locked to the down phase of slow waves reduces, whereas stimulation time-locked to the up phase increases slow waves. Spike-waves during sleep seem to be related to slow waves, raising the question of whether spike-waves can be systematically influenced by such acoustic stimulation. In five pediatric patients, all-night EEG was recorded, combined with real-time slow wave detection. Throughout the night, acoustic stimulation was performed in a 3 × 5-min-block design (no stimulation—stimulation—no stimulation). Tones were applied time-locked either to the up or to the down phase of the detected slow waves in an alternating pattern. All patients tolerated the acoustic stimulation during sleep well. They showed high sleep quality and no signs of clinical or non-convulsive electrographic seizures. Our preliminary analysis shows no systematic effect of acoustic stimulation on spike-wave activity. Moreover, with our stimulation approach tones were distributed over a rather broad phase-range during the DOWN or UP stimulation and showed inter-individual differences in their distribution. In this study, we applied for the first time an acoustic closed-loop slow wave stimulation tool for a non-invasive manipulation of spike-wave activity. Thus, our pilot data show that closed-loop acoustic stimulation is feasible and well tolerated in children with spike wave activity during sleep. Improved precision in phase targeting and personalized stimulation parameters in a larger sample of subjects might be needed to show systematic effects

Sustainable Sourcing of Global Agricultural Raw Materials: Assessing Gaps in Key Impact and Vulnerability Issues and Indicators.

Understanding how to source agricultural raw materials sustainably is challenging in today's globalized food system given the variety of issues to be considered and the multitude of suggested indicators for representing these issues. Furthermore, stakeholders in the global food system both impact these issues and are themselves vulnerable to these issues, an important duality that is often implied but not explicitly described. The attention given to these issues and conceptual frameworks varies greatly--depending largely on the stakeholder perspective--as does the set of indicators developed to measure them. To better structure these complex relationships and assess any gaps, we collate a comprehensive list of sustainability issues and a database of sustainability indicators to represent them. To assure a breadth of inclusion, the issues are pulled from the following three perspectives: major global sustainability assessments, sustainability communications from global food companies, and conceptual frameworks of sustainable livelihoods from academic publications. These terms are integrated across perspectives using a common vocabulary, classified by their relevance to impacts and vulnerabilities, and categorized into groups by economic, environmental, physical, human, social, and political characteristics. These issues are then associated with over 2,000 sustainability indicators gathered from existing sources. A gap analysis is then performed to determine if particular issues and issue groups are over or underrepresented. This process results in 44 "integrated" issues--24 impact issues and 36 vulnerability issues--that are composed of 318 "component" issues. The gap analysis shows that although every integrated issue is mentioned at least 40% of the time across perspectives, no issue is mentioned more than 70% of the time. A few issues infrequently mentioned across perspectives also have relatively few indicators available to fully represent them. Issues in the impact framework generally have fewer gaps than those in the vulnerability framework