Regional Environmental Planning in a Home Rule State: Against all Odds

U.S. Home Rule is born out of mistrust of central government along with skepticism toward established experts. In that mindset, a community knows best how to deal with their local matters. Municipal governments in New Jersey decide if alcohol can be sold or if a new housing development will increase the property tax base. Home rule gives each New Jersey municipality significant power, including land-use decisions that have consequences well beyond local boundaries. In these matters, County, State, and Federal government levels can only provide friendly suggestions. Any regional environmental planning is based on goodwill; the State Office of Planning Advocacy has no power to force inter-municipal, inter-county, or regional collaborations. The primary State environmental tool with some impact on local decisions is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) permitting process for new developments. Projects that will impact natural resources and habitat qualities must go through a substantial review that allows the NJDEP to influence proposed development through required permitting decisions. However, sustainability, resiliency, and quality of life challenges require integrative and proactive environmental planning on a larger scale. The leadership of Middlesex County in central New Jersey has charged our team with developing an Integrated Cultural Landscape and Ecosystem Services Plan (L-Plan). A comprehensive County-wide ecological assessment is combined with an analysis of the County’s cultural landscape, embracing the interrelationships between human-wellbeing and landscape design. The presentation will outline how our methodology builds on the tradition of interdisciplinary environmental planning developed by Ian McHarg at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s that has similarities with European comprehensive landscape planning. The innovation lies in the application of landscape urbanist approaches toward a regional environmental decision-making framework while engaging with municipal decision-makers and the public

Diet supplementation with green tea extract epigallocatechin gallate prevents progression to glucose intolerance in db/db mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Green tea was suggested as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes more than 70 years ago, but the mechanisms behind its antidiabetic effect remains elusive. In this work, we address this issue by feeding a green tea extract (TEAVIGO™) with a high content of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) or the thiazolidinedione PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone, as positive control, to <it>db/db </it>mice, an animal model for diabetes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Young (7 week-old) <it>db/db </it>mice were randomized and assigned to receive diets supplemented with or without EGCG or rosiglitazone for 10 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, body weight and food intake was measured along the treatment. Glucose and insulin levels were determined during an oral glucose tolerance test after 10 weeks of treatment. Pancreata were sampled at the end of the study for blinded histomorphometric analysis. Islets were isolated and their mRNA expression analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results show that, in <it>db/db </it>mice, EGCG improves glucose tolerance and increases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. EGCG supplementation reduces the number of pathologically changed islets of Langerhans, increases the number and the size of islets, and heightens pancreatic endocrine area. These effects occurred in parallel with a reduction in islet endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, possibly linked to the antioxidative capacity of EGCG.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study shows that the green tea extract EGCG markedly preserves islet structure and enhances glucose tolerance in genetically diabetic mice. Dietary supplementation with EGCG could potentially contribute to nutritional strategies for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.</p

Variations of Hair Follicle Size and Distribution in Different Body Sites

For the evaluation and quantification of follicular penetration processes, the knowledge of variations of hair follicle parameters in different body sites is basic. Characteristics of follicle sizes and potential follicular reservoir were determined in cyanoacrylate skin surface biopsies, taken from seven different skin areas (lateral forehead, back, thorax, upper arm, forearm, thigh, and calf region). The highest hair follicle density and percentage of follicular orifices on the skin surface and infundibular surface were found on the forehead, whereas the highest average size of the follicular orifices was measured in the calf region. The highest infundibular volume and therefore a potential follicular reservoir was calculated for the forehead and for the calf region, although the calf region showed the lowest hair follicle density. The calculated follicular volume of these two skin areas was as high as the estimated reservoir of the stratum corneum. The lowest values for every other parameter were found on the forearm. The present investigation clearly contradicts former hypothesis that the amount of appendages of the total skin surface represents not more than 0.1%. Every body region disposes its own hair follicle characteristics, which, in the future, should lead us to a differential evaluation of skin penetration processes and a completely different understanding of penetration of topically applied drugs and cosmetics

Metabolic consequences of infection of grapevine (<i>Vitis vinifera</i> L.) cv. "Modra frankinja" with flavescence dorée phytoplasma

Flavescence dorée, caused by the quarantine phytoplasma FDp, represents the most devastating of the grapevine yellows diseases in Europe. In an integrated study we have explored the FDp–grapevine interaction in infected grapevines of cv. ‘Modra frankinja’ under natural conditions in the vineyard. In FDp-infected leaf vein-enriched tissues, the seasonal transcriptional profiles of 14 genes selected from various metabolic pathways showed an FDp-specific plant response compared to other grapevine yellows and uncovered a new association of the SWEET17a vacuolar transporter of fructose with pathogens. Non-targeted metabolome analysis from leaf vein-enriched tissues identified 22 significantly changed compounds with increased levels during infection. Several metabolites corroborated the gene expression study. Detailed investigation of the dynamics of carbohydrate metabolism revealed significant accumulation of sucrose and starch in the mesophyll of FDp-infected leaves, as well as significant up-regulation of genes involved in their biosynthesis. In addition, infected leaves had high activities of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and, more significantly, sucrose synthase. The data support the conclusion that FDp infection inhibits phloem transport, resulting in accumulation of carbohydrates and secondary metabolites that provoke a source-sink transition and defence response status

Estimated physical activity in Bavaria, Germany, and its implications for obesity risk: Results from the BVS-II Study

BACKGROUND: Adequate physical activity (PA) is considered as a key factor in the fight against the obesity epidemic. Therefore, detailed description of the actual PA and its components in the population is necessary. Additionally, this study aims to investigate the association between PA and obesity risk in a representative population sample in Bavaria, Germany. METHODS: Data from 893 participants (age 13–80 years) of the Bavarian Food Consumption Survey II (BVS II) were used. In each participant, three computer-based 24-hour recalls were conducted by telephone assessing type and duration of PA in the domains occupation, sports, other strenuous leisure time activities (of mostly moderate intensity) as well as TV/PC use in leisure time and duration of sleeping. After assigning metabolic equivalents (METs) to each activity, estimates of energy expenditure (MET*h) and total daily PA level (PAL(est.)) were calculated. In a subgroup of adults (n = 568) with anthropometric measurements logistic regression models were used to quantify the impact of PA on obesity risk. RESULTS: Estimated average PA in women and men was 38.5 ± 5.0 and 40.6 ± 9.3 MET*h/d, respectively, corresponding to PAL(est. )values of 1.66 ± 0.22 and 1.75 ± 0.40. Obese subjects showed lower energy expenditure in the categories sports, occupation, and sleeping, while the time spent with TV/PC during leisure time was highest. This is confirmed in logistic regression analyses revealing a statistically significant association between obesity and TV/PC use during leisure time, while sports activity was inversely related to obesity risk. Overall, less than 1/3 of the study participants reached the recommended PAL of ≥ 1.75. Subjects within the recommended range of PA had an about 60 % (odds ratio = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.21–0.85) reduced risk of obesity as compared to inactive subjects with a PAL(est. )<1.5. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of short-term PA patterns, a major part of the Bavarian adult population does not reach the recommendations (PAL>1.75; moderate PA of > 30 min/d). Despite the limitations of the study design, the existing associations between sports activity, TV/PC use and obesity risk in this population give further support to the recommendation of increasing sports activity and reducing sedentary behaviour in order to prevent rising rates of obesity

Water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) can act as a penetration enhancer for topically applied substances

Background: Water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) irradiation has been shown to enhance penetration of clinically used topically applied substances in humans through investigation of functional effects of penetrated substances like vasoconstriction by cortisone

Increased expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1, and MIP-1α by spinal perivascular macrophages during experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in rats

BACKGROUND: T-cells extravasation and CNS parenchyma infiltration during autoimmune neurodegenerative disease can be evoked by local antigen presenting cells. Studying the chemoattracting potential of spinal perivascular macrophages (SPM) during experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), we observed numerous infiltrates of densely-packed mononuclear cells. Apart from the poor spatial and optical resolution, no differentiation between the resident SPM (mabs ED1(+), ED2(+)) and the just recruited monocytes/macrophages (mab ED1(+)) was possible. RESULTS: This is why we labeled SPM by injections of different fluoresecent dyes into the lateral cerebral ventricle before induction of active EAE. Within an additional experimental set EAE was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of T-cells specifically sensitized to myelin basic protein (MBP) and engineered to express the green fluorescent protein (GFP). In both experiments we observed a strong activation of SPM (mabs OX6(+), SILK6(+), CD40(+), CD80(+), CD86(+)) which was accompanied by a consistently increased expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and the chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1α. CONCLUSION: These observations indicate that SPM play a role in promoting lymphocyte extravasation

Effizienzleitfaden für PV-Speichersysteme: Wiederholbarkeit und Einfluss von Mess- und Auswerteparametern

Im Verlauf des Jahres 2021 wurden nach Schätzungen des BSW-solar rund 141.000 PVHeim-Speichersysteme in Deutschland in Betrieb genommen und rund 54% der neu installierten PV-Anlagen bis zu einer Nennleistung von 10 kW wurden mit Speichern ausgerüstet [1]. Damit hat sich die Anzahl der neu installierten Heim-Speicheranlagen gegenüber dem Vorjahr um ca. 60% erhöht. Diese Systeme werden hauptsächlich in Privathaushalten zur Steigerung des Eigenverbrauchs eingesetzt. Um den Anlagenbetreibern den wirtschaftlichen Nutzen zu sichern, der wesentlich auf der Differenz zwischen Strombezugspreis und Einspeisevergütung beruht, ist ein hocheffizientes PV-Speichersystem von grundlegender Bedeutung. Aus Sicht der Verbraucherinformation sollte die Effizienz der PV-Heim-Speichersysteme außerdem allgemeinverständlich und gut nachvollziehbar dargestellt werden können. Aus dieser Motivation heraus hat ein Konsortium aus Forschungs- und Prüfinstituten sowie Herstellern aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz unter der Koordination der Verbände BVES und BSW-solar den „Effizienzleitfaden für PV-Speichersysteme“ erarbeitet, dessen zweite Version in deutscher und englischer Fassung im Juli 2019 veröffentlicht wurde [2]. Der Effizienzleitfaden beinhaltet eine detaillierte Effizienzbetrachtung von Speichersystemen mit Testspezifikationen u.a. zur Bestimmung der Batterieleistung, der Effizienz der Leistungselektronik und der Energiewandlungspfade, des statischen und dynamischen Regelverhalten, des Standby-Verbrauchs. Aktuell wird der Effizienzleitfaden im Rahmen des DKE-Arbeitskreises 371.0.9 „Kennwerte von stationären Batteriespeichern“ zu einer Norm weiterentwickelt. Systematische Vergleiche auf Basis der Messungen gemäß Effizienzleitfaden sind nur sinnvoll, wenn die Messungen und ihre Auswertungen auch wiederholbar und reproduzierbar sind. Die Wiederholbarkeit von Messungen auf demselben Prüfstand wurde bereits untersucht [3]. Wichtig ist jedoch, dass die Messergebnisse auch reproduzierbar sind, wenn die Tests an unterschiedlichen Instituten durchgeführt bzw. ausgewertet werden. Andernfalls können Unterschiede in den Ergebnissen zu Inkonsistenzen bei der Bewertung der Systeme führen. Das F+E-Projekt „Testbench“ unterstützt die Weiterentwicklung des Effizienzleitfadens insbesondere in Hinblick auf die Reproduzierbarkeit der Tests bei unterschiedlichen Prüfinstituten. Erste Erkenntnisse werden hier vorgestellt

Remappings - the Making of European Narratives

How narratives emerge, unfold and impact across Europe today, and how they contribute to redrawing our maps of Europe

Blinded by Simplicity: Locating the Social Dimension in Software Development Process Literature

The software development process is a complex human, intellectual and labor-intensive activity and human related factors have shown to be the most significant contributors to software system failures. Lacking the ability to identify or quantify these factors, software practitioners will not learn from the failures caused by them. Although, social factors give rise to high failure rates in software development projects they tend to be ignored. Business continues as usual. The inability for software engineers to attain a holistic and inclusive approach will leave the social dimension out and undermine the realization of a fully sustainable software development process.This paper builds on the master’s thesis with the same title completed in December 2019 at Stockholm University. The thesis demonstrates how research literature on software development processes addresses (or not) the social dimension of sustainability from a holistic point of view. The results indicate that the practice of dealing holistically with complexity including the social dimension is still underdeveloped. Further research is suggested regarding the development of adequate supporting tools, social skills, and managerial attitudes and behaviors