Integrating Shared Mobility Services with Transit Could Produce Economic and Environmental Benefits

This research brief summarizes the findings from the associated study, which examined the potential to improve transportation system efficiency by reevaluating and redefining the role of public transit and its design principles in the new context of technology and shared mobility. Specifically, it evaluated the financial feasibility of an integrative, multimodal transportation system where public and private mobility services coexist to maximize economic and environmental benefits and free up public transit resources to be reallocated more efficiently

Barriers to Healthy Eating Among the Senior Populations in Brookfield, CT

In the U.S, the cost of diseases associated with unhealthy eating reaches $157 billion a year. In the Western Connecticut area, hypertension and diabetes are the top two reasons for admitting seniors to the hospital. Both of them can be managed by healthy diet and exercise. This project aims to identify the barriers to eating healthy among elderly in Brookfield, CT, and to discuss potential interventions that can be implanted to address the identified barriers.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1188/thumbnail.jp

Fair use and file sharing in research and education

This work was inspired by the well-ventilated current problems around the use of digital file sharing technologies and their promotion of infringement of copyright leading to the alleged destruction of entertainment industries. Different legal systems have applied different analyses to such problems, and there is no clear and coherent answer to the question of whether file sharing, especially in the form of peer-to-peer (P2P), is legal. The particular focus of this thesis flows from the realisation that litigation around file sharing has uniformly explored it from the perspective of users downloading entertainment materials such as music and videos. Comparatively little attention has been paid to whether research and educational users have, or should have, rights to use the same digital file sharing technologies to access copyright materials important to their work. If digital file sharing is declared illegal by the courts at the behest of the entertainment industries, then what will happen to research and educational users of these networks?To explore this key problem, this thesis focuses on how fair use doctrine, the most important exception and limitation to copyright, has transferred from the traditional copyright environment into the context of digital file sharing. By undertaking a study of relevant legislation and cases, such as the well known Napster, Grokster and MP3.com, the “who” issue, namely, who is the party entitled to benefit from a fair use defence will be highlighted.Having established that fair use as a defence operates ineffectively in the digital file sharing environment, the thesis then looks at existing alternative or “fared” use models, and particularly the disadvantages of “fared” use system in serving research and educational file sharing. Finally the thesis turns to what is termed the “voluntary model”: a model in which copyright owners make their works available to academic users for free, via an institutional repository, the authors gaining non-pecuniary benefits while the commercial publisher being cut out as a “middleman”. Although future work to develop the details of this approach would be required, the thesis asserts this is a promising way towards ensuring access to copyright works in research and education thus benefiting society, whilst at the same time establishing fair compensation to authors for their efforts

Enhancing Dining Experiences through Emotional Tableware Design

Positive dining experiences can improve both physical and psychological health. Eating with people and eating slowly can facilitate one’s experience and behavior during the process, owing to the unexpected information from their senses and the surrounding environment. Tableware is a very important bridge between people and food. People get food, share food, and serve food while dining. Therefore, the tableware based on emotional design can to a certain extent affect people\u27s dining behavior and dining experience. This paper firstly introduces the reasons why people are getting hard to get a positive dining experience, and the importance of dining experiences. Then, the author analyzes the factors that influence dining experiences and explains how emotional tableware design to enhance dining experiences by increasing sensory stimulation, interactions, and emotional resonance of users. Finally, based on the three levels of emotional design theory which are visceral level, behavioral level, and reflective level, the author proposes that the integration of sensory stimulation, interaction, and narrative can help people enjoy their positive dining experience

Diversion Mechanism of the Criminal Produces in China

The establishment and development of the diversion mechanism of criminal procedure has become a global trend due to its significant value in improving judicial efficiency and promoting justice. The diversion of criminal produces embodies both depenalization and individualization of punishment. China has already applied such diversion mechanism in prosecution, trial, criminal reconciliation, and juvenile cases; however, there are still limitations and the mechanisms can be further improved

Identification of StBEL5 RNA as a long-distance mobile signal in short-day facilitated tuber formation

In potato, the BEL1-like transcription factor, StBEL5 and its protein partner POTH1, regulate tuber formation by mediating hormone levels in the stolon tip. Heterografting experiments show that StBEL5 mRNA can move across the graft union to localize in stolon tips and enhance tuber formation. Over-expression of StBEL5 full-length transcripts including the untranslated regions (UTRs) endows transgenic lines with the capacity to overcome the long-day inhibitory effects on tuber formation.;In this study, the precise localization of endogenous StBEL5 mRNA and other gene specific transcripts in the vascular tissues were determined by laser microdissection coupled to laser pressure catapulting (LMPC) and following RT-PCR. The results demonstrate the presence of StBEL5 mRNA in phloem cells which is consistent with its role as a mobile RNA.;StBEL5 full length transcripts exhibited better mobility compared to its UTR-truncated form and StBEL14 transcripts in agroinfiltration experiments. No translation enhancement was observed for full length StBEL5 transcripts compared to its UTR-truncated transcripts by in vitro translation assay. This indicates involvement of StBEL5 UTRs in facilitating its long-distance movement. Further studies of applying EMSA and northwestern blotting to identify StBEL5 mRNA binding proteins may provide pivotal cues to understand the mechanism of phloem delivered StBEL5 RNA in this long-distance signaling pathway during tuber formation

Individual and family-related factors in child health and well-being

The main aim of this thesis is to study individual and family-related factors that are relevant for indicators of child health (i.e. dental caries, weight status), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and lifestyle behaviors. For this purpose, the following research questions were formulated: Part one: Factors associated with indicators of child health and health-related quality of life; Part two: Factors associated with child lifestyle behaviors; and Part three: Prevention strategies for child health. Parts one and two of this thesis were embedded in the Generation R Study. Part three was a scoping review. The following conclusions can be drawn from the studies presented in this thesis. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (i.e. skipping breakfast, more social media platforms used, and spending more time on social media) have a negative impact on children’s health outcomes and HRQoL. Multiple individual and family-related factors (i.e. sex, ethnic background, socioeconomic status of a family, and family structure) may affect children’s HRQoL at younger age. Public health initiatives aimed at improving child health and ultimately HRQoL should give priority to children from families with low socioeconomic status, those with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and/or those with less favorable health conditions, from an early age onwards. Additionally, multiple family-related factors (i.e. family structure and socioeconomic status of a family) independent associated with children’s social media use at younger age. Tailored prevention programs can be developed to raise awareness among children living in families with low socioeconomic status and/or those in single-parent household, as well as parents with an ethnic minority background. The findings in our study also support the assumption that interventions with multiple levels of influence (e.g. public policy, individual, interpersonal, or organizational) may contribute to policies to address oral health inequalities. The findings presented can support the development of evidence-based preventive interventions, practice guidelines and policies to promote child health and well-being

Individual and family-related factors in child health and well-being

The main aim of this thesis is to study individual and family-related factors that are relevant for indicators of child health (i.e. dental caries, weight status), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and lifestyle behaviors. For this purpose, the following research questions were formulated: Part one: Factors associated with indicators of child health and health-related quality of life; Part two: Factors associated with child lifestyle behaviors; and Part three: Prevention strategies for child health. Parts one and two of this thesis were embedded in the Generation R Study. Part three was a scoping review. The following conclusions can be drawn from the studies presented in this thesis. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (i.e. skipping breakfast, more social media platforms used, and spending more time on social media) have a negative impact on children’s health outcomes and HRQoL. Multiple individual and family-related factors (i.e. sex, ethnic background, socioeconomic status of a family, and family structure) may affect children’s HRQoL at younger age. Public health initiatives aimed at improving child health and ultimately HRQoL should give priority to children from families with low socioeconomic status, those with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and/or those with less favorable health conditions, from an early age onwards. Additionally, multiple family-related factors (i.e. family structure and socioeconomic status of a family) independent associated with children’s social media use at younger age. Tailored prevention programs can be developed to raise awareness among children living in families with low socioeconomic status and/or those in single-parent household, as well as parents with an ethnic minority background. The findings in our study also support the assumption that interventions with multiple levels of influence (e.g. public policy, individual, interpersonal, or organizational) may contribute to policies to address oral health inequalities. The findings presented can support the development of evidence-based preventive interventions, practice guidelines and policies to promote child health and well-being