Michigan: Baseline Report - State Level Field Network Study of the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

This report is part of a series of 21 state and regional studies examining the rollout of the ACA. The national network -- with 36 states and 61 researchers -- is led by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the public policy research arm of the State University of New York, the Brookings Institution, and the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.Michigan has taken a mixed approach to implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). It very nearly became the first state led entirely by Republicans to create a health insurance exchange as part of the ACA. Instead, Michigan was one of the more than thirty states to default to a federally run exchange. The state decided to adopt the Medicaid expansion, but with a delayed start date of April 2014

Measurement of the production cross section of four top quarks in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV

The field of particle physics involves not only searches for new particles and measurements of their interactions, but also the design and construction of advanced particle detectors. This thesis presents the measurement of the production cross section of four top quarks in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using 137 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. This analysis considers events in the final state of a same-sign pair of leptons, notable for being a final state with relatively few Standard Model background events. A boosted decision tree is utilized to discriminate four top quark events from background events. The four top quark production cross section is measured to be $12.6^{+5.8}_{-5.2}$ fb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction. This measurement is used to constrain the top quark\u27s Yukawa coupling as well as various theories beyond the Standard Model. This thesis also describes the construction and testing of silicon pixel detector modules used in the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector, and optimization of electron reconstruction methods using the new detector. The role of automated module assembly and quality assurance will be discussed, as well as work towards the construction of a high precision silicon strip detector based telescope. Adviser: Professor Frank Gol

Measurement of the production cross section of four top quarks in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV

The field of particle physics involves not only searches for new particles and measurements of their interactions, but also the design and construction of advanced particle detectors. This thesis presents the measurement of the production cross section of four top quarks in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using 137 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. This analysis considers events in the final state of a same-sign pair of leptons, notable for being a final state with relatively few Standard Model background events. A boosted decision tree is utilized to discriminate four top quark events from background events. The four top quark production cross section is measured to be $12.6^{+5.8}_{-5.2}$ fb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction. This measurement is used to constrain the top quark\u27s Yukawa coupling as well as various theories beyond the Standard Model. This thesis also describes the construction and testing of silicon pixel detector modules used in the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector, and optimization of electron reconstruction methods using the new detector. The role of automated module assembly and quality assurance will be discussed, as well as work towards the construction of a high precision silicon strip detector based telescope. Adviser: Professor Frank Gol

Effects of increased autumn temperatures and sub-acute levels of ammonia on post-winter development of four cultivars of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

Early planting dates, warm autumns and increased N mineralisation  rates may advance the growth of winter crops and also a high supply of nitrogen poses risks of excess biomass accumulation before the winter leading to reduced frost hardiness and excessive leaf loss. Although the number of frost days is currently declining in temperate Europe, events of frost may still create damage in the future in winter crops that have accumulated too much biomass in the preceding autumn.Here we report on a study in which the responses of four cultivars of winter oilseed rape (OSR) to elevated autumn temperatures and subacute levels of ammonia (NH3) were compared. It has been suggested that high concentrations of the gas, e.g. in livestock intensive regions may both act as an airborne fertiliser and reduce the frost hardiness of plants. Advancing treatments were imposed for 88 days in the autumn and consisted of pot grown plants kept in greenhouses without (ELVT) and with elevated concentrations of ammonia (ELVT+A; 195 μg m-3 NH3). Reference plants (AMB) were raised outdoors, where temperatures were 1.4°C lower than in the greenhouses.After the treatments plants were all overwintered outside to study whether the pre-winter growth advancement was still discernible in the following spring. Shed leaves were collected weekly to follow how much shoot biomass was lost during and after the winter. Cultivars responded differently to warming and exposure to ammonia. Up to the winter shoot biomass was strongly increased by the advancing treatments. However, fi nal shoot mass in the following summer did not differ between cultivars and was unaffected by the higher temperatures in the preceding autumn. Nevertheless, significantly more biomass was observed in ammonia fumigated plants. Higher autumn temperatures increased leaf shedding and advanced fl owering and senescence in the next spring so that plants showed a signifi cantly reduced seed mass, harvest index and oil yield at the fi nal harvest. Obviously, the growth advancement in the preceding autumn by elevated temperatures negatively affected the availability of resources in the following spring. In contrast, plants that were grown at both elevated ammonia and temperature in the autumn showed a delayed fl owering, higher shoot and seed mass, increased harvest index and oil yield. We conclude that growth advancement by elevated autumn temperatures without the re-supply of nutrients increases leaf shedding during winter. Nevertheless, the loss of resources in winter for re-growth in spring will certainly be of minor importance for yield formation as compared to the frost damage resulting from late spring frosts

On the consistencies between CSR plant strategies and Ellenberg ecological indicator values

One strand of British comparative plant ecology has used experimental measurements of innate traits under standardized conditions to confirm plant ‘strategies’ or ‘functional types’. The Sheffield (Grime) school has now established CSR-signatures for 1010 species. In contrast, a Central-European approach (Göttingen or Ellenberg school) has emphasized the unity of plants with their natural habitats by allocating ‘ecological indicator values’ (EIV´s; German: Zeigerwerte) for over 2700 species, which describe the ecological behavior of each species in their plant associations. In this paper we assess the levels of compatibility and congruence between these two approaches using large datasets that include some previously unexamined traits. Despite there being a wide gap between these plant- and environment-based starting points, we discover that both approaches lead to similar conclusions regarding patterns of evolutionary tradeoffs and ecological processes. In particular, the comparisons support the major evolutionary generalization that plant life has, in effect, aligned itself along a continuum between one trait-group that confers rapid acquisition of resources and another that confers long-term resource conservation

Effects of elevated CO2 concentrations and fly ash amended soils on trace element accumulation and translocation among roots, stems and seeds of Glycine max (L.) Merr.

The carbon dioxide (CO2) levels of the global atmosphere and the emissions of heavy metals have risen in recent decades, and these increases are expected to produce an impact on crops and thereby affect yield and food safety. In this study, the effects of elevated CO2 and fly ash amended soils on trace element accumulation and translocation in the root, stem and seed compartments in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] were evaluated. Soybean plants grown in fly ash (FA) amended soil (0, 1, 10, 15, and 25% FA) at two CO2 regimes (400 and 600 ppm) in controlled environmental chambers were analyzed at the maturity stage for their trace element contents. The concentrations of Br, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in roots, stems and seeds in soybeans were investigated and their potential risk to the health of consumers was estimated. The results showed that high levels of CO2 and lower concentrations of FA in soils were associated with an increase in biomass. For all the elements analyzed except Pb, their accumulation in soybean plants was higher at elevated CO2 than at ambient concentrations. In most treatments, the highest concentrations of Br, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Pb were found in the roots, with a strong combined effect of elevated CO2 and 1% of FA amended soils on Pb accumulation (above maximum permitted levels) and translocation to seeds being observed. In relation to non-carcinogenic risks, target hazard quotients (TQHs) were significant in a Chinese individual for Mn, Fe and Pb. Also, the increased health risk due to the added effects of the trace elements studied was significant for Chinese consumers. According to these results, soybean plants grown for human consumption under future conditions of elevated CO2 and FA amended soils may represent a toxicological hazard. Therefore, more research should be carried out with respect to food consumption (plants and animals) under these conditions and their consequences for human health.Fil: Rodriguez, Judith Hebelen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Klumpp, A.. Universität Hohenheim. Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology; AlemaniaFil: Fangmeier, A. Universität Hohenheim. Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology; AlemaniaFil: Pignata, Maria Luisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentin

Hazardous doses of the herbicide imazamox in wild plant species and oilseed rape cultivars

Imidazolinones and crops resistant to these herbicides have successfully been introduced recently in some European countries. Imazamox has a high efficacy, moderate persistence and ecotoxicity, but data on hazardous doses (HD) in non-target plants and species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) are still scarce. To screen a larger variety of plant taxa in standardized vegetative vigor tests, 22 wild plant species and 14 oilseed rape (OSR) cultivars were sown into trays filled with a standard soil. When seedlings had reached the three-to-four leaf stage, plants were exposed to a single application of the herbicide Bolero® using a commercial pump sprayer. The five treatments corresponded to rates of 0 (control), 0.4, 4, 20 and 40 g/ha of imazamox with latter representing the recommended dose in Switzerland. Two weeks after the application, five plants per treatment were sub-sampled at random and visible injuries and fresh weights were recorded as endpoints for herbicidal effects. Dose-response curves and effective doses (EDs) were fitted using the drc package of the statistical software R and SSDs were obtained using ETX2.0. ED50 varied between 0.006 and 37 g/ha of the active ingredient in Nigella arvensis and Brassica rapa. Several dose-response curves indicated hormetic effects at a hundredth of the recommended field dose. In OSR, exposure to the field rate (40 g/ha) resulted in growth reductions between 28 and 97 % in the non imazamox-tolerant cultivars and in growth stimulations of up to 20 % in imazamox-tolerant cultivars. Responses were unrelated to leaf thickness, growth rates and the taxonomy of the tested species. Hazardous doses were 0.32 g/ha for HD5 and 3.9 g/ha for HD50 indicating that 50 % of the non-target plants would be affected at a tenth of the recommended dose. Based on general herbicide drift values the results suggest that potentially adverse effects may be expected up to a distance of 4 m offsite. Keywords: Clearfield, non-target plants, plant growth tests, plant functional typesSchädliche Dosen des Herbizids Imazamox bei verschiedenen Wildpflanzenarten und RapssortenImidazolinone und gegen diese Herbizide resistente Sorten einiger Kulturarten wurden in den letzten Jahren in einigen Europäischen Ländern erfolgreich eingeführt. Imazamox hat eine hohe Wirksamkeit, moderate Persistenz und Ökotoxizität, aber es gibt bislang nur wenige Informationen zu Schaddosen (hazardous doses, HD) in Nichtzielpflanzen und Art-Sensitivitäts-Spektren (species sensitivity distributions, SSDs). Um eine größere Anzahl von Pflanzenarten in standardisierten Wachstumstests zu überprüfen, wurden 22 Wildpflanzenarten und 14 Rapssorten in mit Standardboden gefüllten Schalen ausgesät. Bei Erreichung des Drei- bis Vierblattstadiums wurden die Pflanzen einmal mittels Pumpsprüher mit dem Herbizid Bolero® behandelt. Die fünf eingesetzten Behandlungen entsprachen den Dosen 0 (Kontrolle), 0.4, 4, 20 und 40 g AS/ha, wobei die letztere in der Schweiz die empfohlene Aufwandmenge darstellte. Zwei Wochen nach der Applikation wurden fünf Pflanzen pro Behandlung nach dem Zufallsprinzip geerntet, wobei sichtbare Schäden und Frischgewichte als Wirkkriterien betrachtet wurden. Dosis-Wirkungs-Kurven und effektive Dosen (EDs) wurden mit Hilfe des drc-Pakets mit der Statistik-Software R berechnet und SSDs wurden mittels ETX2.0 abgeleitet. Die ED50-Werte schwankten zwischen 0.006 und 37 g/ha der aktiven Substanz in Nigella arvensis und Brassica rapa. Viele der Dosis-Wirkungs-Beziehungen deuteten hormetische Effekte bei einem Hundertstel der empfohlenen Aufwandmenge an. Bei den nicht Imazamox-toleranten Rapssorten wurden bei der empfohlenen Aufwandmenge (40 g/ha) Wachstumsreduktionen zwischen 28 und 97 % beobachtet, während in den Imazamox-toleranten Sorten Wachstumsstimulationen von bis zu 20 % auftraten. Die beobachteten Effekte standen in keinem Zusammenhang mit der Blattdichte, den Wachstumsraten und der Taxonomie der überprüften Pflanzenarten. Die ermittelten Schaddosen betrugen 0.32 g/ha für HD5 und 3.9 g/ha für HD50, was darauf hindeutet, dass 50 % der Nichtzielarten bei einem Zehntel der empfohlenen Aufwandmenge beeinträchtigt würden. Wenn man die Abdrifteckwerte für Herbizidanwendungen zu Grunde legt, wären potenziell nachteilige Effekte bis zu einer Entfernung von 4 m zum Feldrand zu erwarten. Stichwörter: Clearfield, funktionelle Pflanzentypen, Nichtzielpflanzen, Pflanzenwachstumstest

Tolerância às condições adversas de "Lactobacillus spp." microencapsulados por extrusão com tecnologia de vibração

As bactérias lácticas são responsáveis pela fermentação de vários produtos na indústria alimentícia, podendo ser classificadas como probióticas, que propiciam benefícios à saúde do hospedeiro quando ingeridas em quantidades adequadas. Porém, a viabilidade das bactérias probióticas pode ter interferência durante o processamento do alimento, armazenamento e passagem pelo trato gastrointestinal humano (TGI). Logo, a sobrevivência destas células pode ser favorecida por meio da técnica de microencapsulamento, a qual consiste na sua incorporação em matrizes que as tornam mais resistentes, protegendo estes microrganismos. Como material de parede, esta técnica pode-se utilizar soro de queijo e permeado de soro, os quais estão disponíveis nas indústrias a um baixo custo, pois frequentemente são considerados resíduos. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o microencapsulamento de Lactobacillus spp. por meio de extrusão com tecnologia de vibração, utilizando como material de parede diferentes tipos de soros lácteos, em associação ao amido e alginato de sódio. Foram utilizadas as cepas Lactobacillus paracasei ML 33 e Lactobacillus pentosus ML 82, ambas isoladas de amostras de leite in natura do Vale do Taquari, e o microrganismo Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014. Como agentes encapsulantes foram avaliados: o soro de queijo (SBO), o permeado de soro (PBO) e o soro de ricota (RBO), todos de origem bovina, e soro de queijo bubalino (SBU). Entre os soros lácteos avaliados, o SBO e o SBU, devido aos teores mais elevados de proteínas, conferiram maior proteção aos microrganismos encapsulados. Nas formulações encapsulantes, observou-se que a origem do soro (bovino ou bubalino) influenciou nos parâmetros de viscosidade e textura. As micropartículas obtidas, com os diferentes materiais de parede, apresentaram formato esférico com parede contínua, com diâmetro médio de 13,00 + 0,02 μm, conforme determinação realizada no microscópio eletrônico de varredura (MEV). A viabilidade celular média após processo de encapsulamento, entre todos os encapsulados, foi de 8,8 log UFC.mL-1, indicando que o uso dos diferentes soros lácteos proporcionou efeito protetor aos microrganismos, principalmente os SBO e SBU. Os encapsulados mantiveram-se viáveis (acima de 7 log UFC.mL-1) no período de 60 dias de armazenamento à 4 oC, com exceção das micropartículas de RBO e PBO com Lactobacillus pentosus ML 82, sendo que as combinações amido e alginato de sódio com SBO e SBU, para as três bactérias lácticas avaliadas, mostraram-se mais eficientes na proteção dos microrganismos. Os resultados da resistência ao TGI simulado evidenciaram que, no primeiro dia de armazenamento, os materiais de parede SBO e SBU, para todos os microrganismos, conferiram taxa média de sobrevivência de 94,44 e 96,01%, e viabilidade média de 9,13 e 8,74 log UFC.mL-1, respectivamente. E L. paracasei ML 33 apresentou maior resistência ao TGI simulado, com 92,50% e 87,10% após 30 e 60 dias de armazenamento, respectivamente. Perante avaliação da resistência ao stress osmótico a taxa média de sobrevivência de todos os encapsulados foi de 93,70% após 24 horas de incubação a 4 °C para ambas as soluções (sal e sacarose), com exceção das micropartículas de RBO com Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014, e RBO e PBO com Lactobacillus pentosus ML 82, que não apresentaram viabilidade a partir de 12 horas de incubação para ambas as soluções. Elaborou-se um leite fermentado com Lactobacillus paracasei ML 33 livre e encapsulado, por ter apresentado melhor desempenho nas avaliações, e com uma cultura láctica comercial, sendo as viabilidades mais elevadas observadas para as formulações de leite fermentado com micropartículas (LF-ENC) (7,93 log UFC.mL-1) e leite fermentado com bactérias livres (LF-LIVRE) (7,81 log UFC.mL-1), que apresentaram os teores mais elevados de sólidos (27,80% e 28,83%, respectivamente). A formulação LF-ENC também apresentou os valores mais elevados de viabilidade frente à resistência ao TGI, o que evidência a proteção efetiva conferida pela micropartícula ao microrganismo, perante condições adversas. Sendo assim, conclui-se que os soros lácteos proporcionam proteção aos microrganismos, juntamente com o amido e o alginato de sódio, tendo o soro de queijo bovino e bubalino maior efetividade, em comparação ao soro de ricota e permeado de soro. Logo, o processo de extrusão com tecnologia de vibração é indicado para proteção de probióticos.Lactic acid bacteria are responsible for the fermentation of several products in the food industry, and can be classified as probiotic, which provides benefits to the health of the host when ingested in adequate quantities. However, the viability of probiotic bacteria may interfere during food processing, storage and passage through the human gastrointestinal tract (TGI). Therefore, the survival of these cells can be favored by means of the microencapsulation technique, which consists in their incorporation in matrices that make them more resistant, protecting the probiotic microorganisms. As wall material for this technique one can use whey cheese and whey permeate, which are available in the industries at a low cost, as they are often considered as waste. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus spp. by means of extrusion with vibration technology, using as wall material different types of whey cheese in association with sodium starch and alginate. The strains Lactobacillus paracasei ML 33 and Lactobacillus pentosus ML 82, both isolated from samples of fresh milk from the Vale do Taquari, and the Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 were used as encapsulating agents: cheese whey (SBO), whey permeate (PBO) and ricotta cheese whey (RBO), all of bovine origin, and buffalo cheese whey (SBU). Among the whey evaluated, SBO and SBU, due to the higher protein levels, gave a greater protection to the encapsulated microorganisms. In the encapsulating formulations, it was observed that the origin of the whey (bovine or buffalo) influenced the parameters of viscosity and texture. The microparticles obtained with the different wall materials showed a spherical shape with a continuous wall, with a mean diameter of 13,00 ± 0,02 μm, as determined by the scanning electron microscope (MEV). The mean cell viability after the encapsulation process was 8,8 UFC.mL-1, indicating that the use of the different whey cheese provided a protective effect to the microorganisms, mainly SBO and SBU. The encapsulates remained viable (above 7 log UFC.mL-1) during the 60 day storage period at 4 oC, except for the microparticles of RBO and PBO with Lactobacillus pentosus ML 82, with the combinations of sodium starch and alginate with SBO and SBU, for the three lactic bacteria evaluated, were shown to be more efficient in the protection of microorganisms. The results of the simulated TGI resistance showed that, on the first day of storage, the SBO and SBU wall materials, for all microorganisms, gave a mean survival rate of 94,44 and 96,01%, and mean viability of 9,13 and 8,74 log UFC.mL-1, respectively. E L. paracasei ML 33 presented higher resistance to simulated TGI, with 92,50% and 87,10% after 30 and 60 days of storage, respectively. After evaluating the resistance to osmotic stress the average survival rate of all the encapsulated was 93,70% after 24 hours of incubation at 4 °C for both solutions (salt and sucrose), except for the RBO microparticles with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014, and RBO and PBO with Lactobacillus pentosus ML 82, which were not viable after 12 hours of incubation for both solutions. A fermented milk with Lactobacillus paracasei ML 33 free and encapsulated, because it presented better performance in the evaluations, with a commercial lactic acid culture was elaborated and the highest viability was observed for the fomulation of fermented milk with microparticles (LF-ENC) (7,93 log UFC.mL-1) and fermented milk with free bacteria (LF-LIVRE) (7,81 log UFC.mL-1), which had the highest solids content (27,80% and 28,83%, respectively). The LF-ENC formulation also showed the highest values of roadway resistance to TGI, which evidences the effective protectionconferred by the microparticle to the microorganism, under adverse conditions. Therefore, it is concluded that the whey cheese provides protection to the microorganisms, together with the starch and the sodium alginate, and the bovine and buffalo cheese whey is more effective when compared to the ricotta cheese whey and whey permeate. Therefore, the extrusion process with vibration technology is indicated for protection of probiotics

Foraging enrichment alleviates oral repetitive behaviors in captive red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii)

The relationship between inadequate foraging opportunities and the expression of oral repetitive behaviors has been well documented in many production animal species. However, this relationship has been less‐well examined in zoo‐housed animals, particularly avian species. The expression of oral repetitive behavior may embody a frustrated foraging response, and may therefore be alleviated with the provision of foraging enrichment. In this study, we examined the effect of different foraging‐based enrichment items on a group of captive red‐tailed black cockatoos who were previously observed performing oral repetitive behavior. A group of six cockatoos were presented with five foraging enrichment conditions (no enrichment (control), sliced cucumber, fresh grass, baffle cages, and millet discs). Baseline activity budgets were established over a 10‐day preintervention period and interventions were then presented systematically over a 25‐day experimental period. This study demonstrated that the provision of foraging interventions effectively increased the median percentage of time spent foraging compared to control conditions (range, 5.0–31.7% across interventions vs. 5.0% for control), with two of the interventions; grass and millet discs, significantly decreasing the expression of oral repetitive behaviors (control = 16.6 vs. 8.3% for both grass and millet discs). Finally, a rapid‐scoring method utilized by zookeepers during the study proved to be a useful proxy for the amount of time the cockatoos spent interacting with the foraging interventions and overall time spent foraging