Rec System Research Articles

Blockchain-Based REC System for Improving the Aspects of Procedural Complexity and Cyber Security

Blockchain-Based REC System for Improving the Aspects of Procedural Complexity and Cyber Security

Abstract PR006: Building a sustainable cancer prevention program in partnership with an urban public recreation system

Abstract Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Wisconsin with higher incidence, late-stage diagnosis, and mortality rates in the African American and Hispanic populations. Accessible and affordable programming to address cancer risk is necessary for cities such as Milwaukee, where communities are under-resourced and disproportionately affected by segregation. The Total Wellness (TW) program offers alternatives to these barriers. Developed through a partnership between an academic cancer center and MKE Recreation (MKE Rec), TW provides an accessible and sustainable cancer prevention and lifestyle program for the African American and Hispanic communities in Milwaukee. The intervention focuses on increasing cancer-related knowledge and improving nutrition and physical activity patterns to reduce cancer risk, while also improving overall health and quality of life (QOL). Herein we present the implementation and sustainability results of our TW pilot study. TW is offered as a standing program within MKE Rec. The program promotes adherence to the American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention by following a weekly workbook plan guided by a trained MKE instructor. TW is offered at local community sites and is divided into three 8-week sessions (1.0, 2.0, 3.0) with twice-weekly classes that begin with a 30-minute informational session on topics such as cancer risk, cancer screening, strategies for behavior change, plant-based cooking demos, followed by supervised exercise with strength training. To evaluate the intervention, class registrants were invited to participate in quasi-experimental assessments before and after each 8-week session and included surveys and physical assessments. The RE-AIM (Reach, [Potential] Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance) framework was used to assess implementation (Winter 2022 – Spring 2023). Reach: TW classes were offered every season with 151 total registrations where 51 registrants participated in evaluations. Efficacy: Significant improvements pre-post were noted for physical activity, diet, weight, blood pressure, sit to stand, hand grip strength, walking distance and cancer knowledge. Adoption: Two MKE Rec sites offer the program each season. Implementation: The program is implemented as developed, four MKE Rec instructors (2 are bi-lingual) have been trained to teach TW, and program content is available in English and Spanish. Maintenance: TW registration is integrated into the MKE Rec system, teacher training is manualized, registration has been consistent for 6 seasons, and class participant satisfaction is high, as reflected in satisfaction survey scores and testimonials. Results support the feasibility, potential efficacy and sustainability of integrating cancer prevention programming into public recreation systems. Ongoing efforts will focus on monitoring program sustainability and exploring related barriers and facilitators. Future work will expand programming to new sites and cities. Citation Format: Estefania Alonso, Laura Pinsoneault, Jamila Kwarteng, Sandra Contreras, Margaret Tovar, Patricia Sheean, Kathleen Jensik, Ana Karen Manriquez Prado, Melinda R. Stolley. Building a sustainable cancer prevention program in partnership with an urban public recreation system [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PR006.

Exploring Renewable Energy Communities integration through a hydrogen Power-to-Power system in Italy

Increasing renewable power generation is a way to decarbonize power system. Hydrogen can be used as energy vector in a Power-to-Power (PtP) system to better manage the energy flow from renewables to users. Renewable Energy Community (so called REC) is proposed by RED II European directive to involve final users in energy management and to create conditions for local development of renewables. This work introduces a PtP hydrogen-based system, involving RECs to increase electric autarchy (self-sufficiency) of final users who have installed renewables in their electric market area (proximity of users). A double REC system is proposed in which the first REC generates renewable energy through a hybrid photovoltaic and wind system, and excess energy is stored as hydrogen generated through electrolysis; the second REC is powered by the hydrogen produced by the first one by means of fuel cell. Both RECs are connected to the power grid from which they can draw energy as well as put energy into it. Despite low round trip efficiency of a Power-to-Power hydrogen supply chain, the system increases users’ autarchy substantially (from 68.6% to 83.7%). Current costs of investigated apparatuses despite the public subsidies to REC makes the proposed system not sustainable from an economic point of view.

Transformacija registara nepokretnosti u Srbiji u XXI veku

In the late XX century, Serbia changed its system of land registration from the land books, that were outdated and neglected during the socialist era, to unified cadaster, the REC. Due to historical circumstances and construction of the REC system, lawmakers had to resort to unorthodox solutions to achieve the desired level of legal security. Because of unifying records of different nature (factual and legal), the REC needed to rethink the principle of legality and include the public notaries and courts in its implementation. Modernizing the registry meant that information technologies were used very broadly, making the shift to a fully electronic procedure of registration one of the main policy goals. This enabled introduction of the principle of registration by official duty, for the records to always be up to date. Mechanisms of protecting legal security provided by the registry do not function for objects under construction because they are not registered until the construction is completed. Therefore, the last unorthodox novelty was introduced: registration of buildings and apartments under construction.

Regulating Research: The Origins and Institutionalization of Research Ethics Committees in Sweden

Abstract The year 1966 saw the birth of Sweden’s first formal Research Ethics Committee (rec) at the medical university Karolinska Institute (ki). In the following years other ethical committees were institutionalized, coordinated by a working group steered by the Swedish Medical Research Council (smrc). Research ethical issues of a principled nature were also discussed by the Ethics Delegation of the Swedish Society of Medicine (ssm). Between 1966 and 1975, around 500 research proposals were assessed by rec s in Sweden, and the medical community started to follow certain protocols when preparing applications for ethical review. This paper traces the origins and early development of the rec system in Sweden and offers an analysis of their practices, discussions, and assessments through the reading of meeting protocols and correspondence between central actors. The aim is to sketch out how and why the system of research ethics committees emerged, became institutionalized, and developed in Sweden from the 1960s to the early 1980s. This paper connects to the recent empirical turn in historical research on medical research ethics and regulations, by focusing on how the insiders, i.e., the medical community, reacted to new demands of ethical review. The analysis illustrates how the medical researchers interacted with transnational funders, the Patients Association, a broader public, governmental authorities, and parliamentary politics when developing the Swedish rec system.

Incorporating blockchain and internet of thing: The context of renewable energy certificate on smart grid

Blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) complements each other within the space of decentralization, real time monitoring, and data sharing and security. In this paper we explored the integration of blockchain and IoT within the context of smart grid. Current REC system lacks visibility and transparency which are very critical to the success of smart grids. Conventional smart grid system makes it difficult to proof whether a buyer has truly received an energy certificate or not. Therefore, we proposed a blockchain and IoT based system for autonomous monitoring of energy sources and tracking of RECs on smart grid. Our system provides the visibility and transparency on smart grid networks that is imperative to safeguarding RECs market. Results based on extensive experiments illustrate the efficiency and scalability of our system.

太陽熱利用の普及拡大に向けた環境価値活用制度の検討

This paper investigated and proposed a new running-cost subsidy system utilizing the environmental value of solar thermal in order to promote expansion of solar thermal use. The program is not a conventional subsidy program for the initial cost but a new program of providing a subsidy for running a system while confirming user status. It is for the national or local government to provide incentives in accordance with the environmental value based on the amount of solar thermal use. The similar scheme to the proposed system, there is Green Thermal Certificate system in Japan, Australia REC system and UK RHI system, and we discussed the common points and differences between the proposed system and these similar systems. Feature of the proposed system is, by the conversion factor that defines for each measurement method is to convert the amount of solar thermal use to the environmental value amount, and the user can select how to measure. It was verified as NEDO research project for the accuracy of the measurement method. This project has adopted specified measuring instruments as reference and conducted experimental study using actual or artificial loads at residential houses and condominiums in a total of 101 fields across the country. The study set out the target values of error within ±10% for built-in simple calorimeters and external simple calorimeters and less than ±20% for deeming measurement. The study has confirmed that both built-in and external simple calorimeters give high precision in measurement: the average errors of the annual solar heat consumption volumes stood at -1.0% and +2.6%, respectively. As for deeming measurement, the annual solar heat consumption volume has been calculated with the EESLISM simulation program. The calculation has used as parameters HASP meteorological data in the regions with apparatus installed, characteristic values of equipment, expected hot water supply loads and other elements. As a result, the average error of the annual solar heat consumption volumes was -12.2%, which has also satisfied the targeted error range. The subsidy per MJ for the standard cost scenario of a domestic solar hot water system (modified 3.0 to 3.5 people household, solar collector area: 4m2, and hot water tank: 200L) is 5.50 yen. It is based on the national average amount of solar thermal use of simulation calculation (5,647MJ/annual) under the condition of hot water demand M2 (400L/daily hot water supply) at 20 sample places in Japan. The amount of subsidy by measurement method is approx. 310,000 yen, 280,000 yen, 260,000 yen and 220,000 yen when it is measured with a specified measuring instrument, external simple calorimeter, built-in simple calorimeter and deeming measurement, respectively. The subsidy per MJ under a similar UK RHI system is 6.35 yen and its amount is approx. 400,000 yen (four-people household, 4m2 of solar collector area, and 250L of hot water tank) and thus the proposed system is not difficult even slight difference in the estimation conditions is taken into consideration. The basic national energy plan has a goal of requiring new houses and buildings to comply with energy-efficiency standards in stages. Solar thermal utilization is essential to realize the government goal and the program will contribute to its realization as one of measures.

Apical extrusion of debris from root canals using reciprocating files associated with two irrigation systems.

To compare apical extrusion of debris in canals prepared with two reciprocating file systems and two different irrigation systems. Forty single straight root canals in human mandibular pre-molars were prepared using Reciproc R40 (REC) and WaveOne Large (WO) instruments. Before preparation, the dimensions of a size 40 instrument from each system were measured under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 80X. The teeth were randomly divided into four different groups of 10: REC and VPro EndoSafe (REC/VPro); WO/VPro; REC and conventional irrigation (REC/CI); and WO/CI Eppendorf tubes containing a single tooth were weighed on an analytical balance to the nearest 0.1 mg before instrumentation. Irrigation was performed with a total volume of 8 mL of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite. After instrumentation, the teeth were removed from the Eppendorf tube and incubated at 37 °C for 15 days to evaporate the liquid. The tubes were weighed again, and the difference between the initial and final debris weights was calculated and statistically evaluated using analysis of variance (two-way anova) with a significance level of 0.05. No significant difference was observed between the VPro and CI irrigation systems (P > 0.05). Apical extrusion of debris was confirmed in all samples, and extrusion was greater in the REC groups than in the WO groups (P < 0.05). The WO file had a 20% smaller diameter at the tip (D0 ) than the measurement provided by the manufacturer. All systems were associated with apical extrusion of debris. The WO system was associated with less extrusion than the REC system. The amount of extruded debris was independent of the irrigation system used and was related to the instrumentation technique. Morphological analysis of instruments using SEM revealed no correlation between the diameter provided by the manufacturer and the measured diameter for the WO Large file.

Physical ambiguity of the notion of the solubility limit by the example of its determination using the formation of graphene on the surface in the Re-C system

Results obtained during the determination of the solubility limit of carbon in metal based on the detection of the time instant of the nucleation of the new phase, graphene, have been considered. Graphene is easily detected by the surface-sensitive methods of thermionic emission and electron Auger spectroscopy. It has been shown that the nucleation of the first graphene islands and the formation of the graphene monolayer covering the whole surface and even the multilayer graphite film on it can be used as the time instant of the phase transition depending on the sensitivity of the method. The solubility limits differ by many times depending on the determination method. This indicates the physical ambiguity of this physical characteristic of the double systems analogous in physical meaning to the pressure of the saturated vapor for the phase transitions in the one-component systems.

Long-term data at Research and Extension Centers to fuel new informatics program

Long-term data at Research and Extension Centers to fuel new informatics program

A decision support tool to prioritize risk management options for contaminated sites

The decisions on risk management (RM) of contaminated sites in Finland have typically been driven by practical factors such as time and money. However, RM is a multifaceted task that generally involves several additional determinants, e.g. performance and environmental effects of remediation methods, psychological and social factors. Therefore, we adopted a multi-criteria decision analysis approach and developed a decision support tool (DST) that is viable in decision-making in such a complex situation. The basic components of the DST are based on the Dutch REC system. However, our DST is more case-specific and allows the consideration of the type, magnitude and scale of contamination, land use, environmental conditions and socio-cultural aspects (e.g. loss of cultural heritage, image aspects). The construction of the DST was started by structuring the decision problem using a value tree. Based on this work we adopted the Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT) for data aggregation. The final DST was demonstrated by two model sites for which the RM alternatives and site-specific data were created on the basis of factual remediation projects and by interviewing experts. The demonstration of the DST was carried out in a workshop where representatives of different stakeholders were requested to rank and weight the decision criteria involved. To get information on the consistency of the ranking of the RM alternatives, we used different weighting techniques (ratio estimation and pair-wise weighting) and alternative ways to treat individual respondents' weights in calculating the preference scores for each RM alternative. These dissimilar approaches resulted in some differences in the preference order of the RM alternatives. The demonstration showed that attention has to be paid to the proper description of the site, the principles of the procedure and the decision criteria. Nevertheless, the procedure proved to enable efficient communication between different stakeholders and the identification of the preferred RM option.

“A Form of Practical Machinery”: The Origins of Research Ethics Committees in the UK, 1967–1972

Given the centrality of ethics review by independent committees (called Research Ethics Committees, or RECs, in the UK) to modern biomedical research, and the ubiquity of complaints about such review on the part of researchers, it is curious that little attention has been paid to these organizations by medical historians in contrast to the work done on the role of institutions such as the British Medical Association (BMA) and the General Medical Council (GMC) in the development of medical professional ethics, and the general evolution of medical professionals' ethical values. Thus while some work has explored the origins of modern medical ethics teaching in the UK and the parallel development of academic bioethics, there has been very little consideration of how Research Ethics Committees specifically were set up and evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although some scholars have discussed the development of the British REC system, this work tends to provide little beyond an outline of major events. These might include a report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in 1967, the Department of Health's ‘Red Book’ of 1991 outlining the responsibilities of Local Research Ethics Committees (LRECs) and, more recently, the introduction of multicentre RECs (MRECs) in 1997.

Escherichia coli genome targeting, I. Cre-lox-mediated in vitro generation of ori- plasmids and their in vivo chromosomal integration and retrieval.

We have constructed a plasmid system designed for the insertion of cloned DNA (e.g., genes, gene fusions, regulatory elements, etc.) into the Escherichia coli genome. Its principal feature is the presence of two tandem lox sites on the plasmids, which upon Cre-mediated in vitro recombination resolve the plasmids into ori- and ori+ DNA circles. The non-replicating ori- circles contain the lambda attP site, several unique restriction sites for cloning, a NotI site and KmR, a kanamycin-resistance-encoding gene. The ori+ circles carry the origin of DNA replication (ori) together with several cleavage sites not present in the ori- circles, including the rare site for the very efficient I-SceI enzyme, that are used to inactivate the ori+ circles and any unresolved plasmid DNA. We have used this system to insert cloned DNA into the host genome at (i) the attB site, by Int-mediated integration and (ii) at any predetermined sequence, as mediated by the Rec system(s) of the host. The genomes of the resulting transformants were analyzed by NotI digestion of the chromosomal DNA, embedded in agarose microbeads, followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A system for the retrieval of DNA fragments inserted at the attB site was also developed.

The Salmonella wien virulence plasmid pZM3 carries Tn1935, a multiresistance transposon containing a composite IS1936-kanamycin resistance element

Tn 1935, a 23.5-kb transposon mediating resistance to ampicillin, kanamycin, mercury, spectinomycin, and sulfonamide was isolated from pZM3, an IncFI me virulence plasmid from Salmonella wien. Tn 1935 possesses the entire sequence of Tn 21 and contains two additional DNA segments of 0.95 and 2.7 kb carrying the ampicillin and kanamycin resistance genes, respectively. The latter is part of a composite element since it is flanked by two IS 15-like insertion sequences (IS 1936) in direct orientation. IS 1936 is about 800 bp long and is closely related to IS 15Δ, IS 26, IS 46, IS 140, and IS 176. Functional analysis of IS 1936-mediated cointegrates shows that both insertion sequences are active and able to form cointegrates at the same frequency. Resolution of the cointegrates requires the presence of the host Rec system. The presence of the composite IS 1936-element within Tn 1935 supports the hypothesis that multidrug resistance transposons evolved by insertion of antibiotic determinants which are themselves transposable.

Recombination between IS5 elements: requirement for homology and recombination functions.

Intermolecular recombination between two IS5 elements was measured, using bacteriophage lambda recombination vectors, and was compared to recombination between two copies of an SV40 segment cloned into the same vectors. Experiments were conducted in the presence and in the absence of RecA and Red functions, and with the recombining inserts in the same or in reversed orientation. Under all conditions, IS5 elements recombined in a manner similar to the SV40 inserts, indicating that IS-encoded functions did not confer measurable additional intermolecular recombination ability to IS5 in E. coli K-12. Bacteriophages containing reversed IS5 inserts, for which the 16 base pair (bp) termini are identical in 15 positions and which display 12 bp of uninterrupted homology, recombined at approximately the same low frequency under Rec+ and Rec- conditions, indicating that these short homologies were not good substrates for the Rec system. Bacteriophages having reversed inserts recombined better under Red+ than under Red- conditions, but the crossovers were located in nonhomologous regions flanking the element termini. This suggests that 12-bp homologies are not good substrates for the Red system.

Radiation protection of E. coli strains by cysteamine in the presence of oxygen.

The survival of various E. coli K12 strains with defects in the rec system have been measured after gamma-irradiation in air in the presence (0.1 mol dm-3) or in the absence of cysteamine. The results confirm those of Bresler et al. (1978) indicating that the protection by cysteamine in the presence of oxygen is due to an influence on enzymatic repair. The low protection by cysteamine of wild-type cells pretreated with chloramphenicol which prevents protein synthesis, supports the above conclusion. The reason for the absence of a protective effect by OH radical scavenging and H-atom donation is discussed. It is proposed that DNA peroxyl radicals are formed during irradiation in the presence of oxygen and that they are transformed into hydroperoxides by H-atom donation from the intracellular glutathione and the added cysteamine. These hydroperoxides are still dangerous for the cell as indicated by the protective action of glutathione peroxidase observed by Marklund et al. (1984).

Evidence for inclusion of regions of nonhomology in heteroduplex products of bacteriophage lambda recombination.

Total intracellular DNA was isolated from replication-restricted bacteriophage lambda crosses in which the infecting parents were heteroallelic for wild-type and deletion mutant alleles. This DNA was examined for the presence of heteroduplex DNA molecules that contained wild-type sequences in one strand and deletion-mutant sequences in the other. Molecules hybrid for a 689-nucleotide deletion in the immunity region of lambda were detected at significant levels only in crosses in which both the red recombination system of lambda and the rec recombination system of Escherichia coli were active. Molecules hybrid for a 1300-nucleotide deletion in the central portion of the lambda genome were detected at significant levels in DNA isolated from both red+ and red- crosses in which recA function was present.

Transduction of multi-copy plasmid pBR322 by bacteriophage Mu.

The temperate bacteriophage Mu transduces the 4363 bp multi-copy plasmid pBR322 at frequencies similar to those of chromosomal markers. Plasmid transducing particles contain DNA molecules of Mu DNA length. Plasmid DNA is transduced as a head-to-tail oligomer that becomes circularized in the recipient cell. The rec system of the donor strain participates in oligomer formation and the rec system of the recipient strain is required for oligomer circularization. Possible mechanisms that may explain the origin of plasmid transducing particles are discussed.

Selective transduction of recombinant plasmids with cloned pac sites by Salmonella phage P22.

Recombinant plasmids having PstI fragments of P22 DNA inserted in the vector pBR322 can be transduced efficiently by Salmonella phage P22, irrespective of the cloned phage sequences. When the rec function of the donor cells and the corresponding recombination system erf of the infecting phage are simultaneously inactivated, only plasmids containing the P22 pac site can be transduced. By this selective, generalized transduction an EcoRV DNA fragment of the P22 related phage L has been identified that carries a base sequence recognized by phage P22 as a packaging signal. Experiments in which only one of the two recombination systems was inactivated, showed that the bacterial rec system obviously promotes cointegrate formation between plasmid and phage DNA much more efficiently than the phage-coded erf system, allowing the specialized plasmid transduction observed by Orbach and Jackson (1982).

Staphylococcal plasmid cointegrates are formed by host- and phage-mediated general rec systems that act on short regions of homology.

Cointegrates involving pairs of compatible staphylococcal plasmids can be isolated either by co-selection during transduction (Novick et al. 1981) or by selection for survival at the restrictive temperature of a thermosensitive, replication defective plasmid in the presence of a stable one. Cointegrates are formed by recombination at two specific sites, RSA and RSB. RSB is present on each of six plasmids analyzed, namely pT181, pE194, pC194, pS194, pUB110, and pSN2, and RSA is present on two of these, pT181 and pE194. In this communication, it is shown that the RS represent short regions of homology (RSA is some 70 bp in length and RSB is about 30) embedded in largely non-homologous contexts and that the crossovers take place within these homologous regions. The pT181 and pE194 RSA sequences contain several mismatches which permit the localization of the crossover events to several different sites within the overall RS segment. The recombination system involved is therefore general (homology-specific) rather than site-specific (sequence-specific). Mismatches included within the crossover region are always corrected to the pT181 configuration. The cointegrates are therefore formed by a relatively efficient general rec system that recognizes short regions of homology and gives rise to Holliday junctions that probably involve very short heteroduplex overlaps. The sequence results are consistent with asymmetric single-strand invasion of a contralateral gap with nucleotide conversion by copying. It is noted that RSB has substantial homology with the par sequence of plasmid pSC101, suggesting that it may be involved in plasmid partitioning.