Knowledge underground : gossipy epistemology.

This dissertation is an attempt to loosen what I see as a chokehold by which two paramount assumptions constrict our epistemic endeavors. These Enlightenment assumptions--that we accept or refute ideas as true based on transparently clear and orderly methods and criteria, and that individuals accept or refute truth claims--are still central in epistemology, despite their many critics (for the first, Kant, Hegel, James, Quine, Bayes; for the second, postmodernism, Deleuze and Guattari, Gilbert). Thinking about gossip as an epistemologically productive concept provides us with the means to critique those assumptions, and further attempts to broaden our notion of an epistemological foundation. Gossip at first appears to be an unlikely candidate for such a resurrection, mainly because its treatment by academics has been dismissive; this dismissal is in part due to Enlightenment conceptions about truth and falsehood. Chapter One surveys the social science literature on gossip and rumor, revealing that social scientists begin with such restrictive definitions of what gossip is that their conclusions amount to little more than tautology. Chapter Two shows that humanists have a slightly different approach to gossip, but with roughly similar results. The handful of philosophers who deal directly with gossip or rumor almost as a unit accept uncritically a division between purposive conversation and idle chatter. To do so, I think, perpetuates a limiting epistemic foundation on a linguistic level. In contrast, I argue in Chapter Three that the very existence of something like gossip proves the inadequacy of the foundationalist myth (at least in its current form), and that to attempt to understand and use gossip with foundationalist tools is simply a wrong fit. My understanding of gossip is based on this central fact: we undertake the activity of gossip or rumor-spreading because we are trying to make sense out of something--we need to collect knowledge socially. Gossip originates from dissonance; it acts as a (necessary) counterweight to more official information, and can\u27t be considered apart from official knowledge. We use gossip and rumor, along with more orthodox sources of information, to formulate our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The extent to which gossip and rumor are spread is the extent to which the analysis is shared, and not individualized. Gossip is both a genealogical tool and an speculative tool

The Metabolism of Alcohol: Risk and Protective Factors

Purpose: Abstract for poster submission to VCU Poster Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creativity Title: The Metabolism of Alcohol: Risk and Protective Factors Background: In 2002, it was reported by the National Institutes of Health that 60.3% of college aged students (18-22) drank alcohol in the past month of being asked, as compared to 51.9% of those not in college. They also found that 20% of college students met the criteria for at least one alcohol use disorder (AUDs)1. Many genes have been linked to an increased risk for AUDs and how individuals with various ethnic backgrounds respond to alcohol. Genes that metabolize alcohol are obvious candidate genes for alcohol-related phenotypes. The purpose of this presentation is to synthesize information about the key genes involved in alcohol metabolism, as documented in the literature. Methods: The information about each gene was found through a literature search using databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and cited references from relevant papers. For database searches, the names of the genes were used as well as terms such as AUDs, alcohol metabolism, and alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The focus of the presentation will be relevant to college-aged students, but rely on research done in college and adult populations due to a lack of sufficient college- aged gene-based studies in this area. Results: Alcohol metabolism genes affect how individuals process and respond to alcohol. The main genes that have been studied are alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase genes. Alcohol dehydrogenase genes, like ADH1B and ADH1C, first metabolize ethanol (alcohol) into the by-product acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde is then metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase genes, like ALDH2, into the waste product acetate2. Many of the adverse effects associated with alcohol consumption are due to the build up of acetaldehyde. Some of these effects include facial blushing, nausea, headaches, and other similar alcohol sensitivity symptoms3,6. Acetaldehyde builds up in an individuals body after alcohol consumption if he or she has a super- active isoenzyme from the ADH1B and/or ADH1C genes and/or a slow ALDH2 enzyme. Individuals with the super-active alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme and slow aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme are less likely to develop AUDs due to the negative effects from excess acetaldehyde in the body4,5,6. However, this also implies that individuals who do not exhibit the described protective phenotype are more likely to endorse increased drinking behaviors and AUDs. Spit for Science: the VCU Student Survey is currently investigating these genes and their association with alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder symptoms. Due to the diverse nature of the sample, the researchers are able to explore ethnic differences in these alcohol metabolism genes and their effects. Implications: In general, the more public knowledge about these genes and research findings, the more at-risk individuals can get help and diagnosis. A better understanding of aggregate effects of alcohol metabolism genes, as well as more information regarding ethnic differences in the distribution of genetic variants which impact alcohol processing, will assist researchers and health professionals working with those at risk for AUDs.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1137/thumbnail.jp

A comparative study of the feeding ecology of Chelonia mydas (green turtle) and the incidental ingestion of prorocentrum spp

The diets of green turtles from five dissimilar aggregations of juvenile C. mydas on the East Coast of Florida were analyzed. C. mydas were captured by tangle net from four of the study sites and a dietary sample was collected by an esophageal flushing technique. The gut content of stranded individuals was collected for the fifth site. The vegetation in these study areas differs in varying degrees of abundance and diversity. Analysis of the samples revealed the alga types preferred by green turtles from each population and provided the basis for examination of similarities and differences in their diets. Large numbers of the juvenile C. mydas worldwide are infected with a disease called Fibropapillomatosis (FP). The herpes-type virus that appears to cause the disease manifests as tumors normally on the fleshy parts of the body. The placement and size of the tumors can eventually impede the green turtle’s ability to swim and forage. Severe conditions of the disease lead to death either by starvation or the inability to evade predators. While the herpesvirus initiates FP, there are other environmental cofactors that may play a role in promoting the disease. Some toxic microalgae (dinoflagellates) of the genus Prorocentrum produces a known tumor promoter called okadaic acid. The acid has been shown to promote cutaneous tumors in laboratory mice. These Prorocentrum species live primarily as epiphytes, forming a mucilaginous attachment to seagrasses and macroalgae. Chelonia mydas may be consuming the toxic microalgae when they forage on vegetation. Samples of available vegetation at each study area were collected and examined to determine if C. mydas were potentially consuming Prorocentrum. Prorocentrum were quantified for diet items by counting the number of cells per wet weight of macroalgae. In most cases, the diet analysis and microalgae quantification results showed an association between the consumption of substrates utilized by Prorocentrum spp and a high prevalence of FP in that population

Stop the escalation before it begins by using the pediatric Behavior Response Team protocol

In today's world, clinicians need to be prepared to care for challenging patients and families that are struggling with the stress of illness and hospitalization and have inadequate coping skills. The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) has developed a protocol identifying a team with representatives from psychiatry, security, and risk management to provide a rapid response in situations that historically have resulted in, at worst, sentinel/adverse events and at best, service disasters. The pediatric BRT protocol formalizes the purpose of the team, how staff should access them, and the expectation for involved staff to debrief about the interventions at identified times. It has proven to be an effective intervention and allows clinicians to provide needed care to the patients.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92390/1/21082_ftp.pd

Strong Depth-Related Zonation of Megabenthos on a Rocky Continental Margin (∼700–4000 m) off Southern Tasmania, Australia

Assemblages of megabenthos are structured in seven depth-related zones between ~700 and 4000 m on the rocky and topographically complex continental margin south of Tasmania, southeastern Australia. These patterns emerge from analysis of imagery and specimen collections taken from a suite of surveys using photographic and in situ sampling by epibenthic sleds, towed video cameras, an autonomous underwater vehicle and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Seamount peaks in shallow zones had relatively low biomass and low diversity assemblages, which may be in part natural and in part due to effects of bottom trawl fishing. Species richness was highest at intermediate depths (1000–1300 m) as a result of an extensive coral reef community based on the bioherm-forming scleractinian Solenosmilia variabilis. However, megabenthos abundance peaked in a deeper, low diversity assemblage at 2000–2500 m. The S. variabilis reef and the deep biomass zone were separated by an extensive dead, sub-fossil S. variabilis reef and a relatively low biomass stratum on volcanic rock roughly coincident with the oxygen minimum layer. Below 2400 m, megabenthos was increasingly sparse, though punctuated by occasional small pockets of relatively high diversity and biomass. Nonetheless, megabenthic organisms were observed in the vast majority of photographs on all seabed habitats and to the maximum depths observed - a sandy plain below 3950 m. Taxonomic studies in progress suggest that the observed depth zonation is based in part on changing species mixes with depth, but also an underlying commonality to much of the seamount and rocky substrate biota across all depths. Although the mechanisms supporting the extraordinarily high biomass in 2000–2500 m depths remains obscure, plausible explanations include equatorwards lateral transport of polar production and/or a response to depth-stratified oxygen availability

Multiscale, multimodal analysis of tumor heterogeneity in IDH1 mutant vs wild-type diffuse gliomas.

Glioma is recognized to be a highly heterogeneous CNS malignancy, whose diverse cellular composition and cellular interactions have not been well characterized. To gain new clinical- and biological-insights into the genetically-bifurcated IDH1 mutant (mt) vs wildtype (wt) forms of glioma, we integrated data from protein, genomic and MR imaging from 20 treatment-naïve glioma cases and 16 recurrent GBM cases. Multiplexed immunofluorescence (MxIF) was used to generate single cell data for 43 protein markers representing all cancer hallmarks, Genomic sequencing (exome and RNA (normal and tumor) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quantitative features (protocols were T1-post, FLAIR and ADC) from whole tumor, peritumoral edema and enhancing core vs equivalent normal region were also collected from patients. Based on MxIF analysis, 85,767 cells (glioma cases) and 56,304 cells (GBM cases) were used to generate cell-level data for 24 biomarkers. K-means clustering was used to generate 7 distinct groups of cells with divergent biomarker profiles and deconvolution was used to assign RNA data into three classes. Spatial and molecular heterogeneity metrics were generated for the cell data. All features were compared between IDH mt and IDHwt patients and were finally combined to provide a holistic/integrated comparison. Protein expression by hallmark was generally lower in the IDHmt vs wt patients. Molecular and spatial heterogeneity scores for angiogenesis and cell invasion also differed between IDHmt and wt gliomas irrespective of prior treatment and tumor grade; these differences also persisted in the MR imaging features of peritumoral edema and contrast enhancement volumes. A coherent picture of enhanced angiogenesis in IDHwt tumors was derived from multiple platforms (genomic, proteomic and imaging) and scales from individual proteins to cell clusters and heterogeneity, as well as bulk tumor RNA and imaging features. Longer overall survival for IDH1mt glioma patients may reflect mutation-driven alterations in cellular, molecular, and spatial heterogeneity which manifest in discernable radiological manifestations

Ecological Impacts of the Space Shuttle Program at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The Space Shuttle Program was one of NASAs first major undertakings to fall under the environmental impact analysis and documentation requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Space Shuttle Program activities at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the associated Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) contributed directly and indirectly to both negative and positive ecological trends in the region through the long-term, stable expenditure of resources over the 40 year program life cycle. These expenditures provided support to regional growth and development in conjunction with other sources that altered land use patterns, eliminated and modified habitats, and contributed to cultural eutrophication of the Indian River Lagoon. At KSC, most Space Shuttle Program related actions were conducted in previously developed facilities and industrial areas with the exception of the construction of the shuttle landing facility (SLF) and the space station processing facility (SSPF). Launch and operations impacts were minimal as a result of the low annual launch rate. The majority of concerns identified during the NEPA process such as potential weather modification, acid rain off site, and local climate change did not occur. Launch impacts from deposition of HCl and particulates were assimilated as a result of the high buffering capacity of the system and low launch and loading rates. Metals deposition from exhaust deposition did not display acute impacts. Sub-lethal effects are being investigated as part of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulatory process. Major positive Space Shuttle Program effects were derived from the adequate resources available at the Center to implement the numerous environmental laws and regulations designed to enhance the quality of the environment and minimize impacts from human activities. This included reduced discharges of domestic and industrial wastewater, creation of stormwater management systems, remediation of past contamination sites, implementation of hazardous waste management systems, and creation of a culture of sustainability. Working with partners such as the USFWS and the St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), wetlands and scrub restoration and management initiatives were implemented to enhance fish and wildlife populations at the Center. KSC remains the single largest preserve on the east coast of Florida in part due to NASAs commitment to stewardship. Ongoing Ecological Program projects are directed at development of information and knowledge to address future KSC management questions including the transition to a joint government and commercial launch facility, enhanced habitat management requirements for wetlands and scrub, potential impacts of emerging contaminants, and adaptation to climate change including projected sea level rise over the next 50-75 years

Recent Population Size, Trends, and Limiting Factors for the Double-Crested Cormorant in Western North America

The status of the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) in western North America was last evaluated during 1987–2003. In the interim, concern has grown over the potential impact of predation by double-crested cormorants on juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.), particularly in the Columbia Basin and along the Pacific coast where some salmonids are listed for protection under the United States Endangered Species Act. Recent re-evaluations of double-crested cormorant management at the local, flyway, and federal level warrant further examination of the current population size and trends in western North America. We collected colony size data for the western population (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and the portions of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico west of the Continental Divide) by conducting aircraft-, boat-, or ground-based surveys and by cooperating with government agencies, universities, and non-profit organizations. In 2009, we estimated approximately 31,200 breeding pairs in the western population. We estimated that cormorant numbers in the Pacific Region (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California) increased 72% from 1987–1992 to circa 2009. Based on the best available data for this period, the average annual growth rate (λ) of the number of breeding birds in the Pacific Region was 1.03, versus 1.07 for the population east of the Continental Divide during recent decades. Most of the increase in the Pacific Region can be attributed to an increase in the size of the nesting colony on East Sand Island in the Columbia River estuary, which accounts for about 39% of all breeding pairs in the western population and is the largest known breeding colony for the species (12,087 breeding pairs estimated in 2009). In contrast, numbers of breeding pairs estimated in coastal British Columbia and Washington have declined by approximately 66% during this same period. Disturbance at breeding colonies by bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and humans are likely limiting factors on the growth of the western population at present. Because of differences in biology and management, the western population of double-crested cormorants warrants consideration as a separate management unit from the population east of the Continental Divide.Keywords: Population, Phalacrocorax auritus, Pacific coast, Cormorant, Limiting factors, Status assessmen

Skunk River Review September 1989, vol 1 no 1

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/skunkriver/1004/thumbnail.jp