Instantaneous conventions : the emergence of flexible communicative signals

Humans can communicate even with few existing conventions in common (e.g., when they lack a shared language). We explored what makes this phenomenon possible with a nonlinguistic experimental task requiring participants to coordinate towards a common goal. We observed participants creating new communicative conventions using the most minimal possible signals. These conventions, furthermore, changed trial-by-trial in response to shared environmental and task constraints. Strikingly, as a result, signals of the same form were able to successfully convey contradictory messages from trial to trial. Such behavior implicates what we term "joint inference," in which social interactants are inferring, in the moment, the most sensible communicative convention in light of their common ground. Joint inference may help to elucidate how communicative conventions emerge “instantaneously,” and how they are modified and reshaped into the elaborate systems of conventions involved in human communication, including natural languages

Assessing the Potential of Increasing Promotoras in Extension: Hispanic Balanced Living with Diabetes

A sustainable Extension model for promoting health and managing lifestyle-related chronic diseases in Hispanic populations would help mitigate health disparities in Hispanic communities. Hispanic Balanced Living with Diabetes (HBLD) is a type 2 diabetes lifestyle management program that we tested in Virginia. Through postintervention focus group discussions, we assessed barriers faced by Hispanics when accessing health care services, satisfaction with HBLD, and feasibility of training members of the Hispanic community to become promotoras, individuals who help facilitate adoption of healthful behaviors. Incorporating native Spanish speakers as educators and promotoras will ensure culturally relevant delivery of lifestyle modification programs, accurate communication of information, and development of trust with participants

On-Line Individual Differences in Statistical Learning Predict Language Processing

Considerable individual differences in language ability exist among normally developing children and adults. Whereas past research have attributed such differences to variations in verbal working memory or experience with language, we test the hypothesis that individual differences in statistical learning may be associated with differential language performance. We employ a novel paradigm for studying statistical learning on-line, combining a serial-reaction time task with artificial grammar learning. This task offers insights into both the timecourse of and individual differences in statistical learning. Experiment 1 charts the micro-level trajectory for statistical learning of nonadjacent dependencies and provides an on-line index of individual differences therein. In Experiment 2, these differences are then shown to predict variations in participants’ on-line processing of long-distance dependencies involving center-embedded relative clauses. The findings suggest that individual differences in the ability to learn from experience through statistical learning may contribute to variations in linguistic performance

The Farmacy Garden: A Model Program for Expanding Services to Low-Income Families

Fruit and vegetable prescription, or FVRx, programs present an opportunity for expanding and promoting gardening projects, which are a mainstay of Extension programming. The Farmacy Garden, a collaboration of multiple local partners, provides a point of access for learning about and obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables and represents an integrated programming approach for increasing food security for low-income families. The garden serves as a living laboratory—a community venue for agricultural workshops and nutrition education and a space to pilot test additional programming. The Farmacy Garden is a replicable model for Extension professionals interested in leveraging local resources to expand programming and services

Dietary Modulation of Inflammation-Induced Colorectal Cancer through PPARγ

Mounting evidence suggests that the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) is dramatically increased for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. For instance, patients with Crohn's Disease (CD) or Ulcerative Colitis (UC) have a 12–20% increased risk for developing CRC. Preventive strategies utilizing nontoxic natural compounds that modulate immune responses could be successful in the suppression of inflammation-driven colorectal cancer in high-risk groups. The increase of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) expression and its transcriptional activity has been identified as a target for anti-inflammatory efforts, and the suppression of inflammation-driven colon cancer. PPARγ down-modulates inflammation and elicits antiproliferative and proapoptotic actions in epithelial cells. All of which may decrease the risk for inflammation-induced CRC. This review will focus on the use of orally active, naturally occurring chemopreventive approaches against inflammation-induced CRC that target PPARγ and therefore down-modulate inflammation

Negotiating the traffic : can cognitive science help make autonomous vehicles a reality?

To drive safely among human drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, autonomous vehicles will need to mimic, or ideally improve upon, humanlike driving. Yet, driving presents us with difficult problems of joint action: ‘negotiating’ with other users over shared road space. We argue that autonomous driving provides a test case for computational theories of social interaction, with fundamental implications for the development of autonomous vehicles

Assessing the SNAP Consumer Environment at Farmers Markets

The SNAP at Farmers Market Environmental Assessment was developed as a tool for market managers to examine SNAP participant accessibility for redeeming SNAP benefits at farmers markets. By completing the SNAP at Farmers Market Environmental Assessment, the tool can serve as a guide for providing practical next steps for market improvement. Extension practitioners and researchers, including SNAP-Ed staff, can use the assessment tool to support policy, systems, and environment change efforts that promote access to local, high-quality foods by SNAP consumers, the redemption of SNAP benefits, and potentially increased sales at farmers markets

Antiradical, Antimetastatic and Antitumor Activity of Kaolin Preparation “Kremnevit”

The objective of the research was to determine antiradical, antimetastatic and antitumor activity of kaolin preparation “Kremnevit”.Material and methods. Experiments were carried out on 30 male C57BL mice inoculated with Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. The rate of superoxide radical generation in tumor cells as well as in animal organs was determined using 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-oxopyrrolidin- hydrochloride spin traps and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy at room temperature.Results of the experiments showed that the preparation “Kremnevit” exhibits antitumor activity reducing the tumor mass by 24% in experimental animals compared to animals which did not receive the preparation. “Kremnevit” affects the rate of superoxide radical generation by intracellular (mitochondria) and extracellular sources (the NADPH oxidase of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs). The superoxide-generating activity of TANs increased in mice treated with “Kremnevit” compared to animals which did not receive it.Conclusions. Non-toxic kaolin preparation “Kremnevit” has antitumor and antimetastatic activity regulating electron transport in hepatocyte mitochondria during superoxide radical generation by hepatocyte mitochondria and immunocompetent blood cells of mice inoculated with LLC cells.

Cooperative Extension’s Capacity to Address Food Insecurity by Supporting Food Recovery Organizations

Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) educators are uniquely positioned to support the food recovery organizations (FROs) which address hunger-related needs resulting from food insecurity. Based on an online survey to measure how VCE educators have engaged with FROs and their experiences, respondents who previously supported FROs did so across multiple programming areas, and those who had not indicated an interest while also experiencing barriers. Respondents also reported the need for context- and audience-specific resources particular to the spectrum of food recovery. Addressing barriers and resource needs through a transdisciplinary eXtension Food Recovery Community of Practice may support educators in doing this work

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers received a low score using the Business Impact Assessment for Obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity) tool

Background: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports Americans with lower income to purchase dietary products at authorized retailers. This research aimed to evaluate SNAP-authorized retailers’ public commitments in support of nutrition security and to examine differences between traditional grocers and nontraditional (e.g., convenience, drug, dollar) SNAP-authorized retailers’ public commitments. Methods: Prominent United States (U.S.) SNAP-authorized retailers nationally and in two U.S. states (California and Virginia) were identified based on number of store locations (n = 61). Public information available in grey literature were reviewed and scored using the Business Impact Assessment for Obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity) tool. SNAP-authorized retailers were classified as traditional (e.g., grocery) or nontraditional (e.g., non-grocery) retailers. Total BIA-Obesity from 0 to 615, representing low to optimal support) and category scores were calculated for corporate strategy, relationships with external organizations, product formulation, nutrition labeling, product and brand promotion, and product accessibility. Descriptive statistics were used to describe BIA-Obesity scores overall and by category. Mann–Whitney U was used to test for potential differences in median BIA-Obesity total scores between traditional and nontraditional SNAP-authorized retailers (a priori, p \u3c 0.05). Results: Average total BIA-Obesity scores for SNAP-authorized retailers ranged from 0 to 112 (16.5 ± 23.3). Total BIA-Obesity scores for traditional SNAP-authorized retailers (32.7 ± 33.6; median 25) were higher than nontraditional SNAP-authorized retailer scores (11.2 ± 16; median 5) (p = 0.008). For BIA-Obesity categories, average scores were highest for the category relationships with external organizations (8.3 ± 10.3) and lowest for promotion practices (0.6 ± 2.1). Conclusions: Results of this research underscore a dearth of available evidence and substantial opportunity for improvement regarding SNAP-authorized retailer strategies to support nutrition security among Americans with lower income