Browsing by Author "Moore, William B."

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    Anticipating and adapting to the future impacts of climate change on the health, security and welfare of low elevation coastal zone (LECZ) communities in Southeastern USA
    Allen, Thomas; Behr, Joshua; Bukvic, Anamaria; Calder, Ryan S. D.; Caruson, Kiki; Connor, Charles; D'Elia, Christopher; Dismukes, David; Ersing, Robin; Franklin, Rima; Goldstein, Jesse; Goodall, Jonathon; Hemmerling, Scott; Irish, Jennifer L.; Lazarus, Steven; Loftis, Derek; Luther, Mark; McCallister, Leigh; McGlathery, Karen; Mitchell, Molly; Moore, William B.; Nichols, C. Reid; Nunez, Karinna; Reidenbach, Matthew; Shortridge, Julie; Weisberg, Robert; Weiss, Robert; Donelson Wright, Lynn; Xia, Meng; Xu, Kehui; Young, Donald; Zarillo, Gary; Zinnert, Julie C. (MDPI, 2021-10-29)
    Low elevation coastal zones (LECZ) are extensive throughout the southeastern United States. LECZ communities are threatened by inundation from sea level rise, storm surge, wetland degradation, land subsidence, and hydrological flooding. Communication among scientists, stakeholders, policy makers and minority and poor residents must improve. We must predict processes spanning the ecological, physical, social, and health sciences. Communities need to address linkages of (1) human and socioeconomic vulnerabilities; (2) public health and safety; (3) economic concerns; (4) land loss; (5) wetland threats; and (6) coastal inundation. Essential capabilities must include a network to assemble and distribute data and model code to assess risk and its causes, support adaptive management, and improve the resiliency of communities. Better communication of information and understanding among residents and officials is essential. Here we review recent background literature on these matters and offer recommendations for integrating natural and social sciences. We advocate for a cyber-network of scientists, modelers, engineers, educators, and stakeholders from academia, federal state and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, residents, and the private sector. Our vision is to enhance future resilience of LECZ communities by offering approaches to mitigate hazards to human health, safety and welfare and reduce impacts to coastal residents and industries.
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    Exploration of under-ice regions with ocean profiling agents (EUROPA)
    Allen, David W.; Jones, Matthew; McCue-Weil, Leigh S.; Woolsey, Craig A.; Moore, William B. (Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems, 2013-09-14)
    Europa is an incredibly enticing target for exploration – the nearest reaches of what may be a vast new "habitable zone" of interior oceans warmed and stirred by tidal forces. Decades of NASA and National Academy studies including the most recent planetary science decadal survey have affirmed the preeminence of Europa as a destination for astrobiology research. This report provides a comprehensive technology roadmap and an assessment of current state of the art and future technologies to enable an under-ice mission to Europa. In this study, the authors provide an overview of key mission objectives, a profile of Europa, and a mission overview. The authors then delve into a discussion of the key fundamental science objectives and design tradeoffs to arrive at a comprehensive science traceability matrix and value system for design of a multi-vehicle, under-ice mission to Europa. The current state of the art is assessed and design alternatives discussed. The report culminates in a concept of operations for the mission and a recommended mission architecture utilizing three surface units, each deploying a single cryobot, with each cryobot carrying three biologically inspired, gliding under-ice hydrobots equipped with sensor packages that will characterize the physical and chemical state of Europa’s ocean over its entire depth.
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    Small Molecule Kaempferol Promotes Insulin Sensitivity and Preserved Pancreatic β-Cell Mass in Middle-Aged Obese Diabetic Mice
    Alkhalidy, Hana; Moore, William B.; Zhang, Yanling; McMillan, Ryan P.; Wang, Aihua; Ali, Mostafa; Suh, Kyung-Shin; Zhen, Wei; Cheng, Zhiyong; Jia, Zhenquan; Hulver, Matthew W.; Liu, Dongmin (Hindawi, 2015-05-07)
    Insulin resistance and a progressive decline in functional β-cell mass are hallmarks of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Thus, searching for natural, low-cost compounds to target these two defects could be a promising strategy to prevent the pathogenesis of T2D. Here, we show that dietary intake of flavonol kaempferol (0.05% in the diet) significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and circulating lipid profile, which were associated with the improved peripheral insulin sensitivity in middle-aged obese mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet. Kaempferol treatment reversed HF diet impaired glucose transport-4 (Glut4) and AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) expression in both muscle and adipose tissues from obese mice. In vitro, kaempferol increased lipolysis and prevented high fatty acid-impaired glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, AMPK activity, and Glut4 expression in skeletal muscle cells. Using another mouse model of T2D generated by HF diet feeding and low doses of streptozotocin injection, we found that kaempferol treatment significantly improved hyperglycemia, glucose tolerance, and blood insulin levels in obese diabetic mice, which are associated with the improved islet β-cell mass. These results demonstrate that kaempferol may be a naturally occurring anti-diabetic agent by improving peripheral insulin sensitivity and protecting against pancreatic β-cell dysfunction.