Making Foreign Language Education Accessible Through Spanish Animation

The primary goal of this thesis is to design a second language acquisition Spanish YouTube series for young, English-speaking students in grades K-3, as well as to complete the animation of its pilot episode as a prototype. In order to achieve the final creative product, the preparation was threefold: I researched pedagogical strategies pertaining to language acquisition and the target age group, analyzed current early childhood foreign language resources, and demonstrated the importance and need for accessible, foreign language resources for young students through a review of academic studies. The series is titled ¡Moxie!, which focuses on the daily adventures of a small puppy named Moxie who only speaks Spanish. ¡Moxie!’s goal is Spanish language acquisition for monolingual English speakers, so its structure aligns with pedagogical principles like Stephen Krashen’s (Krashen) input hypothesis and other target language storytelling guides. However, this is a long-term goal, as it is important to recognize that the pilot episode is only a glimpse of what the entire series could achieve. Nevertheless, this journey of independent work and knowledge creation serves as a model for what an early childhood language acquisition YouTube resource could look like, as well as giving students the opportunity to explore the world of foreign language outside of the classroom

Imposition Of Diversity: The Imposition Of Diversity-Training Through Top Down Management Communication

Top managers should impose diversity-training programs requiring all managers to participate. A diversity program must focus on enhancing managerial communication competence, while taking into consideration the impact that various cultures, religions, family structures and attitudes will have on managerial communication processes. If executives are to attain goal achievement and motivate employees, they must be prepared to effectively impose diversity training on an inherently diverse workforce. The benefits of properly implementing and consistently supporting a diversity-training program could outweigh managerial resistance

Characterization of vanadium/silica and copper/silica aerogel catalysts

Vanadium/silica and copper/silica aerogels have been prepared using the sol-gel method followed by CO{sub 2} exchange and supercritical extraction. Structural properties of samples supercritically dried, oxidized and used in reactions studies conducted with a feed representing the average composition of automobile exhaust from a lean burn engine were investigated using laser Raman spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction. No evidence of crystalline V{sub 2}O{sub 5} was found for the vanadium/silica aerogel, freshly extracted, oxidized or following exposure to reaction conditions using these techniques. However, results obtained for the copper/silica sample indicate that changes in the structure of the copper species had occurred as the sample was oxidized and exposed to reaction conditions

Anisotropic Aerogels for Studying Superfluid 3^3He

It may be possible to stabilize new superfluid phases of $^{3}$He with anisotropic silica aerogels. We discuss two methods that introduce anisotropy in the aerogel on length scales relevant to superfluid $^{3}$He. First, anisotropy can be induced with uniaxial strain. A second method generates anisotropy during the growth and drying stages. We have grown cylindrical $\sim$98% aerogels with anisotropy indicated by preferential radial shrinkage after supercritical drying and find that this shrinkage correlates with small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The growth-induced anisotropy was found to be $\sim90^\circ$ out of phase relative to that induced by strain. This has implications for the possible stabilization of superfluid phases with specific symmetry.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Quantum Fluids and Solids (QFS) conference 200

Experimental observation and characterization of the magnetorotational instability

Differential rotation occurs in conducting flows in accretion disks and planetary cores. In such systems, the magnetorotational instability can arise from coupling Lorentz and centrifugal forces to cause large radial angular momentum fluxes. We present the first experimental observation of the magnetorotational instability. Our system consists of liquid sodium between differentially rotating spheres, with an imposed coaxial magnetic field. We characterize the observed patterns, dynamics and torque increases, and establish that this instability can occur from a hydrodynamic turbulent background.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Final version, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Integrating Al with NiO nano honeycomb to realize an energetic material on silicon substrate

Nano energetic materials offer improved performance in energy release, ignition, and mechanical properties compared to their bulk or micro counterparts. In this study, the authors propose an approach to synthesize an Al/NiO based nano energetic material which is fully compatible with a microsystem. A two-dimensional NiO nano honeycomb is first realized by thermal oxidation of a Ni thin film deposited onto a silicon substrate by thermal evaporation. Then the NiO nano honeycomb is integrated with an Al that is deposited by thermal evaporation to realize an Al/NiO based nano energetic material. This approach has several advantages over previous investigations, such as lower ignition temperature, enhanced interfacial contact area, reduced impurities and Al oxidation, tailored dimensions, and easier integration into a microsystem to realize functional devices. The synthesized Al/NiO based nano energetic material is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry

It\u27s about the patients: Practical antibiotic stewardship in outpatient settings in the United States

Antibiotic-resistant pathogens cause over 35,000 preventable deaths in the United States every year, and multiple strategies could decrease morbidity and mortality. As antibiotic stewardship requirements are being deployed for the outpatient setting, community providers are facing systematic challenges in implementing stewardship programs. Given that the vast majority of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient setting, there are endless opportunities to make a smart and informed choice when prescribing and to move the needle on antibiotic stewardship. Antibiotic stewardship in the community, or smart prescribing as we suggest, should factor in antibiotic efficacy, safety, local resistance rates, and overall cost, in addition to patient-specific factors and disease presentation, to arrive at an appropriate therapy. Here, we discuss some of the challenges, such as patient/parent pressure to prescribe, lack of data or resources for implementation, and a disconnect between guidelines and real-world practice, among others. We have assembled an easy-to-use best practice guide for providers in the outpatient setting who lack the time or resources to develop a plan or consult lengthy guidelines. We provide specific suggestions for antibiotic prescribing that align real-world clinical practice with best practices for antibiotic stewardship for two of the most common bacterial infections seen in the outpatient setting: community-acquired pneumonia and skin and soft-tissue infection. In addition, we discuss many ways that community providers, payors, and regulatory bodies can make antibiotic stewardship easier to implement and more streamlined in the outpatient setting

Oncogenic ras induces gastrin gene expression in colon cancer

AbstractBackground & Aims: The expression of gastrin, as a tumor growth factor, is significantly increased in some colon cancers compared with the low levels found in normal mucosa. The aim of this study was to elucidate the transcriptional mechanisms of gastrin induction in colon cancer. Methods: Gastrin messenger (mRNA) levels and K-ras genotype were determined in colon cancer cell lines and surgical specimens. Colon cancer cells were transfected with oncogenic ras expression vectors, and transcriptional activity was assayed with gastrin-luciferase reporter genes. Results: Colon cancer cell lines and tissues with K-ras mutations all had significantly higher gastrin mRNA levels than those that were ras wild type. Treatment of several ras mutant cell lines with PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, resulted in a decrease in endogenous gastrin mRNA levels. The effects of ras on gastrin expression appeared to be mediated through the gastrin promoter because transfection of oncogenic ras and activated raf expression vectors both induced gastrin-promoter, luciferase-reporter genes. The inductive effects of oncogenic ras could be blocked by the coexpression of dominant negative forms of raf and extracellular regulated kinase. Conclusions: Oncogenic ras induces gastrin gene expression through activation of the Raf-MEK-ERK signal transduction pathway.GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;115:1144-115