LEARNING FRENCH AS A SECOND OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: RESERVED FOR ANGLOPHONES?

This article reviews federal language policies and provincial curriculum documents as they relate to Allophones and their access to French as a Second Official Language (FSOL) programs across Canada. Results of a detailed document analysis reveal that policies provide obstacles to access for allophone immigrants to Canada who seek to learn both official languages. An examination of research reveals that implementation of policy also restricts Allophones’ access to learning French in English-dominant provinces. We argue that increasing Allophones’ access to FSOL programming would not only support Canadian government initiatives and goals related to linguistic duality and official bilingualism, but also allophone students’ success in Canadian schools

Grade 6 French Immersion Students' Performance on Large-Scale Reading, Writing, and Mathematics Tests: Building Explanations

We analyzed data from Ontario's provincial testing program to ascertain if the reading, writing, and mathematics skills of grade 6 immersion students were comparable to those of regular English program students. Various immersion program designs were taken into account. The analysis confirms the results of earlier program evaluations that any lags in immersion students' achievement in reading, writing, and math disappear by grade 6. We offer two explanations to account for this result. The lag explanation holds that taking reading, writing, and math in French until the end of grade 3 creates a lag in achievement until English is introduced into the curriculum, after which immersion students catch up to regular students' performance. The selection explanation suggests that immersion test performance improves by grade 6 relative to regular English program counterparts because the composition of the grade 6 cohort is more select than that of earlier cohorts.Nous avons analysé des données du programme provincial d'évaluation de l'Ontario dans le but d'évaluer les compétences en lecture, en écriture et en mathématiques des élèves de la sixième année en immersion par rapport à celles d'élèves dans le programme anglais régulier. L'analyse a tenu compte de divers programmes d'immersion. Les résultats confirment ceux d'évaluations de programmes antérieures selon lesquelles les retards que peuvent manifester les élèves en immersion en lecture, en écriture et en mathématiques, disparaissent avant la sixième année. Deux propositions sont présentées pour expliquer ces résultats. Selon l'explication basée sur le retard, le fait de lire, d'écrire et de faire des mathématiques en français jusqu'à la fin de la troisième année provoque un retard dans le rendement des élèves jusqu'à ce que l'anglais soit intégré au programme d'études; c'est à partir de ce moment que les élèves en immersion rattrapent ceux dans les programmes réguliers. L'explication reposant sur l'acheminement veut que l'amélioration dans la performance des élèves en immersion que l'on constate à partir de la sixième soit due au fait que ces élèves représentent une cohorte plus sélective que les précédentes

Transmitochondrial embryonic stem cells containing pathogenic mtDNA mutations are compromised in neuronal differentiation

Objectives:  Defects of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) cause a series of rare, mainly neurological disorders. In addition, they have been implicated in more common forms of movement disorders, dementia and the ageing process. In order to try to model neuronal dysfunction associated with mitochondrial disease, we have attempted to establish a series of transmitochondrial mouse embryonic stem cells harbouring pathogenic mtDNA mutations. Materials and methods: Transmitochondrial embryonic stem cell cybrids were generated by fusion of cytoplasts carrying a variety of mtDNA mutations, into embryonic stem cells that had been pretreated with rhodamine 6G, to prevent transmission of endogenous mtDNA. Cybrids were differentiated into neurons and assessed for efficiency of differentiation and electrophysiological function. Results:  Neuronal differentiation could occur, as indicated by expression of neuronal markers. Differentiation was impaired in embryonic stem cells carrying mtDNA mutations that caused severe biochemical deficiency. Electrophysiological tests showed evidence of synaptic activity in differentiated neurons carrying non-pathogenic mtDNA mutations or in those that caused a mild defect of respiratory activity. Again, however, neurons carrying mtDNA mutations that resulted in severe biochemical deficiency had marked reduction in post-synaptic events. Conclusions:  Differentiated neurons carrying severely pathogenic mtDNA defects can provide a useful model for understanding how such mutations can cause neuronal dysfunction

Adverse outcomes and an immunosuppressed endotype in septic patients with reduced IFN-γ ELISpot

BACKGROUNDSepsis remains a major clinical challenge for which successful treatment requires greater precision in identifying patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes requiring different therapeutic approaches. Predicting clinical outcomes and immunological endotyping of septic patients generally relies on using blood protein or mRNA biomarkers, or static cell phenotyping. Here, we sought to determine whether functional immune responsiveness would yield improved precision.METHODSAn ex vivo whole-blood enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assay for cellular production of interferon γ (IFN-γ) was evaluated in 107 septic and 68 nonseptic patients from 5 academic health centers using blood samples collected on days 1, 4, and 7 following ICU admission.RESULTSCompared with 46 healthy participants, unstimulated and stimulated whole-blood IFN-γ expression was either increased or unchanged, respectively, in septic and nonseptic ICU patients. However, in septic patients who did not survive 180 days, stimulated whole-blood IFN-γ expression was significantly reduced on ICU days 1, 4, and 7 (all P \u3c 0.05), due to both significant reductions in total number of IFN-γ-producing cells and amount of IFN-γ produced per cell (all P \u3c 0.05). Importantly, IFN-γ total expression on days 1 and 4 after admission could discriminate 180-day mortality better than absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), IL-6, and procalcitonin. Septic patients with low IFN-γ expression were older and had lower ALCs and higher soluble PD-L1 and IL-10 concentrations, consistent with an immunosuppressed endotype.CONCLUSIONSA whole-blood IFN-γ ELISpot assay can both identify septic patients at increased risk of late mortality and identify immunosuppressed septic patients.TRIAL REGISTRYN/A.FUNDINGThis prospective, observational, multicenter clinical study was directly supported by National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant R01 GM-139046, including a supplement (R01 GM-139046-03S1) from 2022 to 2024