Examining First-Year, First-Generation College Students\u27 Perceptions of Parental Involvement

Parental engagement and support have been shown to have a positive impact on the academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being of undergraduate students (Harper et al., 2012). While continuing-generation college students utilize knowledge and insight from their parents to navigate the collegiate experience, first-generation undergraduate students face hurdles that can impact their experience due to the unfamiliarity associated with being the first in their family to pursue higher education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine underrepresented first-year, first-generation undergraduate students’ perceptions of their parent(s) involvement when deciding to attend college, high school to college transition, and first-year academic and social experiences. The data for this study was collected from participants in academic enrichment programs at a land-grant, mid-southern research university. Findings from the study indicate that parental involvement could play a significant role in the college experience of first-year, first-generation undergraduate students of color

Plans for Plant Research Opportunities on ISS

No abstract availabl

Defining Management Strategies To Maximize Net Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Retention In Turfgrass Systems

Soil carbon (C) sequestration has been proposed as a method to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ). Managed turf areas are both a source and a sink for greenhouse gases (GHGs) including CO 2 , methane (CH4 ), and nitrous oxide (N2 O), among others. Management practices, including turfgrass selection and mowing, influence the amount of C and N stored in the soil, as well as the direct and indirect GHG emissions. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine how turfgrass selection (both species and cultivar) and mowing practices (such as frequency and grass clipping management) influence the annual mowing requirements and dry matter yield, soil C and N accumulation, and GHG flux (CO 2 , N2 , and CH4 ) in a turfgrass system. Planting slower growing turfgrasses resulted in fewer annual mowing events: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) required fewer annual mowing events than tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus Schreb.), and slow-growing cultivars needed to be mown less than the moderate-growing cultivars, which were mown fewer times than the fast-growing cultivars. Mowing by the one-third rule and collecting grass clippings also reduced mowing requirements. However, the faster growing species (i.e. tall fescue) and cultivars had higher annual dry matter yields, and returning grass clippings also increased yield. The same practices that increased dry matter yield, except for growth rate, also increased labile and total soil C concentrations. Furthermore, returning grass clippings increased leaf tissue N concentration as well as total soil N concentration. Tall fescue had a greater CO 2 flux than Kentucky bluegrass, and returning grass clippings had a greater CO2 flux than collecting clippings, which occurred on five and one of the six collection dates, respectively. Nitrous oxide flux differed for growth rate on one collection date, though it was likely due to a fertilizer response. There was not a measurable CH 4 flux. The results of this study highlight the importance of turfgrass selection and mowing practices on the C and N dynamics and biogeochemical cycling in a turfgrass system. All turfgrasses and management practices resulted in a system-wide net C sink, though the magnitude of the sink varied by management strategy

Paper Session III-B - Space Exploration Through Education

During Buzz Aldrin\u27s remarks at the twentieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 liftoff last July r he indicated that this country was not yet ready to commit to a manned mission to Mars* I contend that to put off this commitment or any commitment only lessens the chances of ever doing it. The United States space program, like the rest of the american industrial complex is at a very critical point. Long range decisions must be made for it to remain in a competitive position worldwide. It must be remembered that not to decide is to decide . During the past thirty years the United States space industry has achieved a level of success which made it the envy of the world. Will the next thirty years be a continuation of that tradition or will we be forced out of the industry by better prepared competition? A comprehensive plan, developed and executed with an unwaiving.dedication will maintain our position. The roles both education and industry play in this plan is the key to its success and must be fully developed

Paper Session III-A - Closed Loop Systems

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is unique in its search for man made, closed loop life support systems and in its total engineering methods. Short term space travel has given NASA tremendous knowledge in closed loop systems and the vision of extended space travel will require the expansion of this knowledge base. Earth and its surrounding atmosphere has been operating as a closed loop life support system for billions of years. It has gone through many changes to best suit an equilibrium state. In recent years, man has developed to a level where we can effect that state. With this in mind, the task of protecting our life support system on earth and designing the systems for long duration space travel have great communality

Scalable Production of Peptides for Enhanced Struvite Formation via Expression on the Surface of Genetically Engineered Microbes

A promising method for recycling phosphate from wastewater is through precipitation of struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O), a slow-release fertilizer. Peptides have been shown to increase the yield of struvite formation, but producing peptides via solid phase synthesis is cost prohibitive. This work investigates the effects of peptide-expressing bacteria on struvite precipitation to provide a sustainable and cost-efficient means to enhance struvite precipitation. A peptide known for increased struvite yield was expressed on a membrane protein in Escherichia coli(E. coli), and then 5 mL precipitation reactions were performed in 50 mL culture tubes for at least 15 min. The yield of struvite crystals was examined, with the presence of peptide-expressing E. coli inducing significantly higher yields than nonpeptide-expressing E. coli when normalized to the amount of bacteria. The precipitate was identified as struvite through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, while the morphology and size of the crystals were analyzed through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Crystals were found to have a larger area when precipitated with the peptide-expressing bacteria. Additionally, bacteria–struvite samples were thermogravimetrically analyzed to quantify their purity and determine their thermal decomposition behavior. Overall, this study presents the benefits of a novel, microbe-driven method of struvite precipitation, offering a means for scalable implementation

Deep Space Gateway Science Opportunities

The NASA Life Sciences Research Capabilities Team (LSRCT) has been discussing deep space research needs for the last two years. NASA's programs conducting life sciences studies - the Human Research Program, Space Biology, Astrobiology, and Planetary Protection - see the Deep Space Gateway (DSG) as affording enormous opportunities to investigate biological organisms in a unique environment that cannot be replicated in Earth-based laboratories or on Low Earth Orbit science platforms. These investigations may provide in many cases the definitive answers to risks associated with exploration and living outside Earth's protective magnetic field. Unlike Low Earth Orbit or terrestrial locations, the Gateway location will be subjected to the true deep space spectrum and influence of both galactic cosmic and solar particle radiation and thus presents an opportunity to investigate their long-term exposure effects. The question of how a community of biological organisms change over time within the harsh environment of space flight outside of the magnetic field protection can be investigated. The biological response to the absence of Earth's geomagnetic field can be studied for the first time. Will organisms change in new and unique ways under these new conditions? This may be specifically true on investigations of microbial communities. The Gateway provides a platform for microbiology experiments both inside, to improve understanding of interactions between microbes and human habitats, and outside, to improve understanding of microbe-hardware interactions exposed to the space environment

“To be or not to be”: a study of the factors that affect and support the academic success of resilient at-risk high school graduates

At-risk youth, past and current are mostly characterized by typical adolescent behaviors and are frequently considered problems, community liabilities, and recipients rather than resources. Many have been mislabeled and diagnosed as future failures despite having the ability to succeed. Those who succeed are constituted as a rare breed and have some type of significant element that cultivated achievement. This qualitative study serves as a contribution to scholarship on the factors that influence and affect the academic success of resilient at-risk high school students. The research also set out to identify the major influences that enabled resilient at-risk high school graduates to succeed beyond the obstacles and barriers that existed in their lives.This research study utilized narrative inquiry approach where the participants in this research shared their life’s stories and all they attribute to how they overcame adversities to reach their goals and dreams. Connelly and Clandinin (1990) have defined narrative inquiry as a way of understanding experiences. The inquiry method employed for this study was the interview approach where open-ended questions were utilized to uncover factors positively affecting student achievement. A total eight students participated in the interview process. Data collection included recorded interviews, interviews were transcribed and common themes were determined and coded allowing for data analysis. Through this analysis five major themes were uncovered and found to be associated with the success of resilient at-risk high school graduates: including a culture of support for students (social support theorem), the belief and inspiration of students (self-efficacy), students being inspired and learning from their surroundings and environments (social learning theory), the level of belief in their abilities (self-efficacy) and a contribution of the small learning environment