Strategies Teachers And Families Can Use To Support Home Language Maintenance For Early Elementary Students

The primary research question for this project is: What are strategies teachers and families can use to support home language maintenance for early elementary students? This capstone project presents literature about the benefits of multilingualism, the impact of language loss, factors that support home language maintenance or loss, and strategies for teachers and families to support home language maintenance. The project following the research is two resources: one for teachers and one for families. The resource for teachers has two learning targets: teachers will be able to describe why home language maintenance is important and teachers will be able to list strategies to support home language maintenance. There are two versions of the resource for families: one with strategies for families of all language backgrounds and one with specific strategies for Spanish-speaking families. The goal of the resources is to educate teachers and families about the benefits of multilingualism and the impact of language loss. This project provides concrete strategies to support students in home language maintenance at home and in school, including suggestions for teacher-family collaboration

The role of FOXO1 and KATP channel signalling in Sim1 expressing neurons for the regulation of energy homeostasis and stress response

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus comprises a distinct subset of neurons regulating a diversity of processes including energy homeostasis and stress response. The transcription factor FOXO1 and the ATP sensitive potassium (KATP) channel are involved in several important metabolic pathways in different tissues including the hypothalamus, one of the key brain regions controlling energy homeostasis. In the present study, transgenic knock-in strategies have been designed to address the function of these central players in energy homeostasis and stress response in Sim1 expressing neurons, which are present mainly in the PVN and supraoptic nucleus (SON). Thus, a constitutive active variant of the KATP channel (KATP∆N), resulting in a high potassium outflow of the neuron, or a dominant negative variant of the FOXO1 protein (FOXO1DN), which blocks the transcription of FOXO family target genes, were expressed in a Sim1-cre dependent manner. The analysis of these genetically modified mice revealed no difference in energy and glucose metabolism. Hence, FOXO1 signalling or the KATP channel dependent membrane excitability seem not to play a role in Sim1 neuron mediated control of energy homeostasis. However, FOXO1DN overexpression inhibited the transcription of arginine vasopressin (AVP), which is one of the initiating neuropeptides of the stress response, both in vitro and in a tendency in vivo, possibly by decreasing the estrogen dependent regulation of AVP transcription. Importantly, FOXO1DN overexpression could impair the female initiation of the stress response in Sim1 neurons resulting in a blunted corticosterone release from adrenal glands. Hence, this coherent set of findings indicates that transcription factor signalling of the FOXO family in the Sim1 expressing neurons can alter the reinforcement of the stress response in female mice

Aerosol-Radiation-Cloud Interactions in the South-East Atlantic: Model-Relevant Observations and the Beneficiary Modeling Efforts in the Realm of the EVS-2 Project ORACLES

Globally, aerosols remain a major contributor to uncertainties in assessments of anthropogenically-induced changes to the Earth climate system, despite concerted efforts using satellite and suborbital observations and increasingly sophisticated models. The quantification of direct and indirect aerosol radiative effects, as well as cloud adjustments thereto, even at regional scales, continues to elude our capabilities. Some of our limitations are due to insufficient sampling and accuracy of the relevant observables, under an appropriate range of conditions to provide useful constraints for modeling efforts at various climate scales. In this talk, I will describe (1) the efforts of our group at NASA Ames to develop new airborne instrumentation to address some of the data insufficiencies mentioned above; (2) the efforts by the EVS-2 ORACLES project to address aerosol-cloud-climate interactions in the SE Atlantic and (3) time permitting, recent results from a synergistic use of A-Train aerosol data to test climate model simulations of present-day direct radiative effects in some of the AEROCOM phase II global climate models

Evaluation of thermal process lethality in meat for non-pathogenic Escherichia coli as a surrogate for Salmonella

Non-typhoidal Salmonella is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, resulting in about 20,000 hospitalizations and nearly 380 deaths annually. The meat processing industry has been especially plagued by Salmonella, from meat-inherent sources and more alarmingly, cross-contamination. For ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products specifically, this can cause significant problems in processing facilities ensuring safe product for consumption, resulting in foodborne illness. The development of standard lethality compliance guidelines by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) within Appendix A assists processors in confirming that Salmonella is inactivated in RTE beef and poultry products, based on a “worst case” raw product contamination condition. While this is beneficial, means of thermal process validation are limited. However, the identification of five non-pathogenic E. colistrains isolated from cattle may provide a method of validation for processors. Previous studies have investigated the behavior of the isolates individually in response to a variety of microbial interventions, including cooking, fermentation, freezing, refrigerated storage, and antimicrobial treatments as compared to the behavior E. coli O157:H7 as well as Salmonella. Based on the results of these studies, it was sensible to study the behavior of the combined non-pathogenic E. coli isolates in ground beef at varying fat contents under thermal processing conditions compared to Salmonella to determine its potential for use to validate thermal processing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if the non-pathogenic E. coli isolates could be used as a surrogate for a mixed culture of Salmonella as means to validate thermal processing parameters in accordance with Appendix A. For lower temperatures outlined in Appendix A (130, 135, 140, 145°F (54, 57, 60, and 63°C)), the non-pathogenic E. coli inoculum has significantly different (P \u3c 0.05) decimal-reduction values (D-values), in that they are significantly greater than Salmonella D-values across all five fat content levels (5, 10, 20, 25, 30%). At temperatures greater than 145°F (63°C), no significant differences (P \u3e 0.05) existed between the inoculums across fat content, indicating that the two inoculums were being inactivated at similar rates. These results suggest that the most appropriate use of the non-pathogenic E. coli surrogates would be for predicting, ensuring, and validating thermal processing for the inactivation of Salmonella at lower temperatures, specifically those that fall within the “danger zone” that support rapid bacterial growth (40 - 140°F (4 - 60°C)). Beyond temperature 145°F (63°C), the non-pathogenic E. coli inoculum offers no substantial advantage, as it is being inactivated as rapidly as Salmonella. Due to its prolific growth and high-density yield, the absence of the E. coli inoculum can ensure the inactivation Salmonella at higher thermal processing temperatures. However, investigation of the effects of meat product attributes (pH, water activity, moisture, fat and muscle distribution) as well as considerations of additional variables, risks, and parameters of facility-conducted thermal processing trials is recommended to gain further insight on thermal processing behavior of both non-pathogenic E. coli inoculum and Salmonella

Airborne Polarimeter Intercomparison for the NASA Aerosols-Clouds-Ecosystems (ACE) Mission

The Aerosols-Clouds-Ecosystems (ACE) mission, recommended by the National Research Council's Decadal Survey, calls for a multi-angle, multi-spectral polarimeter devoted to observations of atmospheric aerosols and clouds. In preparation for ACE, NASA funds the deployment of airborne polarimeters, including the Airborne Multi-angle SpectroPolarimeter Imager (AirMSPI), the Passive Aerosol and Cloud Suite (PACS) and the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). These instruments have been operated together on NASA's ER-2 high altitude aircraft as part of field campaigns such as the POlarimeter DEfinition EXperiment (PODEX) (California, early 2013) and Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS, California and Texas, summer 2013). Our role in these efforts has been to serve as an assessment team performing level 1 (calibrated radiance, polarization) and level 2 (retrieved geophysical parameter) instrument intercomparisons, and to promote unified and generalized calibration, uncertainty assessment and retrieval techniques. We will present our progress in this endeavor thus far and describe upcoming research in 2015

Progress in Airborne Polarimeter Inter Comparison for the NASA Aerosols-Clouds-Ecosystems (ACE) Mission

The Aerosols-Clouds-Ecosystems (ACE) mission, recommended by the National Research Council's Decadal Survey, calls for a multi-angle, multi-spectral polarimeter devoted to observations of atmospheric aerosols and clouds. In preparation for ACE, NASA funds the deployment of airborne polarimeters, including the Airborne Multiangle SpectroPolarimeter Imager (AirMSPI), the Passive Aerosol and Cloud Suite (PACS) and the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). These instruments have been operated together on NASA's ER-2 high altitude aircraft as part of field campaigns such as the POlarimeter DEfinition EXperiment (PODEX) (California, early 2013) and Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS, California and Texas, summer 2013). Our role in these efforts has been to serve as an assessment team performing level 1 (calibrated radiance, polarization) and level 2 (retrieved geophysical parameter) instrument intercomparisons, and to promote unified and generalized calibration, uncertainty assessment and retrieval techniques. We will present our progress in this endeavor thus far and describe upcoming research in 2015

Aerosol-Radiation-Cloud Interactions in the South-East Atlantic: First Results from the ORACLES-2016 Deployment and Plans for Future Activities

Southern Africa produces almost a third of the Earths biomass burning (BB) aerosol particles. Particles lofted into the mid-troposphere are transported westward over the South-East (SE) Atlantic, home to one of the three permanent subtropical stratocumulus (Sc) cloud decks in the world. The SE Atlantic stratocumulus deck interacts with the dense layers of BB aerosols that initially overlay the cloud deck, but later subside and may mix into the clouds. These interactions include adjustments to aerosol-induced solar heating and microphysical effects, and their global representation in climate models remains one of the largest uncertainties in estimates of future climate. Hence, new observations over the SE Atlantic have significant implications for regional and global climate change predictions.Our understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions in the SE Atlantic is severely limited. Most notably, we are missing knowledge on the absorptive and cloud nucleating properties of aerosols, including their vertical distribution relative to clouds, on the locations and degree of aerosol mixing into clouds, on the processes that govern cloud property adjustments, and on the importance of aerosol effects on clouds relative to co-varying synoptic scale meteorology.We describe first results from various synergistic, international research activities aimed at studying aerosol-cloud interactions in the region:NASAs airborne ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols Above Clouds and Their IntEractionS) deployment in AugustSeptember of 2016,the DoEs LASIC (Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds) deployment of the ARM Mobile Facility to Ascension Island (June 2016 October 2017), the ground-based components of CNRS AEROCLO-sA (Aerosols Clouds and Fog over the west coast of southern Africa), and ongoing regional-scale integrative, process-oriented science efforts as part of SEALS-sA (Sea Earth Atmosphere Linkages Study in southern Africa).We expect to describe experimental setups as well as showcase initial aerosol and cloud property distributions. Furthermore, we discuss the implementation of future activities in these programs in coordination with the UK Met Offices CLARIFY (CLoud-Aerosol-Radiation Interactions and Forcing) experiment in 2017