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In this study, the researchers explored the impact of reading aloud on language acquisition for 12 infants and toddlers (6–22 months old) attending a preschool located in South Florida. The research team included university professors, a preschool director and two preschool teachers. A teacher assistant read a selected picture book to each child individually for 10 weeks using scripts with prompts to assess receptive and expressive language. In addition to the book scripts, data collection included parent surveys, observation, developmental checklists, videotaping and field notes. Researchers measured each child's length of engaged time and level of engagement individually and as a whole group. Results indicate that participants demonstrated book preferences in terms of engagement, with the toddlers showing interest in books on familiar topics. Effective read-aloud strategies and techniques for young children are shared to promote the love of literacy.

Intergenerational visitation programs have demonstrated advantages for the young and old, but few programs last more than a year or two. Weaving long-term intergenerational programs into the fabric of both school curricula and community cultural life was the goal of a project launched in 1988 in Phoenix, Arizona. Classrooms of children visit weekly or biweekly with nearby nursing home residents, developing friendships while pursuing educational activities. Carefully planned and widespread community support through board participation, donations, and publicity has allowed the program to continue to expand, while the budget has decreased. Materials are available which facilitate program replication.

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Theta capillary nanoelectrospray ionization (θ-nanoESI) can be used to “supercharge” protein ions directly from solution for detection by mass spectrometry (MS). In native top-down MS, the extent of protein charging is low. Given that ions with more charge fragment more readily, increasing charge can enhance the extent of sequence information obtained by top-down MS. For θ-nanoESI, dual-channeled nanoESI emitters are used to mix two solutions in low to sub-μs prior to MS. The mechanism for θ-nanoESI mixing has been reported to primarily occur: (i) in a single shared Taylor cone and in the droplets formed from the Taylor cone or (ii) by the fusion of droplets formed from two separate Taylor cones. Using θ-nanoESI-ion mobility MS, native protein solutions were rapidly mixed with denaturing supercharging solutions to form protein ions in significantly higher charge states and with more elongated structures than those formed by premixing the solutions prior to nanoESI-MS. If θ-nanoESI mixing occurred in the Taylor cone and in the droplets resulting from the single Taylor cone, then the extent of protein charging and unfolding should be comparable to or less than that obtained by premixing solutions. Thus, these data are consistent with mixing occurring via droplet fusion rather than in the Taylor cone prior to ESI droplet formation. These data also suggest that highly charged protein ions can be formed by the near-complete mixing of each solution. The presence of supercharging additives in premixed solutions can suppress volatile electrolyte evaporation, limiting the extent of protein charging compared to when the additive is delivered via one channel of a θ-nanoESI emitter. In θ-nanoESI, the formation of two Taylor cones can presumably result in substantial electrolyte evaporation from the ESI droplets containing native-like proteins prior to droplet fusion, thereby enhancing ion charging.