Covering Kids & Families Evaluation: Case Study of Illinois: Exploring Links Between Policy, Practice and the Trends in New Medicaid/SCHIP Enrollments

Evaluates the impact in Illinois of the RWJF project to increase enrollment in Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs. Outlines state policy changes; outreach, simplification, and coordination activities; and 1999-2005 enrollment trends

Evaluation of Soil Type and Seeding Rate on Winter Cover Crop Species in a Soybean Production System

The integration of winter annual cover crops into a cropping system can potentially improve soil health and crop production, however, the impact of variables such as seeding rates, across two very different soil types, has not been well documented. A two-year study was conducted at the Dean Lee Research Station and Extension Center in Alexandria, Louisiana to evaluate the effects of cover crop seeding rate and soil type on cover crop biomass, weed suppression, soil fertility, and soybean (Glycine max L) growth and yield. Analysis of potential economic impacts was also performed to estimate financial net returns for three broadcast seeding rates of tillage radish (Raphanus sativus var. L), cereal rye (Secale cereale), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum). Low seeding rates of tillage radish produced greater biomass than high rates (1,812 and 807 kg ha-1, respectively) but did not significantly affect cereal rye or crimson clover. Weed biomass for all seeding rates of cereal rye and low and medium rates of tillage radish was lower (ranging from 18-323 kg ha-1) compared with all seeding rates of crimson clover. Nutrient levels for macro and specific micro-nutrients fluctuated with sample date and soil type, but overall, levels were lowered by 7-88% over the course of this study. Soil organic matter levels were significantly different by sample date across years and soil types, but overall levels decreased from 2.5% to 1.9%. Soybean yield was different by soil type and year, with Coushatta silt loam plots yielding 41% higher than Moreland clay (3,504 and 2,079 kg ha-1, respectively). Although production year 2017 (3,434 kg ha-1) yielded 39% greater than 2018 (2,147 kg ha-1), cover crop seeding rate had no impact on soybean yield in this study. Economic estimations were calculated based on cover crop inputs and soybean grain yield with high rates of tillage radish and cereal rye being less profitable compared with a fallow treatment (all other species and seeding rates were equal to fallow) for Coushatta silt loam soil. In contrast, all rates and species were equal to fallow in Moreland clay except for low rate of cereal rye. Under specific conditions and soil type, low and medium cover crop seeding rates may provide adequate biomass and weed suppression without sacrificing biomass or net monetary returns

Dysregulation of Na+/K+ ATPase by amyloid in APP+PS1 transgenic mice

BACKGROUND: The pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is comprised of extracellular amyloid plaques, intracellular tau tangles, dystrophic neurites and neurodegeneration. The mechanisms by which these various pathological features arise are under intense investigation. Here, expanding upon pilot gene expression studies, we have further analyzed the relationship between Na+/K+ ATPase and amyloid using APP+PS1 transgenic mice, a model that develops amyloid plaques and memory deficits in the absence of tangle formation and neuronal or synaptic loss. RESULTS: We report that in addition to decreased mRNA expression, there was decreased overall Na+/K+ ATPase enzyme activity in the amyloid-containing hippocampi of the APP+PS1 mice (although not in the amyloid-free cerebellum). In addition, dual immunolabeling revealed an absence of Na+/K+ ATPase staining in a zone surrounding congophilic plaques that was occupied by dystrophic neurites. We also demonstrate that cerebral Na+/K+ ATPase activity can be directly inhibited by high concentrations of soluble Aβ. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the reductions in Na+/K+ ATPase activity in Alzheimer tissue may not be purely secondary to neuronal loss, but may results from direct effects of amyloid on this enzyme. This disruption of ion homeostasis and osmotic balance may interfere with normal electrotonic properties of dendrites, blocking intraneuronal signal processing, and contribute to neuritic dystrophia. These results suggest that therapies aimed at enhancing Na+/K+ ATPase activity in AD may improve symptoms and/or delay disease progression

A Survey of Teachers\u27 Perceptions Relating to Entry into Educational Administration in Three Eastern Kentucky Counties

An applied project presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Specialist in Education by Donna Joanne Ramey Morgan on May 14, 1991

The Impact of Job-Embedded Professional Development Coaches on Teacher Practice.

The intent of this qualitative study was to understand the impact of job-embedded professional development coaches on teacher practice. Coaches in this study worked with teachers to plan lessons, model lessons with feedback, and disaggregate data. This qualitative study was conducted using interviews of coaches to gain their perceptions of the work they did with teachers and how this work influenced teacher practice. Teachers were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the impact coaches\u27 work had on their classroom practices. Analysis of the coaches and teachers\u27 reflective journals was also conducted to establish the participants\u27 perceptions of their work together and the impact on teacher practice. Several themes emerged from the data analysis that assisted the researcher in forming the theoretical framework for the study. All coaches and teachers interviewed reported feeling positive about the work they did together planning lessons, modeling lessons with feedback, and disaggregating data. The researcher identified several factors that promoted the coaches\u27 influence on teacher practice and several barriers that limited the coaches\u27 influence on teacher practice. Teachers also identified traits and actions of an effective coach. Based on the research all the teachers grew in various ways from the work they did with the coaches. Teachers reported changing their practices and attitudes as well as trying new approaches, strategies, and programs. They appreciated coaches\u27 help with classroom management, discipline, and emotional support. Some teachers gained confidence in their teaching abilities, increased their expectations of students, and allowed students to take charge of their own learning. They went deeper with their teaching and engaged more in reflective thinking about why they do things the way they do. Job-embedded coaching has the potential to influence teachers\u27 practices and subsequently student learning. Recommendations from study findings may assist teachers, coaches, and school leaders in building an effective coaching model

Passive immunotherapy against Aβ in aged APP-transgenic mice reverses cognitive deficits and depletes parenchymal amyloid deposits in spite of increased vascular amyloid and microhemorrhage

BACKGROUND: Anti-Aβ immunotherapy in transgenic mice reduces both diffuse and compact amyloid deposits, improves memory function and clears early-stage phospho-tau aggregates. As most Alzheimer disease cases occur well past midlife, the current study examined adoptive transfer of anti-Aβ antibodies to 19- and 23-month old APP-transgenic mice. METHODS: We investigated the effects of weekly anti-Aβ antibody treatment on radial-arm water-maze performance, parenchymal and vascular amyloid loads, and the presence of microhemorrhage in the brain. 19-month-old mice were treated for 1, 2 or 3 months while 23-month-old mice were treated for 5 months. Only the 23-month-old mice were subject to radial-arm water-maze testing. RESULTS: After 3 months of weekly injections, this passive immunization protocol completely reversed learning and memory deficits in these mice, a benefit that was undiminished after 5 months of treatment. Dramatic reductions of diffuse Aβ immunostaining and parenchymal Congophilic amyloid deposits were observed after five months, indicating that even well-established amyloid deposits are susceptible to immunotherapy. However, cerebral amyloid angiopathy increased substantially with immunotherapy, and some deposits were associated with microhemorrhage. Reanalysis of results collected from an earlier time-course study demonstrated that these increases in vascular deposits were dependent on the duration of immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive benefits of passive immunotherapy persist in spite of the presence of vascular amyloid and small hemorrhages. These data suggest that clinical trials evaluating such treatments will require precautions to minimize potential adverse events associated with microhemorrhage

Nathan Augustus Cobb: The Father of Nematology in the United States; and Nathan Cobb\u27s Publications

Introduction Nathan Augustus Cobb, referred to as the Father of Nematology in the United States (56), was a Renaissance man and a man of humble beginnings. His early life experiences instilled in him the creativity, fortitude, and self reliance that were needed to raise himself alone from age 14, to complete college with little formal pre-college education, receive his Ph.D. in Germany, and go on to found a new discipline of science called Nematology . His scientific and technical accomplishments were impressive, as indicated by the over 250 first-authored manuscripts he produced during his career. He identified over 1000 species of nematodes, including animal parasitic, plant parasitic, free-living, fresh water, and marine forms. He made many innovative technical contributions to Nematology, including: (a) fixation and preservation methods; (b) the Cobb metal mounting slide; (c) adaptation of photographic equipment, light filters, and improvements in the camera lucida for microscopic use with nematodes; and (d) development of the first flotation device for removing nematodes from soil. A self-taught and gifted artist, his illustrations were of the highest quality. He made great contributions in many other areas of science, such as botany and plant pathology, and to the cotton industry as well

Climate Justice in Engineering Education

The goal of this research is to design a learning module for Purdue first-year engineering (FYE) students to learn climate fundamentals, and the role of engineers in responding to climate justice challenges. There is a lack of climate material within these classes currently, leading to a lack of climate conscious engineers in the future. The project entailed reviewing and synthesizing a wide variety of previous research on climate change education in engineering, including key learning objectives and their assessment. Because one of the key foci of the first-year engineering sequence relates to data analysis and management, we focused our work on identifying climate data sets compatible with current curricular materials and application tools in the course. We designed a module to fit within the learning targets of ENGR 132, while also including new learning targets identified in previous research that could be easily implemented within the guidelines of ENGR 132. Climate data forms a useful example of the kinds of complex data management challenges engineers face now and in the future. In particular, the problem of climate change reveals structural inequities that engineers must address in their design of solutions. Climate change is one of the grand socio-technical challenges of our day, and thus has the potential to engage many FYE students in discovering how different disciplines of engineering (and disciplines beyond engineering) can contribute to climate solutions. The module will be delivered to a key faculty member in Engineering Education for further development and implementation in the course

Podcasting practices: Mediators of archival work, ELA teacher education curricula, and digital identities

This paper investigates how a semester-long online course in a language and literacy teacher education department coupled a podcast project with archival pedagogy and restorying to explore how ELA (English Language Arts) teachers (preservice, inservice teachers, and those seeking re-entry) worked collaboratively to enrich understandings of instruction embedded in a high-tech environment. The course was taught in the southeastern United States at the height of a global pandemic. After the semester ended, three graduate students (from a class of 21) joined the instructor to qualitatively analyze data collected during the previous 14 weeks. Data sources included digitally stored videos, archived library objects, class emails, rubrics, asynchronous discussion boards, synchronous Zoom discussions, and student-generated podcast projects. Findings point to the merit of providing agentic-learning opportunities through podcasting practices that mediated students’ archival work, ELA teacher education curricula, and digital identity formation. Implications are drawn for ELA classroom teachers and teacher educators